The mystery and adventure continue with A Dangerous Collaboration, the fourth novel in the Veronica Speedwell series. It’s rare to find a series that maintains its charm, fun, intrigue, and accessibility, but Deanna Raybourn has done exactly that. I love that I gave this series and new author (for me) a chance.

After the almost-revelation that Veronica and Stoker had in A Treacherous Curse, Veronica takes a few months to go on her own excursion without Stoker. When she returns, she finds she’s struggling with dissatisfaction, and there’s a distance between her and Stoker that she doesn’t like but doesn’t know how to bridge.

Her slump is broken with the arrival of Tiberius, Stoker’s half-brother and the Lord Templeton-Vane, who invites Veronica to attend Lord Malcolm Romilly’s house party with him on a remote island off the tip of Cornwall. Sensing a new adventure, Veronica jumps at the chance, even as Tiberius convinces her to pose as his fiancée, to Stoker’s annoyance (oh, hello, trope I absolutely love with all my heart). But there’s more behind this invitation than just a house party, and Veronica and Stoker find themselves investigating the party-goers and their connection to Rosamund, Romilly’s missing wife who disappeared from her own wedding three years ago.

This book’s setting is one of the strongest out of the whole series. It’s nice to get out of London proper and explore this remote island besieged by stormy weather and comprised of eccentric locals. I had as much fun with it as Veronica did. The side characters here are also some of my favorites, each of them being delightfully fleshed out and different from each other, with readers contending with Lord Malcolm’s melancholy to Mertensia’s waspishness.

Tiberius being such a prominent player is another highlight. I continue to love the tension he brings to Stoker and Veronica’s relationship. Tiberius is sly and altogether nefarious, wearing as many masks as some people do clothes, and it’s always a challenge to guess what he’s really thinking. His shameless flirtations with Veronica and proud bisexuality don’t hurt, either. Here, readers get to peek behind the masks and see hints of the real Tiberius, and it’s such an interesting side ship to have with Veronica.

In the end, though, the highest enjoyment I get from this series continues to be with Veronica and Stoker, both them as separate characters and them as a “will-they-won’t-they” couple. I identify with Veronica so much in this installment, with her fears and indecision about pursuing a romance with Stoker, of potentially ruining what she already has with him—yet friendship alone is no longer enough. Stoker’s frustrations with Veronica are equally understandable, and I laughed so hard at how often he came for her life, to try and shake her out of her apparent apathy for him. The sexual frustration is at an all-time high here along with the breaking point.

Above all, though, their understanding of each other, their teamwork, and their dedication continue to make this one of the best relationships I have ever read. It’s not so much that they complete each other because they are complete all by themselves, even if both bear some respective scars from their pasts. Rather, they complement each other so magnificently, it’s hard to look away from how brightly they shine together. Plus, their banter is so enjoyable to read because of how natural it feels and how close they are. Ugh, I just love them so much, and I’m sad to realize this series might be close to its end.

I’m also especially nervous about the plot of the next and possibly final book. Other characters reference the Whitechapel murders as currently taking place at the same time as this book, and we all know what that means. If Veronica somehow gets tangled up with Jack the Ripper, will this series take a suddenly dark turn? Veronica and Stoker’s investigations have been tame compared to the Whitechapel murders, and I’m worried they’re about to get in over their heads, very much still being amateur detectives.

All I can do is wait with hope and trepidation for the next installment (not to mention, for the steaminess between Veronica and Stoker that I deserve).

I love this series. This one was especially good. Veronica and Stoker's brother travel to an island in Cornwall under the premise of acquiring some specimens of a rare butterfly but are thrown into a murder investigation. Not to be left out, Stoker also appears, despite the tension between them. I had figured out the murderer pretty early in the story, but the story itself is rather compelling. It is also fast paced and it sucks you right in. I definitely recommend this one.

