Oh. My. Freaking. Stars.! A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn is outstanding! It is engaging and entertaining and it was so difficult to put down! As usual, Veronica’s trademark wit and feisty spirit combined with kidnapping, secret scandals, murder and the shadowy presence of Jack the Ripper made this a page-turner for me!

First off, I want to start with how much I sincerely love Veronica and Stoker; their slow-burn romance has had me on edge for 4 books! To say that this is a couple who really need to act on their passion for each other is an understatement! This is slightly spoilerish but I was happy to see some joy in this area! I love their banter, their interactions together, and just the idea of those two …. Swoon! One of my favorite passages is outlined below:

This was the first morning ever, the beginning of all creation as far as I was concerned. A new life for us had begun, hand in hand, arm in arm, facing down the rest of the world. What adventures would await us!

It’s a beautiful relationship that I absolutely cherish in the bookish world! The main characters are gorgeously developed as are the secondary characters, they are all delightfully written and a pleasure to know.

The writing is flawless and flows beautifully, Ms. Raybourn is always able to evoke a variety of emotions from me with her writing. There are certain books and series I’ve read that elicit a feeling of melancholy when reading the last page and closing the proverbial covers, it’s like losing dear friends. This is how I feel when I finish a Veronica Speedwell novel. As if I have to wait a while to see the people I’ve grown to care about and it’s a bit sad.

This is one series and author that I will always read! I’m hoping for a Veronica Speedwell #6! This is a wonderful book/series for any lover of historical mysteries/suspense.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Deanna Raybourn for providing me with a copy of A Murderous Relation in exchange for my honest review.

Veronica and Stoker make an awesome team. The future king has given a woman an expensive stone and his mother ask this duo to get it back so that his hopeful future wife won’t hear about it.
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This book follows Victoria and Stoker as they try to figure out who did it. They were given a lead saying along the lines of ‘I think it was this person’. They go undercover to see if there’s any truth to that statement. A body turns up while investigating and it leads to secrets threating to be revealed if Victoria and stoker don’t figure it out. But on top of that. They also have to worry about notorious serial killer Jack The Ripper.

If you like slow starts then this is definitely something to check out. I personally wasn’t a fan of the slow start. I’m usually 50/50 on character driven books. I honestly felt that this book was very character driven and personally fell flat.
I did in fact enjoy that once they found the murdered body and that it wasn’t the lead they were given it did started to pick up. It made me want to know what happened next. Even if Jack The Rippers identity wasn’t revealed.
I know we still don’t know who killed those women over 100 years ago, but that didn’t take away from my experience of reading this. I enjoyed the fact that Victoria and Stoker were trying to figure out if the person was Jack the Ripper. If not then who is killing these women? That remains the biggest question to date. Who did it.

This fifth adventure featuring Veronica Speedwell and her pet tattooed taxidermist does not disappoint. The mystery is well-paced, with enough twists to keep the reader guessing. The relationship between Veronica and Stoker continues to develop, and the ending is most satisfactory. A recommended purchase .

I've enjoyed this series, set in late Victorian England and this did not disappoint. The plot was well-paced and the protagonists, Victoria and Stoker are well defined. I love their interactions. Jack the Ripper added more suspense to the mystery.

I adore this series

My profuse thanks to Deanna Raybourn, Berkley Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

No major spoilers, but I might have let a few minor ones slip through.

This book was awesome. If I hadn’t had a prior commitment last night, I’d have inhaled this book in one day. After reading the very first line—“‘What in the name of flaming Hades do you mean his lordship wants me to officiate at the wedding of a tortoise?’”—honest to god, my only thought was, “Oh yeah. This is gonna be good.”

It had its faults. Some might say it lolled a bit while Veronica was meandering through the halls of Club de l’Etoile, or while they were at the warehouse. I felt the pace dragging in those parts, but I was enjoying the quality time with the characters so much that I didn’t care.

I was disappointed regarding one particular event toward the end, though, for the opposite reason. I felt something happened too quickly and was lamentably glossed over. I wouldn’t have minded for the event to have been drawn out with more detail and suspense and drama.

