It is rare that I read a historical fiction, but once I read the description, I could not resist.

Veronica Spinwell did not disappoint. A murder mystery set in England in 1887.

THIS. This is how you write a mystery. I was hooked from the first chapter and after that, all hope was lost for me. I couldn't put the book down--and I didn't want to, at all. The words, the characters, everything about this was amazing and I loved everything about it! I can't wait to read more!

I've always wanted to read a Deanna Raybourn book, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading this series. I found the protagonist interesting, and I thought the book was well plotted with an engaging storyline that kept me interested until the conclusion.

All hail the genius that is Deanna Raybourn. I loved this book. I loved everything about it. From the characters to the plot itself and everything in between. Veronica and Stoker are two of my current favorite literary characters; interesting, engaging, relatable, and just so human. They are so fully realized and realistic and that is, in part, what grabs you and pulls you into the story. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After burying her last remaining 'relative', noted lepidopterist, Veronica Speedwell soon finds herself drawn into a wicked tangle that may be her downfall. Knowing that her 'aunts' aren't blood relatives, Veronica has been happy enough with her lot in life, and her travels across the world, and was planning on another expedition when her cottage is ransacked, and a German baron claims she is in danger and needs to follow him to London. Placed in the protection of the mysterious and tempestuous Stoker, Veronica soon discovers that the truth about her parentage may be more extreme than anyone can imagine, and Veronica and Stoker are embroiled in a murder plot, and have to flee.

I will admit, I've had this book on my TBR for years now, and it was only when my library reopened after lockdown 3 that I decided to request a physical copy and finally mark it off. And, I am so glad I did. Admittedly, it was a little slow to get into, but once we were into the action, and had met both Veronica and Stoker, I was hooked. The premise of the story was fantastic, and the mystery blew me away - I never expected it to go as far as it did, but can not wait for the revelations to be explored further in the other books. For the main characters, both had such rich backstories, that were only started to be delved into, and now knowing that this is a six book series, I feel like the author can really do the pair justice, and hope that the chemistry and hints of romance becomes solid - they are a couple that really give you the feels, and are made for each other. Roll on book 2!

This first book in the new Veronica Speedwell Mystery series was full of mystery, danger, adventures and a dash of romance. It is 1887 and Veronica Speedwell, a free spirited lepidopterologist (butterfly scientist), has come home for the death of her guardian. Now that her two "aunts" have passed away, the orphaned and illegitimate Veronica, is free to pursue her life abroad, searching for elusive butterflies and having the occasional dalliance with men, but never in England and never with Englishmen. Her plans are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious Germans gentleman, Baron von Stauffenbach, who saves her from an abduction and tells her he is there to save her life. Veronica is more than able to protect herself with her trusty hatpin and intelligence, but she accepts the Baron's ride to London. Once there the Baron brings her to the dwelling of his friend, Stoker, a taxidermist with an eye-patch, scars, tattoos and a surly disposition. When the Baron is murdered, Stoker and Veronica go on the run to find out why. Their adventures take them to a travelling circus and numerous escapes from danger. Meanwhile, Veronica and Stoker, discover secrets about each other and one that could topple Queen Victoria's monarchy. I could not put this down and I cannot wait for further adventures! Highly recommended!!!

The first in the series, A Curious Beginning introduces readers to scientifically-minded and free-thinking Veronica Speedwell. She is a woman out of her time, speaking her mind no matter the consequence and valuing her independence. She earns her own living and travels the world, and engages in romantic dalliances with no strings attached. When her aunt dies, Veronica sets off to find adventure, only to find herself drawn into an unexpected mystery when someone tries to kidnap her. Then a kindly baron who tries to help her is murdered. She still cannot imagine why anyone would target her. Joining forces with a friend of the baron's, Veronica and Stoker go on the run to not only protect Veronica, but also to find out just who is behind the plot and why.

Just as I loved Veronica's character, I also fell for the reclusive and rather cantankerous Stoker. He and Veronica are well-matched in wit and intelligence. Stoker is a natural historian who is not so forthcoming about his past. This historical mystery was such a delight to read. I loved the banter between Stoker and Veronica, seeing the slow flame of romance grow between them, and enjoyed seeing the directions the twists and turns took me. I really like Deanna Raybourn's writing style, including her ability to make me feel like I am right there in the pages of the story. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thank you so much for sending me a copy of this book. I wasn’t really expecting to like it very much but I just wanted to give it a try. I ended up really enjoying this book and would love to read more from this author.

