Summer of the Dragon

This was one of the first Elizabeth Peters books I read. I read it years ago, and have reread it many times since. I recently went to Arizona for the first time - I have been dreaming of going there since I read this book back in the 80's. I fell in love with the Desert just as DJ does in this book. I highly recommend this novel - it's descriptive ability to place you in the spot where it takes place, I can now confirm, is fabulous! The humor is great, the charactors interesting!

The heroine is a young anthropologist, D.J. Abbott (named after Deanna Durbin, but strangely embarrassed by this, why?)She takes a summer job working for eccentric millionaire Hank Hunnicut, who fills his beautiful Arizona home with a variety of charlatans, mediums, experts on Atlantis etc. She finds herself at daggers drawn with Hank's gorgeous assistant, Tom De Karsky, Elizabeth Peters' sexiest hero. Permanently hungry, she munches her way through the lavish and delicious meals served at the ranch, while cheerfully goading Hank's preposterous guests. Her spirited denounciations of the drivel spouted by these charlatans are some of the most amusing passages in the book. Some of the guests at least are up to no good, hank dissapears and D.J., Tom, and Debbie, the beautiful indian girl who loves Hank, embark on a desperate search. humour, suspense, romance, and wonderful descriptions of the desert, this book has everything you need for a pleasurable read.

This delightful confection was originally published in 1979. You might expect that 20+ years would date it a bit, but it manages to retain its entertainment value full force. This is a credit to Elizabeth Peters, who popularized the humorous mystery story in the U.S. and remains its undisputed mistress. Desperate to find a summer job that takes her away from her beloved, but impossible, parents, D.J. Abbott snaps up a job working for Hank Hunnicut. Hank is an extremely wealthy businessman who has a weakness for crackpot theories and spiritual hokum. D.J. finds herself surrounded by a herd of not quite harmless enthusiasts and practitioners, a treasure hunter, another young (and good-looking) anthropologist, the ineffable Hank himself, and an immense amount of desert.D.J.'s immediate problem is finding out what it was that Hank needed a physical anthropologist for, but she is distracted from this by an infinite supply of food, several attempts to drug her, some sabotage and, finally, Hank's kidnapping. The excitement mounts as she unravels the tangled threads and identifies the culprit.D.J. serves as narrator of the book and Peters gives her a charming style that sees everything from its humorous side, including her own failings and weaknesses. Using this device Peters creates a perfect example of summer or vacation reading. D.J. is a type that was once referred to as an 'uppity woman.' She is more truthful than accommodating, which catapults her into many hilarious confrontations.To top of this tidbit, Peters' Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute stands her in good stead, as she manages to mix her sense of humor with a wealth of interesting facts.It would be unfair to compare this book to Peters Amanda Peabody series. The latter are, for the most part, the work of a maturer artist. By no means heavyweight, they do have 'meat' and depth to them. But this book has standing and value on its own, and it is our good fortune that Avon has chosen to reissue it.

I have always been a fan of Barbara Michaels (though for this book she writes under the name Elizabeth Peters, and Barabara Michaels is a pen name as well) but I think this is my favorite of all her books. I love the style, and I LOVE the characters, especially D.J. and Tom. I have read this book again and again since the first, and it never looses its humor or its quirky charm. Everyone should read it.

I have always been a fan of Barbara Michaels (though for this book she writes under the name Elizabeth Peters, and Barabara Michaels is a pen name as well) but I think this is my favorite of all her books. I love the style, and I LOVE the characters, especially D.J. and Tom. I have read this book again and again since the first, and it never looses its humor or its quirky charm. Everyone should read it, it's great.