Review based on a digital ARC provided by Netgalley.

When an expedition returns from Egypt with a huge treasure trove of artifacts, it carries with it an air of superstition and mystery, as people have begun to disappear and die and sightings of Egyptian deities abound. This is all further complicated by the real possibility that Stoker’s connection to one of the members of the expedition party threatens to revive a scandal and ruin his reputation. Veronica Speedwell, intrepid butterfly scientist, part-time sleuth, and close friend to Stoker, will do anything in her power to stop that from happening.

The plot of this third installment in the Veronica Speedwell series is quite fun and a bit more light hearted that the last. We learn more about Stoker’s past, which has been brought up in past books, but without resolution. In this installment, we find a bit of resolution, along with the ability to perhaps move forward.

I love Veronica’s character. She is no nonsense, but with a sense of adventure and fun. She is perfectly candid about her past amorous encounters without going into unnecessary detail, perhaps setting her apart from other women in her time period, but not in a way that makes one doubt her authenticity. Her relationship with Stoker is slowly developing, and her strong feelings of friendship and loyalty are what drive this story – at least the subplot. The main thrust of the story revolves around the circuitous mystery of the Egyptian treasure and the disappearances and deaths that have accompanied its unearthing. The mystery is well developed and the ending not easily surmised. I guessed a few bits, but not how they all fit together until closer to the end.

Overall, this is a welcome addition to the Speedwell series.

While there was ample character development in this story it featured my least favorite mystery. The elements were deliberately silly, because of course Egyptian curses are silly, but that made for a less than intriguing investigation at times. That being said, the sewer chase scene came straight out of the Third Man, which I liked. I was impressed by the way in which the author subtly showed significant changes in Veronica and Stoker. Veronica in particular was at her most vulnerable while still managing to be the more resilient of the two of them. I feel the pacing related to their character development is good - it's deliberate without being slow, and I like how important changes have taken place without much being said about them. I also enjoyed the odd cliffhanger ending a lot, and I think it leaves a lot of room for development for the last two books. Hopefully no more mummies will appear in future.

I have to admit, I'm a fan of just about everything Deanna Raybourn has written. Her characters are bright, strong women who remain true to themselves and to those they respect. This book, a third in the Veronica Speedwell Series, has our female heroine every bit a constant as intelligent and witty and courageous to the end. I had found the first two in the series captivating, and was eagerly awaiting this one. It's a book I deliberately read slowly as I knew it would probably be awhile before the author continues the character's stories. I can't recommend it enough.