Love, love, love! I want to read more about these two unlikely companions. Merula is a secret scientist, studying her beloved butterflies in hopes of proving that caterpillars eventually become them. Her Uncle provides her cover in society, but when she presents a butterfly at a salon, the death of an influential patron causes her to go on the run in an effort to prove the butterfly was not the culprit!

Aided by the handsome Raven Roylston, they continue their investigations with the help of an irregular valet and fellow scientist.

The action was fast paced, the relationship between the two was believable, and the mystery was surprising. The murder weapon alone was dramatic and unexpected. I gasped when I read it!

I would love more mysteries with these two characters. I love a strong, independent female character who is most times smarter than her companion, but still finds use in them as well. A true partnership.

An orphan living with her Aunt and Uncle, Merula Merriweather has been secretly hatching and raising exotic butterflies in her uncle's Hot House. She can’t take the credit but is satisfied with allowing her uncle to receive all the praise. A unique and large butterfly has hatched on the day of the the Royal Zoological Society lecture, so she is excited to take it along to show it off.

One of the guests at the meeting is Lord Raven Royston, who is shown early on to be a risk taker (some say gullible), after investing in some new pioneering schemes, which, had they worked, would benefit society. Unfortunately, many of them don't work - it shows the quest to be on the cutting edge of things, and take risks, even if they fail.

Because of it's large size, some people are sceptical that the butterfly is real, and when Raven challenges her to prove her butterfly is real, Merula releases the butterfly from its cage.

Unfortunately Lady Sophia collapses and soon after dies after the poor butterfly lands on her arm. In panic, the butterfly is destroyed and the Society accuse Merula’s uncle Rupert and he’s arrested for murder.

Being a witness and a possible accomplice, Merula's wanted by the police so she goes into hiding, along with Lord Raven and some of his closest friends, including a Valet (who is really more than a valet) and a mad scientist friend, who helps them work out who really committed the murder, since murder is really what it was.  IN order to protect her family there is little contact, and that is via one of the maids.   

Meanwhile there is also the deep grief that Raven has for his dead mother, whose death was either a sad accident or something more sinister (did she jump? was she pushed?). A terrible sadness permeates Raven's family home, which is all but abandoned and staying there only adds to the sadness and mystery of the overall story.  

There are lots of red herrings and plot twists - almost too many to remember and mention (leading perhaps to spoilers!).  So if you are looking for a Victorian set mystery, without all the clever CSI tricks and tools, with just a *hint* of a potential romance, then this is the story for you!

I do enjoy a good historical mystery, and this one makes for excellent reading, true to the Victorian times it's set in.

Murela Merriweather is not your usual airhead Victorian miss with a head full of fripperies; rather she uses her brain, and at a time when society refused to acknowledge that a woman could possibly even think for herself. A foundling, her uncle assists in aiding her to follow her activities and happily provides cover for her. As they set out for the Royal Zoological Society evening, her uncle is regarded as the brains behind her discoveries. However, tragedy occurs, her uncle is arrested and Merula must flee from the authorities in the hope that she can get to the bottom of things and clear his name.

I've thoroughly enjoyed Vivian Conroy's Lady Alkemene mystery series and I really hope this is the beginning of another long and fruitful series. This author has been extremely circumspect in maintaining the time period this novel is set in, and for a reader like me who tends to pick up on these small details, it's like nirvana! At the beginning, this seems like an unsolvable case but the intrepid duo of Merriweather and Royston - an unlikely pairing, perhaps - are not going to give up easily. With dogged determination they unravel the rare clues and keep picking away at the puzzle. With a fully understandable outcome, this is a cracking mystery and one I really got my teeth into. Adroitly planned and skilfully crafted, this is a marvellous enigma and bodes well for an exciting new series. Definitely one I want to follow, and have no hesitation in recommending to lovers of great mysteries.

