veronica and stoker are at it again in a treacherous curse. this time stoker's past has them all caught up in a mysterious disappearance, and we finally learn more about stoker's disastrous first marriage and what happened on the fateful expedition that cost him his reputation and marked his body forever.

it's his former best friend who has disappeared. the man who married his ex-wife. and considering the acrimony between them he's been declared scotland yard's most likely suspect. unwilling to have stoker's reptation further blackened or to face the strong likelihood that the royal family will intervene in their partnership, veronica sets herself on the task of figuring out what went wrong with the egyptian expedition that preceded the disappearance.

with her trademark wit and her staunch lack of squeamishness veronica carefully pulls apart all the tangled threads of this web of lies and murder and mystery. but this particular mystery reveals more to veronica about what she might feel for stoker. she understands him even more. she's afraid of what it all means. a feeling that veronica is not at all acquanted with as she has not much use for fear. this world, this relationship, these characters continue to be delightful and entertaining and smart. and i can't help but be excited for the next book in the series.

**a treacherous curse will publish on january 16, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/berkley publishing group in exchange for my honest review.

I received A Treacherous Curse in return for my honest opinion.
Berkley Publishing Group, Berkley
Historical Fiction, Mystery/Thriller

There are three books in the Veronica Speedwell series is amazing. Cute, Funny, Quirky, and Adventurous!!
The third installment A Treacherous Curse brings a whole new peril of challenges for Veronica. In this book she faces rumors of a mummys' curse taking victims from the expedition.
Veronica, is the daughter of the Prince of wells, but stands apart from her royal family, working and taking risks. Much like the amazing, colorful butterflies she has collected.
Veronica will be facing more challenges than that of the curse itself. With sauntering enemies, dangers, and more coming together from Stokers past, Veronica has her hands full.
Are the rumors true? How can they stop the curse? Will they be able to save Stoked from past enemies and mounting danger? You will have to read to find out!! This installment is due to release January 16th, 2018!!

4 stars
A new Victorian mystery from Deanna Raybourn is such a treat! This is the second in the series I have read and I found the interaction between the 2 main characters, Veronica Speedwell and her friend / co-worker Stoker so much fun. If you have read Ms Raybourn’s Lady Julia series, you will thoroughly enjoy this one as well.
The mystery centers around Egyptology and a curse. Unearthing an Egyptian princess’ mummy case has brought on bad luck a death and mysterious disappearance to a recent expedition that returned to London early. Stoker becomes a potential suspect of the disappearing site photographer, John de Morgan who was a former best friend and old colleague of his AND is the man that stole Stoker’s wife away from him. To clear Stoker’s name and get to source of what has been transpiring, Veronica takes on the responsibility of figuring out what happened to John de Morgan.
I thoroughly enjoy Veronica’s strong female character. You might need to suspend belief a little as she is not of the Victorian era in many aspects. But still a delightful story, good mystery and just plain fun!
Thank you NetGalley and publisher, Berkley Publishing Group, for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Deanna Raybourn's accounting of the activities of intrepid Veronica Speedwell and her mysterious friend Stoker are again on display in this, the third book in the series. It's pretty much nonstop from beginning to end, as the duo searches for a missing "enemy" of Stoker's and missing Egyptian jewels. Ms. Raybourn is indeed a master of plotting, and every book displays that.

My quibbles with this particular outing include the heavy-handed constant reference to Veronica's "uniqueness among women" and Stoker's angst. That, and the name dropping that seems to happen on every page -- "it used to belong to Catherine the Great/was at Versailles." I don't know by the third book that I need to be reminded of how different these characters are. Be that as it may, I intend to continue following their adventures, and I appreciated the opportunity via Net Galley to do so.

Veronica Speedwell is back! So is Stoker! This is one of those books I've been anxiously waiting to read. Book 3 in the Veronica Speedwell series, though you don't really need to read the others first I highly recommend it. Not only for some of the background but just because they are great books.

Veronica is a woman ahead of her time, she is not just spunky but fiercely independent, confident, rather stubborn and intelligent. She sometimes speaks her thoughts aloud regardless of the consequences and once she sets her mind to a task good luck getting her to abandon it. She is a perfect match for Stoker, watching these two interact is quite entertaining.

