So happy to be back with Veronica and Stoker - lots of character development all around, Veronica's usual plucky and spunky voice, all the aspects that make this series so wonderful.

It's no secret that I ADORE the Veronica Speedwell series. Of course I had zero chill when I was granted access. Thank you to @berkleypub and @netgalley for the free review copy. (PUB 03.07) A SINISTER REVENGE (Veronica Speedwell #8) is another engaging installment of the historical mystery adventures of Speedwell and Stoker. (Yes- you must read them in order.)

As with any great series, I find great comfort in returning to these well-known, well-loved characters. I love seeing the character's relationship evolve. Veronica Speedwell is my favorite kind of character: smart, quick-tongued, vivacious, and loyal. She knows who she is and won't sacrifice that based on other people's expectations. She is full of moxie and gumption. I wish I could join her for a glass of aguardiente as she regales me with tales of her and Stoker's latest mystery. The last installment ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was eager to read A SINISTER REVENGE. The novel is perhaps the coziest and leisurely story to date. The stakes didn't feel as high and that was fine with me. Excelsior!

Deanna Raybourn has this magical ability to bring the mystery to life through both her writing and storytelling style. Her stories have a pacing that makes me slow down and savor each passage. And oh my goodness- she is a wordsmith. Her vocabulary astounds me. I find myself highlighting 'new-to-me' words that have me running to the dictionary and wondering how I can work them into conversation.

Here were my favorite Veronica Vocab words:
acidulous

anathema

bonhomie

carbuncle

castello

chicanery

dishabille

epergne

intransigence

japing

mendacious

peccadilloes

perambulations

peregrinations

pernicious

promptitude

sangfroid

susurration

thaumatrope

trebuchet

wolpertinger

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC!
Would rate this 8.5 / 10 for fans of the series.
If you are following this series, I think you'll like this book. Veronica and Stoker are on the outs again, and the author is, I think, at her best when she puts her characters into this kind of dynamic.
I didn't like the previous instalment as much, and even though there are similarities - isolated house party, unknown guests - A Sinister Revenge has a much more intricate plot, and dinosaurs!
Seriously, one of the things I like about this series is the Victorian setting, and this book is much more embedded in the era. There are some good historical diversions as well.
Recommend this series to fans of light romance, strong female leads and historical mystery - I don't think that this would read well as a standalone, but I'm a dyed-in-the-wool series reader, and I love Veronica and Stoker as a pleasant diversion!

Not as exciting as previous installments. But we have a heist to save an animal from the royal zoo, Stoker fixes up an Iguanadon, and Tiberius is next out of a group of friends to receive a death threat. Is he next to die? Or will Veronica discover who is picking off an old friends group associated with a mysterious death and a paleontological find years ago?

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

In this eighth installment of the Veronica Speedwell series, we are whisked away to the country estate of Lord Templeton-Vane. There, Veronica and Stoker are tasked with determining who may have killed two old friends of Tiberius's and sent him a death threat on copies of their obituaries. Tiberius has invited the remaining group of friends from his younger days, known then as the Seven Sinners, who were all present when the group visited and one young man was found dead on the property after a storm.

I do enjoy these books, as they're wonderfully researched for historical accuracy. For instance, the author had the estate gardens designed by John Tradescant the Younger, who I have been learning about in my Museum Origins course. This book actually managed to keep me guessing as to who the killer may be, which always makes me happy. There was not as much interaction between Veronica and Stoker as previous books, which was disappointing. I was happy to see JJ Butterworth included, even if it was in a minor way. We also got to know more about the younger Templeton-Vane brother, Merryweather.

Sudden death, that may have been murder, more than 20 years ago is alluded to in a note along with obituaries of two friends, recently deceased, with the warning that Tiberius, Stoker's older brother, is next to die; lead him to ask for Veronica and Stoker's help finding a murderer. Tiberius decides to have a reunion party of the remaining members of a group of young men he traveled around with in his youth known as the Sinful Seven to see if they can discern who might be the author of the note. The event is a charged atmosphere of suspicion, accusations and betrayals.
As with her previous books , this is an excellent read. It will keep you guessing until the end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Deanna Raybourn for a digital ARC of this book. Excited doesn't begin to cover it when I was approved for this book! I am a huge Veronica Speedwell fan... and after our last ending I couldn't wait to see what was happening with Stoker and Veronica.

Stoker is off in Bavaria and Veronica hasn't seen him for months. Stoker's brother Tiberius shows up asking for Veronica to help him investigate some strange warnings he has been sent. It is obvious Tiberius is scared - since this is way out of character for him - Veronica agrees to help and they set off to try and find Stoker. Once the gang is back together, they head to the Templeton-Vane family home to try and solve the mystery that has Tiberius so rattled.

Another wonderful story from Deanna!

I wasn’t going to read this because I was so dissatisfied with the last couple, but I was in the middle of something bleak and just kind of went for it. While still superficial at times, this one seemed better able to embrace the tongue in cheek and make the narrative work. Since the author is uninterested in returning to some of the darker aspects of the earlier stories, at least she’s growing into the humor. Veronica was also much less annoying this time around.