Also, some readers might have two possible problems with the plot. One: Those who have read the other books in the series might feel that the plot is recycled. And it kind-of-sort-of is. I know my enthusiasm deflated a bit when a certain character entered the story. Two: Those who expected Jack the Ripper to be an actual character will be disappointed. He’s more of a shadow looming over the story than an actual presence within it. The threat of him is used to convey setting, set tone, and create some peripheral tension.

Lastly, and it’s arguable whether this is a flaw on the book’s part or mine—there were so many unfamiliar words. I think I had to look up more words in this book than any other since studying literature in high school.

But again, I was enjoying myself too much to care about any of those things. Every character, from the mains to the most secondary, came to life and jumped right off the page. Mornaday and Butterworth continue to grow on me, and I look forward to seeing more of them. The devious Lady Rose somehow carved out a place in my heart. I adored all the pets, even the poor frustrated Patricia. And to my surprise, I fell a little in love with sweet, hapless Eddy.

And of course, I fell deeper in love with both Veronica and Stoker, not to mention their beautiful relationship, which is finally openly romantic. And that’s not a spoiler, because if you’ve read the other books you’ve been expecting it, and if you haven’t, Veronica speaks of it almost immediately.

On that topic, Raybourn expressed a sentiment that I’ve been struggling to put into words for years. “He was not another half, for I was whole unto myself. But he was my mirror, and in him I saw reflected all that I liked best in me.” That line and so many others were so eloquently and intelligently written that I simply marveled at Raybourn’s talent for prose.

Along with her talent for creative cursing. Every time Stoker curses, I smile. I wonder if there’s a list of them somewhere. The most notable in this book was: “‘What in the name of the oozing wounds of Christ is happening?’”

I should mention there’s a lot of frank discussion about sex in this book, even more than in A Perilous Undertaking. From Patricia’s frustration to Veronica and Stoker’s frustration to Tiberius’s predilections to the necessities of poor women to the illicit escapades of the royals and to, most prominently, the Club de l’Etoile—you either get comfortable with it quickly or not at all.

Looking to the future, I don’t have my hopes up for babies or further commitment any time soon, if ever, because it’s been made more than clear that neither of them are keen on the idea of marriage or children of their own, and it would make sleuthing difficult, anyway. But Veronica finally admitted there’s been a change in her attitude and allowed herself to commit her heart to Stoker, plus I have a feeling it would be easier for Stoker to settle down than he thinks, so I’ll continue to believe it’s possible to see them start a family one day when they’ve gotten more wanderlust out of their systems. I would be fascinated—and no doubt amused—to watch how they handle a baby. I can already hear their frank and scientific discussion of the biology at work. And I can see big, muscular Stoker being more maternal than Veronica.

I still don’t completely understand what happened with Lady Cordelia between books three and four. I mean, I know she had a baby out of wedlock, but what happened to it? Who was the father? There was only one vague sentence about it here. I have a hard time believing Raybourn would have something like that happen for no reason, so perhaps that tidbit will become a plot later on.

Overall, I loved this book and will no doubt be revisiting it. I’m already bursting with excitement for the next one.

After their latest amateur sleuthing case, Veronica Speedwell and Stoker return to London to their vocations and a determination to define their relationship with each other. However, before they can proceed, they are called to Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk’s home (Lady Wellie) where the Princess of Whales, Veronica’s step mother, implores them to recover an expensive gift that may compromise her son, the future king. All this occurs as the city is appalled and police are stymied by murders enacted by Jack the Ripper, as the serial killer of women of the evening is known.

This is the latest installment of Deanna Rathbourn’s series featuring the lepidopterist, Veronica, and natural historian, Stoker, and their adventures solving crimes. Told with humor and clever banter, Veronica and Stoker, defy propriety of conventional Victoria society as they go undercover at an elite private club and discover the murder of the proprietress. Madness and mayhem ensue as they try to clear Prince Eddies name and discover the murderer.

