A perilous undertaking

a Veronica Speedwell mystery

English language

Published Jan. 5, 2017 by Titan Books.

ISBN:
978-1-78565-051-2
Copied ISBN!
OCLC Number:
965129519

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(8 reviews)

Victorian adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell receives an impossible task--saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution, who stands accused of the brutal murder of his mistress Artemisia. Together with her natural historian colleague Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer--a ruthless villain who not only took Artemisia's life in cold blood but is happy to see Ramsforth hang for the crime.

4 editions

reviewed A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell mystery)

Review of 'A perilous undertaking' on 'Goodreads'

Veronica Speedwell is the victorian english lady of my heart (I was this close of giving it 5 stars)

This was a delight to read ! Veronica Speedwell and her colleague Stoker (there is a great companionship btw the two and also.. a delicious slow burn^^) are asked by a royal princess to solve the murder of an artist, who was a pregnant mistress of a lord..

I forgot how witty and humorous the characters were, let me search for a quote by my dear Veronica..
“We are educated out of common sense, curiosity, and any real merit. We are made to be decorative and worthy of display, with occasional forays into procreation and good works, but nothing more.”

Anyways we have :
- Amazing main characters
- Interesting secondary characters
- A murder mystery
- Victorian London setting
- Tons of humor
- Slow burn

Need I say more …

Review of 'A perilous undertaking' on 'Goodreads'

I'm not a mystery fan, I've come to realize after reading three of Deanna Raybourn's books (one Julia Grey book, two Veronica Speedwell books). I'm sure this is a fun example of the genre but I didn't engage with the book much until after the mystery was resolved, I came into this thinking it was closer to the romance genre but it's not really. The best part for me was the last chapter after the mystery was resolved and the characters were discussing their relationships.

For me, I'd call this 2-stars, I won't be continuing in the series, but that's entirely a reflection on me not gelling with the genre than the book. I hope in the future I'll come to enjoy mystery genre more and will revisit Raybourn's books.

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Subjects

  • Murder
  • Investigation
  • Aristocracy (Social class)
  • History
  • Women private investigators
  • Fiction

Places

  • Great Britain