This was my introduction to Deanna Raybourn and the Veronica Speedwell adventures. I missed that this was an established series with a fan base. Once I had this realization, I was worried, but decided to read on, so glad I did. This was a wonderful adventure with rich characters and vivid setting. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I have.
Sincere thanks to NetGallery for providing my review copy.

Swoon*. How much do I love Veronica and Stoker? Like the most.

And trap them on an isolated island with a very "And then there were none" feel? I'm so into it.

Stoker's brother invited Veronica to an old friend's island castle for some butterfly stuff. Of course she can't refuse. Stoker ends up tagging along and the whole triangle gets messy. Malcom is the castle owner, and lives with his sister on this isolated island. The island has it's own mythology and the island inhabitants are full of "witches" and "mer-folk". The reason they were invited to come to the island (other than butterfiles) is revelaed in dramatic fashion. A day after marrying Malcom, young Rosamind goes missing. He believes she never left the island, but was instead murdered, and wants his houseguests to determine what happened.

There are plenty of viable suspects....the former lover, the heir to the house, the sister who loves her gardens, and then there is her husband as well.

The culprit is someone I didn't see coming....and this is the second book I've read recently that relies heavily on the "priest holes" of old homes/castles. I still love Veronica, and her relationship with Stoker takes a leap in this book that is wholy satisfying. The last chapter provides a hint on what they will do next....and reader? I'm here for it!

I have been feeling a slump coming on.. so what better way to combat that terrible disease than by diving into a new instalment of favourite series, guaranteed to be a winner, a little earlier than planned? Well.. about that..

A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION is easily my least favourite of this series. Everything I loved about the mysteries, the characters, the potential for romance, the jokes, everything from the previous books, was either beat about like a dead horse, exaggerated, or put-off for very thin reasons. Nothing about this was working for me. After some skimming (yes, gasp, I confess..), I did eventually find myself at a place where there was a little bit of a brighter outlook on things for the future of the series, and the characters within it. But it took a hell of a long time to get there.

A series that taunts readers with an extended will-they-won't-they-okay-they-will-it's-just-when doesn't bother me. I love it. When it's done well. But I feel like.. it's not that this was stretched too long, I've waited longer, I just felt the obstructions and obstacles in book four were not believable or realistic for the characters. But, in general, I just felt everyone, and everything, was a little off in this one.

Because it would hurt too much to rate this beloved series too low, and I am hopeful for where things go in book five, not to mention the fact that I am happy to have read something to combat said aforementioned slump, I'm going to round up on this one. At least for now. I don't want to come back and drop it down but.. it might happen.

2.75 "he had adopted an attitude of Arctic hauteur. I blamed his aristocratic upbringing for that. and his nose" stars

I was slightly disappointed to see that A Dangerous Collaboration does not start off right after the events of book 3 (that was quite the cliffhanger!), but instead jumps a few months into the future. However, the story quickly took off and I was absolutely hooked. Veronica Speedwell is one of my absolute favorite female detectives and this is yet another fantastic installment. The pacing is perfect, and I could hardly put the book down! The relationship between Veronica and Stoker is full of delicious tension, all while maintaining their unrelenting friendship. They are an amazing duo, and I cannot wait for more!

While this was another delightful installment, I had some mixed feelings about the fourth book. I loved seeing Veronica & Stoker be their funny and witty selves trying to solve yet another mystery. This one though felt a little too drawn out and so I was missing some of the action that was featured in the earlier books. I still would recommend reading it as part of the series ---mostly due to the development between Veronica & Stoker's relationship.

Deanna Raybourn transported me to a Rebecca-Esque seaside with eery folklores. Thank you for the much anticipated change in relationships. This book was definitely a segway to change up the relationship between the characters. Each of the installments in this series so far dived into each character and gave much depth. I had a few key guesses on who the culprit might be and I still love the bantering and understanding between Stoker, Veronica and even... Tiberius. I can’t wait for the next book.

I'm a huge fan of the author and have read all of her books. I enjoy this series and the chemistry between the protagonists. This installment was a bit of a disappointment, however. The plot was convoluted and I found myself skimming more often than not. The "will they-won't they" tease has become tiresome and the character of Veronica was downright unlikeable in parts. I was sort of rooting for Stoker to find someone more loving and deserving. Not what the author was intending I'm sure.

LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!!!

Oh my gosh, I loved this book so much. The tension between the two main characters, the mystery, the murder. So much fun!

I really like this series and hope it keeps going.

Sincere thanks to NetGallery for providing my review copy. It would be an understatement to say I binged this as fast as my eyes could drink it in. Since I discovered the series in early 2018, it has been my hands down favorite across all genres. this addition was not only anticipated but didn’t disappoint.