With A Treacherous Curse it's Stoker's past that is forced out in the open when a former best friend disappears. With a cursed Egyptian dig as the backdrop the author presented a unique mystery that had many layers. I will admit that while I found the mystery intriguing it was getting to really know Stoker better that I found most interesting. That being said between the missing artifacts, missing friend and strange sightings Deanna Raybourn has once again written an engaging story complete with its usual twists and turns and an ending that I wasn't really able to figure out myself.

Definitely one of my favorite series and one I highly recommend.

There are many reasons why the Veronica Speedwell series strikes a chord with me. Even though set in Victorian times, a somewhat prudish era where women are still entrapped by societies rules and station, Veronica is a modern woman. She and Stoker are business partners in life as well as in their investigations. She is outspoken and loves to shock Stoker with pithy statements and fantasies about the male form, and has great wit, charm and a dry sense of humor. She is a woman that I really enjoy reading about. As she and Stoker investigate the disappearance of his previous partner and the curse of the Egyptian exhibition that he had been traveling with (that has now come to London), Veronica’s inner lioness comes out as protector to Stoker’s fallen hero. A Treacherous Curse is a very fine tooled mystery but also we are given insight into the feelings Veronica and Stoker have for each other in a couple of very emotionally moving scenes that I honestly didn’t know these two characters had inside them.

A Treacherous Curse, although set in Victorian London, is uniquely flavored with all things Egyptian. When finding a tomb can mean instant fortune, and also fame for those who uncover those treasures. Although a different era, I had visions of Indiana Jones running through my head while getting to know some of these new over the top adventurers, which was tremendous fun. The pace of the story seemed a little quicker than the previous two novels only slowing down to a simmer for the introspective thoughts Veronica had regarding Stoker. This was my favorite novel of the three so far, and I truly liked the other two! A perfect mix of action, adventure and yes, a glimmer of a future romance. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I was given an ARC of this novel through NetGalley for my honest review, and it was honest!

I love the humor in this series, how Veronica goes out of her way to embarrass Revelstoke and in no way backs down or defers to her male counterparts.

Head of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch, Sir Hugo Montgomerie, has called upon Veronica and Stoker to look into the disappearance of John de Morgan. He was last seen leaving a dig in Egypt and now both he and a priceless headpiece are missing and with a supposed curse involving the Princess Ankheset’s tomb, and also the director of the expedition dead, Veronica and her devilish mind must put the pieces together without further involving Stoker’s name or an old scandal.

Turns out that Stoker has a curious tie to de Morgan and his wife, who swears that even the room that she left him in has changed, yet Stoker cannot let himself be distracted during this case. There is too much riding on his reputation and though he is many things, he is not what he was once accused of being, and he desperately needs Veronica to standby his side and help to fight for not only his name, but to find the people behind de Morgan’s disappearance.

With Veronica’s semi-legitimate ties to the British throne, she is both protected and invisible, allowing her to delve into areas that would not be available to Revelstoke alone. Combined, this duo holds each other’s secrets and pieces together a conspiracy that will both enlighten and free Stoker. Many answers are revealed in this third book of the Veronica Speedwell series and it needs to be read slowly and thoroughly to get a deeper understanding of Revelstoke Templeton-Vane and why Veronica would fighter harder for Stoker than she would ever fight for herself.

An emotionally exhausting story and my feelings have been shifting from one emotion to another. My pillow and bed begs for mercy every time I punch my fist and run my nails over them. Definitely my favorite book in the series so far.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

P L O T
Deanna Raybourn has done it again! She has taken my heart and added it to the many displays of the Belvedere in Bishop’s Folly, London.

It took me quite a while to figure out who the culprit was, whether or not a certain person was dead or he simply disappeared. But my dear reader, a certain person has finally showed up and I have been waiting for his/her debut since the very first book! No one knows (except my dog) the noises I make every time something happens in the book. It’s either a moan, a grunt, or colorful curses. I’m sure you understand how it feels like to not be able to physically voice out your feelings because people are asleep. I wish I have a soundproof room.

This could easily be the longest book so far. A lot of back story was written in, conversations that hit home. There was even a time where I felt a bit scared when they talked about the curse.

I knew better to ask him for what he could not give.

C H A R A C T E R S
The characters! Oh gosh I wish I could name them freely but this is a spoiler free review. All I could tell you is there are a lot of key players in this story, so many new names and faces. I’m still unsure if I could trust Mornaday, I can’t fully get a feel of his character.