This book basically stars, Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, Tiberius Templeton Vane and the great Veronica Speedwell. These three set out on a mysterious adventure on set on a series of Islands. Veronica is the first to be lured away by Tiberius with the promise of an elusive butterfly and Stroker sorta of just follows her. After they get to the Island of Tiberius friend Malcolm Romilly, Veronica finds out the real truth of why they are all there. She also finds out things about Tiberius and Stroker that just might change her life too. But in order for you to find out this great mystery, you need to get this book on March 12th. Now I have a lot of wonderful thoughts on this beautiful book that is just dying to be discussed, on to it. Excelsior

The First thing I am dying to discuss is the great Veronica Speedwell. Veronica really seems to have grown in this book. She comes across as more focus on her work and pursuing it than she has been in other books. She becomes wiser about her life and her family connections more than we have seen of her. Deanna really writes Veronica as a human female who has an independent voice in any situation, and I love that. I also love how Veronica is a very clear cut with her thought process, along with how she can justify all of her thoughts about things. She sees the everyday faults that humans basically do, better than most people would see them. Veronica really is a detective with other people actions. But the thing Veronica does as a character to me is that she has a very hard time seeing her own actions as clearly as everyone else. This character comes off as so Human, that it's hard for me to remember she is just one of my favorite characters.


Now on to Revelstoke Templeton Vane aka Stroker. I have always loved Stroker but this fourth book really shows him as the human that only Veronica has seen. I love how Deanna shows us the deep thought process exploration that Stroker has toward his family in this book. He really learns that maybe he not that different from his family like he wants to believe. Stroker also learns more about Tiberius as the person he is now instead of what old memories that Stoker has of him. I just love Stoker growth as a person. I feel like he gains more information that set his own freedom off as a character and especially as a man. This book really shows Stoker soul healing more and more than we’ve seen before with this character.

Finally, we get to the great mischief Viscountess Tiberius Templeton Vane and I can so hear him in my mind with smugness as I write this review of him. He seems to want Veronica attention but comes to Understand it will never be as he wants it. As he continues in the story though, he holds out hope and shares more of himself with Veronica. He really gives himself over to us readers with a deeper history of his past involving Malcolm. Even stoker doesn’t know about this history until they get to this adventure. I always love the moments that Deanna give us with all of the Templeton Vane Men but I am so bloody happy by how much of Tiberius is in this book. Deanna really gives us a deeply thoughtful look at the Templeton-Vane brothers and how memories of their history have distorted their minds.

I rated this book a five out of five stars because it did not lack for anything. Deanna gave us a great mystery that leads to exploring all of her characters so well especially the main characters above. The Veronica Speedwell series has always had this deep sense of exploring family vs Friends. This idea tends to affect Veronica and Stroker and how they develop more like people in the books. I am so excited to say this book was no different and it very much gave us that idea of Family exploration. I want ten more Veronica speedwell mystery books because I can never have enough of Deanna writing. Deanna as an author is one of my personal faves because her writing is so lyrical. She really develops a character in such a poetic thoughtful human way with human feelings. All of those Human feelings really make you feel like these characters are alive and are your friends. I will always want more of Deanna’s writing because it just gets better with time. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this blog, and it makes you pick up the entire Veronica Speedwell series. All the links for all of my Veronica reviews are listed below along with the links for the books, plus Deanna information. Also, all of my links are listed below and I would appreciate the support so much if you love my blogs.

I received a copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review. This is the first book I've read in the series, and I'm going to go back and read all the previous ones. I really enjoyed the relationship between the two leads, Veronica and Stoker, and all their banter. The mystery was a bit predictable, but still enjoyable because of the relationship between them. I also enjoyed the interactions between Veronica, Stoker, and his brother, Tiberius. I look forward to delving into the series!

Thank you so much to @Netgalley and @Berkleypub for sending me this amazing e-book.

I’ve been a huge fan of this series, ever since I picked up A Curious Beginning. I will not lie and say that the covers of these books definitely caught my attention but I fell in love with Veronica and Stoker. I love how amazing and crazy their lives are, at the time when women had no rights and were meant to be housewives. And this book definitely gave me everything I wanted ever since book one.
After they find themselves in a mysterious situation and place, they mystery only brought them closer together. After all the pain they both went through, I am so happy they finally admitted their feelings to each other!
And of course, the Mystery. I love how crazy and unexpected it was and I definitely didn’t see the killer coming!

Can you also talk about the ending, please? Because Jack the Ripper is COMING!

A Dangerous Collaboration is book four in the Veronica Speedwell series. I recommend reading at least book three, A Treacherous Curse, first before reading this one because there are events of this book that are in reaction to the previous and will make more sense if you are aware of the background.

