Loved this book. Veronica and Stoker are the perfect pair. The book was well written and the characters were developed nicely. I love that Veronica doesn’t fit in with the mores and etiquette of the time. I can’t wait for more in the series.

Fast-paced, witty, and brimming with tension, this third installment in the Veronica Speedwell series is Raybourne at her finest.

In this installment, Stoker and Veronica are tasked with solving the disappearance of John de Morgan and a certain Egyptian relic which may or may not be directly related to John’s disappearance. At the center of this case is Caroline de Morgan, and subsequently Stoker himself, as Caroline is the woman who broke his heart and John is his former best friend who stole her away. As in true Raybourne fashion, a myriad of characters are introduced as the mystery unfolds, and Stoker and Veronica work together to sort of piece everything together, but not without getting into their fair share of trouble along the way. Egyptian artifacts, a mummy’s curse, and a jaunt through London’s sewers are all in a (typical) days work for these two, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

A Treacherous Curse was by far my favorite installment in this series thus far. Stoker’s past has always been hinted at and while some bits and pieces have been revealed, never has the story surrounding both his time in the Amazon and his ex-wife been fully explored. Much to my surprise and delight, it’s finally revealed in this book and I loved how an entire storyline was created around the reveal of his past. Fairly heartbreaking, as I’ve always known it would be, but also quite surprising the things we learn of Dear Revelstoke. Add to that, there’s an incredible amount of romantic tension concerning Veronica and Stoker this time around, and this book hit all the right buttons for me.

Stoker’s and Veronica’s relationship is certainly one of the things, among many, that keeps me running back to this series. I adore their partnership on so many levels and I love that while a romantic relationship between the two is almost a guarantee, it hasn’t happened quite yet. Not only has it not happened, but there’s an incredibly slow burn and a incrementally small build-up, and it’s going to be worth the wait when they finally get together. Their relationship is built on mutual respect for one another, and their friendship and partnership are one of the strongest I’ve ever encountered and I have no doubt that all of the above will make their romantic relationship (when it happens, because it has to) be that much better. This series is first and foremost a mystery series, with a very minuscule amount of romance and when the romance finally takes hold, it’s going to be amazing and well worth the tension and the drawn out process.

Bottom line - incredibly fun and witty, this series continues to delight and enchant me, with its dynamic cast of characters and the interesting and adventurous (and often hilarious) mysteries. Highly recommend both this series and this installment, and I’ll certainly be looking forward to Veronica and Stokers next adventure.

*eARC received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Once again Deanna Raybourn has crafted a fine tale.
The attention to period details, here including digging in Egypt, is impressive in its detail without bogging the story down in information dumping.
Veronica Speedwell is a richly formed character, fully developed in all her idiosyncrasies. She is totally devoted to her partner, Stoker. More so to him than he is to himself at times!
The mysterious goings on are interesting and the solution satisfying.
I look forward to Miss Speedwell's further adventures. It will be quite interesting to see where the undeniable connection she and Stoker have leads to. Should they come together at last, the fire brigade better stand by!

tl;dr Review:

If you love this series, you’ll love this book!

Full Review:

I’d already read the first two books in this series about Veronica Speedwell (A Curious Beginning followed by A Perilous Undertaking) and had resigned myself to having to wait until the third book came out in the new year.

That is until I stumbled upon an ARC on NetGalley and literally shouted with joy and pumped my fist. (Yes, I’m weird. It’s fine.)

Because I fear in my excitement that I may give too much away in trying to describe the story, here’s the description offered by the publisher:

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Members of an Egyptian expedition fall victim to an ancient mummy’s curse in this thrilling Veronica Speedwell novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries.

London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess.

This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London. But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past.

Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything…

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That description right there should be enough to make you pick it up (although I do highly recommend you read the first two in the series prior to reading this one).

I had already fallen in love with the no-bullshit attitude of Veronica and loved how she is brilliant enough to ignore and/or manipulate men to her advantage. (I know that sounds bad, but trust me, it’s not.)

I also loved the irascible Stoker and enjoyed their consistent verbal sparring.

Outside of already loving the series, author Deanna Raybourn has a way of drawing you in with an entirely new tale and aspect of Victorian England with each book. This one brought me into the mindset of those that were raiding (though they’d call it preserving) Egyptian tombs in the 1800s. Despite this being a fictional story, it was fascinating to see the way society reacted to these expeditions back in their day.

