SILHOUETTE IN SCARLET

Peters' Valkyrie-like heroine from Street of the Five Moons—Dr. Vicki Bliss, tall, blond, learned, and foolhardy—returns in another adventure revolving around the rascally, sexy John Smythe. This time Smythe has intrigued Vicki away from her curator's job in Munich to Stockholm—for a scam in which she unwittingly helps Smythe ingratiate himself with rich old Gus Jonsson. Why the interest in Gus? Because his island house sits on land believed to hold priceless ancient relics, one of which has been accidentally unearthed. Other villains are after this hypothetical treasure too, of course: Max, a master of silhouette portraits but an inept blackguard in a country setting; and Leif Hasseltine, a gorgeous hunk of Nordic manhood. . . who is either Vicki's kindred spirit or the kingpin of all the skulduggery. Eventually, then, Vicki winds up a prisoner on the island along with Gus and Smythe—but, though their rescue has some lively moments, most of this outing is so creakily farfetched that even Vicki's appeal wears thin. Not one of the talented Peters' better efforts.