Gina Parrish

I enjoyed exploring mythologies across the world in the book. My only complaint is that it barely skims the surface of each culture, leaving out some cultures entirely, and yet it is information overload. It almost should've been a series, with each book set in a certain location (Europe, the americas, etc.). I also think maps would've been helpful with each myth, since photos abounded.

If you're wondering if you should read this book, let me tell you straight away—don't. Go watch the movie DANGEROUS CROSSING (1953) instead. It's much better, and this book steals the plot almost identically.

Now, I read a lot of mysteries. I am not bothered by “inspired by” or “based on” or “adapted from” or “reminiscent of” but this author took just about entire plot straight out of the movie and doesn't give credit where credit is due. Even the title seems ripped off.

I haven't read the first two, and I only read this one because I am doing some research of my own about ocean liners. (That's why I watched the movie in the first place.) Other than the complete lack of originality, the writing was mediocre. Too much telling (how she feels, what she's thinking, how she's reasoning through things) and not nearly enough showing.

Then there are the gender stereotypes. The protagonist female relies only on her intuition and feelings to do her sleuthing. But she is constantly doubting or ignoring her feelings and intuition, so she seeks affirmation from her male counterpart over and over again. Then she stands up for another woman who is being gaslighted before changing her mind and starting to gaslight her herself.

All the while, the duo are terrible detectives. The reader is 50 steps ahead of them for the entire novel because they keep taking coffee breaks and forgetting all the clues they have already collected. The protagonist does not solve one part of the mystery in the end.

I still gave it two stars for the setting and the main romance plot, but overall I don't recommend.

This is a non-fiction book about the concept of magic throughout history. If I took a class in college about the history of magic, I could see this being the textbook. It's academic in tone and has great illustrations to accompany the text. It covers a broad range of topics and information without ever going too deep into any one area. I wish it had a better list of sources for further reading about certain topics. I rated it a three because, while informative, it felt redundant at times and the text could have been pared down. An overall definition of magic would have been good too, because by the end it was hard to know what it was I was even reading about, the concept had gotten so broad.

Update: Since reading this book, I've noticed I understand many references I would've missed before. I'd say that means I learned something!

I appreciated the humor and absurdity. I wish it went deeper into the characters, since they all felt flat to me. Also, the plot felt random, which I understand is kind of the point, but it still made me lose interest in what was going to happen next since it didn't really matter. Overall it felt like a sci-fi Alice in Wonderland.

A fitting end to the series. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't think the Vicky Bliss voice was in any way diminished. It felt very much in keeping with the others. The time jump wasn't my favorite, but only because it felt unnecessary. It didn't feel necessary to the plot for the characters to have cell phones. That said, Elizabeth Peters wrote the book she wanted to write so I applaud her for that. I think she wrapped things up nicely for the characters in the end. My biggest con for this book was that the plot dragged a bit. It felt like for most of the book the characters sat around and tried to decide what to do while eating room service. I wanted more action but that came in the end. Not sure I loved Peters tying it to the Amelia Peabody series but I think she must've got a kick out of it. I intend to read the “prequel” as I am curious.

Of all the Vicky Bliss novels, this one is the best. It feels well plotted. The characters all hit their stride and she puts them in tough spots you can't wait to see them find their way out of. Another reviewer compared it to the Falcon at the Portal/ He Shall Thunder in the Sky duo in the Amelia Peabody series and I would agree there as far as feel (only with less angst). I don't like this series, especially the characters, as much as the Amelia Peabody series but it's still fun and I love the combo of adventure, mystery, and romance. I kind of wish Peters had gone somewhere else besides Egypt having done so many books in Egypt already, though. It echos Death on the Nile.

I deducted a star because of one scene filled with violent passion but lacking consent. There's a few scenes/comments of the same ilk in the Amelia Peabody series that I have to pretend don't exist. It's okay if the female characters like their men rough, but only if they give consent. I know Peters was from a different generation, but it has to be said.

I read this book with my book club and it was the perfect book club book. It had lots of topics for discussion. I liked the character development and the focus on friendship and adventure. It was well written and the chapters were just the right length to make it a quick read. It had moments where it was very funny and very sad. Overall, I would recommend it to anyone wanting a quality, lighter read that still has substance and makes you think.

I agree that this is the best book of the series next to the first one. I appreciated the thought out plot and character development, as well as the attention to setting.

This was my first Georgette Heyer novel and I enjoyed it. I would be willing to try another of her novels.

Pros: lots of action and adventure; characters you root for; interesting time and place for the setting.