I unfortunately was not able to read this book. I was excited when ever I had chosen to download or pick this book up on Netgalley. However, time moves by so quickly and I never got to read it.

Veronica Speedwell, orphaned as a baby and raised by spinster aunts, is an adventurous lepidopterist (butterfly hunter) who travels the world on exciting scientific expeditions. When her last aunt dies, she is prepared to settle her affairs and begin a new life on her own, but surprising circumstances arise. Her home is ransacked, she is almost kidnapped, she is rescued by a mysterious German baron (who knows who her mother is!) who takes her to London. For safety, he leaves her in the care of his friend and natural scientist, Mr. Stoker. Before he can answer any of Veronica's questions, he is murdered, and the police suspect Mr. Stoker. Veronica and Stoker go on the run and try to find the answers to the current murder as well as Veronica's past. And things get quite interesting indeed!

This was a great book. Very well written, spectacular vocabulary (I found myself using the dictionary function on my Kindle app much more than I ever do!), and fast-moving plot with lots of twists along the way. Veronica is a very headstrong and fiesty heroine. She probably doesn't really need saving because she often finds a solution to the problem at hand herself, but Stoker is a good companion for her, although very irritable and mysterious. There are hints at a future romance but nothing happens in this book, so be prepared to be patient! I get the feeling this will be a very "will they/won't they" experience for probably multiple books. Definitely looking forward to continuing the series.

I was given a free e-book from NetGalley in exchange for my opinion.

Interesting and intelligent mystery!
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn!
Veronica is an orphan who has been raised by her Aunt Nell and Aunt Lucy. They weren’t really her aunts but they gave her what she needed. The story opens as Veronica attends the funeral for Aunt Nell. Afterwards, as she’s entering the cottage she resides in, she realizes someone has ransacked the place. She assumes that a burglar was trying to steal whatever they could find after her aunt’s passing. A baron comes to escort her to London for her safety and Veronica can’t fathom that anyone might harm her. She thinks she’s unimportant and happily so. The baron takes her to his friend’s house to keep her safe. This friend goes by the name of Stoker and he’s a complete enigma to Veronica. Little by little, they get to know each other and each other’s stories and secrets. Soon enough, Veronica’s life is threatened and the secret surrounding the danger is brought to light. The secret is a whopper! This is a wonderful mystery filled with intelligent and interesting characters set in Victorian London. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series, 5 stars!

This book reminds me of a movie "Sherlock Holmes" (2009) having the female as a main character instead. The Victorian settings, the brilliant heroine of somewhat Sherlockian nature, the dark secrets of the noblesse and the British vocabulary.
I admit to have been amused a few times, yet I was not able to connect to the novel. There is something uncanny about the heroine, whom I can not relate to, and her many (boring) mentions of her carnal desires do not add to my liking of her. Her rugged pirate-like companion with a tender, broken heart is more likable, but maybe just because he has some feelings (and I have always liked the Watson characters). And the perusal of the (seemingly) proper vocabulary combined with the modern sensitivites feels pretentious to me.
Maybe the next story will have more originality (and sleuthing) in it?

Enjoyed this book as much as Raybourn's Lady Grey series. I would definitely recommend this series to any patron interested in historical fiction and/or mysteries with a plucky heroine.

I don’t even know where to start with this review. I loved everything about A Curious Beginning. The setting, the characters, the style of writing, the storyline…it was all wonderful.

The setting of London and some surrounding areas are great. I could picture the warehouse that Stoker lived in, both before Veronica and after Veronica. When they traveled I could picture what they were seeing and how they were going in circles to be sure they were not being followed. My favorite was when they joined Stoker’s rather interesting friends in the traveling show. I have heard of such things long ago and think they would be interesting to experience.

While the collecting of animals is not my thing (dead or alive), I loved that right away Veronica and Stoker had that in common from the beginning of their relationship. It was interesting watching them try to figure each other out. They had to learn how to communicate, fight (which they did well), travel, and lose some modesty with each other while still being true to themselves and keeping themselves safe. In a time when men and women did not stay together without being married, I was kept me guessing how they would portray themselves at each step of their journey.