My thanks to publishers Crooked Lane Books for approving my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

A very good start for a new historical cozy series.
The plot is sound, with no plot hole, and the characters are likeable.
I love Merula, such a strong heroing in an age when women were supposed to be frail.
There some historical inconsistencies but they don't affect the plot and the pleasure of reading.
I look forward to read the next instalment in this series.
Many thanks to Crooked Book and Netgalley for this ARC

3.5 stars

I think this is a good start to a mystery series. There were a couple points that could have been a little tighter. Not too bad though overall and I look forward to the next installment.

What Butterfly Conspiracy results in a woman’s death after a rare butterfly lands on her arm?

Merula is left by her mother at her family’s house as a baby five years after her mother’s escape from the rigid Victorian house’s rules. Luckily, Merula’s fascination with butterflies is supported by her Uncle Rupert.

In those sexist times, Merula’s rare butterfly, Attacus Atlas, must be displayed at a house party by the Royal Zoological Society as her Uncle’s work. When rich Lady Sophia drops dead after handling the rare butterfly, Uncle Rupert is arrested for murder. Merula is helped to escape the house party by Lord Raven Royston known for the public failure of his investments. The two search for the real how and why of Lady Sophia’s death while trying to stay one step before the police. The characters they meet are a treat.

Set in the same world as the Veronica Speedwell series, I enjoyed the self-effacing Merula’s world much better. The Butterfly Conspiracy is completely G rated which is more appropriate for the setting. Plus the mystery and the subtle romantic feeling between Merula and Royston seem more organic. I loved the twists leading up to the conclusion. I can’t wait for the next book in the Merriweather and Royston series.

This book is recommended for Veronica Speedwell fans as well as historical fiction fans that enjoy a good mystery or vice versa. 4 stars!

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

story revolves around Merula,set in the past we follow the events of when discovering exotic animals were still a dubious subject.
Merula took up observing butterflies, studing their phenomenol metamorphosis, under her uncles name.
But little did she know the very day she revealed her studies, someone was murdered in plain sight.
Suspicions had fallen on her butterfly and uncle, so in desperate need to prove that the suspension was ridiculous and also to bring the murderer to light she sets of to do some sleuthing...well dragged into taking up the case and dive into whirlpool of adventure.
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It was a slow start, opening chapter has me doubtful I'd I'll enjoy this book at all., But pushing in I began to enjoy the story, the characters and the mystery solving very much. It had Young Adult time to it and some things were little unrealistic with one person being to come up with all the genius ideas.
I loved the friendship aspect which couldve turned into something romantic but didn't and just stayed cordial... although I hope for more development if sequels are to come. I think I'll enjoy more of these meddling kids.
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Marked as fugitives, in company of strangers, surrounded by illusive facts... Butterfly conspiracy is a clever mystery that captures crime detection, friendship, early science and past era almost precisely.

Goodreads Rating: 4 stars
NetGalley Rating: 5 stars

While I’m not usually one for cozy mysteries, the synopsis of this just sounded too good to not give a try–natural history, mysteries, and platonic crime fighting buddies all in the Victorian era just checked too many boxes to not request.

It took me a few chapters to really get into the story and the characters, but once I did, I enjoyed the ride. Merula and Raven worked well together as society oddballs investigating the mysterious death of Lady Sophia after she attended a Zoological Society meeting. Merula’s rare hand-reared butterfly is assumed to have caused Sophia’s death, and Merula’s uncle is essentially framed for the murder by the butterfly. Meula takes it upon herself to investigate the crime and prove that it wasn’t her uncle behind the mysterious death.

Some of the red herring plots seemed overly strung out, even if they were just there for one chapter, but they weren’t too annoying. The constant recapping of the case thus far was annoying, but seeing as there was no continuous base camp for Merula and friends to set up an official investigation board, verbally reviewing the case made sense. The speculative revelation of how Lady Sophia died was one that was fairly obvious to any modern reader and really didn’t seem like a reveal at all. But the reveal of the whodunit was a surprise and was well built up to, without too many crumbs leading in the perpetrators direction, but enough scenes to establish them as a possible suspect nonetheless.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if, as the series continues, Merula and Raven’s relationship becomes romantic, rather than platonic, but I may still give another installment a try if I’m ever in the mood for a cozy mystery again! It was an engaging start to a new series, and the set up for the next storyline has be intrigued.

