What do you think?
Rate this book
Summer of the Dragon
Seances, hypnotic trances, spectral apparitions, lost gold mines, and a mysterious disappearance combine in this suspenseful and romantic mystery featuring a food-loving heroine, fledgling anthropologist D. J. Abbott, sought after by several young men and equipped with the cleverness needed to unravel a complex plot. Reprint.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
249 people are currently reading
1223 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Peters
184 books3,294 followersElizabeth Peters is a pen name of Barbara Mertz. She also wrote as Barbara Michaels as well as her own name. Born and brought up in Illinois, she earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago. Mertz was named Grand Master at the inaugural Anthony Awards in 1986 and Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America at the Edgar Awards in 1998. She lived in a historic farmhouse in Frederick, western Maryland until her death.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
January 6, 2023
2023 Review
I wonder if the audiobook I listened to was abridged. Reading this one in print, I didn't find it particularly bare ones. It was fun, though, and filled with great ambiance. I'm highly amused that the 1980s cover for this book shows a skinny blonde-ish woman. This heroine literally spends the entire book making fun of people like that.
2020 Review
It is hard to believe this is a full length novel---the plot almost doesn't seem sufficient for one. The villain was super obvious. And the threats and antics only just appear to start up before everything wraps up.
But it was entertaining. The characters are vivid, the setting intriguing, and the romance cliche but appealing. It cuts out all the "fat" of a mystery/adventure story and leaves just the bare bones. But those bones work well.
I wonder if the audiobook I listened to was abridged. Reading this one in print, I didn't find it particularly bare ones. It was fun, though, and filled with great ambiance. I'm highly amused that the 1980s cover for this book shows a skinny blonde-ish woman. This heroine literally spends the entire book making fun of people like that.
2020 Review
It is hard to believe this is a full length novel---the plot almost doesn't seem sufficient for one. The villain was super obvious. And the threats and antics only just appear to start up before everything wraps up.
But it was entertaining. The characters are vivid, the setting intriguing, and the romance cliche but appealing. It cuts out all the "fat" of a mystery/adventure story and leaves just the bare bones. But those bones work well.
September 14, 2020
I usually like Peterson's characters but this one I was pretty ambivalent about. She was argumentative and ate all the time. I can relate to this sadly but didn't seem to be all that endearing. Hank was an interesting character as his right hand man, but she made you wonder. All the descriptions of food made me hungry.
January 13, 2019
Sometimes Elizabeth Peters reminds me strangely of Diana Wynne Jones ... esp. this book, which has several very Deep Secret moments, such as the eccentric convention of odd characters. It's a good thing! The only part about this book that I really couldn't stand was the fact that she kept mentioning the hero's moustache ... I just couldn't picture him as attractive when the only image coming to my mind was 70s cowboy ... yuck. Apart from this point, which I fully admit is totally shallow and without any merit, I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Great adventure, sense of humour, and even a hunt for buried treasure - so good.
February 16, 2021
Anthropology grad student D.J. Abbott is a master procrastinator. She has left finding a summer job so late than when she sees her advisor about it, all that's left is an offer from well-known crackpot millionaire Hank Hunnicutt, who seems to believe in every weird theory floating about. Since it's an extremely generous offer, though, D.J. decides to apply for it (it doesn't hurt that Hunnicutt's Arizona ranch isn't within visiting distance from her parent's house, something very important for her).
Hunnicutt's already rejected a few applicants, but he accepts D.J., and so she heads over to Arizona. When she arrives, she finds the house full of assorted weirdos and a couple of extremely handsome men. She also meets the endearing Hank, who's very vague about the reason he wanted her at the ranch. He insists she rest and relax and enjoy the amenities until a certain gadget arrives... then he'll show her his discovery.
But soon thereafter, after a couple of suspicious accidents, Hank vanishes, and it falls to D.J. and a few allies to find out what happened to him... and which of the nuts might have had a reason to make him disappear.
Summer of the Dragon has three strengths which are the reason I love this author so much. First, there's the characters. Peters is a master at creating fascinating, three-dimensional, fresh secondary characters, and she's not bad with her protagonists, either! Each of the weirdos in residence has a distinct personality, and they are, every one of them, loads of fun. As for D.J. and her romantic interest (whose identity I won't reveal here, though anyone familiar with her books will probably deduce it the minute he shows up), they're great. I especially loved the way D.J. was a declared feminist and refused to take any shit from anyone (and this is a 1979 book), and the way Peters wrote her total enjoyment of food... and her guy's reaction to this!
Second, I absolutely adore Peters' writing. She's got a wonderful sense of humour, and this shows through, not only in extremely funny scenes, but also in the very way she puts things.
Third, Peters' plots are always enormously entertaining, and I always love her mix of adventure and archeological and historical elements. Summer of the Dragon wasn't an exception. It takes a while to get to what's going on, but once we do get there, it's fascinating, as is the setting!
A very fun book.
Hunnicutt's already rejected a few applicants, but he accepts D.J., and so she heads over to Arizona. When she arrives, she finds the house full of assorted weirdos and a couple of extremely handsome men. She also meets the endearing Hank, who's very vague about the reason he wanted her at the ranch. He insists she rest and relax and enjoy the amenities until a certain gadget arrives... then he'll show her his discovery.
But soon thereafter, after a couple of suspicious accidents, Hank vanishes, and it falls to D.J. and a few allies to find out what happened to him... and which of the nuts might have had a reason to make him disappear.
Summer of the Dragon has three strengths which are the reason I love this author so much. First, there's the characters. Peters is a master at creating fascinating, three-dimensional, fresh secondary characters, and she's not bad with her protagonists, either! Each of the weirdos in residence has a distinct personality, and they are, every one of them, loads of fun. As for D.J. and her romantic interest (whose identity I won't reveal here, though anyone familiar with her books will probably deduce it the minute he shows up), they're great. I especially loved the way D.J. was a declared feminist and refused to take any shit from anyone (and this is a 1979 book), and the way Peters wrote her total enjoyment of food... and her guy's reaction to this!