The mystery of who Veronica really is was not something I could solve. I had ideas; I knew that it had to be big if everyone she met was trying to kill her. I kept trying to figure out how everyone fit together and who was working together or against each other. When it was revealed who Veronica truly was, I was shocked. It was truly not what I expected but I was thrilled with the twist. She came to terms with it all pretty easily knowing that if she didn’t she would not stay alive.


Needless to say, I cannot wait for more of Veronica’s travel mysteries. I hope that Stoker continues to keep her in line (haha) and be a big part of her story.

What a wonderful surprise I found in A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn. Our heroine, Veronica Speedwell, is full of curiosity, feisty and smart. Ready to start a new adventure with her new found freedom, she finds herself in a bit of trouble (to put it mildly). Now she and Stoker are trying to get answers. I loved the witty banter between them and their journey full of mystery.

Happy reading!

After reading the first book in Raybourn’s Lady Julia Grey mystery series, I saw that the author had another series, the first two books of which were available on NetGalley. Even though I had some issues with Silent in the Grave, I snapped these up. This series features Veronica Speedwell, a lepidopterist (that’s butterfly enthusiast to you and me) in Victorian England who gets caught up in a mystery surrounding her parentage. She falls in with a brooding, piratical (he wears an eyepatch intermittently) disgraced aristocrat called Stoker, with whom she enjoys verbal sparring. I didn’t love Veronica; she’s a first person narrator who is both a historical anomaly (she takes lovers, but only when traveling outside England on her butterfly expeditions) and kind of a know-it-all brat. For instance, she gloats about withholding information from Stoker, figuring it will serve him right to be kept out of the know. This is in spite of the fact that someone has already been murdered and the two of them are currently on the run. The whole story is sort of absurd but somehow ends up being better than the sum of its parts; I gave it a B.

"In her thrilling new series, Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, returns once more to Victorian England...and introduces intrepid adventuress Veronica Speedwell.

London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth."

Interesting thing about Deanna Raybourn... her series tend to be repacked almost as soon as they're out. Here's the new cover for A Curious Beginning. I'm not sure if I like this more... I guess it's more graphic and elegant but it's also in a style that's starting to be overused. But then again, wait five minutes we'll get another cover.

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
Review by Dawn Thomas
Rating: 5 stars

354 Pages
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group
Release Date: July 12, 2016


Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, British, Historical Victorian era


The story takes place in 1887.Veronica Speedwell has just buried her Aunt Nell. At the cemetery, she spots a man with a waxed mustache. When she arrives back at her home, a large man is ransacking the house. Veronica grabs a sword umbrella and goes after him. When the man grabs her and tries to drag her into a carriage, the waxed mustached man comes to her rescue. He tells her she is in danger and persuades her to go with him to London. Since he offers to pay for the transportation, she agrees. Along the journey, he introduces himself as Max and explains he knew her mother.

Max leaves her with Stoker to keep her safe. When Max is found murdered within hours of delivering Veronica to Stoker, the two of them leave London. During their travels, they arrive at a traveling sideshow where they learn some information.

This is a promising first book in the series. The book is written in first person and in the present tense. The book is well written and the characters are complex. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

This isn't for me. I did not review it on my blog. Thank you for the E-ARC.

First line: I stared down into the open grave and wished I could summon a tear.

Summary: Miss Veronica Speedwell loves adventures and has no desire to be tied down in a marriage of convenience. An unusual specimen of woman in the Victorian era, she is a scientist
— lepidopterist to be exact — who is exceptionally skilled in finding the rare butterflies the world over for her clients. When Veronica's guardian dies, leaving her blessedly, wonderfully alone to pursue the kind of life she wants to live, she finds herself living a true adventure, with the mysterious Stoker. She foils her own abduction, with the help of a German baron with ties to her own mysterious past. But when the baron is found murdered, the chase is on.

Highlights: Veronica is a refreshingly honest character, around whom mysteries seem to abound. She appears to be rather fearless (but not completely), although she is undoubtedly determined to see every adventure through to its end. The story moves along at a perfect pace, not too fast and not too slow, while revealing its secrets perfectly. There is just the right mix of humor and adventure and mystery and suspense, all with a quite satisfactory ending.

Lowlights (or what could have been better): As with any first book in a series, there is time dedicated to setting up the story and characters. However, I did not find that to be distracting or boring in any way.

FYI: Few references to sexual activity (but no graphic sexual scenes at all). After all, Veronica is a woman with much worldly experience.