There are characters I want to hug and comfort, some I want to constantly stab and punch until he’s in the brink of death but let him heal and torture him again. There are also others I want to wrap in a soft fluffy coat and hide them from the rest of the world forever.

I can never forget how much Veronica Speedwell has slayed in this book with simply the use of her words. She is not to be reckoned with because she is no ordinary woman and she is no lady.

“Life is not about achievement. It is about the effort. If one takes pleasure in every step, one enjoys the whole journey.”

W R I T I N G
As always Deanna’s writing is phenomenal. Though it is said or written, where nothing much has happened but the way she uses words to give such powerful emotion and energy to a scene. I have even gathered new quotes for my collection.

Her lips curved, but I would not have called it a smile. No smile was ever so sad.

O V E R A L L
I read this series in the span of three months and now I have caught up which means I will have to wait an entire year for the next installment to arrive. I never thought I’d love this series, I was even hesitant to request it on NetGalley but I have no regrets now. I can’t wait for Stoker and Veronica’s adventure and I am pretty excited and hopeful for their relationship to be taken to the next level.

If I could give it 11 stars out of 5 I would.

Take my word for it, just pick up this book and devour it.

With each new installment in the Veronica Speedwell series, I become increasingly convinced that this is one of the best historical fiction mystery series out there. The characters are utterly charming and the plot is consistently engaging, full of intriguing twists and turns. A Treacherous Curse is easily my favorite book in the series thus far.

When the book opens, Veronica and Stoker have settled into a comfortable routine as they undertake the monumental task of cataloging the Earl of Rosemorran’s artifacts. Then, John de Morgan, Stoker’s ex-best friend and the man who stole his wife, is found murdered. And Stoker is the main suspect in the murder investigation. Before they know it, Veronica and Stoker are embroiled in yet another mystery. From Egyptian curses to mysteriously changing rooms to Stoker’s ex-wife, this case may be their most challenging one yet.

I absolutely loved how much both Veronica and Stoker grew in the installment. In the first two books, they were both beginning to figure out their partnership and what they wanted from life. In A Treacherous Curse, Stoker must face his past and Veronica must decide if she truly wants to create a life in London. I thought that their interactions with each other were the best part of the novel. The secondary characters were just as interesting, they were all well-developed and nuanced. I particularly liked Monsieur d'Orlande, Stoker’s ex-wife, and Lady Tiverton.

The mystery itself was fascinating. I loved the idea of the Egyptian mummy curse, it was so interesting to see how Raybourn developed it. Additionally, although I’m no historian, I thought that the portrayal of the English-Egyptian relationship was well-developed and brought up some important issues related to the removal of artifacts. As far as the mystery went, the pacing was perfect and I was constantly changing my guess as to the perpetrator’s identity. I even occassionally laughed out loud, particularly in the scenes with Stoker’s ex-wife.

A Treacherous Curse was an excellent addition to what was already a wonderful series. I’m going to be anxiously awaiting the next installment, I can’t wait to find out what’s next for Veronica and Stoker (particularly after that ending!!). I would recommend this series to fans of mysteries who enjoy strong female protagonists.

Deanna Raybourn is one of my favorite authors. Her female characters are delightfully unconventional, the mystery always pulls me in, and the witty dialogue keeps me turning the pages. I did not think I would like a series more than her Julia Grey books but I love the Veronica Speedwell books just a touch more. I always recommend these to patrons looking for fun historical mysteries that are quick reads. Can't wait til the next installment.

Veronica Speedwell and her partner Stoker are in the midst of cataloging the collection of the Earl of Rosemorran when they are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch. In A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn, The Riverton Expedition in Egypt has discovered a treasure trove of artifacts.. nut the expedition has returned to England early as they have been struck by several unusual events. Rumors of a curse abound. A missing photographer, a dead expedition leader and a stolen diadem lead Veronica and Stoker on a
search to find the real reason behind the curse rumors.

A Treacherous Curse is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell Mystery series.

I enjoy well written historical mysteries and the Veronica Speedwell series is one of my favorite series. They provide the reader with well-plotted and wonderfully told stories. Additionally, what I really love about this series are the characters Veronica Speedwell and Stoker. Both characters seem to love to deride each other and I quite often find myself chuckling at the banter between the two. But all in all, they truly have high respect for each other, I feel. Stoker has not shared a lot of his past, but with this book, we learn more of his past that has caused him to be the person he is today.