Second, I absolutely adore Peters' writing. She's got a wonderful sense of humour, and this shows through, not only in extremely funny scenes, but also in the very way she puts things.
Third, Peters' plots are always enormously entertaining, and I always love her mix of adventure and archeological and historical elements. Summer of the Dragon wasn't an exception. It takes a while to get to what's going on, but once we do get there, it's fascinating, as is the setting!
A very fun book.
September 25, 2022
This was a fun mystery with some humorous moments that I enjoyed. D.J. Abbott needs to get a grant to work on research for the summer. She is, after all, a new anthropologist trying to establish herself. Getting establishing in academia still isn't easy, but as readers can see from Peters' book, it definitely wasn't easy for women in the late 70s, which is when this book was written.
D.J. gets accepted for something of a dream opportunity: She will have an all-expenses-paid summer at a dig in Arizona. Is there a catch? Of course there is. Her host, Hank Hunnicutt, will be an eccentric gazillionaire with lots of weird theories and a tendency to assemble crackpots associated with said theories around him. D.J. still jumps on the chance.
While D.J.'s plans involve serious academic research, she finds herself living on a ranch surrounded by treasure hunters, mediums, and other interesting, eccentric people. While Hank's penchant for gadgets and alien conspiracy theories might seem a little odd, he's an endearing character. To spice things up, D.J. also meets a couple of handsome men. When Hank mysteriously disappears, it just might be up to these potential heroes to help D.J. find him and figure out what is going on around the ranch.
In some ways, Peters is in top form with this book. She has a knack for giving her characters distinct personalities, and the cast in this book is a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing the leads' characters develop over the course of the story, and I appreciated that the secondary characters each stood out well. In addition, the author mixes humorous touches into her mystery quite well.
This book took a few chapters to really get going and grow on me, but once it did, I enjoyed myself immensely.
CW: This book was first published in 1979, and some of the openly sexist remarks may remind you of that. Also, some fat-shaming.
D.J. gets accepted for something of a dream opportunity: She will have an all-expenses-paid summer at a dig in Arizona. Is there a catch? Of course there is. Her host, Hank Hunnicutt, will be an eccentric gazillionaire with lots of weird theories and a tendency to assemble crackpots associated with said theories around him. D.J. still jumps on the chance.
While D.J.'s plans involve serious academic research, she finds herself living on a ranch surrounded by treasure hunters, mediums, and other interesting, eccentric people. While Hank's penchant for gadgets and alien conspiracy theories might seem a little odd, he's an endearing character. To spice things up, D.J. also meets a couple of handsome men. When Hank mysteriously disappears, it just might be up to these potential heroes to help D.J. find him and figure out what is going on around the ranch.
In some ways, Peters is in top form with this book. She has a knack for giving her characters distinct personalities, and the cast in this book is a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing the leads' characters develop over the course of the story, and I appreciated that the secondary characters each stood out well. In addition, the author mixes humorous touches into her mystery quite well.
This book took a few chapters to really get going and grow on me, but once it did, I enjoyed myself immensely.
CW: This book was first published in 1979, and some of the openly sexist remarks may remind you of that. Also, some fat-shaming.
August 31, 2024
Post-grad Anthropology student, DJ Abbott, was determined to have a summer internship far from her polar opposite parents back in Cleveland, OH, and in desperation applies for eccentric (read crackpot) billionaire, Hank Honeycutt’s need for an anthropologist for a summer project in the desert near his ranch house in northern Arizona. An easy job, she thinks until she gets there and the mysterious happenings start piling up.
Years ago, I discovered my first Elizabeth Peters’ book and I binge-read her extensive backlist in under a year. I loved the light, sarcastic wit her tough, intelligent heroines displayed and the pairing with equally tough and abrasive heroes who all take a secondary place. Put this with the entertaining, twisting plots and the fascinating historical elements and laid back academic world connections that come straight from Elizabeth Peters’ own experiences as an archeologist and I was hooked.
Summer of the Dragon is a standalone and chock full of all that I mentioned above. DJ is an average-looking woman, but she carries around as much machismo as the first of the male characters she encounters. The sparks fly between this pair who suspect and antagonize each other in their turn. The book was written in 1979 so its dated, but I felt nostalgic instead of separated from the story.
Hank Honeycutt’s house party was a scream. He has gathered every non-traditional practitioner with their out there theories and some downright con artists around him. DJ’s flat refusal to politely drink the Kool-Aid makes her Miss Unpopular from the first pre-dinner cocktail hour. Speaking of dinner, this gal loves her food and makes no bones about it, but heaven help the blunt guy who brings it up.
There is a sense of something ominous building at the ranch and has something to do with why Hank brought DJ out there for the summer. Someone doesn’t want Hank to show her what he found out in the desert and will stop at nothing to keep it from happening. I loved the build to the big reveal about what was going on, but also Hank’s big find.
Grace Conlin is a long-time familiar narrator of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series for me and I thought she did great catching the tone and pace of the book as well as the large cast of disparate characters led by DJ herself.
Summer of the Dragon was light-hearted, funny, but also exciting and interesting. Entertainment value is high and the romance is slow-burn as is the suspense. I recommend this ‘classic’ to those who like going old school with their romantic suspenses and still need to try Elizabeth Peters’ works.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on May 1st, 2024.
Years ago, I discovered my first Elizabeth Peters’ book and I binge-read her extensive backlist in under a year. I loved the light, sarcastic wit her tough, intelligent heroines displayed and the pairing with equally tough and abrasive heroes who all take a secondary place. Put this with the entertaining, twisting plots and the fascinating historical elements and laid back academic world connections that come straight from Elizabeth Peters’ own experiences as an archeologist and I was hooked.
Summer of the Dragon is a standalone and chock full of all that I mentioned above. DJ is an average-looking woman, but she carries around as much machismo as the first of the male characters she encounters. The sparks fly between this pair who suspect and antagonize each other in their turn. The book was written in 1979 so its dated, but I felt nostalgic instead of separated from the story.