Another reason I enjoy these books? Because as much as I try to figure out where they are going or who the bad guy is or what the ending will be, Ms. Raybourn always leaves me confounded. Even when I think I have it, she loops back on me and throws my assumptions to the wind.

If you’re looking for an exciting mystery peppered with hilarious social commentary of the time and a bad-ass protagonist, you’ll want to give this book a read.

I almost think I’ve come to a point where I just rate this book highly because it’s everything I could ever want in a historical fiction and then some. Set in Victorian England, following an independent and strong-willed woman while she sleuths with a handsome and devilish man. It’s quite perfect, really, and while mysterious aren’t my usual genre, I can’t stay away from these books.

I’ve enjoyed this series from the moment I finished A Curious Beginning, and this book is absolutely no exception. Raybourn simply has a magical way with words that brings you straight into the heart of Victorian England and into the lives of her characters. They are multi-faceted, three-dimensional, and you really want them as your own friends!

Veronica and Stoker are approached, once more, to solve a mystery and this one has been brought from across continents, weaving mythology and blurring the lines of reality…at least for a bit. One of things I loved most about this book is how raw and open we see Stoker, and for good reason. He’s an honest, good man, and he has kept most of his inner turmoil to himself, despite a growing friendship with Veronica. We learn even more about his past, and y’all know I love a good backstory. Stoker is no exception. Not only is he a dedicated friend, but he was also a dedicated husband despite what the world threw at him afterward.

We also see Veronica and Stoker’s friendship (I’m hesitant to call it a romance, really) solidify. Granted, we get a bit of that toward the end of the previous book, A Perilous Undertaking, but I think even Veronica is surprised with how open Stoker is about his past and she knows there’s no stopping him once he gets on a tangent. Truthfully, I think she’s quite relieved as well, because she’s curious about him as well, but doesn’t quite have the courage to ask him about it, though she’s heard rumors.

As I’ve said before, I’m rather bad at deducing who could be the possible culprit, so the ending was far more surprising than I thought it would be. However, minus the disappearance and subsequent events, it almost seemed a good jest but with horrible consequences. Despite that, I quite like the new characters, and chuckle with the old ones, especially good ol’ Lady Wellie. Veronica’s past is still on the table, though she would rather ignore it as those in hers have done, but we see that it’s slowly beginning to catch up with her. Yet I’m unsure if Veronica is willing to accept it, especially with some things that popped up in this book.

I am definitely interested to see where Raybourn will take these characters. There’s 2 more books about this one, and I’m almost at this point where things become repetitive, so I’m almost expecting a good shocker from book 4 and especially book 5. I’m torn about how I want the relationship between Stoker and Veronica to progress, as I’m afraid that if something romantic develops, their friendship could possibly go downhill, and I definitely don’t want that.

A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn is the third novel in the Veronica Speedwell series. Set in London, 1888 it shares Victorian mysteries and the friendship and antics of Veronica, the bastard daughter of the Prince of Wales and the troubled Stoker Revelstoke Templeton-Vane. In this installment, Stoker's former best friend is missing as well as an Egyptian artifact. Throw in an ex-wife, an Egyptian God, and Veronica's tenacious need to investigate and you've got an addictive read that will entertain you as you work to solve the case. 

Veronica Speedwell is one of my favorite characters. She is brazen, witty and a free thinker. The banter, and teasing she tortures Stoker with making them the ideal pair. While romantic notions are hinted at between them, the case takes front and center. Each book contains a new case, but I recommend starting at the beginning of the series for character development, relationships and because they are fantastic historical mysteries! Full review to post at Caffeinated on January 15th.

A Treacherous Curse was another fun romp of a historical mystery featuring Veronica Speedwell and her male counterpart, Stoker. This one had an engaging mystery that involves and sheds some light on the mysterious Stoker.

What I liked best about the book was Veronica and her gumption. She is a spirited, gutsy heroine, and is one who is ahead of her time.

The main characters, Veronica and Stoker, were, as in the previous books of the series, delightful, and the storyline was one that caught and held my attention. I really liked the backdrop with the archaeology and the Egyptian curse.

