Veronica Speedwell and her tattooed taxidermist are back, this time tracking the identity of an actual dead body hidden inside an Anatomical Venus sculpture. The mystery was well paced and interesting, leaning into the Victorian obsession with electricity and its possibilities for raising the dead. Veronica and Stoker seem to have reached a state of equilibrium in their relationship, which was a nice counterpoint to the rather tragic main narrative. Recommended for fans of Veronica and Stoker, as well as for readers who enjoyed C.E. McGill's Our Hideous Progeny.

Veronica and Stoker do not disappoint with this creepy adventure to bring justice to a victims demise. I enjoyed meeting two new characters that enhanced this mystery.

3.5 stars

One of my highly anticipated books of 2024 is this Deanna Raybourn's 9th installment in her Veronica Speedwell series.

Thrust into another murder mystery Veronica and Stoker search for who their Venus is and what happened 15 years ago. Yes that’s a long time in the past. The plot was unique, if a tad far fetched, but entertaining in true Veronica and Stoker fashion. There was the easy banter that is always fun along with some zany escapades and unsavory characters. Yes there is a monkey that has taken up residence also.

It is great getting back together with these two. However while it wasn't favorite, there just seemed to be something missing, but I can’t quite place my finger on what it was, or maybe my belief was suspended too much. But all in all still one of my favorite series, can’t wait to see what this duo is up to next.

My thanks to Berkley for a digital arc in exchange for honest review.

I am a huge fan of Deanna and am always happy to spend a day with Veronica. This entry had the duo staying really close to home and a distinct lack of the traditional escapades I have become used to. Still a great read but a little lackluster.

Stoker discovers a mannequin added to the Rosemorran collection is actually the preserved body of a young woman.

This was a straightforward murder mystery with no relationship drama, aside from their typical sparring. Veronica is independent as ever and Stoker a little less broody. The monkey adds nothing but the side characters sure do. Stoker’s brothers never disappoint (although I prefer Tiberius) and I wonder if JJ will get her own series. This is best for readers who have another book or two under their belts. Sure, the mystery stands alone, it had me guessing, but you might not care about Veronica and Stoker and where their relationship is right now if you haven’t read some of the previous installments. Not much adventure in this addition to a still enjoyable series

"Veronica and Stoker discover that not all fairy tales have happy endings, and some end in murder, in this latest historical mystery from New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Lord Rosemorran has purchased a wax figure of a beautiful reclining woman and asks Stoker to incorporate a clockwork mechanism to give the Rosemorran Collection its own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud's. But when Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open to insert the mechanism, he makes a gruesome discovery: this is no wax figure. The mannequin is the beautifully preserved body of a young woman who was once very much alive. But who would do such a dreadful thing, and why?

Sleuthing out the answer to this question sets Veronica and Stoker on their wildest adventure yet. From the underground laboratories of scientists experimenting with electricity to resurrect the dead in the vein of Frankenstein to the traveling show where Stoker once toured as an attraction, the gaslit atmosphere of London in October is the perfect setting for this investigation into the unknown. Through it all, the intrepid pair is always one step behind the latest villain - a man who has killed once and will stop at nothing to recover the body of the woman he loved. Will they unmask him in time to save his next victim? Or will they become the latest figures to be immortalized in his collection of horrors?"

I mean, the killer is Vincent Price right?

I wanted to try something different and the blurb of this one really tickled my fancy. The last time I read a historical mystery fiction book was when I went through an Amanda Quick phase (which was terribly great) and I was hoping for a similar experience. While this differed greatly from other works I read, I did find myself enchanted.

Stoker and Veronica were such an amusing pair. She was more delighted than he was to be embroiled in a murder plot and I liked being along for the ride. I could have done without the wordy prose—there are only so many costume changes I need to know the details of—but being in the midst of historical England was a pleasant ordeal.

With a cast of colorful secondary characters, there was a lot to like about this story. Stoker was my favourite and, for him alone, I'd read more of this series.

This book was another delicious addition to a series that never fails to delight. The characters are as rich as ever and Raybourn does a fantastic job of maintaining conflict and suspense that doesn't feel forced which is no easy feat so far into a series.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC
4.5 out of 5, warning, some graphic violence and some sex (not graphic)

Thanks to another reviewer for the 'histfic-rom-mystery=horror' classification. I think that suits this book perfectly.

If you like historical adversarial romance novels, and you've never read Deanna Raybourn, you must be living way way way off grid. She's a great writer with a quirky sense of humour that really comes through in her Veronica/Stoker series, of which this is the latest instalment.

The unconventional (for the time) duo get involved in trying to track down the origins of a young girl who has been embalmed so as to make her incorruptible. There's lots of Victorian STEM, a bit of Mary Shelley, romantic banter, and, the thing that makes this series so great, actual grounding in history. I think the reason I'm so fond of these books is that they feel quite real, even though the characters are much larger-than-life. That, and a spunky female protagonist always get a thumbs-up from me.