Cons: needed more exposition at the beginning to get straight who was who and what was going on; some repetitive passages; some cheesy romantic passages

The only other thing I will mention about this book that I found mildly strange was the treatment of gender and sexuality. It's tricky because it takes place in the 1700s and was written in the 1920s. It plays it safe as possible but would make for some good discussion.

Somehow my original review of this got deleted but if I remember anything about this book it's that I loved it. It's the kind of book that stays with you and comes back to mind every once in a while. Eleanor is interesting and funny and damaged and both likeable and unlikeable at the same time. The writing is excellent and does more showing than telling. I sped through it for my book club.

I am making my way through this series and enjoying it, though this one was my least favorite thus far. It was still fun and entertaining but I felt like it pulled in the middle. The ending was the most enjoyable part. I wish she had given us more descriptions of the landscape and art history in Sweden.

I picked this up at the library on a whim and overall enjoyed it. I love mystery novels, tv shows, movies... and now I know why! Mystery (or generally the unknown) keeps us interested and engaged in the world around us, and that is what this book unpacks with various anecdotes and studies. I agree that it felt similar in style to Malcolm Gladwell, with similar format and similar blind spots. There were a few examples he used that I felt were a stretch or at least would rouse hearty debate, and a few I just had no interest in whatsoever. But other than that, the author was preaching to the choir with me. The book helped me understand why certain things appeal to me and why we have to learn to be more comfortable with questions, changes, and uncertainties. It wasn't exactly a page turner, but I am happy I read to the end.

I read this as a book club pick and enjoyed it. It's clever, fun, and fast-paced. It definitely is a sequel and wouldn't read it without reading the first one first. As far as the mystery goes, I prefer a bit more fair play but this is a great light read.

Overall I enjoyed how this novel was written, especially the denouement. However, I found I had trouble keeping up with who was who as far as the characters were concerned. I felt the author could have given the reader more reminders throughout, since there were a lot of characters and backstories. There were also too many murders for my liking... I know she wanted her debut to be a wild ride but five murders just seems like too much. I know Grimes's method for deceiving the reader was to bombard them with too much information, but it also made it hard to follow and a tad too long. I had trouble keeping up with who died and how and where. That said, I enjoyed the fair play—how you can solve the murders along with the detective—like in the classics. There is a certain feeling of satire or parody of the detective classics, especially in the funny British names like “Long Piddleton”, and the caricature-like characters.

I enjoyed this second installment of the Vicky Bliss series. On the upside, the setting, the adventure, and the romance were all what I would expect of Elizabeth Peters. On the downside, I found the characters to be a tad underdeveloped, and I had trouble following the mystery elements. But, as usual, I enjoyed being along for the ride, especially in Rome, and Vicky is character I enjoy rooting for. I will definitely continue this series. It is nice to have something light and fun to read that is also well written.

I was under the misapprehension that Rebecca was a classic ghost story. It wasn't. It's a classic, but not a ghost story, at least not in a literal sense. I did enjoy it though, for the most part. The writing was good, and a little different than I'm used to with long, drawn-out sentences. I enjoyed how the narrator had no name while Rebecca's name carried so much significance. I particularly liked the second half of the book, which moves much faster than the first half. The characters were completely unlikeable, though, and hard to relate to. That led to some frustration but not so much that it lowered my rating. I liked the ending... and I read how the author ended up taking her epilogue and making it her first chapter which really works in this book. Looking forward to the movie.

This book was exactly what I had hoped for: experimental, strange, surreal, interesting. It was more fantasy than horror, though I did take a break halfway through because the second section felt anxiety-inducing rather than scary. Ultimately it's about a boy who goes missing and the people around him struggling to cope. I particularly loved the myth, and the imagery, and the fast changes between perspectives. It's not told in a traditional way, so it won't appeal to anyone who likes things predictable. Not sure how I feel about the ending yet... it was well-executed and clearly thought out but perhaps not what I expected, not much left up for interpretation. I would definitely recommend this to the right kind of person.

I really like Elizabeth Peters and have read all of the Amelia Peabody books. I was craving some adventure-comedy-suspense so I picked this series up and was pleased with my decision. It is cleverly written and the voice of the protagonist, Vicky Bliss, is well-developed. She's funny and smart, but also short-sighted and vain, much like Amelia Peabody. It helped that I had been to Rothenburg in my travels and had some serious wanderlust reading it... anyone who has never been should look at the pictures beforehand. I will say this one reflects the time it was written and takes place (the 1970s) with its battle-of-the-sexes and women's liberation themes, but I kind of liked that as I am too young to have witnessed that period of time myself. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the blend of history, suspense, and outlandish adventure and feel compelled to keep reading the series.

