A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

April 8, 2024

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her partner and lover Stoker are busy restoring Lord Rosemarran's extensive collection of curiosities, when they receive a delivery of a life-sized waxwork figure known as an Anatomical Venus. They wonder who created the figure and its intended purpose, but the mystery only deepens when they attempt to unlock its secrets.

The ninth adventure in the Veronica Speedwell/Stoker mystery series, filled with questionable science, potential scandal, and eccentricity among the aristocracy. The relationship between Veronica and Stoker deepens. Love the covers. Clever, action-packed and great fun as always. I would advise reading the series in order.

An Anatomical Venus - there were also Anatomical Adonis models

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

March 28, 2023

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell is back for her 8th adventure. Following a misunderstanding regarding her marital status, Veronica and her partner Stoker (nee Revelstoke V. Templeton-Vane) are temporarily estranged. With Stoker's brother Tiberius, Viscount Templeton-Vane, Veronica travels to Bavaria to find Stoker, who is himself in search of a wolpertinger for Lord Rosemarron's collection. At first, Stoker is reluctant to return to England, until Tiberius reveals that he has located a megalosaurus that requires restoration. Oh, and Tiberius has also been receiving death threats.

Fun series. I love me a mystery set at an English country house, so this one was definitely in my wheelhouse. My only problem with book #8 is that Stoker is not in the first half of the book very much, and one of the series major charms is the interplay between Veronica and Stoker. Unfortunately the next installment won't be out for probably about a year. Love the cover art on the Veronica Speedwell series.

Megalosaurus

A wolpertinger, a creature out of German mythology

An Impossible Imposter by Deanna Raybourn

April 25, 2022

An Impossible Imposter by Deanna Raybourn

London 1889 - Recently returned from attending a royal wedding in Europe, Veronica Speedwell and her partner Stoker (aka Revelstoke Templeton-Vane) are summoned by Sir Hugh Montgomerie to investigate a delicate matter. A man named Jonathan, believed to have been killed in the eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883, appears at his family home, claiming amnesia. He has the "dead" man's belongings and matches his general description. The family members are uncertain whether he really is the missing Jonathan. His teenaged sister and elderly grandmother are the only family members who ever met the man in person, and while the grandmother is positive that he's her grandson, the sister is less sure. It's important for them to find out, because the missing man was the heir to the family fortune and the country house where they now all live. 

I love the Veronica Speedwell series, and in this volume, we learn more about Veronica's past beyond her connection to the royal family. But the more we learn about Veronica, the more mysteries there are! Her relationship with Stoker is growing deeper and is one of the best things about the mysteries, considering I'm not much into romance novels. The peripheral characters are all entertaining and well-conceived. Looking forward to the next book.

The volcano on Krakatoa blew up in 1883, so there aren't any photographs from that time - this is Krakatoa today.

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

July 12, 2020

A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn

Veronica Speedwell and her partner Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (i.e., Stoker) are back for their 5th adventure, this time involving Prince Eddy, oldest son of Edward, Prince of Wales.  Eddy has been visiting a house of pleasure run by the mysterious Madame Aurore, and he hasn't been very circumspect about his activities.  He ordered a piece of diamond jewelry for Madame Aurore from his mother's jeweler and billed it to her account, thinking she would never find out (sigh).  Worse yet, Lady Wellie, guardian of royal secrets, has been receiving anonymous notes and newspaper clippings insinuating that Eddy is involved in the Jack the Ripper murders.  Urgently needing a discreet inquiry into both matters, she calls on Veronica and Stoker to investigate and retrieve the jewel before it falls into the wrong hands.  Veronica's mysterious ancestry unexpectedly comes into play as well, and matters between Veronica and Stoker personally continue to heat up.

I really enjoy this series, for the entertaining dialogue and the perils that the characters land in.  I usually don't enjoy mysteries with sleuthing couples since they tend to be simpering and sugary, and the couple are almost never in conflict with each other.  Not so with Veronica and Stoker - their verbal sparring and undeniable chemistry keep things entertaining.  There is enough quirkiness to keep the reader amused - Patricia the Galapagos tortoise is getting married, Lady Rose (Lord Rosmarron's daughter) is scheming to poison her brother (but only a little), and Stoker's brothers make an appearance as well.  I also like how historical characters and events are skillfully woven into the story line.  This series is smart, sexy, and well-plotted, with fast pacing and frequent twists.  The Victorian-style silhouette covers only add to the series' attraction.  The only bad part is that once you finish the book, you want the next adventure, and it's probably going to be about a year before you get it.

If you haven't read any of the titles in this series, I highly recommend starting with the first book, A Curious Beginning, where we first meet Veronica and Stoker.