Raybourn said she described this series as Miss Fisher meets Sherlock Holmes, and I'd say that's pretty accurate! I'm always looking forward to the next book in the Veronica Speedwell series and kind of annoyed with myself when I plow through the latest release in basically a day. What can I say...they're hard to put down! If I'm being completely honest, any time I'm reading a mystery series, I'm really in it for all the relationships of the characters. But I actually found myself super interested in this mystery and even stopping to Google things as I read. This book felt super well-researched without making me feel like a lot of historical background was being dumped in, and I thought Raybourn brought this specific place and time to light in an excellent and entertaining way.

Veronica and Stoker were as great as always, and there were some nice appearances of secondary characters, both returning and new.

This newest addition to the Veronica Speedwell series includes everything fans love about it: adventure, mystery, butterflies, an unstoppable heroine, and Stoker. All your favorite characters are here with some great new additions, of both the two-legged and four-legged varieties. As usual with this series, I'm glad to have read the ebook version, where I can most easily look up the definition of unfamiliar words. Not that they are numerous, but it's part of the fun of this series, to me at least, to learn some new here and there. I can't wait for the next installment!

FTC DISCLAIMER: I RECEIVED AN E-ARC FROM THE PUBLISHER THROUGH NETGALLEY. I VOLUNTARILY OFFER MY HONEST REVIEW OF THE BOOK, THOUGH IT IS NOT EXPECTED OF ME! RECEIPT OF THIS BOOK IN THIS MANNER DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION OF THE BOOK OR THE CONTENT OF MY REVIEW!

4.5 stars

I loved this book! I'm so in love with this series overall. The characters are amazing, fully fleshed out, deep and multi-faceted. Veronica is an amazing heroine and I related to her a lot. Also, Stoker is an amazing romantic interest who lets Veronica let her be her own person.

The one thing that disappointed me in this book, which is a tiny detail and a bit silly I know. But spoiler alert! When they finally got together, there were hardly and dirty graphic details. I know some may prefer this, but with a 5 book build-up, I would have loved more detail.

Anyway, I loved the book, the characters, and the plot, though I would have liked the mystery to be about Jack the Ripper, I also loved the direction the author chose to go.

I love this series. It's so nice to join Veronica Speedwell and Stoker in another mystery. Deanna Raybourn has quite the vocabulary and she isn't afraid to use it. If you are a word-lover, you will enjoy the prose of this book (and series). I started this book, got about 20% in, and then got distracted, so restarted a few weeks later. I know I picked up more the second time I read those first pages. Because of the level of vocabulary and subtlety of description of events (you have to make inferences) this is a series (and book) that will be enjoyable to reread- I expect I will get more out of it with each re-reading.

This particular book- a nice glimpse into London during the time of Jack the Ripper. The author does extensive research (she references it in the Author's Note), so I trust that I am reading a story that includes actual events and is reflective of the culture of the time. I also enjoy Stoker and Veronica's slowly evolving relationship. I appreciate Veronica's thoughtful reflections as she moves through her day and the events of the story.

As far as the synopsis- I don't want to give too much away. Basically, soon after the conclusion of the last book, Stoker and Veronica are involved in another mystery. Lady Wellie (from past books) is requesting their help to avoid an awkward situation for a member of the royal family. This involves going to a high class brothel (the madame would say it's just a house where she is entertaining friends) and continues from there.

I have to admit I did not start this series at the beginning. I will go back, but want you to know that while the books might be more richly appreciated if you've read them in order, they are enjoyable as stand-alones as well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***

As always the adventures of Veronica Speedwell and her partner Stoker does not leave me disappointed. The pace was fast-moving and the banter was witty. If this is the last book in Deanna Raybourne's series then I will be satisfied.

The unsinkable Veronica Speedwell is back with her handsome sidekick of the heart, Stoker and this time out, they go undercover in an attempt to retrieve a priceless gift and ferret out if a wayward royal could be the infamous monster, Jack the Ripper. Meanwhile, bodies begin dropping like flies and Veronica finds herself neck deep in another deadly mystery, a close encounter with a royal relative and, once again, the owner of many secrets!

Deanna Raybourn’s A MURDEROUS RELATION is filled with that same rapid-fire pace, keen humor and brilliant deductions and seriously twisted twists that may be elementary for some, but trust me, being the fly on the wall of Veronica’s life is an experience no one should miss.