Hank Honeycutt’s house party was a scream. He has gathered every non-traditional practitioner with their out there theories and some downright con artists around him. DJ’s flat refusal to politely drink the Kool-Aid makes her Miss Unpopular from the first pre-dinner cocktail hour. Speaking of dinner, this gal loves her food and makes no bones about it, but heaven help the blunt guy who brings it up.
There is a sense of something ominous building at the ranch and has something to do with why Hank brought DJ out there for the summer. Someone doesn’t want Hank to show her what he found out in the desert and will stop at nothing to keep it from happening. I loved the build to the big reveal about what was going on, but also Hank’s big find.
Grace Conlin is a long-time familiar narrator of Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series for me and I thought she did great catching the tone and pace of the book as well as the large cast of disparate characters led by DJ herself.
Summer of the Dragon was light-hearted, funny, but also exciting and interesting. Entertainment value is high and the romance is slow-burn as is the suspense. I recommend this ‘classic’ to those who like going old school with their romantic suspenses and still need to try Elizabeth Peters’ works.
My full review will post at Books of My Heart on May 1st, 2024.
March 31, 2017
3/24 I am not finding this particularly interesting. I am puzzled by the high ratings, because, while there are some interesting characters in this, mostly it's been chit-chat, low on plot.
December 30, 2018
2018 Review
This book really is the perfect quick comfort read for me. It's the best of what brain-candy fiction can offer. It's smart, funny, and fast-paced. I wish I had more room in my house for a bookshelf dedicated solely to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels books. Maybe if I get rid of the dining room table....
D.J. Abbott is a grad student at a Cleveland-area university specializing in anthropology. Because she has failed to plan ahead, it is nearly the end of the semester and her fellow students are bragging about the grants they've received to do research in their fields but D.J. has nothing to say. Instead, she keeps her mouth full of party cheese (she adores cheese) and worries. When she approaches her advisor, he isn't very sympathetic. When he finally remembers a job offer, D.J. brashly accepts it, even though the man offering it, Hank Hunnicutt, is widely known as a crackpot. However, he is a billionaire crackpot and even though it isn't clear why he wants to hire an anthropologist for the summer, D.J. is desperate to get out of town and earn some much-needed cash. When she finally arrives at his ranch outside of Flagstaff, AZ, it's clear that Hank isn't ready to discuss his "big discovery" with her or even Tom De Karsky, his trusted (and sexy) secretary and right-hand man. It's also clear that someone else at the ranch does not want D.J. to learn of Hank's discovery as well and will do anything to keep her away from it.
This is probably my perfect book because I like all the characters and the setting. Flagstaff is a beautiful area and I've been to the southwest many times since I first read this book. When D.J. describes falling in love with the desert and the mountains and the vivid sunsets, I'm in total agreement. D.J. and Tom, the beautiful man with the pirate mustache, argue quite a bit because she has a big mouth and often says thing she shouldn't and Tom is worried she can't be trusted. The ranch is filled with a bunch of nutjobs who are sponging off of Hank. He allows them to stay there because he believes (to some degree) in their nutty theories. One of the best scenes in the book is a debate between D.J. and one of the nuts. This nut thinks aliens built the pyramids and D.J. takes her down. Hank isn't seen a lot in the book, but he comes across as complex and interesting because (despite his nutty interests) he is a down-to-earth, take-no-shit kind of guy. I would love to go work for him because he runs an animal clinic/sanctuary and takes in wild and domestic animals that have been injured. If I had his money, that's exactly the kind of thing I would be doing.
The mystery in this book isn't all that complex and if you pay attention, you may be able to figure out what's going on, despite all the red herrings. But I read this author's books because the characters are fun and because the author is (was? she's deceased) an Egyptologist, her knowledge of archaeology and related sciences generally inform the plot and make for interesting reading. I highly recommend Elizabeth Peters/Barabara Michaels novels. Not every book has stood the test of time (many of them were written in the 70s and 80s), but they are great if you want a break from more serious reading.
Older Review
This is one of my favorite "cozy" books. Whenever I want to read a book that I found comforting and familiar, I turn to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels and read one of her books. This book is just about perfect: D.J. and Tom have a funny and sarcastic friendship and the adventure/mystery is great. Even though I have almost every sentence memorized, I still love this book. I have 2 different paperback copies of it and I've read it a million times.
This book really is the perfect quick comfort read for me. It's the best of what brain-candy fiction can offer. It's smart, funny, and fast-paced. I wish I had more room in my house for a bookshelf dedicated solely to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels books. Maybe if I get rid of the dining room table....
D.J. Abbott is a grad student at a Cleveland-area university specializing in anthropology. Because she has failed to plan ahead, it is nearly the end of the semester and her fellow students are bragging about the grants they've received to do research in their fields but D.J. has nothing to say. Instead, she keeps her mouth full of party cheese (she adores cheese) and worries. When she approaches her advisor, he isn't very sympathetic. When he finally remembers a job offer, D.J. brashly accepts it, even though the man offering it, Hank Hunnicutt, is widely known as a crackpot. However, he is a billionaire crackpot and even though it isn't clear why he wants to hire an anthropologist for the summer, D.J. is desperate to get out of town and earn some much-needed cash. When she finally arrives at his ranch outside of Flagstaff, AZ, it's clear that Hank isn't ready to discuss his "big discovery" with her or even Tom De Karsky, his trusted (and sexy) secretary and right-hand man. It's also clear that someone else at the ranch does not want D.J. to learn of Hank's discovery as well and will do anything to keep her away from it.
