A Perilous Undertaking

Another good one starring Stoker and Veronica. Their chemistry is evolving. Mystery was nicely crafted. I am going to read this entire series.

I have read historical romances...but among all of them Veronica Speedwell is my favourite because I find a kindred spirit in her...She has a vulnerable side but she tries her best not to show it...She has a queer sense of humour too. I love the mystery... I love the romance but I would be delighted if Raybourn takes their romance to the next level.

Most writers would be thrilled to write a series of the calibre of the Lady Julia mysteries. But Deanna Raybourne has done it twice. Two masterfully drawn heroines, different as could be, yet both so real.Her tortured Hero’s shares some themes in common — their dubious paternity for one, yet hey are not clones on one another. The command of language is manifest and the novel is well edited.The mystery is enthralling,even on a second reading and there is great poignancy as well as intelligence and wit. The connection between Veronica and Stoker is palpable, and the chemistry between them never falters. Those who pad their novels with gratuitous sex scenes could learn much about creating sexual tension with barely even a kiss in two novels.

The Veronica Speedwell books, take on a sharper edge than many of the Victorian mystery type stories, Veronica is definitely not a woman of her times and the author successfully creates the illusion of a modern woman trapped in Victorian England. Her association with Stoker is entertaining and this sometimes takes precedence over the mysteries which are entertaining. For a bit of fun I recommend these books.

super enjoyable

There are quite a lot of good bits in this book but there seemed to be just as many tedious bits.The good bits:There is some very nice verbal sparring between the two main characters which bring the two characters alive.The mystery is decent enough and I didn't guess the killer until late on.I enjoyed the Victorian setting.The bad bits:There are fair too many points in the book where the two main characters do a tedious recap of what they know. It all feels a bit repetitive especially when "something discovered" in the previous chapter gets picked apart at the start of the next chapter. The rehashing rather puts a brake on the story. I must admit to skimming through a few of these sections to get back to the story.I was also surprisingly annoyed by the stuffed camel. The work to repair it was mentioned often during a lot of the book, it was finally pieces and then...nothing. I need to know what happened to it :) Did it get put back together.I am in a quandary about whether to buy the next book in the series. I would of awarded the first book in the series 3 stars if I had reviewed it and bought this on the expectations of things getting better as the author gets into her stride with the characters. Alas I think this book is also 3 stars and has quite a lot of the same issues the first book had. On the other hand I do like the characters and the books setting. I will probably end up buying the next book in a year or so. Given the first two books it is just not a series I want to rush through but will buy when I can't find something else to top up an order.

This second novel in the series is just as good as the first; the blurb describes the story well. I love the pace, humour and warmth of DR's accomplished writing and am completely beguiled by Veronica's world; I like the fact that DR does not shy away from unpleasant aspects of life in these times; I also like that she can write an engrossing erotic scene without resorting to graphic detail or being coy. The cast of recurring characters is building nicely and the gradual revelations of both Veronica's and Stoker's backstories are enticing. There's a decent mystery to be unravelled, a fair bit of natural history to be learned and I love the slow building relationship between Veronica and Stoker with it's intense UST. It's a long wait for the next in the series but if it results in writing of this quality then I'm happy to hang on in there.