Unlike the previous Speedwell novels, this one boasts a smaller cast of characters and I have to say I’m a little relieved. Although I don’t mind a bevy of personalities and intrigue, I appreciated not needing relationship diagrams to keep everyone (and their motives) straight. I also enjoyed getting a bit more personal time with the Templeton-Vane brothers, building out their backstories and why they might be drawn to the ever enigmatic Veronica Speedwell. Although Veronica never outright lies to her reader, she does fool herself often about the nature of her relationship with Stoker. That interplay of what’s real and what’s artifice felt natural in a way that’s difficult for many authors to execute without becoming tedious for the reader.

I’m throughly looking forward to re-reading this on a dark, stormy night and lingering over the gothic scenery, stark cliffs, and wild landscape. Now, to wait only another year or so until the next installment in this riveting series.

I really enjoyed the newest installment. It was not that exciting at the beginning when she ran off after butterflies again, but thankfully her sojourn was brief. Tiberius came to whisk her off with what she liked best: rare butterflies. And Stoker invited himself along.

It was kind of Gothic and reminded me of Great Expectations. The murder mystery was well played. We get to see all these characters and their motivations.

I thought that the invention of the secluded island was wonderful. I loved the twists and turns, particularly the final one when Stoker finally is pushed to confess to Veronica how he feels about her. One great touch was the poison garden, which I found informative. Quite a few medicinal plants are poisonous if there are large doses, and there's clearly research done on poisonous plants. Overall, I deeply enjoyed this book as well as the gentle cliffhanger leading into the next one.

Why hadn't I heard of this series before? A thrill ride from beginning to end. I couldn't believe that I stumbled upon another historical history novel with a mystery. I love those. I am so glad to have read this. I felt like I needed to read the other books in the series because I was missing out on it. So I recommend you read those first, then rush through that one so you can get to this one. I will definitely be doing that.

Veronica Speedwell is on a fascinating adventure in yet another fabulous addition to a favorite series! Deanna Raybourn never disappoints!

Veronica and Stoker usually have a very easy-going partnership, but when romance is starts rearing it's ugly head Veronica speeds off without Stoker on a solo mission. Upon her return six months later, their 'partnership' is more strained. Unhelpfully, Veronica agrees to go on a trip with Stoker's brother and pretend to be his fiance.

Those who have been reading these sequentially will greatly enjoy the fact that Stoker and Veronica's romance is finally coming to a head, and that they will finally have to talk about things that are usually inferred or completely pushed to the side. The murder-mystery aspect on the island where this takes place is also of interest, but is almost secondary.

Another delightful addition to one of my favorite series.

This book follows our heroes and my low-key bias Tiberius on the journey to a small island off the coast of England. Malcolm, their host and Tiberius long-time friend, brings them to the island with one goal in mind. To solve the mystery behind the disappearance of his bride years earlier.

As usual, nothing is as it seems. And everyone has a secret they wish to keep. But as the saying goes, nothing is a secret forever.

As I have come to expect with these books, it was an interesting mystery to entertain. Also, I am proud to say I did figure it out quite early this time. So I think I'm getting better at this. I know this book technically is not even out yet, but I already can't wait for the next one.

I love this series, it’s one of my favorites. It doesn’t move to fast and keeps you engaged with its lovable characters and fun adventures. The only thing I hate about it, is that I don’t have another one to read right now. Can’t wait for the next one!

Nineteenth century lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell is enticed out to an island off of Cornwall, hoping to acquire a new species for her vivarium. But there is more going on than looking for butterflies, including a missing bride, a seance, and some gentlemanly rivalry. We do learn the identity of the murderer, but sadly Veronica seems to forget about obtaining the rare butterflies.

A great Veronica Speedwell book! I feel like the author gets more comfortable writing for these characters with each book.. I initially decided not to buy these for my library as I felt that the characters were too modern to seem realistic and I thought my library's patrons would not care for them as much as they do for Lady Julia Grey.
I now regret that decision. Veronica's attitude and Stoker's curmudgeonliness are a big part of these books' appeal. Situating these characters as scientists at the cusp on the scientific age makes things very interesting.

I will make sure to order all these books so my patrons can get up to speed before this volume is published!

Yeah! Another great book in this series! Of course, a fantastic mystery, but also, more time with these characters that have become very dear! While there's only 1 more book right now on contract as far as I know, hopefully more will be added, because that would be excellent!

I kinda don't know where the title came from. Maybe from Veronica and Stoker working with Tiberius on the mystery of Rosamund. Because that is dangerous. But I'm not quite sure. But that might just be the weirdness in my head wanting that.

