Night Train to Memphis (Vicky Bliss Mysteries Book 5)

Imagine James Bond without any double naught spy skills and he is sent on a mission to monitor the highly organized and well financed activities of SPECTRE. He bumbles his way through the mission until the antagonists begin to turn against their organization and help him successfully conclude the mission because they think he is charming and good looking.This is how the heroine operates in this novel. Vicky Bliss has very poor observation skills and could not deduce that orange juice was squeezed from oranges. It is hard to believe they find her good looking or charming because she constantly refers to her ability to dress down and discourage attention and she is very sarcastic and rude to her admirers. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with being sarcastic and rude; I just never successfully used those tactics to attract the opposite sex. Nevertheless, she is a highly valued amateur sleuth and sent on a mission as an agent for an unnamed intelligence agency. She misses every clue and doesn't figure anything out as she stumbles right into the jaws of the serpent over and over.With that being said, once you get past the unbelievable characters, the story has a bit of comic charm and some fairly exciting adventure. Think of it like this; you probably would have kicked yourself for paying the full admission price of a movie ticket, but you would have gladly watched it as a soap opera during your lunch break.

Start at the beginning of the Vicky Bliss series and read your way up to this one. If you start with this book you will lack much of the background that makes Vicky an engaging character. I believe that is the source of many of the less than stellar reviews given this book. It simply does not stand well on its own. At the least you should read Trojan Gold before reading this. Also, I have no idea why some of the reviewers seemed to think they were getting serious mystery here. There are elements of that in the series but these books are mystery/romances and meant to be a little lighthearted. If you are looking for heavy duty mystery this isn't it and wasn't meant to be. If you are looking for extreme realism in characters try true crime. If you are looking for an enjoyable reads try the whole series from the beginning and remember this is fiction. Suspend your disbelief and enjoy.

Elizabeth Peters is true to form in this delightful romp through Egypt. A mystery with a pending major theft of antiquities - a romance with Vicky Bliss and John meeting again under strained circumstances - an exposure to many of the marvelous locales in Egypt - Schmidt showing up and interjecting himself into the situation. All told a very satisfactory tale. Not everyone is nice and the bad guys are not always the expected characters, including the nastiest of the bunch. This could be read as a standalone, but the interplay of all would be more clear if you read some of the earlier Vicky Bliss offerings. That said, a highly recommended book for a totally engrossing read!

I am a true Vicky Bliss fan because these books are not only alot of fun, they also give me a look a places I would love to travel and artifacts that are fascinating. Night Train to Memphis did not dissapoint. Ms Peters has created a wonderful cast of characters including Vicky's dog and cat. This book serves to bring Schmidt and John into this journey to Egypt that is remakable in it's wonderful descriptions of Egypt and it's people, as well as the books references to social and political problems that are so relevant in 2014. I just received the next book in this great series and look forward in a bittersweet sort of way to the conclusion to the series. As others have recommended, do read the books from the beginning to enjoy the characters and the ensuing relationships.

Much, much better than the previous one (Trojan Gold). In Trojan Gold, Schmidt is unbelievably buffoon-boorish. In Night Train to Memphis, he is redeemed: clever, insightful, creative, even brilliant! In Trojan GOld he was superfluous, in Night Train to Memphis, he was pivotal. I enjoyed the whole book far more, too. The description of a luxury cruise was very good & very evocative (I have been a speaker on one of those, too) -- but why did we never see Vicky scheduled to perform that role? Speakers usually give their talks on every sailing day, or in the evening on Port days. It was good to see the relationship between Vicky & John more developed, deeper, and also more explicit without being trashy. I did very much appreciate the map in this one, too. Overall, a more complex and satisfying plot.

I'm so delighted that I discovered these Vicky Bliss mysteries. The characters are good and Elizabeth Peters always provides fascinating settings for her stories.In NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, Vicky Bliss is asked by a police agency to be a part of a tour group as they cruise down the Nile River seeing the beautiful monuments and ancient pyramids of Egypt. The police suspect that some professional thieves will be on board and hope that Vicky can assist in identifying them. The characters are diverse and of course, Sir John Smythe also shows up for the tour. Vicky's dismayed to find him using a different name and traveling with a sweet young woman. Just a few months before the tour, John and Vicky had resumed their love affair and now she's thoroughly confused by the way that he's acting. There are a lot of surprises in this story.I found it amazing to see that out of 32 reviews on this book, 30 reviewers gave this story a Five Star Rating. That has got to be some kind of a record. It shows what an excellent writer that Elizabeth Peters is and how she always delivers great fiction.

I bought this book because it was suggested by my Memphis Tennessee guide book. Big mistake. It’s all set in Munich and Egypt.The story is ok but if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series the relationships are somewhat confusing.

This is my first encounter with the Vicky Bliss series, which I chose after reading several novels in the Amelia Peabody series (same author). For me this novel is just not as addictive as the Amelia Peabody series as Peters' style of writing is very different. The pace seems slower and more ponderous; the characters less lifelike.

Worth reading

I like Elizabeth Peters writing which is the reason I bought this book from Amazon for reading on my Kindle. It is a bit involved as far as characters are concerned: is he one of the good ones, or she one of the baddies; is anyone quite who they say they are. Description of the ancient sites was good and interesting, particularly including the names like Nefertiti and King Tut which gives the story a bit of credibility. I found John a bit far fetched but he came true in the end which as far as Vicky Bliss was concerned was the right thing. But she had muddled through to the thievery going on and that was the main thing.

This is absolutely wonderful. It is a long book, but so full of adventure, of all sorts. Country music, plus some theft, emotional blackmail, revenge & friendship - more indeed. Oh & love, let us not forget love.

Loads of action & adventure in this one with our heroine getting into all sorts of danger. Enjoyable book with all the usual adventure, action & romance you expect. Good ending.

I found it hard to get into - descriptions of the tombs were far too long for me skipped pages

5*

This finishes the epilogues to the Peabodys. The clues are subtle and delicious. The actual story is exciting and well crafted. I may start to collect others Peters novels now!Order was swiftly filled and arrived safely. many thanks

I always enjoy books written by this author and this bookis no exception. Once you have read one of her booksYou have to read them all.

Great read

These books are so inexpensive and so interesting. The characters are fun, the locations vary but are always fascinating - what's not to like?

I haven't read this author before but I'm finding this book an easy and relaxing read. It's part of a series and I may read the others at some time. Not gripping or intellectual but entertaining and a good way to relax at bedtime.

Arived as promised in expected conditiongave as present

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