She and her uncle are doing a presentation and she's brought her latest accomplishment: A huge butterfly that is gorgeous and she brought to maturity at home. The only problem is that the disbelievers make her open the container she had it in, it lands on the lady in the group, and she dies. They accuse her uncle of murder...

Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 7th.

She knows the butterfly wasn't poisonous. The woman hadn't eaten or drank anything before she came or while she was there. How could she have been poisoned?

I like this team of sleuths, they complement each other well. They also work hard on the case.

It's an odd little mystery but they solve it. I hope to see more of this team in another novel.

Merula Merriweather finds herself deep in a murder investigation when an evening at a Royal Zoological Society meeting includes a dead body. Worst of all, Lady Sophia dies after a butterfly Merula has hatched lands on her arm. The first diagnosis is that the butterfly poisoned her somehow. Merula's Uncle Rupert is arrested for the crime since, of course, the butterfly research had to have been his since women don't do that kind of thing. Also, he had recently had a loud argument with Lady Sophia whose nephew had been courting his daughter Julia.

Merula and a new acquaintance - Lord Raven Royston - manage to escape before Merula's connection to the butterfly can be exposed. The two of them have to find out who killed Lady Sophia while keeping out of the hands of the police. Luckily, Raven has a useful and eclectic variety of friends who will be assisting them with their detecting. Galileo is a science nerd who volunteers to test a second butterfly to assure that the butterflies are harmless and couldn't have killed Lady Sophia. Bowsprit is Raven't valet and a very good detective himself with a wide variety of contacts.

Among the suspects are Mr. Simon Foxwell, Julia's suitor and Lady Sophia's sole heir and Lord Havilock, the evenings host who wants some of his specimens back from Lady Sophia. Their investigation adds more suspects including Miss Knight who was Lady Sophia's companion but was in danger of being let go because Foxwell seemed to be trying to isolate Lady Sophia and make her dependent on him. Also, a young woman who is now a milliner but whose mother was formerly Lady Sophia's cook until being let go for accidentally adding an almond to a recipe which almost caused Lady Sophia to choke.

The mystery was entertaining. I liked Merula's determination to take care of the uncle who took her in and raised her when she was more-or-less left on their doorstep. I liked Raven who had a difficult past of his own. I liked the way the two of them and their contacts managed to figure out who really killed Lady Sophia and why. The setting of London in the 1890s was well done. I am eager to join Merula and Raven on their next adventure in Dartmoor.

The summary of this book sounds interesting, but the writing did not live up to it. The characters were boring and the suspense is lacking. I didn't care who the murderer was by the end of the book.

In my opinion, one of the best Victorian historical mysteries I’ve read recently with likable, relatable characters in the setting of London’s scientific community. Typical for the genre, there are eccentric and devoted friends and an aloof, intriguing, doubting love interest. The superior writing raises the story out of the common morass. The only thing, I think, Merula Merriweather and Victoria Speedwell have in common is their shared love of science, complicated by the fact that ladies did not involve themselves in such pursuits. Merula is calm and level headed and as much as I love Victoria S, she makes me roll my eyes at times. This is a satisfying mystery and a satisfying historical—highly recommended. I'm very much looking forward to the next one.

The Butterfly Conspiracy is compared to Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series which I love, so of course I wanted to read it. Deanna Raybourn is one of my favorite mystery writers and one of the main reasons I love her books is because they are true to the eras she writes about. Deanna knowledge of Victorian era is extensive and her books are historically accurate. I cannot say the same about The Butterfly Conspiracy. When I read historical fiction or historical mystery I want it to be true to the time period, it's one of my biggest pet peeves when it's not.

