Naked Once More

Written by Elizabeth Peters

Narrated by Grace Conlin

She may be a best-selling author, but ex-librarian Jacqueline Kirby’s views on the publishing biz aren’t fit to print. In fact, she’s thinking of trading celebrity for serenity and a house far away from fiendish editors and demented fans, when her agent whispers the only words that could ever make her stay: Naked in the Ice.Seven years ago, this blockbuster skyrocketed Kathleen Darcy to instant fame. Now, the author’s heirs are looking for a writer to pen the sequel. It’s an opportunity no novelist in her right mind would pass up, and there’s no doubting Jacqueline’s sanity…until she starts digging through the missing woman’s papers—and her past. Until she gets mixed up with Kathleen’s enigmatic lover. Until a series of nasty accidents convince her much too late that someone wants to bring Jacqueline’s story—and her life—to a premature end.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackstone Audio
• Release date: Jul 23, 2008
• ISBN: 9780786108091

Elizabeth Peters

Elizabeth Peters earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago’s famed Oriental Institute. During her fifty-year career, she wrote more than seventy novels and three nonfiction books on Egypt. She received numerous writing awards and, in 2012, was given the first Amelia Peabody Award, created in her honor. She died in 2013, leaving a partially completed manuscript of The Painted Queen.

Reviews for Naked Once More

[turtlesleap · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Moderately entertaining mystery involving the disappearance of a well-known author and the questions surrounding her presumed death.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jacqueline's transformation from straight-laced librarian to flamboyant writer is complete in this last book in the series. The mystery was suitably complex, though like all the mysteries in this series, the reader doesn't get all the clues until the requisite 'winding up' scene where Jacqueline lays out all the pieces. Overall, the series is entertaining but not the best example of Ms. Peter's writing.

[victorianrose869 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

9-30-2008Writer Kathleen Darcy mysteriously disappeared seven years ago after publishing a hugely successful historical novel ‘Naked in the Ice’, it was determined that suicide was the likely outcome although her body was never found. Now that she has been declared legally dead, her heirs, agent and publisher are launching a search for someone to write the much-anticipated sequel. Author Jacqueline Kirby, the series protagonist Peters first introduced to us in The Seventh Sinner, easily lands the job. Jacqueline, sardonic and bitingly charming as ever (think of an alligator in a pink dress, maybe) temporarily relocates to Kathleen’s rural digs – the center of her writing life as well as the site of her disappearance – and finds a lot more than she bargained for after moving into Kathleen’s cozy cottage. Not only do Kathleen’s mooching siblings and half-crazy mother (who all live in a grand estate paid for by Kathleen’s earnings) present an unexpected obstacle, but local characters in town seem to have a vested interest in how the final chapter of Kathleen’s life plays out. Right from the beginning Jacqueline finds herself drawn deeply into the real-life mystery of Kathleen Darcy herself and what really happened to her - which, oddly enough, no one else seems to be all that interested in.I’ve read this a couple of times over the years, so I listened to it on audiobook through my account with audible.com. Most of Peters/Michaels’ books are narrated by one particular actress, Barbara Rosenblatt, who seems to embody the voices so well that I’ve come to think of her as Peters/Michaels herself! Peters only wrote five Kirby books, which is unfortunate because they’re among her best. It seems very obvious to me that the character of Jacqueline Kirby is primarily a self-portrait of Peters/Michaels/Mertz (she even refers to herself at one point, when going through a mental list of authors who were cat fanciers: ‘Mark Twain, Louisa May Alcott, Barbara Michaels…’, which made me smile. Her intelligent humor and excellently fleshed-out characters make these books genuine pleasures to read over and over again.

[marnattij · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jacqueline Kirby returns to solve another mystery. Slated to write the sequel to a hit romance novel whose author died under mysterious circumstances, Kirby finds herself embroiled in the mystery and with her own life in jeopardy.

[newsieq · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my all-time favorites.

[jean_sexton-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am so sad that there are no more Jacqueline Kirby books since they always made me laugh with their wit. That said, this was a good end to the series. It was a challenging mystery; I was surprised at the ending. I laughed at some of Jacqueline's observations. It also skewered the publishing industry, not so gently. If you've enjoyed other books in the series, you'll like this one. If you like well-written mysteries with clever humor, read the series.

[druidgirl_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jacqueline Kirby is a writer who is chosen to write a sequel to a book by Kathleen Darcy who disappeared seven years earlier. But as she was researching and interviewing Kathleen's family and friends she got it into her head that Kathleen was not really dead,so Jacqueline begins then turns into a sleuth rather than an author. As she investigates the same accidents that happened to Kathleen begin to happen to her. Jacqueline is a likable ,little eccentric and slightly rude but persistent. If you want to know more please read this wonderfully written book with great characters and a fine storyline.Thanks again to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing.

[aharey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The final Jacqueline Kirby novel, this book finds Jacqueline as the chosen novelist to write the sequel to another novelist's famous novel. Kathleen Darcy disappeared seven years ago and was presumed dead. Jacqueline discovers that Kathleen was most likely murdered. Instead of writing the novel, she sets out to find the killer.This is perhaps my favorite of the Jacqueline novels. I highly recommend it!