A Treacherous Curse was another fun romp of a historical mystery featuring Veronica Speedwell and her male counterpart, Stoker. This one had an engaging mystery that involves and sheds some light on the mysterious Stoker.

What I liked best about the book was Veronica and her gumption. She is a spirited, gutsy heroine, and is one who is ahead of her time.

The main characters, Veronica and Stoker, were, as in the previous books of the series, delightful, and the storyline was one that caught and held my attention. I really liked the backdrop with the archaeology and the Egyptian curse.

I am looking forward to more adventures for these two! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Fun, quirky and just shy of “evah-so-propah,” A TREACHEROUS CURSE by Deanna Raybourn is Victorian mystery and adventure at its most entertaining. An ancient mummy’s curse seems to be claiming the members of an Egyptian expedition and the plucky Veronica Speedwell is on the case. A man from Stoker’s past has gone missing, as has a priceless artifact from the tomb of an Egyptian princess. Is this part of the curse? Is Anubis actually walking the streets of London on a mission of revenge?

Veronica is one of those heroines you can’t help but adore, brilliant, witty, and more like a tiger lily with claws than a shrinking violet. Who wouldn’t like a woman strong enough to go with her instincts and blaze her own trail, rather than follow the crowd?

A TREACHEROUS CURSE is a fast and a refreshing escape into another time following a heroine who is always full of surprises as she gleans the facts from the chaff of fantasy to get to the truth.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley.

Series: Veronica Speedwell - Book 3
Publisher: Berkley (January 16, 2018)
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Genre: Victorian Suspense
Print Length: 320 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Another thoroughly enjoyable Veronica Speedwell mystery - I love this series and hope there are many, many, many more adventures ahead for Veronica and Stoker.

I love Deanna Raybourn, and I've been enjoying Veronica Speedwell, but the series is declining for me. I was pretty excited that their latest investigation would be revolve around Egyptology, so that made this book especially disappointing. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the problem was. Maybe it was me. The dialogue didn't get me, the mystery didn't catch my attention (even with some interesting details, like the Dover hotel room changing overnight), they don't go to Egypt and the Egyptian elements that are there seem irrelevant to the plot... I don't know, I feel like it just has to be my mood this week because I know that Deanna rocks, and I'll be reading A Dangerous Collaboration as soon as it comes out!

“I assure you, I am perfectly capable of identifying a phallus when I see one,” Stoke informed me, clipping the words sharply. “And that is no such thing.” (quote from text)

A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell #3) by Deanna Raybourn. I am going to preface my review with a a personal note. This was the first eARC I have received that caused jubilation. I requested this book from NetGalley never expecting to get it. When that accepted e-mail hit my inbox I legitimately danced for joy. I absolutely adored the first two books in this series, A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking, and to get my hands on this one early was wonderful.


~~London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.

But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything. . . . (from Goodreads)~~

This is going to be an very unorthodox review. Why? Because I am going to babble incoherently in admiration about everything in this book. It includes Ancient Egyptian mythology and history which is one of my favorite topics. Not favorite topic in history, not favorite topic in literature, just favorite topic. Period.

So, we have a historical mystery with a strong female lead and it includes my passion for ancient history. I’m not sure this book could be any perfect for me. Okay, fangirl moment over. Maybe. We’ll play it by ear.

Characters

A Treacherous Curse, the third book in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, once more features Speedwell herself along with her friend and partner, Stoker. Speedwell has not changed a bit and is still an intelligent, opinionated, driven, independent woman. Despite the fact that this series takes place in a time when women were still considered the lesser of the species, Speedwell absolutely shines and does not take crap from anyone. She is bold and fierce and I absolutely admire the character.

Stoker is still every bit the roguish gentleman. I always enjoy seeing how his roguish, rough personality competes with the cultured and refined gentleman he was raised as. He can be absolutely brutish at times while still being a nobleman. Of all the characters I think that he has the most depth. Stoker has killed both animal and man but he can still be hurt and brought to his knees by the emotional and mental anguish caused by his ex-wife.

Plot

As much as I love this book I will admit that it felt like it took a bit to get rolling. We quickly learn that Stoker’s ex-wife’s new husband has gone missing along with a priceless diadem from their archaeological dig in Egypt. It is assumed by the initial investigation that the man left his wife and took the diadem for money, fleeing the country. Another theory plants Stoker as an evil-doer who murders the man for taking his wife. In an effort to salvage what is left of Stoker’s reputation, he and Speedwell endeavor to find the man and the missing diadem.

Along the way, the pair encounter Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, who appears to be haunting the streets of London as well as a sinister plot rooted within the archaeological expedition itself.