This is probably my perfect book because I like all the characters and the setting. Flagstaff is a beautiful area and I've been to the southwest many times since I first read this book. When D.J. describes falling in love with the desert and the mountains and the vivid sunsets, I'm in total agreement. D.J. and Tom, the beautiful man with the pirate mustache, argue quite a bit because she has a big mouth and often says thing she shouldn't and Tom is worried she can't be trusted. The ranch is filled with a bunch of nutjobs who are sponging off of Hank. He allows them to stay there because he believes (to some degree) in their nutty theories. One of the best scenes in the book is a debate between D.J. and one of the nuts. This nut thinks aliens built the pyramids and D.J. takes her down. Hank isn't seen a lot in the book, but he comes across as complex and interesting because (despite his nutty interests) he is a down-to-earth, take-no-shit kind of guy. I would love to go work for him because he runs an animal clinic/sanctuary and takes in wild and domestic animals that have been injured. If I had his money, that's exactly the kind of thing I would be doing.
The mystery in this book isn't all that complex and if you pay attention, you may be able to figure out what's going on, despite all the red herrings. But I read this author's books because the characters are fun and because the author is (was? she's deceased) an Egyptologist, her knowledge of archaeology and related sciences generally inform the plot and make for interesting reading. I highly recommend Elizabeth Peters/Barabara Michaels novels. Not every book has stood the test of time (many of them were written in the 70s and 80s), but they are great if you want a break from more serious reading.
Older Review
This is one of my favorite "cozy" books. Whenever I want to read a book that I found comforting and familiar, I turn to Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels and read one of her books. This book is just about perfect: D.J. and Tom have a funny and sarcastic friendship and the adventure/mystery is great. Even though I have almost every sentence memorized, I still love this book. I have 2 different paperback copies of it and I've read it a million times.
August 11, 2021
Looking back on when I actually started reading this, I'm surprised it took so long for me to finish it. It might be because the plot is pretty slow in the beginning and doesn't really pick up until the last third. But the book makes up for it by the strength of its characters. These people are hilarious! I loved the smart, sarcastic, food-loving heroine and the grumpy hero, as well as the menagerie of crackpot would-be scientists that could all be accused of kidnapping or murder. The villain was pretty obvious, though. The whole thing works best if you don't take it too seriously and take all the characters' antics in stride.
January 12, 2022
DJ Abbot, forced to go by her initials because of parents on opposite ends of the crazy spectrum (her mother is a pink-frilled, baby-obsessed romantic, while her father is so lost to ivory tower academia DJ is uncertain on how he fathered five children -- "I'm convinced he was thinking of something else at the time"), is a grad student with a problem: she has no internship. So she's forced to take the offer no one else wants -- to travel out to Arizona for the mysterious purposes of Hank Hunnicutt, a millionaire who defines eccentricity by giving funds and shelter to every medium, mystic, and mumbling conspiracy theorist that takes his fancy. DJ is none of these, but she's happy to enjoy his "oasis in the desert"-like mansion, and eat his food.
That is, until it becomes clear that Hank has brought her out there for practice, not theory, and a discovery of such importance that it may end up getting her killed.
FIVE STARS: One of those books I have read and re-read to the point where I had to stop, because I knew it practically by heart: DJ's narration makes me howl with laughter, but it's less effective when you see every joke coming. That was about five or seven years ago? Then it struck me it might be the perfect bit of escapism during these quarantine times, so I picked it up last night. It was exactly what I needed. (Latest re-read: 5/9/2020)
Peters' books go beyond "entertaining escapism," for me, by virtue of one all-important fact: her heroines know themselves, and like themselves. I cannot express what a virtuoso performance this makes of her better books. Her heroines never apologize for who they are, often celebrate it, and yet never take themselves too seriously: they are the first to crack the joke, but it's never a self-disparaging one. It's... genuinely sublime to read female MCs who are at once so believable, admirable, and unapologetic. And funny as hell.
This book's no exception, and it's my favorite stand-alone novel from Peters. She's not doing anything new, here, she's just taking a solid, satisfying story and doing it right. She is, also, one of the very few authors who could have her heterosexual couples do almost nothing but bicker and yet still manage to convince me they like and respect each other. Seriously, my hat's off.
Some thoughts on this latest re-read: points in the book's favor for taking the time to point out how many conspiracy or pseudo-scientific theories are fancy vehicles for racist, antisemitic, and even fascist ideologies. As a '90s 'liberal' teenager -- aka when I first encountered the book -- I remember being like, "ugh, why are we bringing race into this??", but in 2020 I'm supremely grateful for the in-character acknowledgement and condemnation of these elements. Even more so for being published in 1979. The latter fact may excuse the glib use of "Indian" in this book, especially since wider history and culture is acknowledged, and the two named Native characters don't come off as stereotypes. The main character's appetite for food is, I think, treated perfectly. But there are a few condemnations of fat = ugly with other characters? Also DJ refers to one character as "disgustingly" thin, which I'm pretty sure in the '70s (pre heroin-chic) passed for a joke the author would assume everyone was in on, and was supposed to make us chuckle at DJ's grumpy envy rather than read as actual judgement. Times changed, and the joke hasn't aged well.
Also I like DJ's relationships with other female characters (who aren't kooks) like Debbie and even Edna, but I don't believe any of it passes the Bechdel Test. Is it weird I don't care? There's already so much crammed into this book for just over 300 pages; I never feel like the female characters who aren't DJ are portrayed as failing to meet the standard she sets as the heroine. Just that they're different people for very explicit reasons. In short: Peters doesn't go out of her way to make anyone particularly likeable (or forces them to like each other), but I personally prefer what she does focus on, which is making them believable.
Recommended for being a fairy tale -- DJ's time wandering around Hank's million-dollar ranch really does have the feeling of exploring the Beast's castle in the original story -- with just enough bite to make it feel real. Highly recommended for the incredible humor, and a heroine who feels like someone you'd want to make your friend.
Latest re-read: 1/4/2022
That is, until it becomes clear that Hank has brought her out there for practice, not theory, and a discovery of such importance that it may end up getting her killed.