Veronica has been separated from Stoker for six months as she went to Madeira without him and comes back to his brother's invitation to join him on an island with some unique butterflies. The island is owned by Tiberius' old school friend, Malcolm and Tiberius suggests they pose as an affianced couple so not to offend Malcolm's Catholic sensibilities about two single people traveling alone together. Tiberius is tediously trying to seduce Veronica - for his own amusement and to irritate his brother? Either way, it's irritating after the events of the last book to have it reversed between Veronica and Stoker again.

I was intrigued by the missing bride story, is she dead or alive? The island seems to be almost from a different time, with a small village and isolation as there are days when the water is too rough to go anywhere. This leads them to believe that Rosamund did not flee, so is she haunting the island or did she never leave it and has been hiding away? If so, why? The pool of suspects is also very limited due to everything taking place on the island, so the fact that no one saw anything suspicious makes it even more muddled as to what may have happened. The hopelessness around so much of the book - Veronica and butterflies, her relationship with Stoker, the potential futility of investigating the bride's disappearance permeates the book. It does not have the creepy undertones of a Gothic but sad frustration about life's choices.

There was more tension between Stoker and Veronica than there was about the mystery because it's been three years and part of them doesn't expect answers. There isn't much to unravel with the mystery. Overall, it wasn't a particularly satisfying read so hopefully the next in the series picks up the pace and has a more intriguing mystery.

Speaking of the overall mystery and atmosphere, I found them both entertaining and engaging. The mystery was pretty laid back so if you're looking for huge plot twists you might be disappointed, especially if you are already an avid mystery reader and complicated family relations set in a gothic castle are not new to you. However, Deanna Raybourn's writing is fantastic despite the fact that I'm not a fan of the 1st person narrative. The language is complex and rich so the reading went on smoothly and kept me on the edge of my seat.

I'd recommend this book (but not without reading the prequels!) to those who enjoy historical gothic mysteries with a bit of humor and slow burn romance.

I love the Veronica Speedwell books! This one was a big different which I liked. You find out more about Stoker and his relationship with his family which is good. The characters were well written and the story moved along well. I also liked that we were somewhere different than the usually London atmosphere. I love the interaction between Stoker and Veronica. She is defiantly not a damsel in distress which I love. Can't wait to see what's next!

A Dangerous Collaboration is the 4th book in the Veronica Speedwell Mystery Series and it was such a treat to read!

Pretty well continuing where A Treacherous Curse leaves off Veronica and Stoker are yet again thrust into another conundrum. Traveling to a secluded island, staying at a haunted house with some interesting characters is a recipe for intrigue, right!?

Deanna Raybourn has cemented herself as a go-to author for me. Her writing puts a smile on my face. It's witty, saucy with the right blend of smart-alecky mixed in. Oh and yea an interesting mystery that needs to be solved. In this case, the location was yummy. A small island with an old castle - is it really haunted? Stormy weather, a bride missing for 3 years and the icing on the cake would be Stoker’s brother along for the ride. Is he really an innocent bystander? You’ll have to read this little gem to find out.

While I suppose you can read this one as a stand alone, but why? Start with A Curious Beginning and go from there.

Miss Veronica Speedwell is a lepidopterist, adventure seeker, and investigator. She and her colleague, Stoker Templeton-Vane are working as natural historians, cataloging an extensive collection. Veronica is invited to travel alongside Lord Tiberius Templeton-Vane, Stoker’s brother, to a house party on St. Maddern’s Isle where the Romilly Glasswing butterfly is said to live. The Glasswing was previously thought to be extinct so Veronica is elated at the invitation and agrees to the trip. Unsure of his brother’s intentions, Stoker decides to travel to the isle as well.

Upon arriving at the castle of St. Maddern’s Isle, Veronica, Tiberius, and Stoker are met by their host, Malcom Romilly. At luncheon, Malcom confesses that the castle hasn’t hosted guests in three years. At that time, his bride, Rosamund, disappeared on their wedding day and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. Malcom has specifically invited his lifelong friend Tiberius, his sister-in-law Helen who is the widow of his late brother, and her son Caspian to the isle for this sojourn. Malcom’s sister, Mertensia and the housekeeper, Mrs. Trengrouse complete the group Malcom has assembled to determine once and for all what happened to Rosamund on that fateful day. Through their investigation, Veronica and Stoker learn that each member of the gathering had a reason for hoping Malcom and Rosamund’s marriage would not succeed. But who wanted it to fail badly enough to actually do something about it?

