Laughter of Dead Kings (Vicky Bliss, No. 6)

Additional Laughter of Dead Kings (Vicky Bliss, No. 6) Information

For the first time in more than a decade, New York Times bestselling Grand Master Elizabeth Peters brings beautiful, brainy Vicky Bliss back into the spotlight for one last investigation. But this time the peerless art historian and sleuth will be detecting in Amelia Peabody territory, searching for solutions to more than one heinous offense in the ever-shifting sands of Egypt's mysterious Valley of the Kings.

Who stole one of Egypt's most priceless treasures? That is the question that haunts the authorities after a distinguished British gentleman with an upper-crust accent cons his way past a security guard and escapes into the desert carrying a world-famous, one-of-a-kind historic relic. But the Egyptian authorities and Interpol believe they know the identity of the culprit. The brazen crime bears all the earmarks of the work of one “Sir John Smythe,” the suave and dangerously charming international art thief who is, in fact, John Tregarth, the longtime significant other of Vicky Bliss. But John swears he is retired—not to mention innocent—and he vows to clear his name by hunting down the true criminal.

Vicky's faith in her man's integrity leaves her no choice but to take a hiatus from her position at a leading Munich museum and set out for the Middle East. Vicky's employer, the eminent Herr Doktor Anton Z. Schmidt, rotund gourmand and insatiable adventurer, decides to join the entourage.

But dark days and myriad dangers await them in this land of intriguing antiquity. Each uncovered clue seems to raise even more questions for the intrepid Vicky—the most troubling being, Where is John going during his increasingly frequent and unexplained absences? And the stakes are elevated considerably when a ransom note arrives accompanied by a grisly memento intended to speed up negotiations—because now it appears that murder most foul has been added to the equation.

What Customers Say About Laughter of Dead Kings (Vicky Bliss, No. 6):

It's amazing they actually figure it all out. I truly am just happy that Elizabeth Peters has a new book out, but I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I enjoyed the book as kind of a nice wrap up to the Vicky Bliss story line, but had I not been a fan, I don't think I would have enjoyed it much. No one does and the characters just keep running from place to place hoping to stumble onto the answer. Great idea for one though, just not much follow through. There was far too much moving around endlessly without any real plan or intent.

Peters writing style. I love both the Vicky Bliss and Amelia Peabody series and had been so awaiting a new one. The characters themselves are still fun and enjoyable to read, and I love Ms. As one reviewer already said, Vicky's ongoing preoccupation with her next meal got tedious. I kept waiting for something to happen and for someone to step up with a real idea or plan for solving the "mystery". I just wanted more of a plot.

I eagerly await her next novel.

It pains me to report that Laughter of Dead Kings was not good reading and I almost wish I had stopped at No. Emerson, which are also wonderfully fun cozy books to read). I cringed as dialogue fell flat, was disappointed with the boring plots/subplots, and yearned for more of the wonderfully preposterous twists and turns usually associated with the series.

I read the first five delightful Vicky Bliss novels and was surprised to find No 6 on the "new books" shelf at my library. Boring). 5, Night Train to Memphis (which is, oh, so terribly delicious).

The once-loveable character Schmidt became tedious as wealthy super-hero in the story (over and over again, he saved the day in a kind of a daddy warbucks role. The fact that there wasn't an extensive wait list at our library for a new Vicky Bliss book should have warned me off. As opposed to the first 5 books (some of which I've read many times and have savored every absurd morsel, with relish) I had to force myself to finish Laughter of Dead Kings.

There was a remarkable paucity of the expected wacky suspense, silly humor, and sparkly romance in the book.On a more positive note: the last chapter was ever-so-much more true to the spirit and spunk of the five previous novels and I enjoyed it very much (especially the reference to Amelia P. Let's face it, though, no review, good, or bad, will matter one bit to any true Vicky Bliss fan: Nothing could have stopped me from picking it up (with vigorous immediacy) the moment I saw it and it probably won't stop you.

loved it.I've read all her other books including the one with Amelia and family.Loved it.

This time it is no less than the missing mummy of King Tut, a quarry made even more significant since it was the discovery of Tut that climaxed Peters' other, more well known, series a few years ago. Vicky had learned that he was really Sir John Tregarth, a well known London art and antiquities dealer, complete with decaying old family estate and overbearing mother. When we last spent time with Vicky Bliss (about fifteen years ago for us long neglected readers) a 'few months' ago she and her mysterious 'John Smythe' were finally an item, rather than just sometime adversaries/sometime lovers. Could there be other ties to the Emerson-Peabody clan.Fans of Peters' works in general and to the Vicky Bliss series in particular will not want to miss this one. Oh well no one is perfect, a truism that the aforementioned overbearing mother keeps pointing out in relation to Vicky. When a daring robbery takes place in Egypt though, one that appears to be the handiwork of the infamous art thief John Smythe takes place Vicky feels compelled to find the real culprit and prove the innocence, at least of this theft, of her lover, no matter what name he was using that day.Once again Vicky, John and the rest of the usual cast of characters, including of course, the ever present Schmidt set off on the trail of a missing treasure. Those unfamiliar with Vicky's adventures though would want to begin at the beginning BORROWER OF THE NIGHT and proceed in order through the series as the overall story arc is quite pronounced. As with all of Peters' work Vicky's exploits are a comic rollercoaster ride.

Elizabeth Peters is one of my favorite authors and anything written with the setting in Egypt is exciting to me. Following her descriptions of this fantastic land makes her books come alive. I am not, however, an avid fan of Vicky Bliss, but I will continue reading anything of hers if it is located in Egypt.