Street of the Five Moons: Vicky Bliss, #2 -- Elizabeth Peters

Okay.  So in Borrower of the Night, we met Vicky Bliss, medievalist and art historian with a huge brain whose blonde hair, blue eyes and extreme curves make men underestimate her and women hate her.

It's been almost a year since the events of the first book, and Vicky is now working for Herr Professor Doktor Schmidt at the National Museum in Berlin.  When Schmidt comes to her with an almost perfect reproduction of the Charlemagne talisman that was found sewn into a dead man's clothing (which obviously means that there must be a plot to rob the museum!) and asks her to put her amateur detecting skills to work, well, who is she to argue?  After all, he IS offering her an expense account!

The clues lead her to the Street of Five Moons in Rome, where she has her first run in with her soon-to-be on-again-off-again lover* and nemesis, Sir John Smythe:

I didn't need the clipped, characteristic accent to tell me he was English.  The tea and biscuits I had found the night before had led me to expect that the present manager of the shop was of that nation, and his appearance was unmistakable.  He reminded me of Lord Peter Wimsey--not only the fair hair and the skin scarcely darkened by the Roman sun, but the air of mild contempt.  You couldn't say his nose was big, but it seemed to dominate his face, and although he was sitting down and I was standing, he gave the impression of looking down his nose at me.

Oh, le sigh.  If you aren't already acquainted with Sir John, you may not be able to tell that he's a dreamboat, but do take my word for it.  He is.  He's extremely sarcastic, well-read, very bright, not at all chivalrous, a secret romantic and a bit of a coward.  Also, he plays the piano.  See?  Dreamboat.

More reasons to love Vicky:  although her physical assets frustrate her in the academic world, she has no problem putting them to good use while investigating crimes -- she giggles and sighs and inhales deeply and men just fall over themselves to give her information.  She learned how to pick locks in tenth grade from a boy called Piggy Wilson.  She is clearly a huge reader -- not only does she compare John to Wimsey in the above passage, but she's always making and recognizing literary references. 

And while she and John are running away from Big Men with Big Guns (these things happen...), she isn't shrieking and terrified and exhausted -- instead, she is convulsed with laughter.  And, of course, she and John have fantastic chemistry and while they would never admit it, the genuinely enjoy each other.  While locked in a cellar, Awaiting Their Fate:

"My hero," I said.  "I have misjudged you.  I am abject.  I grovel.  And of course my girlish heart is palpitating with rapture because you risked your life--"

The wineglass smashed against the wall with a musical tinkle, and Smythe, turning, threw his arms around me and yanked me up against his chest with a force that drove the wind out of my lungs.

"Will he kiss her or kill her?" I gasped.  "Tune in tomorrow and hear the next--"

Smythe's face broke up.  He began to laugh.  He didn't release me, but his grasp relaxed, so that I was able to find a more comfortable position.  We sat there side by side till he finished laughing.

A corset-wearing count, the count's mistress, a huge fountain, a Lovecraftian garden, art forgeries galore, a huge chase scene, a murder, the stealing of clothing from a clothesline, the most frustrating phone call to Munich EVER, a Doberman pinscher named Caesar and an excellent smooch while hiding behind floor-length curtains... I can't wait to re-read Book Three!

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*Blecch.

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Previously:

Borrower of the Night, Vicky Bliss #1

Comments

[Kate F]

Ooh. I read all the Peabody books while on an escapist kick ages ago, but never read any other Peters books. But the heroine is reminded of Lord Peter? *swoon*

[Elizabeth]

Oh, I do luuuurve Sir John. I like his unscrupulousness, I like his hair, I like his contempt for Americans--I even like his mom. I go back and forth on whether I'm going to marry him or Ramses when I grow up. Except I'm already married. And (allegedly) grown up.

[Brooke]

Question: do you have to read the books in order, or does each stand pretty well on its own? 'Cause you make it seem like reading the first book -- which has no Sir John - isn't quite as fun.

[Leila]

You don't have to read them in order. I certainly didn't the first time around. While the first one still holds a special place in my heart, and it is about Vicky and therefore awesome and is by Elizabeth Peters and therefore awesome, it does feel a little bit dated.

[Elizabeth]

I think I started the series with Trojan Gold and had no problem following along. Street of the Five Moons would probably have been a better place to start, though. And if you haven't read a lot of Elizabeth Peters, you should probably read a couple of her Amelia Peabody books before you read Laughter of Dead Kings.

[Kerry]

Sounds brilliant. Sigh. Another series to read. And I still have to find time for the rest of the Amelia Peabody series too as I've only ever read the first one.

[cc]

Just finished the LofDK (hey, Elizabeth, do you think that's deliberate? What with Schmidt and the mysterious-lady-at-the-end's new obsession? There seems to be some kind of aural pun going on there). Ahem. Anyway. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but it struck me as a little flat in places. But the last few lines makes it all worthwhile. The middle three are still my favorites.

But what I really want to know is: When are we going to get a new Kirby book?

[Elizabeth]

@cc: Hah! Yes, I think it's deliberate. Usually I HATE it when author's do, umm, that. Well, Clive Cussler is the only one who's done it I can think of just now but, reading that, I rolled my eyes so much I think I pulled an eyeball muscle. I think the mysterious lady was really charmingly done, though. The whole second half of the book was a fangirl's dream. I think I squealed aloud on at least two occasions.

[cc]

God, I'm glad you understood that. I did an "awww" rather than a "squeak" the second time (I'm assuming #1 was the A to Z business) but otherwise I agree completely about the MLATE.

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[Heather]

You should check-out Dorothy Dunnett's Francis Crawford of Lymond series. Apparently Lymond was the inspiration for John Smythe/Tregarth. The first book is Game of Kings, a little hard to get into but totally worth the effort!

[Leila]

Oooo! Thanks!

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She learned how to pick locks in tenth grade from a boy called Piggy Wilson.