While the investigation certainly got complicated by the end, none of it felt unbelievable. Anyone who enjoys mysteries has encountered one where the plot gets so convoluted that it becomes unbelievable. This one, while certainly having many twists and turns, never crosses that threshold. Every discovery and deviation has a purpose that, while not always making sense at the time, is tidily tied up in a bow without loose ends at the conclusion. That is something I love about the Speedwell mysteries, there is no stone left unturned but every stone has a purpose.

Overall Thoughts

I mentioned already how much I loved this book. Deanna Raybourn has yet to write a dud, the woman is magic. This story did feel like it took a bit to get rolling but once it did I could not put it down. It absolutely grabbed me and sucked me in, I had to find out who did it and why!

The humor in this book also gets to me. If you glanced at the quote at the beginning of this post, you can see Stoker and Speedwell are bantering about a phallus. In this case they are arguing over an artifact that Veronica has unearthed from a shipping crate. In my opinion, it takes great talent and humor to make your opening scene an argument over ritualized fertility art without it becoming lewd. Instead, it is witty and gives you great insight into your characters within just a few lines. This discussion over erotic art lets you know quickly that Veronica Speedwell is not the typical lady of the Victorian period and that she has intelligent opinions and is not afraid to voice them.

I would highly recommend reading this book and the entire series, it is a historical mystery at its finest. Well written, witty dialogue, intelligent characters, depth of plot, it has everything. If you enjoy the genre and haven’t given Raybourn’s books a shot, you should!

I really love this series. It might be my second favorite of all time (the top spot goes to the Parasol Protectorate series (also at the time of posting this the entire series in Kindle format is $16.99- a STEAL), of course). This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and I seem to love each book more and more. I laughed all through this book and kept a running list of new sophisticated Victorian words to learn.

As you might suspect from the series title, these are mystery books. More specifically- murder mysteries. Or missing persons. Either way, they're great! Veronica is a Lepidopterist (butterfly scientist) and likes to travel and wear pants. Her counterpart, Stoker, is a curmudgeony fellow and they work together cataloguing the collection of butterflies/taxidermy/art/etc of a gentleman with a title. In this book, Veronica and Stoker investigate the disappearance of his ex-wife's husband, which may be linked to an Egyptian curse. We learn more about his back story in regards to that and we just might find out more about the future of Veronica and Stoker. The last two words of the book absolutely killed me (disclaimer: I read an ARC and the ending could be different in the final version).

Here's my review for the first and second books in this series. A Treacherous Curse will be out on January 16, 2018. I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just delightful to read. The chemistry between Veronica and Stoker is fun but still believable, and the characters surrounding them are fantastic. We do get to see some of the minor characters fleshed out a bit, and I appreciate that. They add a whole new level to this series, and I love how some of them are developing.
The plot of this one really enchanted me, and I love that we got to dive a little deeper into Stoker's side of the story. The Egyptian history and lore that mixed into this book was fun to read, and it wasn't difficult to understand. This series to this point has been a nice, cozy series for me to read, and I enjoyed every second! Can't wait until the next one!

This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries by Deanna Raybourn, due out January 16th, 2018 from Penguin/Random House - Berkley imprint.

This is a Victorian cozy mystery with modern characters, language and, mostly, sensibilities. It goes quite well on a shelf with Amelia Peabody, Kathryn Ardleigh, Charlotte Pitt, and others in that vein. I love that genre (Victorian cozy mysteries with plucky modern heroines?). I don't think many would argue that a big pot of Earl Grey tea, a wet and wintry afternoon and a fully charged kindle loaded with modern Victorian mysteries is a guaranteed recipe for bliss.

Other reviewers have done a stellar job of summarizing the plot. I'll just add that the pacing is well done and though the book is relatively long, at 352 pages, it doesn't drag. The story is cleverly written and even though the dialogue is fairly snarky in places, I didn't feel tempted to roll my eyes much at all.

I like that Veronica is a lepidopterist and naturalist. I also enjoyed the romantic tension between her and her colleague Stoker. Even though it seems inevitable that they will wind up together, I hope Ms. Raybourn delays the inevitable as long as possible. The book is well written and the scene descriptions are wrought with care and technical expertise.

The cover art for this series is beautiful and intricate.

Four stars

Deanna Raybourn continues her series of late-Victorian historical mysteries featuring the intrepid lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell and her piratically handsome, enigmatic associate, Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (Stoker)  in A Treacherous Curse.  The big draw of this third instalment was the prospect of at last getting to know more about Stoker’s chequered – and sometimes heartbreaking - past and what exactly happened to turn him into a social pariah with the blackest of reputations.  We’re also treated to a mystery concerning  a missing Egyptian artefact and an ancient curse - and the two storylines are inextricably linked by virtue of the fact that one of the parties involved is none other than Stoker’s ex-wife, Caroline. 

