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kmthomas06's review against another edition
3.0
I always enjoy Peters' narrative voice. Her heroines are always smart, sassy and not afraid to show the men in their lives who's boss. This is the first of the Vicky Bliss mysteries and while I enjoyed, I think Amelia Peabody will remain my favorite for the moment. I think it may have been the plot of this novel, I am not terribly interested in crumbling German castles and shrines created by an artist I've never heard of, but I also wasn't very engaged with the heroine enough to care what happens to her next. That said, I did read the book in a couple of hours so I was obviously entertained and if another Vicky Bliss mystery comes my way, I will probably enjoy reading that one as well.
bunnybird22's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kansas_girl's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
tregina's review against another edition
3.0
Once I put the rampant sexism in historical context (still leaving the "I'm not like those other silly girls" to deal with), I was able to enjoy this book a lot more, though I wish it hadn't led with enough of it to almost put me off the book. That would've been a shame, because I actually really enjoyed it overall, historical infodump and all. More treasure hunt than murder mystery, but honestly I like that sort of thing so I was fine with it.
trin's review against another edition
2.0
This was a fairly unremarkable mystery/thriller with supernatural trappings. I found Vicky's assertions of toughness and her triumph over the (not just shown to be, but frequently referred to as) male chauvinists fighting with and against her to find an ancient Germanic treasure to be rather self-conscious; the tone of the whole book, actually, is like that. I'm told the series gets much better with the next book, so I will give it a shot, but this volume really didn't do much for me.
annashiv's review against another edition
2.0
I did not like this much which surprised me as I like her other series and I even liked these characters. It was just SO slow and contrived. They made big assumptions and made it out to seem like it was what makes sense. I was hoping for more atmosphere, but there wasn't too much of that. Overall disappointed with how it ended.
jshadwell's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
foraging_pages's review against another edition
3.0
Art historians spending their summer in search of lost, medieval masterpieces?
Count me in.
The idea of history professors in a relationship and choosing to explore Europe for the summer definitely appeals to my romantic, history-loving heart.
References and allusions to historical figures and places inspired me.
*currently planning a trip to Rothenburg, Germany*
After finishing:
Hhhhhmmmmmm
Hhmmm...
The setup was excellent, but the execution, characters, and plot were too cozy in place of dynamic. The author was trying to write a *don’t need no man* main female character and she succeeded there but there was literally no depth to any of the characters or the plot. Very surface-level writing and mystery setup. I did love the historical significance however!
Count me in.
The idea of history professors in a relationship and choosing to explore Europe for the summer definitely appeals to my romantic, history-loving heart.
References and allusions to historical figures and places inspired me.
*currently planning a trip to Rothenburg, Germany*
After finishing:
Hhhhhmmmmmm
Hhmmm...
The setup was excellent, but the execution, characters, and plot were too cozy in place of dynamic. The author was trying to write a *don’t need no man* main female character and she succeeded there but there was literally no depth to any of the characters or the plot. Very surface-level writing and mystery setup. I did love the historical significance however!
melissa_who_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Had read before more than once; enjoyed the audiobook tremendously.