FIVE STARS: One of those books I have read and re-read to the point where I had to stop, because I knew it practically by heart: DJ's narration makes me howl with laughter, but it's less effective when you see every joke coming. That was about five or seven years ago? Then it struck me it might be the perfect bit of escapism during these quarantine times, so I picked it up last night. It was exactly what I needed. (Latest re-read: 5/9/2020)
Peters' books go beyond "entertaining escapism," for me, by virtue of one all-important fact: her heroines know themselves, and like themselves. I cannot express what a virtuoso performance this makes of her better books. Her heroines never apologize for who they are, often celebrate it, and yet never take themselves too seriously: they are the first to crack the joke, but it's never a self-disparaging one. It's... genuinely sublime to read female MCs who are at once so believable, admirable, and unapologetic. And funny as hell.
This book's no exception, and it's my favorite stand-alone novel from Peters. She's not doing anything new, here, she's just taking a solid, satisfying story and doing it right. She is, also, one of the very few authors who could have her heterosexual couples do almost nothing but bicker and yet still manage to convince me they like and respect each other. Seriously, my hat's off.
Some thoughts on this latest re-read: points in the book's favor for taking the time to point out how many conspiracy or pseudo-scientific theories are fancy vehicles for racist, antisemitic, and even fascist ideologies. As a '90s 'liberal' teenager -- aka when I first encountered the book -- I remember being like, "ugh, why are we bringing race into this??", but in 2020 I'm supremely grateful for the in-character acknowledgement and condemnation of these elements. Even more so for being published in 1979. The latter fact may excuse the glib use of "Indian" in this book, especially since wider history and culture is acknowledged, and the two named Native characters don't come off as stereotypes. The main character's appetite for food is, I think, treated perfectly. But there are a few condemnations of fat = ugly with other characters? Also DJ refers to one character as "disgustingly" thin, which I'm pretty sure in the '70s (pre heroin-chic) passed for a joke the author would assume everyone was in on, and was supposed to make us chuckle at DJ's grumpy envy rather than read as actual judgement. Times changed, and the joke hasn't aged well.
Also I like DJ's relationships with other female characters (who aren't kooks) like Debbie and even Edna, but I don't believe any of it passes the Bechdel Test. Is it weird I don't care? There's already so much crammed into this book for just over 300 pages; I never feel like the female characters who aren't DJ are portrayed as failing to meet the standard she sets as the heroine. Just that they're different people for very explicit reasons. In short: Peters doesn't go out of her way to make anyone particularly likeable (or forces them to like each other), but I personally prefer what she does focus on, which is making them believable.
Recommended for being a fairy tale -- DJ's time wandering around Hank's million-dollar ranch really does have the feeling of exploring the Beast's castle in the original story -- with just enough bite to make it feel real. Highly recommended for the incredible humor, and a heroine who feels like someone you'd want to make your friend.
Latest re-read: 1/4/2022
December 17, 2020
Entertaining but seemed very dated. Kind of funny, all the sexist comments. But I'm a huge Elizabeth Peters fan and will read just about anything she's written.
June 15, 2018
Ms Peters has done it again. I loved this book and can't wait to get my hands on another one of hers. I started this last night, had read the first seven chapters before I had realized it and devoured the rest this morning. The characters are pretty well rounded with enough zany crazy ones to keep it interesting. The heroine is sassy, smart, well educated and independent and, as I said before, fluent in sarcasm; something I can directly relate to. I like that Ms P's heroines don't go off doing stupid stuff just to aggravate some man they claim they can't stand, and then he ends up rescuing them, then they end up in the tired, predictable state of romance at the end. These books are well researched and interesting with mystery thrown in.
I highly recommend this book.
I highly recommend this book.
October 1, 2025
One of my All-Time Favorite books. I first read 'Summer of the Dragon' back in the early 1980s when I was a teenager and have reread it many, many, many times since then- it is one of the books I come back to over and over. The characters are great IMO, and while the story/mystery isn't overly complicated, it is very entertaining. I highly recommend this book. I've wished many times that DJ, Tom, and Hank would have gotten another novel.
November 12, 2024
Grad student in anthropology, D. J. Abbott takes a job with Hank Hunnicutt, millionaire and eccentric, in order to get away from her family for the summer. Hank has a job for her but he's reluctant to tell her about it.
While D. J. is waiting, she gets a chance to get to know the various hangers-on who live at Hank's Arizona compound. She isn't at all reluctant to let them know that she finds their various theories about Atlantic and aliens way off base. There are a few relatively normal people among the guests including a brother-sister team of anthropologists digging at a local site and the treasure hunter filled with stories about the Lost Dutchman mine and the Seven Cities of Cibola. And Hank's secretary Tom De Karsky is relatively normal though he seems to have taken a dislike to D. J.
But a series of suspicious accidents and the kidnapping of Hank mean that D.J. can't just sit back and enjoy the eccentrics. At least she can't if she wants to survive.
The story is told in the first person by D. J. who is prone to going off on tangents. It has a lot of information about the various weird theories of the guests at Hank's ranch since D. J. decides she needs to study up before arriving at her summer job.
I thought it was a fun romantic suspense story.
While D. J. is waiting, she gets a chance to get to know the various hangers-on who live at Hank's Arizona compound. She isn't at all reluctant to let them know that she finds their various theories about Atlantic and aliens way off base. There are a few relatively normal people among the guests including a brother-sister team of anthropologists digging at a local site and the treasure hunter filled with stories about the Lost Dutchman mine and the Seven Cities of Cibola. And Hank's secretary Tom De Karsky is relatively normal though he seems to have taken a dislike to D. J.
But a series of suspicious accidents and the kidnapping of Hank mean that D.J. can't just sit back and enjoy the eccentrics. At least she can't if she wants to survive.
The story is told in the first person by D. J. who is prone to going off on tangents. It has a lot of information about the various weird theories of the guests at Hank's ranch since D. J. decides she needs to study up before arriving at her summer job.
I thought it was a fun romantic suspense story.
January 23, 2019
I enjoyed listening to this mystery. I would rate it higher, but I'm trying to save 4 and 5 star reviews for superlative work. There wasn't anything wrong with this, though, and I wish we could award 1/2 stars, because it deserves 3 1/2.