A Treacherous Curse can easily be read as a standalone, but readers will gain a far greater understanding of the still-evolving, complex relationship between Veronica and Stoker by reading the novels in order.  I’ll also say now that there are likely to be spoilers in this review for the earlier books, so proceed with caution if you have yet to read them. 

If you have read the previous books, then you’ll know that Veronica and Stoker have been employed by the Earl of Rosemorran to catalogue his family’s vast collection of art, artefacts, natural history specimens and mementoes with a view to eventually curating a museum, and that they both work and live on site at the Belvedere, a ‘singularly extraordinary structure’  in the grounds of Rosemorran’s Marylebone estate.  Although they have separate apartments, their living arrangements are regarded as being somewhat unorthodox, but then they’re unorthodox individuals, both fiercely independent free-thinkers, estranged from their families and not really caring about the strictures of society.  These commonalities are just two of the things that bind this unusual pair; from almost the beginning of their association, each recognised in the other a kindred spirit, and Ms. Raybourn has done a splendid job of developing their friendship and strengthening their unique bond, a bond that relies on an almost soul-deep connection and a love for each other that goes far beyond the romantic and sexual attraction that continues to crackle between them. 

“Whatever this thing is that makes us different, this thing that makes quicksilver of us when the rest of the world is mud, it binds us.  To break that would be to fly in the face of nature.”

(Stoker in A Perilous Undertaking). 
Veronica and Stoker are surprised when they are approached by Sir Hugo Montgomerie of Special Branch and asked to look into the disappearance of John de Morgan, the man who had once been Stoker’s closest friend.  De Morgan was engaged as photographer for Sir Leicester Tiverton ‘s most recent expedition to Egypt, but departed unexpectedly and was accompanied back to England by his wife - whose very public divorce from Stoker some years earlier saw Stoker disgraced and vilified.   

Sir Hugo explains that the de Morgans stopped for the night in Dover, and in the morning, John de Morgan was discovered to have vanished, along with a priceless diadem from the tomb of Princess Ankheset.  Making things even more intriguing is the fact that not only have man and artefact gone missing, but so has John de Morgan’s hotel room!  Caroline de Morgan states that her husband’s room was blue with rose-print wallpaper – yet no such room exists, and according to the hotel proprietor, Mrs. de Morgan was travelling alone.  Add to this the rumours of a curse affecting members of the dig and the sightings of the figure of Anubis (the Egyptian god of the dead) striding through the streets of London and the stage is set for an entertaining mystery in which our heroes must dispel a curse, fight for their lives, battle vicious rumour and find a murderer. 

With that said, however, the mystery feels a little less intricately plotted than those in the other books, and it does take a bit of a back seat to the unravelling of Stoker’s backstory - although I’m not going to complain about it, given I’ve been very eagerly awaiting that very thing.   

Veronica and Stoker know it’s only a matter of time before the press gets hold of the story, and that once they do, they’re going to “hunt you [Stoker] like a pack of feral dogs” and take great delight in dredging up all the old scandal that painted him as the worst sort of villain, a man whose wife was so terrified of his violent nature that she took advantage of the offer of escape made her by his friend,  filed for divorce and then married said friend.  We already know Stoker was wronged, and now, Ms. Raybourn fills in the gaps and reveals the whole truth behind his ill-fated marriage and how his career as one of the foremost explorers and natural scientists of the age came to an ignominious end.  I love the way she reveals Stoker to be a man of sensitivity and vulnerability while at the same time showing him to be possessed of an incredible determination and inner-strength: 

“I have watched you claw your way back to life in the past months, taking an interest in your work, in your future.  You have been the agent of y our own resurrection, and you do not even see it… You are a savage miracle, Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, knit together by the hands of Nature herself.” 

