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57 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
--Mystery, Intrigue and Art History--, July 5, 2003
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.
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48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Elizabeth Peter's Strikes Again!, October 16, 2000
By A Customer
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!
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43 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Shallow Characters Hold Back An Intriguing Tale, December 8, 2001
"Borrower Of The Night" is the first book by Elizabeth Peters that I've read. It was my understanding that Ms. Peters books have been quite popular, so I expected an entertaining and fast-paced story. Happily, that is exactly what I got. The story finds university historian Vicki Bliss and her colleague, Tony, trying to track down a lost piece of German art, the last work of a master wood carver who died in the 16th century. Most of the story takes place in a medieval castle in a small German town, complete with a mysterious late-night spectre, secret passageways, and a bloody history reaching clear back to the time when the missing carving was created. There is a nice amount of authentic history worked in to this tale, and the narrative is easy to read and flows along at a satisfying pace. The main drawback is the rather shallow main characters. This story, along with being a mystery, has a romantic aspect. Unfortunately, and the boy/girl relationships were juvenile. For supposed university scholars, the dialogue between Vicki and Tony sounds like something you might hear at a junior high school. Nor can Vicki resist making childish, catty observatiions about Irma, the scion of the noble family that owns the castle. Despite the childishness of the relationships in this book, it was, overall, fun to read. The mystery, with its historical aspect, was intriguing and held my interest. Overall, this is an amusing, light story and I recommend it on that basis. I will probably be reading more of Ms. Peters' tales in the future. On the other hand, if you're looking for more depth (adult dialogue and mature relationships), you will want to look elsewhere.
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