January 12, 2021
Light-hearted, funny, and amusing mystery--thought I must have read it before but I guess it's not particularly memorable. All the better, because I was able to enjoy it all over again. Finished in 24 hours.
September 2, 2024
I really enjoyed the wise cracking D.J. She was hilarious with her remarks about her family. But she was quite knowledgeable and apparently a voracious reader. I may have to check on some of the books she read to get a take on her comments. Oh, and she liked The Hobbit……
Read
March 22, 2021As with all Elizabeth Peters books, I loved it! It was interesting and informative, with thought-provoking points of view. And cool scenery and fun story line!
April 8, 2024
It is nothing short of astonishing how this author can write books under two different pen names, where each catalog feels so unlike the other, but are both written so remarkably well!
I feel a bit like a broken record, but I'll say it again: you can't go wrong with Elizabeth Peters!
I feel a bit like a broken record, but I'll say it again: you can't go wrong with Elizabeth Peters!
February 20, 2021
I listened to this in audio and both the narration and the story were enjoyable. Yes, parts of it (but not too much) feel a bit dated, but I enjoyed the odd cast of characters. If you enjoy the author's Amelia Peabody mystery series, I believe you'll like this "contemporary" mystery (set in 1970s Arizona).
May 8, 2021
T;LDR: D.J. Abbott accepts a summer position at a rich man's Arizona ranch for some secret purpose only the rich man, Hank, knows. After a few falls and broken gadgets, Hank goes missing. Can D.J. find Hank before its too late? And will the knowledge she gains while searching for him get her killed?
I have reread this book many times and is one of my favs, so I'm not going to be particularly unbiased in my review here.
What I liked:
I love that D.J. loves to eat and does so, a lot. I love her sense of humor, that while gullible in other ways, she's not gullible when it comes to the crackpots who roam the ranch. I love that I learned all about Atlantis, aliens, and all the other crazy theories that people believed enough to write books about them.
I love the friend character in Mary Jo, the maid, and the fact that D.J. doesn't even think of her as anything less than a friendly person. I like that Hank can be both laid back and casual, but also straightforward and ruthless when he needs to be. He has more depth than he could have with another author.
This book has one of Elizabeth Peter's trademarks - a sexy guy who spends most of the book in a snark fight with the heroine. And while I know it's part of her pattern, I still love it anyway. Tom De Karsky might be modeled on Tom Sellecks' Magnum PI character (the mustache alone gives it away) and the sexy appeal of his mustache might be a bit dated, but he's still an intelligent, no-nonsense kind of guy.
What I didn't Like
This is where my review diverges. There's really not much I don't like about this book - it means too much to me. So, instead of focusing on what I didn't like, I'm going to feature the top common critiques from other reviewers.
One of the top review lacks for this book is how obvious the mystery/villain(s) is/are. At this point in time, I can't tell you if that's true because I read it for the first time in my teens. So, yeah, it's obvious to me now. But if I dig deep, I could see why they say that.
Other commentary against the book is that the plot is thin. That's possible. We spend more time watching D.J. interact with the crackpots than we do progressing the plot, but that's because the crackpots are part of the plot...in a way (no spoilers). But also, you don't read this book for its denseness, but instead as a light and fun read. So, I'm going to disagree that this is a negative against the book.
Another common negative is the cardboard characterization, too much bickering, and lack of depth in the characters presented. I disagree with that. There are a lot of characters in this book. If she gave all of the secondary characters the room they needed to be fully fleshed out, it'd be massive...and boring. And the bickering is part of her tone and style of writing. If you don't like it here, you'll probably not like many of her other books.
I never find her characters lacking. Are there similarities across some of her books? Absolutely. But I still enjoy reading them, so maybe this book and the other similar books are my guilty pleasure reads. Maybe.
But I don't think so.
To Sum Up (too late!)
Overall, if you snarky heroines who eat too much, sexy men with mustaches, learning about all of the crazy theories that people exist out there, and a light-hearted fun read, this book is for you.
I have reread this book many times and is one of my favs, so I'm not going to be particularly unbiased in my review here.
What I liked:
I love that D.J. loves to eat and does so, a lot. I love her sense of humor, that while gullible in other ways, she's not gullible when it comes to the crackpots who roam the ranch. I love that I learned all about Atlantis, aliens, and all the other crazy theories that people believed enough to write books about them.
I love the friend character in Mary Jo, the maid, and the fact that D.J. doesn't even think of her as anything less than a friendly person. I like that Hank can be both laid back and casual, but also straightforward and ruthless when he needs to be. He has more depth than he could have with another author.
This book has one of Elizabeth Peter's trademarks - a sexy guy who spends most of the book in a snark fight with the heroine. And while I know it's part of her pattern, I still love it anyway. Tom De Karsky might be modeled on Tom Sellecks' Magnum PI character (the mustache alone gives it away) and the sexy appeal of his mustache might be a bit dated, but he's still an intelligent, no-nonsense kind of guy.
What I didn't Like
This is where my review diverges. There's really not much I don't like about this book - it means too much to me. So, instead of focusing on what I didn't like, I'm going to feature the top common critiques from other reviewers.
One of the top review lacks for this book is how obvious the mystery/villain(s) is/are. At this point in time, I can't tell you if that's true because I read it for the first time in my teens. So, yeah, it's obvious to me now. But if I dig deep, I could see why they say that.
Other commentary against the book is that the plot is thin. That's possible. We spend more time watching D.J. interact with the crackpots than we do progressing the plot, but that's because the crackpots are part of the plot...in a way (no spoilers). But also, you don't read this book for its denseness, but instead as a light and fun read. So, I'm going to disagree that this is a negative against the book.
Another common negative is the cardboard characterization, too much bickering, and lack of depth in the characters presented. I disagree with that. There are a lot of characters in this book. If she gave all of the secondary characters the room they needed to be fully fleshed out, it'd be massive...and boring. And the bickering is part of her tone and style of writing. If you don't like it here, you'll probably not like many of her other books.