Sir Hugo, head of Special Branch at Scotland Yard, has asked for a meeting with Veronica and Stoker as a suspicious event at an archaeological dig in Egypt has come to the attention of Sir Hugo and it will have a direct impact of Stoker and he hopes to avoid any bad publicity for Stoker. It has been learned that a tiara reportedly belonging to a princess has been reportedly stolen by the photographer, John de Morgan, from Sir Leicester dig. In addition, it is reported that dig has had a curse put on it. It has been reported that the God of the Underworld, Anubis, has been seen at the dig. It’s thought that de Morgan and have headed for England, but the day after arriving in England Caroline, de Morgan’s wife, reports her husband missing.

Stoker had been married to Caroline and they had gone through a messy divorce and de Morgan had been his best friend, at the time. Sir Hugo was hoping that Veronica and Stoker would be able to find de Morgan and the tiara before the press would catch wind of Stoker’s connection and smear his name. But that was not to be as, J. J. Butterworth, a reporter with The Daily Harbinger, caught wind of this development and was taunting Stoker daily.

Another excellently told and very interesting look at Victorian England. The book left me guessing until the end.

I will be definitely be watching for the next exciting adventure with Veronica and Stoker.

Veronica Speedwell is at it again in this fantastic installment. We finally uncover more of Stokers past and every twist and turn kept me engaged.

Thanks Berkley Publishing Group and netgalley for this ARC.

Deanna Raybourn is a master storyteller. Every book so far has built up the action, intensity, and bond between Veronica and Stoker. Can't wait for the next explosive mystery.

I really enjoy this series by Deanna Raybourn. It is similar to but different from Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily series and Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation series. This book in particular was fun to read with funny moments and a good mystery. It's not something that you take too seriously. I love reading novels like this in between more serious books as it offers a nice, light diversion. Raybourn has a knack for using large vocabulary words perfectly and I admit to looking some of them up. I love that. It's a great challenge and shows her intelligence.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

This book is fabulous. I love the mysteries of the Egyptian antiquities and the disappearance of John De Morgan, whom we learn was Stoker's partner on his ill-fated Brazil expedition. If you haven't read anything in this series, I do recommend starting with the first book (this is the third), A Curious Beginning. You don't want to miss out on anything from Veronica Speedwell.

A man has gone missing and it's connected with a missing diadem - or is it? What accounts for all the bad luck from the expedition? Tiverton and his excavation crew came across a valuable find - a princesses tomb - but the site manager died and they had trouble keeping workers. Trouble has followed them to England. Veronica and Stoker are trying to figure out what happened to the diadem and if the exhibition's troubles are man made or a sign of something else.

Raybourn's writing just gets better every time. As the mystery unfolds and we meet more interesting characters, I had many theories about who was involved and what was happening behind the scenes. I liked the balance between their detective work and their everyday work - Veronica and Stoker are working with an Earl's collection to convert it into a museum collection. The day to day aspects of their work are just as interesting to me; learning about butterflies and other animals in a time when they were being discovered, and how they were captured and preserve. A research trip has been put on hold because the previously mentioned earl tripped over a Galapagos turtle that's lumbering about the estate and has to heal from broken bones first, so the setting is London in winter, providing a contrast to the stories coming out of Egypt and the artifacts at the same time.

For those of you who have been reading the series, you will learn more about Caroline and what happened. Finally!

Excellent pacing, character development, and an intriguing mystery, A Treacherous Curse is one to add to any mystery lover's TBR pile.

The cover on this book is gorgeous. It read a bit slowly for me, but I ended up enjoying it overall.

I have loved the first two books in this series and this one is just as fun, though I do think the author likes to torture us with Veronica and Stoker's almost romance but not quite, yet. I am holding out hope they are one couple I really want to see together as they have such great chemistry! 

In the previous two books we have gotten a little bit about Caroline and her relationship with Stoker. We know she broke his heart and he doesn't talk about it. In this book we finally get to know exactly what happened and why Stoker acts the way he does when it comes to relationships. 

