The Night of Four Hundred Rabbits - A Magical Adventure Storybook for Kids | Perfect for Bedtime Reading & Family Storytime

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FCKRII/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_imgElizabeth Peters was still looking for her own voice when she wrote THE NIGHT OF FOUR HUNDRED RABBITS. The title refers to Aztec law: degrees of intoxication were described as numbers of rabbits, and it was illegal for anyone under fifty years old to become four hundred rabbits. The law wasn't a minor one; the penalty was death.In this book, a young woman is lured to Mexico to locate her father, who abruptly left his country, wife, child, and job when she was twelve years old. As a mystery, it works very well; as a romantic suspense, it works reasonably well. It just doesn't have that je ne sais quoi that distinguishes Elizabeth Peters's work from anyone else's.The descriptions of drug use are harrowing, as we watch a decent young man descend into addiction so severe that he will sell out the woman he wanted to marry for one hit of a hallucinogenic, and the same woman's father seems to be involved.Saying any more would create a spoiler, so I will leave it here. This happened to be the first of Barbara Mertz's books that I read, and I was an instant fan. I strongly recommend this story, even if I can't give it five stars.