I never find her characters lacking. Are there similarities across some of her books? Absolutely. But I still enjoy reading them, so maybe this book and the other similar books are my guilty pleasure reads. Maybe.
But I don't think so.
To Sum Up (too late!)
Overall, if you snarky heroines who eat too much, sexy men with mustaches, learning about all of the crazy theories that people exist out there, and a light-hearted fun read, this book is for you.
June 9, 2024
MY RATING GUIDE: 2.5 Stars. I struggled to finish, preferring other titles by Peters, but other readers may feel differently.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= NOPE; NOT FOR ME; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
DJ Abbott, an archeology grad student, accepts a summer job referred by her temporary advisor at the ranch of an Arizona millionaire, Hank Hunnicutt, who dabbles in a variety of archeological interests. Upon her arrival, DJ discovers a number of working archeologists in residence as well as an assortment of sponging hangers-on.
Hunnicutt informs DJ that he has a new project with which he wants her help. He is excited but has kept the details to himself. The evening before DJ and Honnicutt are to begin working, Honnicutt disappears.
Comments ~
1) SUMMER OF THE DRAGON is a Standalone novel published in 1979. I found it slow moving and slightly ridiculous with an assortment of very odd characters. I was expecting a more realistic adventure, perhaps inside an old mine, or deep in the mountains of Arizona. A romance pops into the story in the final pages without any previous development. It was a surprise and I didn’t see the point. The last 30min were the most interesting but still not memorable.
2) I never connected with the FMC. She sounded bored, ambivalent or insulting most of the time, not particularly likable. She wasn’t what I would expect from an archeology major (clueless regarding proper outdoor attire, no interest in much at all except eating, socializing and enjoying the benefits of a millionaire’s home). She complained when asked to work or go outdoors. Really??
3) I purchased and listened to the audio version performed by Grace Conlin. She didn’t improve my impression of this book. I much prefer Peters’ The Jackal’s Head pub 1968, The Dead Sea Cipher published in 1970 and any in the Amelia Peabody series. I don’t particularly recommend SUMMER OF THE DRAGON but “completists” may wish to check it out.
READER CAUTION ~
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language and blasphemy is used.
VIOLENCE - More a ridiculous farce than anything else.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= NOPE; NOT FOR ME; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
DJ Abbott, an archeology grad student, accepts a summer job referred by her temporary advisor at the ranch of an Arizona millionaire, Hank Hunnicutt, who dabbles in a variety of archeological interests. Upon her arrival, DJ discovers a number of working archeologists in residence as well as an assortment of sponging hangers-on.
Hunnicutt informs DJ that he has a new project with which he wants her help. He is excited but has kept the details to himself. The evening before DJ and Honnicutt are to begin working, Honnicutt disappears.
Comments ~
1) SUMMER OF THE DRAGON is a Standalone novel published in 1979. I found it slow moving and slightly ridiculous with an assortment of very odd characters. I was expecting a more realistic adventure, perhaps inside an old mine, or deep in the mountains of Arizona. A romance pops into the story in the final pages without any previous development. It was a surprise and I didn’t see the point. The last 30min were the most interesting but still not memorable.
2) I never connected with the FMC. She sounded bored, ambivalent or insulting most of the time, not particularly likable. She wasn’t what I would expect from an archeology major (clueless regarding proper outdoor attire, no interest in much at all except eating, socializing and enjoying the benefits of a millionaire’s home). She complained when asked to work or go outdoors. Really??
3) I purchased and listened to the audio version performed by Grace Conlin. She didn’t improve my impression of this book. I much prefer Peters’ The Jackal’s Head pub 1968, The Dead Sea Cipher published in 1970 and any in the Amelia Peabody series. I don’t particularly recommend SUMMER OF THE DRAGON but “completists” may wish to check it out.
READER CAUTION ~
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language and blasphemy is used.
VIOLENCE - More a ridiculous farce than anything else.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - None.
March 4, 2023
An American based archeological site. It doesn’t sound nearly as sexy as King Tut’s tomb, does it? But I’m an American girl who grew up wanting to find my own dinosaur bones. I started reading the Amelia Peabody series back when they were first published in the 1970’s. My paperbacks self-destructed and I eventually replaced them with the audio collection.
This story cannot compare favorably to the 18 volumes in the Egyptian series. But it was wonderful fun. Ms. Peter’s loved to write her female leads as strong, independent women. That doesn’t make our heroine, DJ, an easy person to get along with. But it does make her story a very interesting one. Having grown up during the time period of this story, I can remember young women stepping out of their quiet lady-like roles to demand equality from the men in their profession. What fun!
Add an eccentric millionaire who has his very own mountain lion, a different car for every day of the week, along with a mouth-watering collection of authentic turquoise jewelry, and you have the setting for a delightful adventure. Of course, there has to be “bad guys”. Since archeological rivalries weren’t as prevalent in those days, we are given conspiracy theorists instead.
What an enjoyable read!
This story cannot compare favorably to the 18 volumes in the Egyptian series. But it was wonderful fun. Ms. Peter’s loved to write her female leads as strong, independent women. That doesn’t make our heroine, DJ, an easy person to get along with. But it does make her story a very interesting one. Having grown up during the time period of this story, I can remember young women stepping out of their quiet lady-like roles to demand equality from the men in their profession. What fun!
Add an eccentric millionaire who has his very own mountain lion, a different car for every day of the week, along with a mouth-watering collection of authentic turquoise jewelry, and you have the setting for a delightful adventure. Of course, there has to be “bad guys”. Since archeological rivalries weren’t as prevalent in those days, we are given conspiracy theorists instead.
What an enjoyable read!
November 1, 2023
It had been years since I last read this book, and I really enjoyed the reread. I appreciated DJ's realness, and the world Peters sets her in is an interesting one.
I appreciate how Peters writes women - real, intelligent, and strong without being stereotypical feminists. I also appreciate how I learn things from her books, because she is brilliant herself.
