Ghost in Green Velvet

by Elizabeth Peters

Scotland is Susan's passion and obsession--and the opportunity to join a Highland dig is a dream come true for the young archaeology student. But then a sinister stranger slips Susan a cryptic message and is later found viciously slain. A mysterious peril has emerged from the mists to haunt Susan, sending her running for her life in the company of handsome, unconventional laird Jamie Erskine. For she has an unseen enemy hiding in the shadows--someone who, for some unknown reason, is going to great lengths to frame her for murder . . . and to bury Susan, if necessary, in this land she loves.

• ISBN13: 9780340238448
• Publish Date: 1979 (first published 25 April 1977)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Imprint: Coronet Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 206
• Language: English

Reviews

[MurderByDeath]

I pulled this off the shelf for a before-sleep re-read last week, since I remembered very little about it.

There's something so unapologetic about the books written before the 80's and before everything had to be so politically correct.  Susan is romantic; she's in love with all things Scottish-history and Bonnie Prince Charlie is the very heightof romantic.  She's in Scotland to participate in a highland archeological dig as part of her university studies.  A case of mistaken identity has her embroiled in adventure and on the run with a son of the gentry.

It's a fun read, if not really very gripping.  The back cover categorises it as a "romantic suspense" novel, which made me giggle just a bit.  Either due to changing styles over time, or Ms. Peters' intention, the whole thing reads more than just a little bit tongue-in-cheek.  Perhaps a combination of both.

I love how at the end, it's just taken as read that Susan will stay in Scotland and marry Jamie.  No undying vows of love, no talk of deep connection or visceral need.  They get through this grand adventure and that's that.  Jamie announces to his father (who is absolutely hysterical, btw) that they'll not live in the damp old family manor but will live in a nice flat in Edinburgh.  Susan, apparently, has no horse in this race, since she utters very little in the way of her own wishes.  I just had to laugh.