Even though I somewhat enjoyed the murder mystery part of the book, I was annoyed at how uncharacteristically for Victorian era the characters behaved. A single, young, gently bred woman, even if she is untitled, would not be spending nights in the house with two bachelors and a valet unchaperoned. She would not be traipsing around London alone with these three men or travel with them to the country without her family batting an eye. This would be a big scandal and she would be ruined. I also found it strange that Royston started to call Merula by her given name the next day he met her. That's another thing that would not be done unless they were married or related. I couldn't get past these (and other) historical inconsistencies and ended up not loving the book. I don't think it's in the same league as Veronica Speedwell series, at least not for me.

Every now and then I need to pick up a book that doesn't have an ounce of romance in it, and so when I saw the gorgeous cover (yes, I'm one of *those* people) and read the synopsis, I knew this was a book I had to read. The funny thing is that you can infer romance if you want to, since the two main characters are a man and a woman around the same age who just so happen to be single. And there is a bit of chemistry. But honestly, what you're reading this book for are the colorful descriptions, intriguing characters, and the deadly mystery that has you constantly changing your mind about who done it! I'm so glad to see that this is the first in a series, because I definitely want to read more Merriweather and Royston mysteries.

Merula Merriweather wants very little to do with high society, unless it involves showcasing her zoological discoveries to the men who dominate the field. Since she is a woman, all credit goes to her uncle, however, and that's where the trouble begins. While displaying her newly discovered butterfly to a room of scholars and ladies, it becomes an instrument of murder, and since her uncle is believed to have discovered it, he is also the one believed to be the murderer. Knowing neither she nor her uncle killed anyone, she flees the scene, dragged away by Lord Raven Royston, a bystander who means to keep her safe. Having lost his mother at a young age to a situation beyond his control, he's determined that this time he will save a young woman in distress. Off on an adventure to discover the real murderer, Merula and Raven discover that many people have something to hide and secrets have a way of getting out if you know where to look.

Merula was wonderfully refreshing for that time period! While she knew how society worked and acknowledged her part in it, she also refused to stop doing work that she loved. And her family was so supportive, which was really nice. Orphaned at a young age and taken in by her uncle and his family, she has found a haven with them, and in a world where female intelligence is seen as an oddity, she needed that. Raven was a puzzle - a dark, brooding, I-hope-there-is-a-romance-soon hero who just wanted to keep Merula safe, even at his own expense. His background was told with so much emotion and detail, that the reader feels like they are experiencing it with him. You can't help feel how close the two become once their pasts are revealed. Raven wasn't intimidated by Merula one bit and she wasn't scared of him either, so their pairing as friends and detectives meshed well.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series! It's sure to be an exciting mystery full of adventure. And hopefully, a teensy bit of romance?

Can a single butterfly be the culprit for a death or is the murderer using it for a cover?

Merula has been secretly hatching and raising exotic butterflies. She can’t take the credit but is satisfied with allowing her uncle to receive all the praise. Her latest butterfly has just hatched and she’s beyond excited to show it off at the Royal Zoological Society lecture. But after meeting Lord Raven Royston and having him question whether her butterfly is real, Merula releases the butterfly. Gasps of amazement soon turn to shouts of murder when Lady Sophia collapses and soon after dies after the poor butterfly lands on her arm. The society accuse Merula’s uncle and he’s arrested for murder.

Being a witness, she’s wanted by the police so she goes into hiding, thanks to Lord Raven. As the two work together and investigate the murder of Lady Sophia, a friendship develops. Can Raven and Merula bring the real murderer to justice or has Merula signed her own death certificate by unraveling The Butterfly Conspiracy.

I love a good mystery and you add a strong, intelligent heroine with a dashing Lord in the backdrop of Victoria England, I’m in my happy zone. The plot is well-developed with hints to the mystery dropped in amongst witty dialogue and a cast of intriguing characters. Merula is a fascinating main character with her penchant to go head-first into danger without thinking of her own safety. Lord Raven has a very Heathcliff vibe with a dark past and immense pain hovering below the surface. The two of them work brilliantly together and I look forward to more adventures.

An incredible Victorian Mystery and one I highly recommend!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley in the hopes I’d review it.