Veronica Speedwell, the headstrong, intelligent lepidopterist turned sleuth, works with Stoker, her ruggedly handsome natural historian colleague, to uncover deception and corruption. As they link clues and brave villains to save the monarchy, Jack the Ripper is terrorizing the city. Even though these characters find themselves amidst scandal and murder they inevitably are drawn to one another and the romantic tension is always under the surface. This is a fun, page-turning adventure that uses historical events to spin an intriguing mystery. This is the fifth book in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series. I enjoyed the first four and this one was just as fun of an adventure. Once again, Deanna Raybourn does not disappoint.

Veronica and Stoker are back for a new thrilling adventure to face their old demon Jack the Ripper. Are you ready for another smart, entertaining, sexy, twisty ride with this fantastic couple to witness how their abilities, intelligence to solve the crimes, bringing the criminals to the justice and also reading their sizzling, undeniably growing chemistry? ( They’re historical version of Castle and Beckett, David and Maddie and less weird, more lovely version of Scully and Mulder) You know what, this is kind of fascinating series you want to binge read and then discuss all the details with tour buddy readers ( I actually don’t have one! One of my buddies escaped for urgent spa session and other one prefers to binge watch Walking Dead and chase me at the streets while she’s walking like zombie. As you can imagine with her slowness, she never catches me!)
In the meantime Veronica not only has to face with one of the most dangerous criminal of the history but also has to meet with her stepmother dearest for helping her prevent a probable scandal about Prince Albert Victor. An expensive gift has been received by Madame Aurore can be traced back to the prince. So they have to get rid of the evidence by stealing it.

So two mysteries intertwine and the story takes a surprising turn but don’t worry, unconventional and smart methods, unique approach of Veronica and charming, problem solver, calm and patient manners of Stoker will help them to work as compatible couple and give us an memorable, heart throbbing, exciting new adventure.
I love their shared sarcastic, straightforward, smart dialogues and of course the fast pacing, straight to the point kind of development force us read this book at one sit but the worst part about finishing this so fast is quiet big problem. You want more stories and find yourself grumpier, whining about why you read so fast, now you gotta wait too long for the upcoming sixth book’s release.

Overall: Fast, enjoyable, exciting, thrilling, humorous page-turner! If you haven’t read the other book, I could say you’re so lucky because you got four more adventures to get invested.

Special thanks to probably my second best fairy Godmother Netgalley sending amazing books to my library and making me learn more dance moves everyday to celebrate and of course Berkley Publishing for choosing me to send this wonderful ARC COPY in exchange my honest review. And let’s not forget to congratulate gifted Deanna Raybourn for creating this remarkable and one of my favorite historical crime thriller series.

A good old-fashioned caper novel that incorporates enough modern sensibility to endear the characters without pulling you out of the late Victorian setting. Do some of the coincidences that make the resolution come off stretch believability? Does the tie-in of Jack the Ripper feel a little forced? Did any of that detract from my enjoyment of this book? Yes, yes, and not in the least.

My big problem with this book is that it ended and I'm going to have to wait for year for the next one.

Veronica and Stoker have to find jewelry that her royal half brother gave a brothel owner to save him from scandal. Interesting is that her brother, Prince Albert Victor, is mentioned to be a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case because that is a true theory. Not that his portrayal in this book is going to make you agree with this theory.

I'm not that great a fan of her being a lost true princess and I'm hoping that this books ends that plot line. However, Veronica and Stoker wanting to have sex but circumstances keep interrupting them until they start second guessing themselves was adorable.

This book was received as an ARC from Berkley Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Having read all of the Veronica Speedwell series and impressed with all of them, I had high expectations for the fifth installment A Murderous Relation and I must say the expectations were met and then some. Veronica and Stoker are on another mission for Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk that mostly involves tracking and retrieving a royal heirloom that could make or break the present and future monarchy tracing back to Prince Albert Victor a regular guest at the most exclusive club, Club de l'Etoile. Veronica and Stoker must get the heirloom back before a scandal arises. While in search Veronica uncovers some long kept secrets that changes not only the game itself but the fate of the monarchy including involvement with the most notorious villain Jack the Ripper. I could not stop reading this book, my time was so invested that I had to see what happens with the case. Deanna Raybourn does a great job in this series by keeping the case going without it going on a tangent and dragging it along finally getting to the point. Just when you thought you'd had it figured out, the story takes a new turn.

We will consider adding this title to our Historical Fiction collection at our library. This is why we give this book 5 stars.

Raybourn again delivers an adventure filled with wit, action, and romance. Recommended for people who enjoy Sherry Thomas and Anna Lee Huber.

Received and ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

Wow! This was a hoot! I read the first in the series when it came out, and I have the others in my "to read" pile. I jumped at the chance to read this one. It was a fun story all the way around! I just love Veronica and Stoker, they are such a fun couple to read about. I love the background of the time period that this is set in. I hope this isn't the end of the series, as I can see a lot more adventures from this duo.

Deanna Raybourn is on fire in this newest entry in the Veronica Speedwell/Revelstoke Templeton-Vane series. Here, the sexy duo find themselves smack in the middle of their most deadly adventure yet, and only weeks after their last romp in Cornwall. Characters from the past make new appearances as Veronica and Stoker shed friends and foes as they attempt to save the heir to the throne during the terrifying days when Jack the Ripper stalked the East End of London.

Perhaps the most endearing character introduced here is Eddy, also known as His Royal Highness Albert Victor, heir to the throne of England. Eldest (legitimate) son of the Prince of Wales, Bertie, and Princess Alexandra, he is drawn here as a gentle, loving, but somewhat simple young man who seems delighted to meet Veronica and learn that she is his sister.

Raybourn develops these characters more with each book, and in this one, we learn more about Lady Wellie, the various members of Scotland Yard who make appearances, the daring female reporter J.J. Butterworth, and Stoker’s brothers Tiberious and Rupert (Rupert’s delightful wife). Raybourn also completes the arc of Veronica and Stoker’s own relationship and does so in a sweet but sexy way.

Fans will eat this up.

As a fan of the Veronica Speedwell series, this book (possibly the last in the series?) hit all of the notes I enjoyed from the previous installments. While I was annoyed at first that a villain from a previous book reappeared, Raybourn carefully crafts this story so there is no dull moment or retread from previous books. Fans of Victorian murder mysteries with a dash of romance and an irreverent, feminist protagonist will enjoy this book. I know I did!

BEST installment yet!!! This one was different than the previous books in the series. The story flow was different. Then, of course, you had all the tension between Stoker and Veronica against the backdrop of Jack the Ripper...so, so good!!! Now the long wait for another installment begins...*sigh*

I gave this a three, because I enjoyed it on a basic level, but this book was probably my least favorite in the series. It was anticlimactic, as you discover the villain maybe halfway through, and very little sleuthing was actually done. The character development was also pretty thin. This book seemed like a connecting title that had to finish the threads from the last one and maybe lay some foundation for the next book. However, there was no apparent “stay tuned” related to a plot line.

The fifth book of Veronica Speedwell's adventures brings a dastardly villain from an earlier book back into Veronica and Stoker's environment. Several other returning characters make a show, as do some new Royals --and the infamous Jack the Ripper. Once again, though, the villain is thwarted by Veronica's quick thinking and cunning, Stoker's willingness for abuse, and the teamwork that Veronica and Stoker have with one another.

A Murderous Relation is still a delight thanks to the rapport and chemistry between Veronica and Stoker and the overall character that is Veronica. I love a witty, cunning, sparkling, strong female protagonist, and Veronica continues to deliver.

10 Stars!

Loved it so much! But I have a sneaking suspicion this might be the last book in the series because of those last paragraphs in the book (knock on wood I'm wrong).

Veronica and Stoker. What more can I say that hasn't been said about these two?

Their relationship has been developing for four books, now five. After the ending of book four, we know what they're ready for. We already know they loved each other, but they're also the most stubborn people we've met.

But the time isn't right to indulge in amorous relations, as Veronica would say.

Lady Wellie falls ill and while trying to discover the reason, Veronica and Stoker involve themselves in quite the environment. Murder, kidnapping, Jack the Ripper, Prince Albert Victor, diamonds, secrets, life and death situations, and many many more things, happen.
I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!!

And then the thing we've all been waiting since the beginning.... finally.

I hope there will be more, but if not, it's a satisfying conclusion.

Love, love these characters.

I received a copy from the publisher (THANK YOU!) via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.