The Tiverton's were on an expedition in Egypt and made a great fine, but then everyone thinks it was cursed as one man dies and then their photographer disappears. Veronica has enjoyed reading about in the paper then they get summoned to Sir Hugo who is under the weather. He just wants to warn them that things could get bad for Stoker. The photographer who went missing is the man who married Caroline, and Stoker and him have a past. 

So Veronica and Stoker set out to figure out what happened so they can prove that Stoker didn't have anything to do with it, alone the way they have to talk to Caroline. Oh my, is she deplorable!!! I don't think I have hated a character so much in a long time! I felt so bad for Stoker! 

As in any mystery involving Veronica and Stoker there are several misadventures as they almost get killed a few times and love to torment each other with their fun and witty banter which is my favorite part. I love how Veronica loves to embarrass Stoker with her talking about things he doesn't think a lady should talk about.

If you love the first two then you are going to really enjoy this one and if you haven't tried this series yet then what are you waiting for! I so can't wait for the next one, the only bad reason about reading these series when it comes out as that is a mighty long wait! *sigh*

4.5

Veronica Speedwell and her stalwart companion Stoker find themselves drawn into the disappearance of a man associated with a cursed Egyptian excavation. Before he disappeared, however, he made off with a priceless artifact. This is not the first mysterious happening on the excavation but it is one that directly effects Stoker as the missing man is his former expedition partner whom after leaving Stoker for dead married Stoker's now ex-wife. If news of Stoker's past association, and bad blood, with the missing man gets out, he could be labeled as a suspect. Since there's nothing Veronica won't do to protect Stoker, they jump into the investigation with gusto.

When I first started this book I couldn't help but feel a ping of the great Ameila Peabody series with Veronica's no-nonsense attitude and the whole Egypt thing of course. And then there's Stoker so like Emerson....

I immediately got a smile on my face and was ready for our duo to embark on a voyage to Egypt. However, that is not exactly how things transpire, because of course Veronica will be her own person, as it were, and we wouldn't want her any other way.

In A Perilous Undertaking, readers were given a little insight into Stoker's past and background. I was really excited as events unfolded while reading A Treacherous Curse that we retain a lot of that focus on Stoker's past, here especially regarding his previous marriage. There's a lot of emotional struggle for Stoker in this one seeing as how his past is pretty much unavoidably thrown in his face. It's a good thing Veronica was there to knock some sense into him. And I must say I loved how downright fierce Veronica becomes in defense of her friend (from himself as well as those who would cast shade upon him), it's truly a wonder to behold.

The friendship (and dare I say blossoming romance) between Veronica and Stoker is further explored much to my delight. I think that Deanna Raybourn has now written my all-time favorite slow burn romance. You can clearly see that both Veronica and Stoker care for one another beyond a simple friendship or work-colleague relationship, but it's the fact that their friendship has been built up so well that makes anything that comes after between them seem like the cherry on top of the cake. There are some truly lovely and poignant moments between Veronica and Stoker in this installment, many that I highlighted or re-read just because they were such sweet and beautiful moments. It's not all just sweetness, however, as they both show they can push each other's buttons, but what better way to illustrate how well two people know each other than by showcasing all the ways, good and bad, in which they use this knowledge.

As a consequence of the strengthening of the bonds between Stoker and Veronica, I almost think that the mystery plot suffered. I didn't get caught up in it as much as I did the previous books. And I felt like, at the end when all was revealed, I wasn't particularly surprised. Honestly, though, I was ok with all of this because I felt like it was more about moving Veronica and Stoker forward, and what better way to do that than incorporate it with solving a mystery along the way?

This series is one that I continually look forward to, and with so much said throughout the story, there's still things left unsaid. I cannot wait for Veronica and Stoker's next adventure. If you haven't picked up this series yet, I highly recommend that you do, and definitely start from the beginning. The character developments over the course of these three books so far is not one to be missed.

In this installment Stoker's past may ruin everything that he has worked so hard to rebuild. His ex-wife's husband an former best friend John is missing and he may be suspect. Veronica knows he had nothing to do with it and wants to quickly prove it. Not only is a man missing, but a priceless artifact from an Egyptian dig has been stolen The dig has had all sorts of bad luck that adds to the mystery. They work together so well reading the clues and the people involved. Loved the character development of Stoker and Veronica. Fast-paced, plenty of action in this unputdownable third book. Can't wait for the next one.