I am looking forward to more adventures for these two! Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Fun, quirky and just shy of “evah-so-propah,” A TREACHEROUS CURSE by Deanna Raybourn is Victorian mystery and adventure at its most entertaining. An ancient mummy’s curse seems to be claiming the members of an Egyptian expedition and the plucky Veronica Speedwell is on the case. A man from Stoker’s past has gone missing, as has a priceless artifact from the tomb of an Egyptian princess. Is this part of the curse? Is Anubis actually walking the streets of London on a mission of revenge?

Veronica is one of those heroines you can’t help but adore, brilliant, witty, and more like a tiger lily with claws than a shrinking violet. Who wouldn’t like a woman strong enough to go with her instincts and blaze her own trail, rather than follow the crowd?

A TREACHEROUS CURSE is a fast and a refreshing escape into another time following a heroine who is always full of surprises as she gleans the facts from the chaff of fantasy to get to the truth.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley.

Series: Veronica Speedwell - Book 3
Publisher: Berkley (January 16, 2018)
Publication Date: January 16, 2018
Genre: Victorian Suspense
Print Length: 320 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Another thoroughly enjoyable Veronica Speedwell mystery - I love this series and hope there are many, many, many more adventures ahead for Veronica and Stoker.

I love Deanna Raybourn, and I've been enjoying Veronica Speedwell, but the series is declining for me. I was pretty excited that their latest investigation would be revolve around Egyptology, so that made this book especially disappointing. And to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what the problem was. Maybe it was me. The dialogue didn't get me, the mystery didn't catch my attention (even with some interesting details, like the Dover hotel room changing overnight), they don't go to Egypt and the Egyptian elements that are there seem irrelevant to the plot... I don't know, I feel like it just has to be my mood this week because I know that Deanna rocks, and I'll be reading A Dangerous Collaboration as soon as it comes out!

“I assure you, I am perfectly capable of identifying a phallus when I see one,” Stoke informed me, clipping the words sharply. “And that is no such thing.” (quote from text)

A Treacherous Curse (Veronica Speedwell #3) by Deanna Raybourn. I am going to preface my review with a a personal note. This was the first eARC I have received that caused jubilation. I requested this book from NetGalley never expecting to get it. When that accepted e-mail hit my inbox I legitimately danced for joy. I absolutely adored the first two books in this series, A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking, and to get my hands on this one early was wonderful.


~~London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.

But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything. . . . (from Goodreads)~~

This is going to be an very unorthodox review. Why? Because I am going to babble incoherently in admiration about everything in this book. It includes Ancient Egyptian mythology and history which is one of my favorite topics. Not favorite topic in history, not favorite topic in literature, just favorite topic. Period.

So, we have a historical mystery with a strong female lead and it includes my passion for ancient history. I’m not sure this book could be any perfect for me. Okay, fangirl moment over. Maybe. We’ll play it by ear.

Characters

A Treacherous Curse, the third book in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, once more features Speedwell herself along with her friend and partner, Stoker. Speedwell has not changed a bit and is still an intelligent, opinionated, driven, independent woman. Despite the fact that this series takes place in a time when women were still considered the lesser of the species, Speedwell absolutely shines and does not take crap from anyone. She is bold and fierce and I absolutely admire the character.

Stoker is still every bit the roguish gentleman. I always enjoy seeing how his roguish, rough personality competes with the cultured and refined gentleman he was raised as. He can be absolutely brutish at times while still being a nobleman. Of all the characters I think that he has the most depth. Stoker has killed both animal and man but he can still be hurt and brought to his knees by the emotional and mental anguish caused by his ex-wife.

Plot

As much as I love this book I will admit that it felt like it took a bit to get rolling. We quickly learn that Stoker’s ex-wife’s new husband has gone missing along with a priceless diadem from their archaeological dig in Egypt. It is assumed by the initial investigation that the man left his wife and took the diadem for money, fleeing the country. Another theory plants Stoker as an evil-doer who murders the man for taking his wife. In an effort to salvage what is left of Stoker’s reputation, he and Speedwell endeavor to find the man and the missing diadem.

Along the way, the pair encounter Anubis, the Egyptian god of the dead, who appears to be haunting the streets of London as well as a sinister plot rooted within the archaeological expedition itself.

While the investigation certainly got complicated by the end, none of it felt unbelievable. Anyone who enjoys mysteries has encountered one where the plot gets so convoluted that it becomes unbelievable. This one, while certainly having many twists and turns, never crosses that threshold. Every discovery and deviation has a purpose that, while not always making sense at the time, is tidily tied up in a bow without loose ends at the conclusion. That is something I love about the Speedwell mysteries, there is no stone left unturned but every stone has a purpose.

Overall Thoughts

I mentioned already how much I loved this book. Deanna Raybourn has yet to write a dud, the woman is magic. This story did feel like it took a bit to get rolling but once it did I could not put it down. It absolutely grabbed me and sucked me in, I had to find out who did it and why!

The humor in this book also gets to me. If you glanced at the quote at the beginning of this post, you can see Stoker and Speedwell are bantering about a phallus. In this case they are arguing over an artifact that Veronica has unearthed from a shipping crate. In my opinion, it takes great talent and humor to make your opening scene an argument over ritualized fertility art without it becoming lewd. Instead, it is witty and gives you great insight into your characters within just a few lines. This discussion over erotic art lets you know quickly that Veronica Speedwell is not the typical lady of the Victorian period and that she has intelligent opinions and is not afraid to voice them.

I would highly recommend reading this book and the entire series, it is a historical mystery at its finest. Well written, witty dialogue, intelligent characters, depth of plot, it has everything. If you enjoy the genre and haven’t given Raybourn’s books a shot, you should!

I really love this series. It might be my second favorite of all time (the top spot goes to the Parasol Protectorate series (also at the time of posting this the entire series in Kindle format is $16.99- a STEAL), of course). This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and I seem to love each book more and more. I laughed all through this book and kept a running list of new sophisticated Victorian words to learn.

As you might suspect from the series title, these are mystery books. More specifically- murder mysteries. Or missing persons. Either way, they're great! Veronica is a Lepidopterist (butterfly scientist) and likes to travel and wear pants. Her counterpart, Stoker, is a curmudgeony fellow and they work together cataloguing the collection of butterflies/taxidermy/art/etc of a gentleman with a title. In this book, Veronica and Stoker investigate the disappearance of his ex-wife's husband, which may be linked to an Egyptian curse. We learn more about his back story in regards to that and we just might find out more about the future of Veronica and Stoker. The last two words of the book absolutely killed me (disclaimer: I read an ARC and the ending could be different in the final version).

Here's my review for the first and second books in this series. A Treacherous Curse will be out on January 16, 2018. I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is just delightful to read. The chemistry between Veronica and Stoker is fun but still believable, and the characters surrounding them are fantastic. We do get to see some of the minor characters fleshed out a bit, and I appreciate that. They add a whole new level to this series, and I love how some of them are developing.
The plot of this one really enchanted me, and I love that we got to dive a little deeper into Stoker's side of the story. The Egyptian history and lore that mixed into this book was fun to read, and it wasn't difficult to understand. This series to this point has been a nice, cozy series for me to read, and I enjoyed every second! Can't wait until the next one!

This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries by Deanna Raybourn, due out January 16th, 2018 from Penguin/Random House - Berkley imprint.

This is a Victorian cozy mystery with modern characters, language and, mostly, sensibilities. It goes quite well on a shelf with Amelia Peabody, Kathryn Ardleigh, Charlotte Pitt, and others in that vein. I love that genre (Victorian cozy mysteries with plucky modern heroines?). I don't think many would argue that a big pot of Earl Grey tea, a wet and wintry afternoon and a fully charged kindle loaded with modern Victorian mysteries is a guaranteed recipe for bliss.

Other reviewers have done a stellar job of summarizing the plot. I'll just add that the pacing is well done and though the book is relatively long, at 352 pages, it doesn't drag. The story is cleverly written and even though the dialogue is fairly snarky in places, I didn't feel tempted to roll my eyes much at all.

I like that Veronica is a lepidopterist and naturalist. I also enjoyed the romantic tension between her and her colleague Stoker. Even though it seems inevitable that they will wind up together, I hope Ms. Raybourn delays the inevitable as long as possible. The book is well written and the scene descriptions are wrought with care and technical expertise.

The cover art for this series is beautiful and intricate.

Four stars

Deanna Raybourn continues her series of late-Victorian historical mysteries featuring the intrepid lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell and her piratically handsome, enigmatic associate, Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (Stoker)  in A Treacherous Curse.  The big draw of this third instalment was the prospect of at last getting to know more about Stoker’s chequered – and sometimes heartbreaking - past and what exactly happened to turn him into a social pariah with the blackest of reputations.  We’re also treated to a mystery concerning  a missing Egyptian artefact and an ancient curse - and the two storylines are inextricably linked by virtue of the fact that one of the parties involved is none other than Stoker’s ex-wife, Caroline. 

A Treacherous Curse can easily be read as a standalone, but readers will gain a far greater understanding of the still-evolving, complex relationship between Veronica and Stoker by reading the novels in order.  I’ll also say now that there are likely to be spoilers in this review for the earlier books, so proceed with caution if you have yet to read them. 

If you have read the previous books, then you’ll know that Veronica and Stoker have been employed by the Earl of Rosemorran to catalogue his family’s vast collection of art, artefacts, natural history specimens and mementoes with a view to eventually curating a museum, and that they both work and live on site at the Belvedere, a ‘singularly extraordinary structure’  in the grounds of Rosemorran’s Marylebone estate.  Although they have separate apartments, their living arrangements are regarded as being somewhat unorthodox, but then they’re unorthodox individuals, both fiercely independent free-thinkers, estranged from their families and not really caring about the strictures of society.  These commonalities are just two of the things that bind this unusual pair; from almost the beginning of their association, each recognised in the other a kindred spirit, and Ms. Raybourn has done a splendid job of developing their friendship and strengthening their unique bond, a bond that relies on an almost soul-deep connection and a love for each other that goes far beyond the romantic and sexual attraction that continues to crackle between them. 

“Whatever this thing is that makes us different, this thing that makes quicksilver of us when the rest of the world is mud, it binds us.  To break that would be to fly in the face of nature.”

(Stoker in A Perilous Undertaking). 
Veronica and Stoker are surprised when they are approached by Sir Hugo Montgomerie of Special Branch and asked to look into the disappearance of John de Morgan, the man who had once been Stoker’s closest friend.  De Morgan was engaged as photographer for Sir Leicester Tiverton ‘s most recent expedition to Egypt, but departed unexpectedly and was accompanied back to England by his wife - whose very public divorce from Stoker some years earlier saw Stoker disgraced and vilified.   

Sir Hugo explains that the de Morgans stopped for the night in Dover, and in the morning, John de Morgan was discovered to have vanished, along with a priceless diadem from the tomb of Princess Ankheset.  Making things even more intriguing is the fact that not only have man and artefact gone missing, but so has John de Morgan’s hotel room!  Caroline de Morgan states that her husband’s room was blue with rose-print wallpaper – yet no such room exists, and according to the hotel proprietor, Mrs. de Morgan was travelling alone.  Add to this the rumours of a curse affecting members of the dig and the sightings of the figure of Anubis (the Egyptian god of the dead) striding through the streets of London and the stage is set for an entertaining mystery in which our heroes must dispel a curse, fight for their lives, battle vicious rumour and find a murderer. 

With that said, however, the mystery feels a little less intricately plotted than those in the other books, and it does take a bit of a back seat to the unravelling of Stoker’s backstory - although I’m not going to complain about it, given I’ve been very eagerly awaiting that very thing.   

Veronica and Stoker know it’s only a matter of time before the press gets hold of the story, and that once they do, they’re going to “hunt you [Stoker] like a pack of feral dogs” and take great delight in dredging up all the old scandal that painted him as the worst sort of villain, a man whose wife was so terrified of his violent nature that she took advantage of the offer of escape made her by his friend,  filed for divorce and then married said friend.  We already know Stoker was wronged, and now, Ms. Raybourn fills in the gaps and reveals the whole truth behind his ill-fated marriage and how his career as one of the foremost explorers and natural scientists of the age came to an ignominious end.  I love the way she reveals Stoker to be a man of sensitivity and vulnerability while at the same time showing him to be possessed of an incredible determination and inner-strength: 

“I have watched you claw your way back to life in the past months, taking an interest in your work, in your future.  You have been the agent of y our own resurrection, and you do not even see it… You are a savage miracle, Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, knit together by the hands of Nature herself.” 

The way Veronica so passionately champions Stoker is one of the things I really enjoyed about her in this book.  She’s opinionated, independent, flawed and unconventional (and thankfully, Ms. Raybourn has toned down those ‘look at me, I’m unconventional!’ aspects of Veronica’s character that grated in the last book), but she will fight to the death for what she believes in – and she believes in Stoker.  That’s not so say that things are all one-sided; far from it, as we already know that Stoker would do the same for Veronica (and did, when he took a bullet for her at the end of A Perilous Undertaking).  That unquestioning loyalty is one of the things that makes their friendship so special, but I will admit that I’ve become a little impatient at its lack of development in this novel. On the one hand, the author has done a terrific job of building and showing her readers a strong, deeply affectionate and trusting relationship between two extraordinary people; a pair of social misfits who have been lucky enough to find the one person in the world who truly understands them and sees them for who and what they are.  And that’s wonderful.  BUT…  given the off-the-charts sexual tension that has existed  between the couple from the get-go,  I’ve been expecting their relationship to turn romantic, and so far, it hasn’t.  It’s fairly clear that this is partly because both Stoker and Veronica value what they have so greatly that they are wary of changing it, but this book (like the others) is littered with references to the fact that Veronica has the serious hots for Stoker – she’s forever ogling his gorgeously muscled body and pointing out that he has no idea what a babe magnet he is… and after three books, it’s become just a bit tedious and more than a bit frustrating.  With the truth of Stoker’s past now out in the open, I’d expected a little movement on the romantic side of their relationship and although it seems that both of them are, at different points, on the verge of an important revelation, it wasn’t enough to satisfy my shippy little heart. 

YMMV, of course; the mystery is fun, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the secondary characters – of whom my favourite is undoubtedly Lady Wellie, the doyenne of society who knows everyone and everything there is to know – are expertly crafted.  A Treacherous Curse earns a strong recommendation in spite of my quibbles, and I’ve got my fingers crossed for a bit more romance in the next instalment. 

Buy Now: A/BN/iB/K

This is the third book in the Veronica Speedwell series. Naturally there will be spoilers for the first two books in the review below. Don’t forget to check out my reviews of A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking.

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After the adventures of the past two books, Veronica and Stoker have eased in to a unique sort of friendship. Kept busy cataloguing the vast (and strange) collections of the Earl of Rosemorran, who hopes to turn his family’s collection of oddities into a museum. When a cursed Egyptian expedition, complete with mysterious deaths and disappearances, makes the tabloids, irrepressible Veronica can’t resist getting involved, especially once it becomes clear that Stoker has a dark past with one of the curse’s victims. With scandal threatening to undo her friend, Veronica wades into the breach, determined to prove Stoker’s innocence.

Deana Rayboun continues her comedic-romantic-Victorian-mystery series in fine form. She provides plenty of ribald humor, sexual tension, and a juicy mystery. By this point in the series, we are well beyond the awkward introduction portion, and can simply sit back and enjoy watching the characters bounce off one another. In A Treacherous Curse, we get to see the relationship between Veronica and Stoker deepen and mature (possibly the wrong word choice here) as Stoker’s past comes back to threaten him in the present. Though I’ll confess that it took me a bit to warm up to her, Raybourn has quite a fun, strong character in Veronica Speedwell. Here is a woman who knows what she wants and society be damned.

Fans of the first two books will enjoy this continuation of the series. Anyone looking for an atypical Victorian mystery series should add this to their TBR.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"I have seen evil, and it wears a smiling face."

This book was so much fun! Veronica Speedwell is a brilliant female protagonist: she’s stubborn, confident, indipendent and unapologetic and i loved her. She loves the challenge and she believes in herself, there’s no mystery she can’t solve.
the story is fun and engaging and the mystery is great. The relationship between Veronica and her partner Stoker is hilarious and if you’re looking for a good adventure, full of witty remarks, sassines, near to death experiences, Egypt mystery and with a victorian London background… don’t waste time!

Bam! Every now and then you find a book that is super, and this is one of those books. I hadn't read this author before, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was tight enough to not have me lost even though I hadn't read the prior books. Victoria era is often one of my favorites and this one rocked it.

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

It look a little bit of time for me to get into this series but, now that I have, I really look forward to each installment. A Treacherous Curse is the third in the series, and I enjoyed it very much. There was a lot of great character development, and I feel like the series is moving forward and not just teasing the inter-character relationships.

I look forward to the next volume.