Silhouette in Scarlet (1983)

 


Vicky Bliss #2

Every Breath You Take

When Vicky Bliss, historian and amateur sleuth, gets a plane ticket to Sweden from her sometimes lover, sometimes nemesis John Smythe, she uses it...if only to get the chance to thwart whatever scheme he's up to. But when it becomes apparent to them both they're not the only players in the game, and the new participants have a dangerous streak, what's at stake isn't just an ancient buried treasure...it's their lives.

It's hard for me to write about Vicky Bliss, because honestly, you should just read the books. From Vicky's clever, take-no-prisoners integrity to John's eel-like charm to all the unforgettable side characters that dot the landscape, it feels like no blog post can do them justice. Vicky's collection of critical grandpas, for instance, is nothing but delight. The dialogue, the setting (MPM must have recently taken a trip to Scandinavia, considering last year's Peters work was set in Denmark), and the tight, fast-moving plot sweep us from Stockholm to Karlsholm and from sightseeing to adventure.

And then, of course, there's Vicky and John's slippery romance, which grows apace. Whether they're fighting or kissing, the chemistry sparkles, and their dysfunction keeps our eyes glued to the page.

I could write pages and pages about Silhouette. But I won't. Save me the work and just read it.

Rating: *****


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