So this book picks up pretty quickly after A Treacherous Curse, and then it skips a bunch of time. Which given the emotions that both Veronica and Stoker were dealing with in A Treacherous Curse, well, you can guess what they did with that break, and you have a 50% chance of guessing right!

We got to learn a lot about this island and a number of the people on it. There's some complicated relationships with some of the Romilly family, which muddies the water in the investigation. But that ending, yeah, it was pretty tense!

This book was so fantastic, and I enjoyed it so freaking much! Can't wait for the next book, and then I hope we get more books after that! Because it would be great if this series was continued!

A Dangerous Collaboration (March 2019)
By Deanna Raybourn
Berkley/Penguin, 336 pages.
★★★★

When 19th century activists and writers began to discuss the "New Woman," I doubt that Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell was quite what they had in mind. Lucky for us. Raybourn's creation is a wonderful combination of fierce determination, pigheadedness, insight, and pluckiness. The New Woman was known for her independence and willingness to defy convention, but I don't know of any who secreted throwing knives in their corsets, were unabashedly carnal, were the "semi-legitimate" offspring of the notoriously randy Duke of Wales, or combined careers in lepidoptery (butterfly studies) and amateur sleuthing.

Everything about Veronica Speedwell is cheeky. Her name is also that of a spiky purple flower that looks a bit like loosestrife, and her partner in adventure is Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, who goes by the handle of "Stoker." One of the first literary figures to write the New Woman into his novels was Bram Stoker. Veronica and Stoker are not exactly lovers–he's recovering from a disastrous marriage–but Speedwell isn't a virgin and she wouldn't exactly kick Stoker out of her bed, or his brother either. In fact, controlling her animal instincts is an ongoing struggle as there's only so much Victorian society will countenance, even from its outliers.

The fourth installment of Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series is set in 1888, when Jack the Ripper is loose in London. But Veronica's attentions are directed elsewhere–off the coast of Cornwall to be precise. Stoker's brother, Lord Tiberius Templeton-Vane, puts forth an offer Veronica can't refuse: come with him on a short outing to St. Maddern's island, where a rare butterfly exists. There are odd extenuating circumstances. Ostensibly Tiberius is going to cheer up an old friend, Malcolm Romilly, whose lordship of an ancient castle has suffered because of his grief. Because the Romilly family is Catholic, Tiberius and Veronica must pose as affianced. The chance of seeing a butterfly thought to be extinct is lure enough for Veronica, though Stoker suspects it's just a ruse on his brother's part to seduce her. She reminds him in no uncertain terms–and our Ms. Speedwell isn't one to mince words–that she's 26, has no desire to be anyone's doormat or wife, and can take care of herself. Stoker, though, despises his brother, whom he sees as a scheming and amoral aristocrat. A sample of their mutual vitriol–Tiberius: "Peace, brother mine. I can feel you cursing me." Stoker: "And yet you still breathe…. I must be doing something wrong."

Stoker will also journey to St. Maddern's and there, things are odder still. Malcolm desires help is solving a mystery that has reduced him to melancholic torpor. It is the third anniversary of the disappearance of Rosamund, who vanished on the day she and Malcolm were to be wed. What happened? Did she flee? Was she kidnapped? Murdered? No one comes or goes from St. Maddern's in secret, so where is Rosamund? As another detective was fond of saying, the game is afoot.

Without revealing anything, let's just say that truth will follow a very crooked path. The castle cast also includes Malcolm's reclusive sister Mertensia, who is happy only when tending the castle's extensive grounds, including a poison garden; Malcolm's widowed sister-in-law Helen, who is a medium who proposes to contact Rosamund in the spirit world; her 19-year-old spoiled brat of a son, Caspian; and a full household staff commanded by Mrs. Trengrouse, who has been at the castle since Malcolm was a lad. There is also a village full of eccentrics and fishermen, not to mention the bickering brothers, and various motives that are seldom what they purport to be.

You might want to get the digital version of this book so you have one-finger access to the built-in dictionary. Ms. Raybourn has an exceptionally large vocabulary that is replete with now-archaic Victorian terms. She also has a puckish wit, such a description of a large castle fireplace "the sort for roasting half an ox or an annoying child." Raybourn engages in subtle gender inversion, such as making Veronica more rational, decisive, and sexually aroused than the men. I suppose some might complain that Veronica is too thoroughly modern at times, but it is a novel after all, not a work of history. If there is a weakness, it is that once the mystery is unveiled, what occurs next is telegraphed and predictable. I didn't care. I ripped through this book in two sittings and felt refreshed to indulge in the wit and passions of Veronica Speedwell, a Victorian for our times.

Rob Weir

Love this series, smart intelligent characters with great dialogue and Inalways learn something new.
Can't wait for the next book.