This is more or less a coffee table book about the SS Lurline. It's got a lot of information and photographs, which is great for research purposes. It only portrays the ship and everything surrounding it in a positive light, so not exactly nuanced, but great for nostalgia and research.

Overall I was disappointed because this novel had a great setting but was poorly written. Lackluster plot. Poor character development. The only parts well-researched have to do with the ship itself and read like a textbook, while the rest reads completely out of the time it's set. The dialogue is choppy and repetitive. The description is lacking. And the mystery left much to be desired. Even the quotes from the New York Times Book Review about this series seem to be waiting for a big BUT after them...

“The shipboard atmosphere does sparkle...” BUT

The main characters really needed to sort out their priorities. They mostly wandered around aimlessly, despite the pressing need to investigate and solve crimes. Genevieve spent the most amount of effort trying to figure out which of her suitors sent her flowers, and she even failed at that. Then they put all their focus on a murder case that was not theirs to solve in the first place, in which the suspects had already been apprehended, instead of hunting down the drug ring they were supposed to be investigating. Do they at least solve the murder? Nope. The culprit confesses in a completely melodramatic and ridiculous way for what seems like no reason at all. They did clear up the drug ring in the end, in a very rushed way, even though we had no clues about it for majority of the book. And along the way, we got to know nothing about the main characters or their relationship. So... yeah, overall I was disappointed.

I actually read this novel as part of my own research about ocean liners. I picked this one of the series because it had the best ratings. But I wouldn't read any more of them.

This was a well-plotted, entertaining mystery. I particularly enjoyed the characters in the murder club. I'm not convinced about the structure of the book, which alternated between first person diary entries and third person everything else. I felt like it distracted from the plot. Otherwise, I really enjoyed it and found it cleverly written and entertaining.

It's hard to rate any of these books as “bad” because they are all well-written and well-researched but this one had me frustrated in and out for most of the book.

First, it felt unnecessarily long, with some descriptions that seemed to go on and on considering they had little relevance to the plot. It's extremely difficult to explain the nature and purpose of art, but Winspear certainly tries over and over again. What a person can ascertain in an instant in witnessing a piece of art, she spends paragraphs upon paragraphs trying to explain.

Next, Maisie comes off as a self-righteous know-it-all about absolutely everything, more so than the last couple of books. Her thoughts and actions combine to depict her as a cold-hearted hypocrite, sitting in judgement of other people while claiming to be loving, honest, and objective.

It was especially frustrating with how she handles the situation with Andrew Dene, putting her work and her priorities over his. And in how she deals with art as a subject, on one hand saying that art reflects truth and meaning and changes people, and on the other calling it useless. Oh, and in how she handles Billy's family crisis. She tells him to take as much time as he needs, then thinks to herself that she hopes he will be into work the next day. Because one day is probably as much time as he needs, right?

I want to rate it at two stars, but the writing and plotting and researching really save this series. It's a tough call. Like others, I will probably come back to the series later on, as I have heard it gets better.

After reading Strangers on a Train I decided to try this one because Patricia Highsmith has true talent for writing characters. In the end, I liked Strangers on a Train better, though I still felt that The Talented Mr. Ripley was entertaining and character driven.

Pros:

- Beautiful European settings
- Believable characters
- Interesting plot concept

Cons:

- Repetitive and dragged a bit in the last third
- Tom isn't very likable, so I didn't root for him
- Would have loved a bit more description of the settings

Overall it was good but not great, and I am on the fence about the sequels. Also, the title tugged at me the whole time. I wouldn't consider Tom either clever or talented. Just stupid lucky.

Updated to say: I liked the movie better. No one likes to admit it, but sometimes that's the case.

Best of the series so far with regard to plotting and character development. Still, I am going to take a break because, while I enjoy these books, they are very serious and morally righteous. In some ways, that is a refreshing change for detective stories, but I get tired of Maisie always, without question, taking the high road. I want to see her struggle to choose what's right sometimes. Also, I agree with others that her method of “psychology” (which relies mostly on new-age theories about intuition and feelings ((female stereotypes)), rather than science) irks me.

This was a good read and I enjoyed the writing style. Something about it keeps me from calling it great though... the characters are likable, but not necessarily lovable. It almost feels as if they are kept at an arms distance throughout the entire book, so you can never really know them as much as you would like. Still, I would recommend it to friends as a fun, quick read.