Vicky Bliss

The Month in Reviews: January 2015

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January was the month of longer-than-usual books. I’m still working my way to the end of The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin. But I still managed to finish an assortment of books ranging from a Tolstoy classic to the first book of an Ohio sci-fi author (John Scalzi). Among the weightier books I reviewed an exploration of the relationship of God to the natural world and a thoughtful re-appraisal of the nature of power. And I reviewed a new book by young activist Ben Lowe that was followed by my first author interview with Ben. So, without further ado, here is my list for January:

1. Doing Good Without Giving Up by Ben Lowe. Lowe, a creation care activist, shares what he has learned about sustaining a life of activisim, particularly when progress is slow and opposition is real. My author interview with Ben is here.

Doing GoodResurrectionSeton2. Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy. What happens when you sit on a jury and the defendant is a prostitute whose life was shaped by a careless romantic dalliance resulting in a pregnancy years before. Tolstoy explores the spiritual awakening and deepening of Prince Nekhlyudov as he seeks to make restitution for his wrong.

3. American Saint: The Life of Elizabeth Seton by Joan Barthel. Seton is the first native-born American to be canonized a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Barthel narrates the tragedy of widowhood that led to conversion, and formation of the first community of women religious in America.

4. The God of Nature: Incarnation and Contemporary Science by Christopher C. Knight. Knight responds to the alternatives of a supernaturalist/naturalist divide by proposing an incarnational naturalism, a position akin to panentheism (all of nature in God).

17293092 (1)Faith and ReasonGod of Nature5. Faith and Reason: Three Views edited by Steve Wilkins. Wilkins and three contributors explore the relationship of faith and reason under the rubrics of faith and philosophy in tension, faith seeking understanding, and the synthesis of reason and faith. Each contributor critiques the other two views yet with a spirit of grace and respect.

6. Playing God by Andy Crouch. The author re-appraises the common view that power is corrupt and corrupting. He considers God’s intention for us as image bearers to use power well to reflect being image bearers, that is “playing God.” He explores both the corrupting effects on power of sin and the redemption of power.

7. Contagious Disciple Making by David Watson and Paul Watson. The authors contend that modelling and teaching obedience to truth discovered in the scriptures and then shared with others resulting in the same obedience is critical to planting Discovery Groups and churches. A very practical book with clear descriptions of practices the authors believe are biblically rooted to build multiplying church plants.

CDMnight trainold mans war8. Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters. This is the fifth in a series of “Vicky Bliss” mysteries involving a Nile voyage, an ingenious and huge theft of antiquities, and a hair-raising chase across Egypt.

9. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. Imagine the possibility of human colonies in space defended by an army of seventy five year olds promised rejuvenated bodies. John Perry is one such enlistee and the book explores the surprises Perry will encounter beginning with his own body as well as the unknowns of the cosmos that can kill you before you even recognize the danger. Perhaps the greatest surprise is who he encounters after being rescued as the lone survivor of a military disaster.

I have described myself as a reading omnivore. This list probably gives you a taste of that, ranging from philosophy and theology, to activism, and to mystery and sci-fi thrillers.  I hope there might be something here to pique your interest.

You can now find of all my “The Month in Reviews” posts by clicking on the link with this title at the top of this page, or in the “Categories” list on the left side of my home page. You will find monthly review summaries beginning with February 2014, with links to individual reviews.

 

Review: Night Train to Memphis

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night trainBoth my wife and I have been great fans of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series of stories. So I was looking forward to dipping into one of the novels in this series but found myself less than engaged.

It’s not the problem of the story. Vicky Bliss, an assistant curator in the Munich National Museum is enlisted as a fill-in lecturer on a Nile cruise because of her crime-solving capabilities. There has been a murder and inklings of a heist of Egyptian antiquities. On the boat she encounters her own partner in adventure, here known as John Tregarth, but who has worked under various aliases as an art thief. He and Vicki have apparently survived numerous scrapes and developed a love interest. This explains the deep shock she experiences when John is accompanied by his mother and his new bride, Mary.

More murders and narrow escapes follow in this mystery as Vicky discovers that the object is nothing less than the theft of the tomb of Tetisheri in its entirety. Some she thinks fowl turn out to be fair, and others who seem fair, end up fowl. One of the fairest ends up the most sinister of all, and Vicky discovers how she has misjudged John. Action moves from the river cruise to a desperate flight across the desert to reach Luxor and Cairo. Vicky’s boss, Schmidt turns up and shows himself unexpectedly resourceful. [The night train to Memphis reflects an unexpected country music motif that runs through the mystery, as well as an actual train trip that was part of the climactic chase]. Yet John, Vicky, and their guide Feisal are up against criminals capable of bringing them to a harrowing end.

While I enjoyed the story, I found the central characters unattractive. Vicky strikes me as both highly capable and yet self-absorbed. John is more the figure one encounters in an espionage novel–living in a land of shades of gray, sometimes caring, sometimes ruthless, and ever the thief. The character I most enjoyed was Schmidt, who anyone would love to have as a friend. Vicky and John stood in sharp contrast, for me, to the admirable and interesting characters of Amelia and Emerson and Ramses in the Amelia Peabody stories.

I should mention that I was starting with number five in the series and I wondered whether this was part of the problem and whether I might have warmed up to these characters more had I followed them from the beginning, which I found important in the Amelia Peabody series. Peters’ story telling ability and the settings of her stories might incline me to pick up the first novel in the series to give these characters one more chance. Who knows, if I get back to number five, this novel, I might have a different take.