Another edition to the Veronica Speedwell, Stoker mystery series. A murder 20 years earlier among friends, who are now altogether again, plus a dinosaur. Loads of fun.

When Tiberius feels his life is in danger, he asks Veronica to assist him in locating Stoker. Once they have all reconvened at the family estate, it is only natural that a house party is just the thing to bring together old friends and discover just who is threatening the lives of the group. Throw in a megalodon, a dramatic poisoning, and a nosy reporter, and things get messy. Not to mention the friction between Veronica and Stoker that they just can't seem to shake. Will the trio be able to work together, gather the clues, and solve the crime before someone else dies? And who will be the next victim?

A great addition to the series. I really appreciate the relationship growth between the two MC's and specifically the addressing of the emotional barriers and baggage that they both have as they try to work through their growing bond. And I also love the dynamic between the three brothers and how that helps add to not only the ongoing storyline, but the level of emotional attachment the MC's are able to show to each other. Well written and entertaining, with just the right amount of intrigue and deceit thrown together with a little spice and tension.

I received a DRC from the publisher via netgally.com.

Another fun episode in the Veronica Speedwell series. Following the misunderstanding regarding her “husband” in the previous book, Veronica and Stoker have not seen each other for several months. When Stokers brother (who Veronica is traveling with) receives threatening messages about an event in his past Veronica and the viscount find stoker and bring him to his childhood home to help solve this new mystery.
20 years earlier a friend visiting had fallen to his death from a cliff in a storm, the threatening messages make it seem like it wasn’t an accident and that someone is out for vengeance. Can Veronica and stoker work through their differences to solve the puzzle before the seven sinners are picked off one by one.
I continue to enjoy this series, though at times Veronica does feel like a rip off of Amelia Peabody.

Denna Raybourn continues to deliver with her Veronica Speedwell mysteries! I'm so happy to have discovered this series through NetGalley. It is a consistent pleasure, maybe even an increasing one, as the characters and their foibles become more familiar and endearing. Veronica, Stoker, et al are in good form in the Gothic tinged setting and mystery setup. A must read for fans of the series and one to look forward to for those starting at book number 1.

Angry that Veronica Speedwell didn't trust him enough to tell him about her past, at the conclusion of An Impossible Imposter Stoker left to wander Europe alone. Now, six months later, Veronica and Stoker's brother, Tiberius, track him down to Bavaria. Tiberius, Viscount Templeton-Vane, needs the couple to cooperate because someone is threatening him. Twenty years earlier, Tiberius was part of a group of wealthy young men, "The Seven Sinners". One of them, Lorenzo d'Ambrozio, died when he was fossil hunting at Cherboys, the Templeton-Vane estate on the chalk cliffs of Dorset. Now, several members of that group have died, and someone is sending newspaper clippings to the survivors indicating they're next, and the deaths are "Vengeance for Lorenzo". Tiberius invites the surviving members of "The Seven Sinners" and their spouses to Cherboys. When one of the guests dies,Veronica, Stoker and Tiberius know they'll find a killer amongst the small group of friends. A dead man's journal and hidden connections from the past lead Veronica to confront the killer and put her own life in danger.
The bestselling author of Killers of a Certain Age brings her trademark humor to the compelling history mystery as Raybourn continues to recognize women's skills and abilities.

The latest in the Veronica Speedwell series. I have read the previous books in this series and Veronica, once again finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. Although this book was a fun read, I found myself wishing there was more interaction between Veronica and her partner/love interest Stoker. The first 50% of the book had little to no communication between the characters. After building the long-standing relationship between them, it seemed rather lacking in this area. The mystery was fun and Veronica pulled through as usual, yet I was disappointed due to the missing partnership between the characters. Toward the end of the book it did pick up and gave hope that they would be seen as a team in future books.

Our favorite lepidopterist and her favorite tattooed taxidermist are back with a classic drawing room mystery -- Veronica and Stoker style. Instead of a drawing room, the death takes place inside a replica Megalasaurus. Our heroes must find the killer before Tiberius becomes the next victim. A lighter and quicker read than others in the series, but still thoroughly enjoyable. Excelsior!

I always look forward to Veronica and Stoker's adventures. This time we meet Stoker's extended family, including his Nanny. Love this feisty and very intelligent protagonist.

This entry into Veronica's adventures was a lot tamer and less exciting then previous entries. Let's hope the next one has them all over the world getting into trouble!

It’s great fun to be back with Veronica and Stoker. Paradise remains elusive, however, after the events of the last book. This time Veronica meets nearly all of Stoker’s living relatives at his family seat after his viscount brother has credible threats made against his life. Readers learn more about Stoker’s upbringing and meet the formidable Nanny. A diverting continuation of the beloved series.

Another wonderful installment in the Speedwell mysteries! Veronica and Stoker continue to delight and Raybourn has crafted a deliciously twisty mystery once again!

Another hit by Deanna Raybourn. A Sinister Revenge is a murder mystery set in an english country estate where all the potential murders are brought together in an attempt to solve the murders.