The way Veronica so passionately champions Stoker is one of the things I really enjoyed about her in this book.  She’s opinionated, independent, flawed and unconventional (and thankfully, Ms. Raybourn has toned down those ‘look at me, I’m unconventional!’ aspects of Veronica’s character that grated in the last book), but she will fight to the death for what she believes in – and she believes in Stoker.  That’s not so say that things are all one-sided; far from it, as we already know that Stoker would do the same for Veronica (and did, when he took a bullet for her at the end of A Perilous Undertaking).  That unquestioning loyalty is one of the things that makes their friendship so special, but I will admit that I’ve become a little impatient at its lack of development in this novel. On the one hand, the author has done a terrific job of building and showing her readers a strong, deeply affectionate and trusting relationship between two extraordinary people; a pair of social misfits who have been lucky enough to find the one person in the world who truly understands them and sees them for who and what they are.  And that’s wonderful.  BUT…  given the off-the-charts sexual tension that has existed  between the couple from the get-go,  I’ve been expecting their relationship to turn romantic, and so far, it hasn’t.  It’s fairly clear that this is partly because both Stoker and Veronica value what they have so greatly that they are wary of changing it, but this book (like the others) is littered with references to the fact that Veronica has the serious hots for Stoker – she’s forever ogling his gorgeously muscled body and pointing out that he has no idea what a babe magnet he is… and after three books, it’s become just a bit tedious and more than a bit frustrating.  With the truth of Stoker’s past now out in the open, I’d expected a little movement on the romantic side of their relationship and although it seems that both of them are, at different points, on the verge of an important revelation, it wasn’t enough to satisfy my shippy little heart. 

YMMV, of course; the mystery is fun, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the secondary characters – of whom my favourite is undoubtedly Lady Wellie, the doyenne of society who knows everyone and everything there is to know – are expertly crafted.  A Treacherous Curse earns a strong recommendation in spite of my quibbles, and I’ve got my fingers crossed for a bit more romance in the next instalment. 

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell series. Naturally there will be spoilers for the first two books in the review below. Don’t forget to check out my reviews of A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking.

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After the adventures of the past two books, Veronica and Stoker have eased in to a unique sort of friendship. Kept busy cataloguing the vast (and strange) collections of the Earl of Rosemorran, who hopes to turn his family’s collection of oddities into a museum. When a cursed Egyptian expedition, complete with mysterious deaths and disappearances, makes the tabloids, irrepressible Veronica can’t resist getting involved, especially once it becomes clear that Stoker has a dark past with one of the curse’s victims. With scandal threatening to undo her friend, Veronica wades into the breach, determined to prove Stoker’s innocence.

Deana Rayboun continues her comedic-romantic-Victorian-mystery series in fine form. She provides plenty of ribald humor, sexual tension, and a juicy mystery. By this point in the series, we are well beyond the awkward introduction portion, and can simply sit back and enjoy watching the characters bounce off one another. In A Treacherous Curse, we get to see the relationship between Veronica and Stoker deepen and mature (possibly the wrong word choice here) as Stoker’s past comes back to threaten him in the present. Though I’ll confess that it took me a bit to warm up to her, Raybourn has quite a fun, strong character in Veronica Speedwell. Here is a woman who knows what she wants and society be damned.

Fans of the first two books will enjoy this continuation of the series. Anyone looking for an atypical Victorian mystery series should add this to their TBR.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"I have seen evil, and it wears a smiling face."

This book was so much fun! Veronica Speedwell is a brilliant female protagonist: she’s stubborn, confident, indipendent and unapologetic and i loved her. She loves the challenge and she believes in herself, there’s no mystery she can’t solve.
the story is fun and engaging and the mystery is great. The relationship between Veronica and her partner Stoker is hilarious and if you’re looking for a good adventure, full of witty remarks, sassines, near to death experiences, Egypt mystery and with a victorian London background… don’t waste time!

Bam! Every now and then you find a book that is super, and this is one of those books. I hadn't read this author before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was tight enough to not have me lost even though I hadn't read the prior books. Victoria era is often one of my favorites and this one rocked it.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

It look a little bit of time for me to get into this series but, now that I have, I really look forward to each installment. A Treacherous Curse is the third in the series, and I enjoyed it very much. There was a lot of great character development, and I feel like the series is moving forward and not just teasing the inter-character relationships.

I look forward to the next volume.

This is the second book in this series I have read and I feel the same about it as I do the previous book. I really needed more character development. This mystery that our two amateur detectives are forced to solve involves some heavy emotional baggage. My problem was that Stoker was supposed to be feeling all of these intense feelings, but they never really came through. I felt as though Speedwell was telling us how Stoker was dealing with all of his issues, instead of the author showing us what Stoker was going through.
The mystery was okay. I found myself not really caring either way by the end of the book.
More organic character development would really help this series quite a bit.
I was not very impressed and would not recommend this book. I will not be reading another in the series.

Thanks to the publisher for access to this title in return for a fair review.

Veronica and Stoker once again find themselves mixed up with a mystery, and they must work hard to solve the case before Stoker's reputation gets any more damage. This case involves Egypt, and more specifically, mummies, along with Stoker's ex-wife.

This is such a fun series! I love the little snide comments from the characters, and there is the perfect tension between the characters to create their relationship. It just keeps getting better!