This was my first Veronica Speedwell mystery and I am definitely making plans to read the first three novels. This book kept me guessing up until the very end. Each time I thought I had narrowed down the identity of the perpetrator, a new twist would develop sending me in a new direction. Veronica and Stoker’s relationship is marked by romantic tension and wiitty, flirtatious dialogue. The series is set in the 1880s in Victorian England and this novel takes place in an old castle. Details such as stone floors, candlelight after nightfall, and secret passageways accent the mysterious elements of the story beautifully. Deanna Raybourn has written a compelling and alluring story that I strongly recommend to mystery lovers, fans of historical fiction, and those who love a strong-minded, independent female heroine!

Sincere thanks to Netgalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and the author Deanna Raybourn for the opportunity to read this eGalley!

I have a lot of feelings about this book. On the one hand, I absolutely love this series. I was completely hooked by the first one and have been a huge fan ever since. But I also feel like the quality of the books is dropping a bit. I loved this book because I love the characters, but I feel like their slow-burn was dragged out just a tiny bit too much, and that the mysteries and getting a little too mystery-of-the-week. Like, the mystery of the first book was largely focused around Veronica and I think that helped focus the book. With the mysteries of the following books, the further it gets from out characters the less invested I am. I'm reading this book for the characters and the love story. I like watching them solve the mystery together but I don't especially care about the mystery itself.
Also, with this book in particular, the beginning did a lot of telling without showing. I sets Veronica up for a whole expedition, and I've been DYING to see her and Stoker on a trip, and then it just brushes over the trip in a few lines. They have a fight, she leaves, has a bad time. It felt like telling and not showing in the worst way and it was SO obvious that the Raybourn just wanted to get past it. In the process however, I feel like she missed a lot of opportunity for character development and emotional depth, and for that I was disappointed.
Because I love the characters though, I still very much enjoyed the book. I do plan to purchase it and will read the other books in the series.

A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION – Deanna Raybourn
Veronica Speedwell Mystery

England – 1888

Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist and amateur sleuth, has been invited to the island of St. Maddern off the Cornwall coast to, hopefully, find a presumed extinct butterfly called the Romilly Glasswing. It is her fellow scientist, Stoker’s brother, Lord Templeton-Vane who issues the invitation, much to Stoker’s disdain. The brothers are not the best of friends, long story short – Stoker is their mother’s son, but not their father’s son! At any rate, Veronica accepts and, because their host is a Roman Catholic, she and the viscount pretend to be engaged. Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, is upset upon their arrival at the tiny train station in Cornwall to find Stoker waiting for them. What Tiberius hasn’t completely confessed to either Veronica or Stoker is that there is a dark reason for their visit to St. Madden.

The three travelers arrive by boat on the tiny island to be greeted by Malcolm Romilly, owner of the land. There is clearly tension between he and Tiberius, and all is revealed later. Three years ago, just after their marriage ceremony, Malcolm’s new wife, Rosamund vanished. No trace of her has been found. Malcolm has invited Tiberius, a lifelong friend, his sister-in-law, Helen, widow of Malcolm’s brother, and her son, Caspian to the island. Malcolm’s sister, Mertensia, and housekeeper, Mrs. Trengrouse round out the odd combination of people in the house. Just what does Malcolm have in mind by bringing this group together?
Veronica and Stoker are at odds due to her pretending to be Tiberius’ fiancée. Both of them pretend not to care, but that tension is fairly apparent. They have worked together in the past on other mysteries, but this one seems to be more personal than others due to Stoker’s brother’s involvement. What connection is there between Malcolm, Rosamund, and the viscount? Things get even more confusing when Malcolm asks Helen, a self-professed psychic, to try to contact Rosamund. What happens during that episode sets the tone for Veronica and Stoker to search for answers to more than one question.

A DANGEROUS COLLABORATON is my first Veronica Speedwell mystery, and I will definitely read the previous ones now. There are plenty of red herrings in this tale, almost everyone except Veronica and Stoker, seem to have a reason to not want Malcolm and Rosamund’s marriage to work out. But who had the most to lose? An excellent, beautifully written mystery, I highly recommend A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION, and encourage readers to also read the previous novels: A CURIOUS BEGINNING, A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING, and A TREACHEROUS CURSE.

