Summer of the Dragon

Top Notch

Summer of the Dragon is a terrific early Elizabeth Peters mystery/romance. It doesn't feature any of her popular recurring characters, but stands on its own very nicely. It is funny from beginning to end. The heroine is very likeable. Like so many Peters stories, this one does a great job of dealing with interesting and believable archaeological/anthropological topics in a very accessible way. The quick-moving and enjoyable dialogue combined with the heroine's down-to-earth voice make everything easy to follow and very fun. Also, this reader does a wonderful job (but for mixing up a word or two in a briefly confusing but not really disruptive way); I thought she really captured the characters without overdoing it. Be prepared that some elements of the story are a bit dated (for example, our heroine gets some flack for being a "feminist," apparently because she is pursuing a Ph.D. and a job) but after all the book was written in 1979.

4 people found this helpful

Entertaining, but poorly read

The story is entertaining enough - a typical Elizabeth Peters, with a heroine who is gutsy and outspoken (bordering on rude, even), a love interest, and interesting archaeological detail. However, the reader is annoying. She seems to be trying for a 1940s, Humphrey Bogart kind of noir effect, which doesn't make sense for the book. If you are a real Elizabeth Peters fan, you can probably overlook the reader's odd inflection and choice of emphasis. Otherwise, you might want to give this one a miss.

4 people found this helpful

She does not disappoint!

Fun, informative, just a tad dated....but it was written in the 70's. This was a fun romp through the hot southwest of the US. I enjoyed all the characters, especially Hank. Ms Peters books are where I go when I want to listen and laugh and care about how everything turns out.....no tears allowed!

3 people found this helpful

Story good, book okay

The book was written in 1979 so you need to be prepared for the cultural differences. That being said, it is a good mystery with a lot of surprises & snappy dialogue. I was a little disappointed in the narration. It was sometimes hard to tell the difference between the characters by voice and the accents were a little baffling for the specific characters. Some animal voices in the background when in the veterinary area would have added greatly to the atmosphere. This has been one of my favorite of Elizabeth Peter's books since shortly after it was written so it will always be an enjoyable experience to listen to it.

1 person found this helpful

always good and entertaining

Elizabeth Peters is always good. Never a dull moment, characters are great...
love her.
the narrator is very good as well.

1 person found this helpful

Look Elsewhere

I bought this book because I so enjoy Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody series. However, what I got was a plot, which you get to it five hours into the book, that was weak, and the only interesting action happened two hours before the novel completed. All else was uninteresting dialogue and a woman talking nonstop about eating. The narrator made an banal novel worse by her monotone, expressionless reading. If you are looking for a good read, look elsewhere. If I had bought this book first, I would never have read her other series.

5 people found this helpful

Love Barbara Mertz’s books!

All her books have been huge facorites of mine for 30 years. I can read and listen over and over again. Amelia Peabody is iconic and her academic females stories, like this one, are sarcastic and intelligent.

Arizona

EP is my favorite author. The book is set where I grew up and it's quite accurately described. Makes me a little home sick whenever I listen to it. I love this story

Good mystery

Elizabeth Peters is an excellent author. This book is not part of a series but is a worthy stand-alone. I love how it starts . . . and it will hold the attention to the end.