Tag: Deanna Raybourn

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Blog Tour, Book Publicity, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

A Sinister Revenge (Veronica Speedwell, #8)

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5
Series: Veronica Speedwell #8
Publication Date: 3/7/23
Period: Victorian England
Number of Pages: 336

After reading the previous book in this series I was in a quandary about whether I wished to continue reading the series or not. Throughout the series, I have actively disliked Veronica – probably because the author has made her so ‘woke’ that she is rabid in her thoughts, beliefs, and relationships. There is a point where ‘It is all about me’, becomes just downright dislikable and that is where I was with Veronica. Then, with the hurt she delivered to Stoker in the last book, I was about done with Veronica, but I wanted to see how the author was going to manage to leave Veronica as dislikable as she was and still mend the relationship with Stoker. Therefore, I picked up a copy of this book. Let us just say I was pleased with some of the personal epiphanies Veronica had and the seeming character growth for her. I say seeming because that remains to be seen in future books. No, I didn’t come to like Veronica, but I was pleased to see her growing (seemingly anyway) into a multi-dimensional human where she seemed to realize she wasn’t perfect and actually had flaws.

Viscount Tiberius Templeton-Vane (Stoker’s brother) has received a death threat and he has deduced that two (maybe three) previous murders are connected. Tiberius knew he needed the help of Stoker and Veronica, so he and Veronica tracked Stoker to a remote area in Bavaria. Stoker agreed to return to England and help his brother, but he offered no olive branches to Veronica (YAY! Stoker). He was civil to her, but no matter what overtures she made, he very politely rebuffed them.

Tiberius was once part of a group of friends known as the Sinful Seven – not that they were particularly sinful. Twenty years previous one of those seven died when he fell off an unstable cliff during a house party at Tiberius’s home. As magistrate for the area, Tiberius’s father declared the fall accidental and they all went on with their lives. Only, now, they wonder if perhaps it was murder rather than an accident – and the person threatening Tiberius is now seeking revenge for the death.

Tiberius’s solution is to hold a house party with the same attendees as the house party of twenty years ago. Surely the original murderer is among those attendees – and possibly the current murderer as well. Can they catch not one, but two killers? Everyone is so likable, how could any of them have committed murder? There are plenty of red herrings and clues dropped to let you follow the breadcrumbs. Will you be surprised? Perhaps – perhaps not.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than the last one, so I will recommend it. I did think it was a bit draggy in parts and the narrative was (as always) a bit ponderous and formal. For me, the best part of the story centered around Veronica’s personal epiphanies and her character growth rather than the mystery itself. I will read the next book to see if the growth continues. I hope you will enjoy the story should you choose to read it.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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An Impossible Impostor by Deanna Raybourn

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, Historical Mystery, Part of a Series, Victorian Era (1837-1901)2 Comments

An Impossible Impostor (Veronica Speedwell #7)Barbara’s rating: 3/3.5 of 5 Stars
Series: Veronica Speedwell #7
Publication Date: 2/15/22
Period: Victorian
Number of Pages: 336

When I read a book, I want to get lost in the story. I want to forget I’m reading and hear the character’s voices speaking as the story unfolds. Unfortunately, this story just didn’t get me there. I like this series, but for some reason, this particular addition to the series felt too convoluted and the situations felt too forced. There are certainly plenty of plots within plots to keep you wondering who is doing what to whom – maybe too many of those. I think the ONLY person I liked in this book was Stoker – and he ended up being hurt emotionally. Why do authors feel the need to do that? There wasn’t a real reason for it other than to set up the next book and that could have easily been done another way. Perhaps the author was suffering from the effects of the pandemic and isolation. Honestly, if I had read the last chapter or so of the book before I requested the ARC, I would never have requested it. I would have just skipped this book and waited for the next one when it is released — and that is mostly because of the ending. I did not like it.  Overall, the book was just a bit depressing.

There was no murder, little real mystery, and way too much drama about Veronica’s past. Who would have thought we still had more secrets to learn from Veronica’s past. I mean – goodness – enough already. I thought the story was slow at times and those blazing, fiery interactions between Stoker and Veronica just weren’t really there this time. We do get an imposter, an abduction, a very, very valuable stolen jewel, and some pretty vile villains. Those just weren’t enough to suck me into the story.

I found the first bit of the story very entertaining because Stoker and Veronica are traveling back from the continent with a baby (not their own) and the situations that are described are definitely funny. It was the best part of the book!

The gist of the story is: Upon their return to England, Sir Hugo Montgomerie, the head of Special Branch of Scotland Yard approaches them to handle a personal matter for him. They eventually agree and travel to Hathaway Hall on Dartmoor. When they arrive, they find a highly dysfunctional family. Has Jonathan Hathaway really returned from the dead or is it an imposter? Veronica knows right away but then doesn’t tell anyone. Why wouldn’t she tell given what he had done to her in the past? Anyway – a large, irreplaceable diamond is stolen and Jonathan is blamed. He swears he didn’t do it and Veronica believes him – go figure. Lots of things go on – including abductions – while they are trying to uncover the real thief. Then – at the end – well – things aren’t very good between Veronica and Stoker and …

If you choose to read this book, I truly hope you love it. There are lots of 5-star reviews out there and I hope yours will be one of them. For me, however, it left much to be desired and created a lot of absolutely unnecessary emotional turmoil.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews