Vicky Bliss through time

[Kate]

What do you think about the changes in Vicky Bliss & her character through time?

I think The Laughter of Dead Kings was not as good because Vicky's usual character (young hot scholar facing overt sexism, attracted to bad boy) isn't so recognizable anymore - sexism has become more covert and bad boys are less appealing. I think the best part of the book was the knitting scene at the beginning and John's reaction. However, in 2011 with mommy-cult and romance novels commonly ending with babies instead of stopping at the altar, I don't know that we're as accepting of heroines who don't want to have children.

For me, the first book in the series is dull after the sexual tension ramped up in The Street of Five Moons so I like to start my re-reads with that book and stop at Night Train to Memphis. Although Vicky isn't fixed in time, the psychology of the character works best for me with those limits.

[C.P.]

This group seems to have gone to sleep, for whatever reason, but as a big fan of Elizabeth Peters, I'd love to wake it up again.

Vicky Bliss is my favorite of the three series, even though I like Amelia Peabody and Jacqueline Kirby as well. So I was really happy to see Laughter of Dead Kings appear. But I agree that it was less successful than Street of the Five Moons and the books that followed. A reformed John may make a better partner in real life, but he is, alas, a less appealing fictional hero. And now that he and Vicky have, shall we say, regularized their relationship, I fear that only the dramatic reappearance of a criminal seductress from John's past will be enough to revive the series.

Catwoman, anyone? :-)

What do others think?

[Kate]

Hmm, a criminal seductress isn't a bad idea at all. I think it should be one from Minnesota, though, because I'm always waiting for Vicki to visit home (with John. Seriously, how awesome would that be?) but has John ever been to the US?

Maybe he has, with said criminal seductress...

[C.P.]

Yeah, I'm feeling it. Vicky in Minnesota. Criminal seductress in Minnesota. John highly uncomfortable in (but hilariously distanced from) Minnesota.

And Tony, all too comfortable, as well as—shall we say?—unimpressed by Vicky's marriage in Minnesota?

Great idea. I knew I'd love this group.

[Kate]

I had tried to get some friends to post here but failed, was quite pleased when you appeared. I do wonder if MPM is likely to write any more Vicky -- or even more Amelia -- since she is getting quite long in the tooth.

But it does not keep us from speculating on plots. How about if we add a museum setting? So a visit home, close to Minneapolis, a tempting job offer for VB bc Schmidt has retired. Maybe we can drag Gerda in. And Vicky's mother wants to know why Vicky is still unmarried, when besides fiance John there are so many nice young men wanting to take her out, yah. And then the criminal temptress makes Vicky jealous, and the group of nice young men make John jealous...

[C.P.]

Agreed to all, so long as Schmidt, retired or not, shows up. Milwaukee—so much beer! All these lovely American snacks, so unhealthy! The series would not be the same without him.

Also, there would need to be insights into Vicky's past. Wacky aunts and uncles, old boyfriends, snapshots of a less blonde, less busty Vicky discovered by John despite her attempts to conceal them?

Also, what would the criminal seductress be trying to steal in Milwaukee? Some ancient Swedish trove of manuscripts or jewelry, perhaps. Brought over from the Old Country to save it from Lutheran extremism, or some such thing.

Thanks for the welcome. There are other Peters fans on Goodreads. I'll try to scare some up. It's just difficult when I log on mostly from my iPad, which for some reason appears to believe that o's and i's are optional....

[Kate]

Hmm. So she goes home to Minnesota, sees some family, has some difficulties and hares off to the job in Wisconsin...where the Criminal Seductress is working at UWM (but why not Madison? We will need to work that out.) and Schmidt comes to Milwaukee, lamenting Vicky's defection and demanding that she return. And of course John has remained in MN as darling of the Bliss clan, so Vicky is stuck trying to rescue Schmidt when he is beguiled by the CS (librarian? Curator? Computer Scientist? No, scratch librarian, the LIS school is in Madison and I like the CS as a full professor).

[C.P.]

Sorry—I meant Minneapolis, not Milwaukee. A typo (or brain-o). We want to keep Vicky in the midst of family nonsense, I think.

Otherwise, I'm with you. At the risk of sounding dumb, what's in Minneapolis, art-wise, that a criminal seductress would want?

[Kate]

Rembrandt's Lucretia at the Minneapolis Institute of Art?

Or something that's a traveling exhibition and Vicky is a traveling scholar with it?

[C.P.]

Lucretia, as in the namesake of Lucrezia Borgia? And yes, I know that Rembrandt painted the Roman Lucretia, not the Borgia. Still, how could our criminal seductress resist?

I can't help feeling that John would find the Lucretia/Lucrezia alternation a total hoot.

Perhaps she is a relative of La Principessa, from Street of the Five Moons, still bearing a grudge against—and a torch for—Dear John?

[Kate]

I think that is perfect. I did so enjoy hearing Barbara Rosenblat saying "principessa" repeatedly, it's not something we could leave out if our plot now that you've thought of it.

I haven't seen that MPM is out meandering Chicagoward this year, perhaps she needs to be informed of our fabulous ready-made plot via snail mail. Then we can demand to be models for small non-vital roles...

[C.P.]

Yes! I'm wit' you—like totally! :)