Recommended for readers who like Murdoch Mysteries and Miss Scarlet.

Another enjoyable installation in the Veronica Speedwell series (you'll want to start with #1 and enjoy the full ride before embarking on this 9th installment, though). As a fan from the beginning, I was excited to be able to get the early sneak peak. Veronica and her colleague/lover Stoker (things are 'closed door' in case you need to know that) get to stay a bit closer to home in this volume. After the last few books taking them out of London it gives a sense of rest and coziness that might be interpreted as less dramatic, especially with less 'tension' between our hero and heroine. Yet I felt Raybourn still managed to give us a delicious story with unexpected twists - we have many scientists and the studies of medical sciences, embalming, and reanimation (think Frankenstein's monster) are delightfully exciting. I will continue to read these until she kills these two lovebirds off, if it ever comes to that (they have promised to go together, if that is the case).
Thank you so much for the ARC!

Deanna Rayburn has done it again. A Grave Robbery hits all the points of a great murder mystery. Heroes I adore, a plot that continues to thicken, a case to solve and a book I am unable to put down. Stoker and Veronica are my absolute favorite pair of amateur detectives and I can not wait until the next book. Veronica Speedwell is highly recommended reading; But you must start with book one.

I thought this was another wonderful installment in the Veronica Speedwell series! I loved it! The mix of mystery and a touch of gothic horror was fantastic!

Another rollicking adventure with lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell and her lover Stoker. The two are scientists, adventurers, investigators and gadflies. This tale begins when they examine a supposed wax figure along the lines of a Madame Tussaud exhibit only to find it is actually a carefully preserved actual dead body.

They must find out who the woman is, whether she met death by misadventure, and why and how she was so creepily arranged. As usual, there is much derring do, many volatile arguments, danger, outrageousness and fun. Over the top in a good way, the two play off each other and always solve the mystery. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have read all of the Veronica Speedwell books with glee, and this one I especially enjoyed. I love the adventure, and Veronica and Stoker's relationship, and all of it. I hope there are a million of these.

This series featuring the lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell and her partner (in every sense of the word)—the taxonomist Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, known as Stoker—is an utter delight. There are mysteries, sure, but there is also a great deal of humor, and I no sooner finish one than I long for the next.

The latest installment opens with a golden marmoset that has developed a crush on Stoker and consequent jealousy of Veronica, who returns the animal’s dislike in full measure. Their eccentric boss, Lord Rosemorran, has already filled his own estate to the brim with curiosities of all sorts, and in chapter 1 it becomes clear that he has additional items stashed in various London warehouses, which Veronica and Stoker will one day be charged with cataloguing (assuming they can ever make their way through the existing collection).

One such item is a wax statue of a young woman in medieval dress, and Lord Rosemorran’s irrepressible youngest daughter, Lady Rose (who shares the marmoset’s sentiments about Stoker and Veronica) demands that Stoker insert a mechanism in the wax statue that will make it appear to breathe. This is clearly a setup for a mystery to come, but I won’t say anymore—why spoil the fun?

This ninth in one of my fav histfic-rom-mystery series is a splendid addition. The pace rockets off from page one, Veronica and Stoker and the quirky side characters feel like coming home to a zany family, and there's a nod to Frankenstein when a young woman's body is found encased in wax.

A must-read for anyone who adores this series as I do ... and for readers seeking addictive mysteries that keep you coming happily back for more!

This was an interesting addition to one of my all-time favorite book series. Veronica and Stoker have settled into their highly unconventional but deeply affectionate relationship. Veronica certainly took Stoker’s protestations from the last book to heart. No new dogs, but there is a rather vocal tamarin that makes its presence known throughout the book. Several previously introduced characters come into play in this story as well as a few new ones. It was nice to see Mornaday and J.J. stand up for their own contributions to Stoker and Veronica’s investigations, both past and present. I’m interested to learn more about Spyridon and a certain young person with a new zeal for investigative work.

The mystery itself was quite complex this time around and led Veronica and Stoker in several unexpected directions. Personally, I was fascinated by the idea of an underground train connecting the undertaker’s office to its corresponding graveyard.

Another great read from Raybourn - possibly the last in the series? It inspired me to read her earlier series (Lady Julia Grey) and that was a great thing to have happened.

Another excellent novel in the Veronica Speedwell series. I loved the historical details of the Anatomical Venuses in this mystery. This series both entertains and informs. As always, the author nicely balances Veronica’s romance with Stoker and the mystery itself. Recommend to lovers of historical mysteries.

Awwwww - I do love Stoker and Veronica Speedwell. It is a must-read series for me and I am always happy when I get to reenter their world. This mystery was fascinating and possibly my favorite of the series.