I appreciate how Peters writes women - real, intelligent, and strong without being stereotypical feminists. I also appreciate how I learn things from her books, because she is brilliant herself.
February 7, 2018
Loved the protagonist!
October 15, 2018
I chose to read Summer of the Dragon, by Elizabeth Peters for my October Book Report. In this book, the main character is a young girl, who goes to a ranch in Arizona for the summer. She is a graduate student who is studying archeology at the ranch. After a series of accidents happen including when Hank, the owner of the ranch goes missing, the other guests soon begin to accuse each other.
In my opinion, Elizabeth Peters did a really good job at making the book flow. The whole book is written in a chatty tone that makes it really easy to just pick up and read. I was really surprised when Hank went missing, and I am already accusing the annoying characters of kidnaping, just because I don’t like them or they seem like the sort of person that would kidnap someone. There is evidence to accuse everyone of kidnaping Hank, such as when people left the day before and after that Hank was kidnaped.
I thought that there was a lot of people, and I couldn’t keep track of them all. I liked the book. I thought that she did a good job of creating suspense. I started to think that everyone was guilty at one point or another. I liked that there was evidence for almost everyone being guilty.
In my opinion, Elizabeth Peters did a really good job at making the book flow. The whole book is written in a chatty tone that makes it really easy to just pick up and read. I was really surprised when Hank went missing, and I am already accusing the annoying characters of kidnaping, just because I don’t like them or they seem like the sort of person that would kidnap someone. There is evidence to accuse everyone of kidnaping Hank, such as when people left the day before and after that Hank was kidnaped.
I thought that there was a lot of people, and I couldn’t keep track of them all. I liked the book. I thought that she did a good job of creating suspense. I started to think that everyone was guilty at one point or another. I liked that there was evidence for almost everyone being guilty.
January 16, 2020
Well this story read a little bit too slowly for me. I stuck with it and did finish. I liked the snarky character of D. J. Abbot. She was really likable and her sarcasm was fresh. The title of the book mislead me a bit as I am a lover of all things "Dragon". Overall the storyline was good as it turned out. I would really like to read another adventure about D.J.. Desperate to get far from her parents and in need of a job, D.J. accepts a position with rich but eccentric oddball Hank Hunnicutt. He has a mysterious project he needs her help with but keeps very closed-mouthed about the details. When Hank goes missing, things heat up. Who's drugging members of the household and who stole Hank's mysterious machine. Hank's disappearance stirs up all kinds of speculations. Will D.J. and Tom, Hank's right-hand man, find Hank in time or will it only speed the pair to their doom?
November 5, 2022
I have really enjoyed the Amelia Peabody series set in Egypt during the time of excavations of ancient tombs. That is a very delightful series and has some good comic relief with all the different characters. And of course fun mysteries!
This is off the beaten path from Egypt and set in America in the southwest. A pretty dialogue driven book set in contemporary times. I wasn’t enamored of any of the characters. I thought it was fairly dry. I didn’t like the dialogue that much with the tensions between all the characters.
I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie mystery set in one house with a variety of people as the possible suspects. There is a touch of romance and the main character is a very determined person! This book is told from her point of view.
I gave it three stars because I almost gave up on the book but I wanted to see it through.
This is off the beaten path from Egypt and set in America in the southwest. A pretty dialogue driven book set in contemporary times. I wasn’t enamored of any of the characters. I thought it was fairly dry. I didn’t like the dialogue that much with the tensions between all the characters.
I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie mystery set in one house with a variety of people as the possible suspects. There is a touch of romance and the main character is a very determined person! This book is told from her point of view.
I gave it three stars because I almost gave up on the book but I wanted to see it through.
September 11, 2022
I’d rate this between 3.25 and 3.75 stars or so.
This was basically a mildly comedic caper story. Also, I have no idea why they mention Jesse on the back cover like he’s the love interest - he barely speaks to DJ. The mystery was minimal and the cast extensive and quirky. I did enjoy that conspiracy theorists were called out as what they are (paranoid racists with a genius complex and persecution complex), but didn’t like that they just had Aryan supremacist a just floating around the story. There were several First Nation people in the cast but it was handled in such a way that you’re never in doubt that the author is white. I think the actual love interest is First Nations too?
All in all, pretty fun but not a lot actually happened.
This was basically a mildly comedic caper story. Also, I have no idea why they mention Jesse on the back cover like he’s the love interest - he barely speaks to DJ. The mystery was minimal and the cast extensive and quirky. I did enjoy that conspiracy theorists were called out as what they are (paranoid racists with a genius complex and persecution complex), but didn’t like that they just had Aryan supremacist a just floating around the story. There were several First Nation people in the cast but it was handled in such a way that you’re never in doubt that the author is white. I think the actual love interest is First Nations too?
All in all, pretty fun but not a lot actually happened.
September 30, 2022
A fun anthropological mystery!
I enjoy Ms Peters stand-alone novels that have more humor and this book is one of them, primarily delivered through the protagonist’s first person narrative. (One of the best and funniest is The Legend in Green Velvet). There are some dated phrases, so remember that it was published in 1979. There is a whole cast of wacky extras that represent what must have been popular movements around that time. As usual, I find myself reading about the history involved in her books, whether it’s the early people of the Southwestern US as in this story, King Charles II (Green Velvet), or Egyptian rulers (Amelia Peabody), etc. (The narrated version with Grace Conlon is very good.) Enjoy!
I enjoy Ms Peters stand-alone novels that have more humor and this book is one of them, primarily delivered through the protagonist’s first person narrative. (One of the best and funniest is The Legend in Green Velvet). There are some dated phrases, so remember that it was published in 1979. There is a whole cast of wacky extras that represent what must have been popular movements around that time. As usual, I find myself reading about the history involved in her books, whether it’s the early people of the Southwestern US as in this story, King Charles II (Green Velvet), or Egyptian rulers (Amelia Peabody), etc. (The narrated version with Grace Conlon is very good.) Enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews