Borrower of the Night

The First Vicky Bliss Mystery

By: Elizabeth Peters

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's Summary

After Vicky Bliss stumbles over a clue to the existence of a hidden masterpiece by a late Gothic sculptor, she and her then-boyfriend, Tony, embark on a contest of will and wits to find the treasure.

Don't miss any of the mysteries in the Vicky Bliss series.

©1973 Elizabeth Peters

THE edition of the book to hear

First off I first got the other edition of this book. I loved the charactors and the story, but with picking up the second book read by Barbara I was much more in love with the series. I HAD to get this reading, and I plead with you to pick up this book. You will love it!!! Very much a good old pulp story with a treasure hunt and all. A Nancy Drew for adults!!!

Just for Fun

Barbara Mertz -- writing here under the pen name "Elizabeth Peters" -- commands awe and appreciation, whatever you may think of her novels. She has been publishing books -- and not just novels -- for half a century, now, after having earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology at the age of 23. Smart? You bet! And her intelligence comes through, even in her silly, fun Vicky Bliss series. I have enjoyed all of her novels that I have listened to so far, many of them several times. Most people probably know her best for her Amelia Peabody series; and I think that Ms Mertz, herself, likes those novels the best of her vast œuvre. However, I have a special fondness for the Vicky Bliss series, perhaps because of its unabashed silliness and fun humor. And Barbara Rosenblat -- whom, I understand, is good friends with Barbara Mertz (Elizabeth Peters) -- may have been born to perform the novels of Elizabeth Peters ... or was Barbara Mertz born to write material for Barbara Rosenblat to perform? Either way, who could resist the pairing of these two geniuses? A consummate actor in any setting, Barbara Rosenblat shines here. She has the perfect German accent required in "Borrower of the Night," and the limitless range of voices needed to distinguish the characters from one another. She even does an excellent job with the mens' voices. But, for me, her performance of the minor character, Miss Burton, puts the frosting on this cake. Buy this audiobook, just for the fun of it.

Good start for great series

The first book in the series is so much better when treated as just that - a first book - it introduces the cast and sets the stage for the entire series. Wonderful! I'm hoping Ms. Peters will give us one more book in the series. If you didn't care for this book, don't give up! You won't regret it. I never have. And Barbara Rosenblat is the absolute cat's pajamas! She knows how to bring the characters to life. Keep listening!

Barbara Rosenblat - what a gift!

This is a great mystery - clean and funny with an entertaining heroine and hero. What makes this book come to life is the narrator. Barbara Rosenblat is simply amazing! Her intonations and different voices for each character make this book easy to follow and picture clearly in my head.

I have listened to Ms. Rosenblat narrate many books, and have come to the conclusion to listen to anything she narrates - because she will make it thoroughly entertaining!

A fun read

This is another fun read by Elizabeth Peters. As usual, I found Ms. Peters' characters well developed, and the story moves along well enough. Ms. Rosenblatt is a wonderful narrator who infuses each character with personality and color, so that even in an audible version, one can see the story as it unfolds. If you are looking to escape and be entertained, this is a good choice. I will be reading the rest of the Vicky Bliss series after this.

A Fun Romp

This is the first book in the Vicki Bliss series. She is an art historian, but looks like a pin-up. She wants to be respected for her brains, not her looks,and is determined to outperform all the men in her field, including her boyfriend, Tony. She heads to Europe to find a long missing art piece, and the fun starts! Secret passages, cryptic messages, perambulating suits of armor, and more make this a fun romp that will keep you giggling. And looking for the next book in the series!

Mediocre

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I love Elizabeth Peters' series with Amelia Peabody but this story seemed full of holes and illogical at various places. I would not recommend it and did not send it to anyone.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

I didn't think it was entirely logical. Why were all these people gathering at the same time to find the missing artifact for example. After all these years, the sudden gathering at the same time and place seemed far fetched. Multiple other aspects seemed illogical as well.

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The quality of the audio was below the standard I'm used to. It had good volume and clarity, but I could hear her mouth movements and breathing too much. I would get used to it and then stop to listen again later and get distracted again.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe. Perhaps the script and visuals would make up for some of the other qualities.

Any additional comments?

Listen to the Amelia Peabody series instead :)

Audio highlights sad deficiencies

Years ago this seemed smart, humorous, and agelessly snarky. I still love the series, but this version sounds creaky and dated. The flaws are emphasized by Rosenblat's over-done husky purr, punctuated by loud inhalations and audible slurps and swallows that nauseated me. I imagined her sucking a cough drop (or maybe chewing gum?) and sipping coffee, incessantly twitching her brows up and down trying too hard for quirky sass. Just too ... much. Too much emphasis on the weak aspects of Vicki's narrative, too much swallowing at the microphone, too much mid-century (hubba-hubba, eyebrow, eyebrow, purr) Liberated Woman huffing about Male Chauvinists instead of getting on with her research. I can gloss over Vicky's rusty parts much easier in print and focus on the humorous twists, so I am giving up on this audio version. The edition narrated (less slurpily) by O'Mally may be easier to listen to.

Not well done

Not that interesting. A woman's lib who done it that didn't keep me very engaged. It had a very fuzzy quality about the plot and little to no character development. I hope her others offer more.

Vicky isn't Amelia

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I have read the entire Amelia Peabody series and loved the stories and characters. I thought this would be a similar read by the same author. Not really in the same class of story though- for me.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I actually skipped forward just to see if I was right about the ending. I was......

What about Barbara Rosenblat’s performance did you like?

She is great no matter who the author.

Was Borrower of the Night worth the listening time?

Not really, I skipped a good portion of it.