My Rating: 5+ stars

A captivating historical cozy mystery and is an excellent debut to a new series. If you are a fa of Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes then you will love this book.

After reading Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series as it stands thus far (first three books), I was in the mood for more historical fiction/Victorian era mystery, with a strong female protagonist. I thought that's what I'd get here in The Butterfly Conspiracy, but it fell a bit short. The characters are a bit flat and I didn't feel invested in their adventure. Without spoiling the plot, once the culprit had been identified at the end of the book, the tone of the book changed and culprit expressed more venom and violence than was previously seen in the rest of the book. I don't mind violence but that scene is just out of character with the rest of the book. It was an easy light read and definitely a book my library will order, but it was missing the wit, and independence I was hoping to get out of the lead female character.

I am a huge fan of Ms Conroy’s Cosy Mysteries for a while now, they are stylish, intriguing and fun to read and when I heard about this new Victorian set series I couldn’t wait to get my sticky fingers on it. I have been avidly awaiting this book for ages and this is just so good, with a feel of Sherlock Holmes this is a fantastic start to what I know is going to be an intriguing and fabulous series.

Set during the dark and somewhat forward-thinking Victorian era – I do love this era! After reading her twenties set, Lady Alkmene series, I have been eager to see what Ms Conroy does with one of my favorite era’s and I have to say that she has taken the Cosy Mystery genre and this era and stamped her name all over it. I was hooked from the onset, the spidery web of intrigue that Ms Conroy has woven, is clever and immersive.

Merula Merriweather would rather be tucked away in her conservatory, tending to her exotic Butterflies which she is hatching or learning the newest in Zoological research. She isn’t bothered about balls and fashion’s or even finding a husband like her cousin, she is a breath of fresh air and definitely a character that women can relate to. Merula has just gone and hatched one of the rarest butterflies in the world and she is eager to show it off to the Zoological society and prove that yes it does exist but as she is a woman in the Victorian era she isn’t allowed so she shows her work under her uncle Rupert’s name.

Merula takes her newly hatched Butterfly along to the Zoological society’s meeting to show it, to say that Merula is excited is an understatement. Once there she meets we meet some of the most interesting people, they really are a mixed bunch and one of their number is the mysterious and rakish Lord Raven Royston – don’t you love that name? It while there that everything goes wrong for Merula, and one thing leads to another and the night is ruined by the murder of a Lady Sophia but more than that her Uncle Rupert has been accused of the murder.

It is at this point that the wonderfully dynamic Raven and intelligent but naive Merula have to join forces to try to solve the murder. This is just the start of what I hope is to be an on going series, these two are brilliant together. They work so well their different personalities bounce off one and other and yet they come together and create this great partnership. I like the fact that there is a hint of a romance between them, it is only a tiniest little thing, but it opens up their story of what could be. I like how Conroy has done that, it makes you wonder but doesn’t take any attention away from the actual story.

It starts off like a regular historical we meet the leading lady, who I thought to be a wonderful and clever lady who is way before her time. Literally she is thinking decades ahead. Then we meet irresistible and charming Raven, he’s great protective and so sure of himself, but he’s got a real soft heart. Once we have left the confines of the house and we delve into the murky world of murder this story becomes something else, capturing your attention. It keeps hold of you throughout the twisty plot until it reaches the climatic end.

So good and highly recommended!

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

I had a really good time with this one. It's an easy read full of mystery and adventure playing out in late Victorian times. It was fun to learn how new inventions came along and medical conditions were discovered. The visit to a vegetarian restaurant put a smile on my face.
The Butterfly Conspiracy deals with the Zoological Society which is another interesting field.
When a death occurs, a team of scientists set out to find the cause. With modern day knowledge I got it about halfway through, but the story was captivating enough to keep me turning pages faster and faster, it's that well written. There's also a good twist in the conclusion.
It didn't want this book to end but although the mystery is solved, the story is 'to be continued'. I will eagerly await the next in series.

This well-researched Victorian cozy is everything you want out of the genre. The great setting, interesting characters, and plenty of clues make this a joy to read!