More than 5 stars! I love this series!

After Julia and Brisbane in the Julia Grey series, I didn't think we'd have another couple like that, but Veronica and Stoker—wow!

The mystery is this book is quite twisted and there's so many people involved. To me, it has heavy hints of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, with the setting and the Gothic elements, even though it's quite different.
Of course, as interesting as the mystery was, it was a way to get Veronica and Stoker closer, to learn more about Tiberius, his past and his relationship with his brother.
After the way book 3 ended, I've been anxiously wait for progress. I was not disappointed, but at the same time, I want more!

The Veronica Speedwell series is one of my favourites due to its main characters, delightful banter and Raybourn's ability to write a compelling mystery. In this fourth addition to the popular series, Veronica, Stoker and Stoker's brother Tiberius (aka Lord Templeton-Vane) find themselves in an old, and possibly haunted, castle on a secluded island off the Cornwall coast with a mystery to solve.

Veronica continues to be the epitome of a sassy and strong woman who doesn't cave to the pressures put upon Victorian women. Stoker remains a complicated fellow, with deep-seated familial issues and I liked that his relationship with his brother, Tiberius is revealed more and hope that Lord Templeton-Vane has a bigger role in future plots.

The relationship between Veronica and Stoker continues to be intense, complex and dripping with a chemistry. While there seemed to be less of their classic banter this time out and some of their scenes could have been rectified with a simple conversation, overall, I continue to love their unique relationship.

Raybourn's mysteries continue to get better and better as she weaves twists, complexity and tension. Readers are teased with a hint of the fifth book's focus which will leave Veronica fans chomping at the bit for the mystery and more details about the unique bond between Veronica and Stoker.

Note: If you haven't met Veronica and Stoker yet (Honestly!! You haven't read it yet?), I advise you to start at the beginning and read A Curious Beginning.

OH WOW. I’m going to try to write this without revealing any spoilers but please know I ought to get a cookie because I. Am. Bursting. !!!!!

This book is everything. Veronica is her willful, adventurous, sassy self. So independent and curious. Her relationship with other characters is fascinating to read about.

And there’s stoker.

STOKER.

My heart melts for this irascible grump who nearly always steals every scene he’s in. And in this book—he flat out SHINES. We see a different, secret side to him: playful, tender and sensitive.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Five stars. All the stars. !!!!

Another delightful entry in this series. The setting is particularly interesting in this one, and the growth in supporting characters of the series offers promise for future volumes.

Veronica and Stoker are BACK in the best way possible!! After the frustration of the previous book where they both felt something for each other but neither of them would admit it - there's FINALLY plot progression in this entrancing book! Hurrah! Loved the plot and pacing in this one, and was totally surprised at the culprit in this novel. Thank you Ms Raybourne!

A Dangerous Collaboration is the newest Veronica Speedwell installment by Deanna Raybourn. Stoker and Veronica find themselves on another adventure with none other than Stoker"s brother Tiberius. Veronica is persuaded to join Tiberius at the castle home of his oldest friend Malcolm Romilliy. Malcolm's family is quirky and a bit on the prickly side. Stoker and Tiberius can barely be in the same room with one another and Veronica is now being referred to as Tiberius' fiance. Add a missing wife, a poison garden and a young heir to the estate and suddenly all bets are off. Fun, fast paced and the ongoing are they or aren't they questions make this an all around enjoyable read. Well done Deanna, can't wait for the next book!

First, I would like to give a big thanks to the publisher and author for gifting me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I also received book three in the Veronica Speedwell series from Netgalley and it was my first glimpse at the series and at this author. I fell in love with Veronica and so enjoyed reading the books in this series. I got book one and two and quickly read through both so I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of book four. I find Veronica to be such a strong, clever, witty, likable character and I love reading the witty and friendly (sometimes flirty) dialogue between her and Stoker, her business partner. The mysteries are fun and have always provided surprises and twists that kept me from guessing the ending. The books are still light and easy reads, not anything dark or heavy- even though investigating murder. I relate these to a grown up version of the Flavia de Luce novels. Definitely a series and author I will always keep my eye on anticipating the next title!

Love, love, love this series! I've enjoyed all 4 books so far and can't wait for the next one (and hope there will be more than 5 books in the series).