Borrower of the Night: A Vicky Bliss Novel of Suspense

This is the first story in the Vicky Bliss mystery series and although, it's not absolutely necessary to read the stories in chronological order, it really does help to understand the background of the main characters and frankly, it makes reading the books even more enjoyable. In BORROWER OF THE NIGHT, Vicky Bliss, art historian and college professor finds a reference in a book that might lead to the discovery of a missing masterpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, a very famous German sculptor.Tony, Vicky's boyfriend and colleague, challenges her to see which of them can locate the missing treasure first. Their information leads them to visit Rothenberg, Germany, and an ancient castle. Several other people are also on the trail of the missing treasure, including Herr Dr. Schmidt and a wealthy American named George. Gorgeous Vicky is in her glory when she collects many admirers among the group, but the beautiful young countess who lives in the castle seems to have captured the interest of Tony. What can be more sinister than an old castle with secret passages and a history of evil inhabitants?I listened to the audiotapes of this book read by Barbara Rosenblat. It was helpful to hear the pronunciations of the German words and her narration was wonderful.If you're intrigued enough to want to read this series in order, here they are: BORROWER OF THE NIGHT, STREET OF THE FIVE MOONS, SILHOUETTE IN SCARLET, TROJAN GOLD and NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS. These are all excellent stories and I only wish that Elizabeth Peters would write more of them.

Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters exemplifies what a good mystery novel should be. It is witty, intelligent, and highly captivating. I looked for this book last year when it was still out of print and was unable to find it in any bookstore, so I checked it out of the library. Although I had already read it, when Borrower of the Night was re-published I had to buy it so I could read it again and again, it is so good! For fans who have already read later books in the Vicky Bliss series, go back and read this book, it is one of the best in the series. You will notice minor discrepancies between Vicky's habits in this book as compared to the later ones; for instance she is an avid smoker in Borrower of the Night, and in Night Train to Memphis, she can't even inhale a cigarette. Also, some character names are re-used for different people who have no relation to one another. However, these do not detract from the overall quality of the book. Borrower of the Night finds Vicky in a small German town competing with her lover Tony to find a renowned artists' lost shrine. They encounter seemingly supernatural adversaries in the 16th century castle that has been converted to a hotel. There are several smaller mysteries that must be solved before Vicky can even begin to decipher the mystery of the shrine. Odd characters, secret passages, and ancient mysteries riddle this novel as ultimately, Vicky must struggle for her life beneath the crumbled ruins of an ancient building. This book is a must read for all mystery lovers!

Having run out of new Amelia Peabody mysteries to read, I decided to try some others by Elizabeth Peters. This book is the first in the Vicky Bliss series. It is quite as much fun as Peters' other novels, and it contains quite as much adventure / mystery / history et al. When Vicky and Tony travel to Schloss Drachenstein in Germany, searching for a lost work of art by the sculptor Riemenschneider, they become embroiled in the past and the lives of the Drachensteins, those long-gone, and those still alive-and-well. (Historical facts blended with fictional are a specialty of Peters'. Her novels are educational as well as entertaining!) As each determines to be the first to find the lost shrine, they encounter all sorts of dangers. There is as much humor as there is suspense and romance, making this one terrific book!

Lovely blonde heroine. Tall dark hero. Moldering castle. Hidden secrets. Lost art treasure. Leave it to Elizabeth Peters to take all the elements of a trashy Gothic novel and turn them into a comic romp instead. *Borrower of the Night*, written in 1973, introduces readers to Vicky Bliss, who -- like Jacqueline Kirby and Amelia Peabody -- finds her way into several Peters' mysteries. Vicky is bright, very bright. And stacked, very stacked. The combination of brains and breasts have made her determined never to marry, despite the constant proposals of fellow academic Tony Lawrence. Tony decides that Vicky needs for him to prove his intellectual superiority, so he challenges her to treasure hunt. The pair ends up in Germany searching the tombs and passages of Schloss Drachenstein. But when accidents start occurring, Vicky and Tony realize that they're not the only ones hunting for treasure -- and that their unknown rival considers murder just another step in the search. No one mixes history, comedy, and mystery with the same deft touch as Elizabeth Peters. And although *Borrower of the Night* isn't as good as the Vicky Bliss mysteries in which she matches wits with John Smythe (*Street of Five Moons* is the first), it's still terrific fun. Tony turns up again in *Trojan Gold* (the best of the Bliss books), and *Borrower of the Night* also introduces Herr Schmidt, who becomes Vicky's boss and sometimes sidekick.

First off, I am an Elizabeth Peters fan, and have been since I read the first book of hers to show up in my local library "The Seventh Sinner". I've read all of her books, both under the Peters name and those she has written as Barbara Michaels. The Peters books are all imbued with a certain lighthearted charm. The characters are all slightly larger than life, vivid and distinctive. The heroine of Borrower of the Night, Vicky Bliss, is one of my favorite recurring characters. She can actually make this shortish, stout brunette feel a bit of sympathy for the trials of a tall gorgeous blond. A small bit, but still.. The story is a playful reworking of the gothic, complete with an ancient castle (well, ancient in American terms), a dainty damsel in distress, gallant men, and even an hint of witchcraft. But what sets the Peters books apart is here in full measure - intelligent plotting, realist reactions of the characters, and introduction of history and art in such a pleasant way that one learns more than one is aware. In fact, one of the later Vicki Bliss books, "Trojan Gold" inspired my college paper on the famous founder of that golden trove, since lost. This isn't all fluff, there are some ponderings on medieval "law and order" that hit home. But EP has built a loyal following because she entertains, and "Borrower" is one of her best. 'Course, I like all of her books. I reread them, and EP has expanded my list of the many places to which I would like to travel. "Borrower" is a wonderful starting place, if you are a poor deprived reader that hasn't read an EP book before. For an addict like me, it's a loverly fix.