Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters

     This is book #1 in the Vicky Bliss mystery series. I really like Elizabeth Peters, and she writes “clean” books as far as swearing and sex scenes go…mostly.  This is a series that I wouldn’t mind my daughters reading, but it would need a few disclaimers, such as: while there are no sex scenes, Vicky doesn’t have any problem with premarital sex or with mild swearing. She’s a self-proclaimed feminist who seems to reject some of the best things about being a woman (marriage and family) and, ironically, seems to embrace a few of the sexist things that you'd think a feminist might eschew (using attractiveness as a tool, indulging in sex with no commitments—and experiencing the loneliness and heartache that goes with it, etc). Hm. So I take Vicky’s occasional feminist rhetoric as just that—rhetoric. She seems like a pretty typical strong, mouthy, curious and romantic female to me, even if she is kind of amoral when it comes to sex. In any case, that’s my Vicky Bliss disclaimer for my daughters.

     In this book we meet Dr. Vicky Bliss, an expert in the field of Medieval art history, professor at a college, tall, blond and beautiful and independent of family and men. She’s got an attractively wry point of view and a great sense of humor. And in this book she’s entered into a friendly competition with the man in her life, Tony. He is determined to “master” her, to prove he’s more intelligent than she is (apparently this is supposed to convince her to marry him? Hm) and the test they set themselves? Find the Tilman Riemenshneider shrine. They begin their search at the gloomy and half-ruined Schloss Drachenstein. Adventures, intrigue, danger and historical discoveries ensue.

     I enjoy this series. Well, I enjoy pretty much all Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels writes. How many stories this woman has in her head! She’s been writing for years and she still comes up with entertaining stories and endearing characters. This is a good beginning to an entertaining series.

Bad language: Some mild swearing
Sex: clearly indicated, but no sex scenes. This is not a romance.