I love Elizabeth Peters but I cannot, will not, read a book where the heroine is knocked out and when she comes to, unknown villains are discussing raping her. And then, when a handsome, but ethically challenged man rescues her, she then doesn't tell the police, doesn't tell her boss, doesn't leave the country she GOES BACK TO THE CRIMINALS' HIDEOUT. I can't read a book with a heroine that stupid. ( )

I have to preface this by saying that I liked this one much more than the first one.

Taking place in Italy this time sassy Vicky Bliss takes on a gang of art thieves. While the writing is definitely dated, that doesn't interfere with Bliss' charm and ability to solve the crime. ( )

in a sentence or two: Vicky Bliss is hot on the trail of a gang of artistic forgeries in Rome. her sly detective work (insert sarcasm here) leads her to be kidnapped, beat up, be whisked away to an Italian mansion, and attacked by garden statues while on the case of the remarkably accurate forgeries being sold to museums.

having read and loved the first Vicky Bliss mystery, Borrower of the Night, i knew i was in for a treat. Vicky is smart, witty, snarky, and all around awesome. while working for Herr Schmidt at Munich's National Museum, some suspicious activities take place. like an unidentified man carrying what seems to be a priceless and ancient gold pendant sewn into his jacket. always ready for an adventure, Vicky is off to Rome to try and discover what she can - based on a little scrap of paper found at the scene containing a quasi-clue.

due to school and other commitments (work, laundry, etc.), i didn't get a chance to read this as quickly as i would have liked. i feel like the Vicky Bliss mysteries are best read as uninterrupted as possible. that being said, i still really dug this. Vicky's discoveries are well balanced with the humor, sarcasm, and wit that sets these novels apart from other mysteries i've read. you don't know who to suspect, or why, and quite frankly - neither does Vicky. mainly it's a hodge podge of suspicions and clues leading up to the dramatic "ah-ha" moments. i don't mean that in a demeaning way at all - in fact, i absolutely love that method of suspense. plus, with a new love interest, John Smythe, i was totally sucked in.

i am wary to compare books to other books, because i feel like they are written to be judged on their own merit. however, if i had to, i'd say that i preferred Borrower of the Night to this one. only because that had a gothic/creepy ghost feel whereas this was more focused on the Italian mansion/secret gang of art thieves feel. both solid mysteries were kept exciting with suspense and the fantastic voice of Vicky.

fave quote: "I am by nature an optimistic person. But during those minutes in the mud and the dark, alone with a man who was quietly bleeding to death on my lap, with a mob of murderous brutes scouring the fields to find us...I was depressed." (271)

fix er up: i didn't want it to end. seriously. when i finally got the couple hours free i needed to sit and plow through this, i just couldn't get enough! good thing there are more mysteries for Vicky Bliss to solve... ( )

in a sentence or two: Vicky Bliss is hot on the trail of a gang of artistic forgeries in Rome. her sly detective work (insert sarcasm here) leads her to be kidnapped, beat up, be whisked away to an Italian mansion, and attacked by garden statues while on the case of the remarkably accurate forgeries being sold to museums.

having read and loved the first Vicky Bliss mystery, Borrower of the Night, i knew i was in for a treat. Vicky is smart, witty, snarky, and all around awesome. while working for Herr Schmidt at Munich's National Museum, some suspicious activities take place. like an unidentified man carrying what seems to be a priceless and ancient gold pendant sewn into his jacket. always ready for an adventure, Vicky is off to Rome to try and discover what she can - based on a little scrap of paper found at the scene containing a quasi-clue.

due to school and other commitments (work, laundry, etc.), i didn't get a chance to read this as quickly as i would have liked. i feel like the Vicky Bliss mysteries are best read as uninterrupted as possible. that being said, i still really dug this. Vicky's discoveries are well balanced with the humor, sarcasm, and wit that sets these novels apart from other mysteries i've read. you don't know who to suspect, or why, and quite frankly - neither does Vicky. mainly it's a hodge podge of suspicions and clues leading up to the dramatic "ah-ha" moments. i don't mean that in a demeaning way at all - in fact, i absolutely love that method of suspense. plus, with a new love interest, John Smythe, i was totally sucked in.

i am wary to compare books to other books, because i feel like they are written to be judged on their own merit. however, if i had to, i'd say that i preferred Borrower of the Night to this one. only because that had a gothic/creepy ghost feel whereas this was more focused on the Italian mansion/secret gang of art thieves feel. both solid mysteries were kept exciting with suspense and the fantastic voice of Vicky.

fave quote: "I am by nature an optimistic person. But during those minutes in the mud and the dark, alone with a man who was quietly bleeding to death on my lap, with a mob of murderous brutes scouring the fields to find us...I was depressed." (271)

fix er up: i didn't want it to end. seriously. when i finally got the couple hours free i needed to sit and plow through this, i just couldn't get enough! good thing there are more mysteries for Vicky Bliss to solve... ( )

Now this is more like it. The second installment in the Vicky Bliss series is a very enjoyable read and is quite worthy of belonging to the same universe as the Peabody series. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series now. ( )