One other plus to this series is the covers. The similarities that tie them together as a series are wonderful, while still keeping each book separate to the plot.

I loved this book! I can't wait to order it for my store. Thank you for letting me read it.

Treacherous Curse is the case of an Egyptian Curse involving, of Course, Stoker and Veronica. This Book once again takes place in Victorian London with the occasional guest appearance of the Royal Family. This book gives us more knowledge on Stoker life, his ex-wife, and what happen that cause his salacious past to come into play. We find out how Stoker former expedition partner disappears and why his disappearance plays a part into the Egyptian Curse as well. We also begin to see fondness or romance of some sort develop between Veronica and Stoker. We learned how imaginative the Victorians were around Egyptian Curses. We basically gain a new awesome Sherlock inspire mystery once again from Stoker and Veronica. If you wish to know my final thoughts follow this link: http://melimimi.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-treacherous-curse.html

When I requested and received this book from NetGalley, I didn’t realize it was the third in a series. However, the first book was on sale on Amazon Kindle, so I first read A Curious Beginning, which is followed by A Perilous Undertaking. Both were an absolute joy to read.

A Treacherous Curse continues the fun! Veronica Speedwell and her partner/colleague, natural historian Stoker are drawn into a mystery when John de Morgan, a long-time friend of Stoker’s, goes missing… And the finger of blame is pointed at Stoker. De Morgan had just returned from Egypt where he had been part of an expedition that discovered a lost princess’ tomb… and her curse.

Veronica Speedwell is an independent woman who does as she pleases in a world where women are expected to be docile and submissive. She forms many female friendships with other women who are also intelligent, independent, and carving a place for themselves in this world.

The relationship between Veronica and Stoker is Mmmm ^_^. They’re friends and colleagues, not lovers, but there is an underlying sexual tension throughout all the books that promises that this low burning bed of embers will one day burst into a roaring bonfire. And I definitely look forward to that. But I love how their relationship and loyalty to each other is not based on their romantic or sexual or physical ties, but rather a coming together of two minds and personalities that are perfectly suited to one another. Both are hot-headed and with the need to be right, but both always stand up for the other. It’s very refreshing to read.

The plot and mystery itself are good, well laid out, and the pacing keeps us moving at a healthy jog. There's plenty of action, but also some slower scenes that really develop the characters. I tore through the book in a couple of days and enjoyed the ride. Raybourn’s prose is fantastic, and some of Veronica’s observations and thoughts had me laughing out loud. I highlighted a number of good quotes.

I did tire a little of the “you’re not like other women, and that’s a good thing” attitude, and the way Veronica looks down on feminine things/other women, dismissing them. While that is a character flaw, and Veronica explains in the book why this is her attitude, I also feel it’s a way for the author to establish how “badass” the character is. I’d rather the value of feminine things be acknowledged, but say they just aren’t for her, instead of looking down on other women.

All in all, a wonderful new series that I will definitely continue reading! If you’re a fan of the Amelia Peabody books, you’ll definitely enjoy this new series.

"Because there is no power on earth that could make me abandon our friendship. There is no deed you could confess so dark that it would make me forsake you."

This book is well-paced, well-written and highly engaging. It keeps you guessing from start to finish, trying to put all the pieces of a rather convoluted puzzle.

Veronica Speedwell is undoubtedly one of my favorite heroines of all time. Intelligent, determined, confident, independent, self-reflective and stubborn, she goes against almost all of societies expectations of her and completely unapologetic about. Veronica knows what she wants and she both skillful and patient enough to achieve it. No challenge is insurmountable, no mystery unsolvable. She uses her wits to find a solution to nearly every problem that comes her way.

As with her previous adventures, Veronica once again partners with her colleague and friend Stoker, this time to solve the mystery of missing man from Stoker's past along with debunking the rumors of Egyptian curse arriving, along with a sarcophagus, to London. We delve further into Stoker's dark and emotionally charged past, as new a heartwrenching revelations come to light.

With old friends, uncertain allies and new enemies Veronica and Stoker certainty had their work cut out for them. And I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed seeing it all unfold. If you like historical fiction, mystery and some romance, then my dear I do believe this is for you.

If you could bottle fun, it would end up being a Veronica Speedwell novel. I know this makes no sense but that's kind of the point, because it's similar to the books. Yes, there are many coincidences here that lead to the conclusion of the case, but quite frankly, I don't care because it's fun.

I was sent this arc a few months ago and waited to read until it's a bit closer to the publication date in January and it was hard to wait. I loved the previous two books and I loved this one. Full of banter, witty remarks, near death experiences and even a chase through London's sewers. Perfection.

Admittedly, not a book for everyone, but alas fun, joyful read for me.