Is Jack the Ripper closer to Veronica than she could ever have imagined? Is His Royal Highness really the innocent he seems? What is his mother all about? One thing for sure, page after page, Veronica’s adventures are fabulous reading that will propel readers into another era side by side with a woman very much ahead of her time!

I was invited to receive a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley! This is my honest and voluntary review.

I have read all of Veronica Speedwell books and I have to say they keep getting better and better!
A Murderous Relation does not disappoint and if you haven't started this series, grab your butterfly net and get started
Excelsior!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for the ARC of this delightful book.

I read the first installment last year and none in between. I'm pleased to say that these can easily be read as stand alone books. I especially enjoy series that can also mostly stand alone but don't spend half of the book explaining and retelling earlier plots. There were a few references to "when Sir Hugo asked us last time" or "remember when you got shot in shoulder" but while that might have been a good reference for previous readers, they made no impact on the current story. Love that!

I very quickly got into the fast paced, no nonsense style of Victoria again. She's one formidable woman! Action packed as usual, she meets her half brother, they all end up in costume at a very high end brothel, she and Stoker again have their disagreements and their sexual tension. A rollicking good time. Raybourn certainly is good at portraying the Victorian sensibilities and era.

The main quibble I had, the eye-rolling moment, is the gun fight. Hmmmm - a bit Hollywood, really stretching of credulity - but, it is a novel. And it was only one scene (tied things up very tidily). If you're a fan of the series, you'll be more than satisfied with this book and if you're new to the author or this series, jump in - the reading is fine!
A more detailed review will appear on my blog Wed, Feb 5.

Love love love this series! The dialogue between the main characters is great, witty and funny. Throw in a good mystery and great secondary characters and you have a wonderful story that you are sad to turn the last page of. Not quite as dramatic as the last book for the main characters but still very good. I love to find myself chuckling and smiling to myself a as I read and I did this quite a bit as thes two worked to solve the latest mystery they were put into.

FINALLY!!! That pretty much sums up how I feel about this book. Since the beginning there has be so much tension between Stoker and Veronica and in this book we get to see what happens. Veronica is a force of nature (I"m sure Stoker would agree with me) and I love her interaction with those around her. She isn't defined by the social norms of the day and she defiantly doesn't pull any punches when it comes to dealing with her wayward royal relatives. I do hope there are more Veronica and Stoker after this.

Listen, I already know I'm going to be an outlier on this one (again!) so you should just scroll right past this review before you get too sad about this rating.

For various reasons, the last two books in this much beloved series have just not done it for me. Book four because of what I felt were out-of-character behaviours for characters I had grown to love so much, and in book five, it's the mystery. This book had a lot of expectation riding on it because of where things ended in the previous installment and while it started out hopeful.. it kind of rambled about in another direction, putting certain things on hold, only to pick up a plot from a few books before; one I kind of thought we had moved on from. Only now do I see that this particular bit has finally (please?) run it's course.

The particular investigation in this book runs parallel to when Jack the Ripper is rampaging around London and I definitely thought there would be some crossover with that. It seems a popular, or common, event for this time period. Strangely, we ended up bypassing it, and in some ways that was a refreshing choice. But there was a moment.. oh, wow, it perked me up. What a brilliantly written interaction.

As for the will-they-won't-they-have-they-finally-just-got-on-with-it question, whether things progressed or not, you'll just have to read to find out.

Considering my rather lukewarm feelings about this one on the whole, however, I wonder if this series has just run its course for me. I hate to think it so, I've so loved so much of this (again, books one to three? great, delightful, the best kind of frustrating), but lately? Again, I doubt this'll be the common feeling. So definitely be excited about more Stokewell on your kindles or on your shelves. I'll just be over here hoping to find the love again in book six. Not willing to throw in the towel quite yet.

2.5 stars

So, overall, I loved this book. This represents some new territory for Stoker and Veronica and that was super fun to read. For me, the actual mystery/plot of this story read a bit slower than A Dangerous Collaboration but I still flipped the pages pretty quickly near the end. The new (main) character introduced in this novel as well as the re-appearance of some past characters all just added to the appeal. Of course, the ending was perfectly satisfying and I would read books about Veronica and Stoker happily for the rest of my life.

Book five of the Veronica Speedwell mysteries and it's best to read at least book one, A Curious Beginning, before reading this one. It could technically stand alone but the reader is better off having the details from that particular book.

The story opens with Veronica and Stoker returning from their recent trip and facing various interruptions are they think about the next stage of their relationship, including being asked to facilitate the wedding of a tortoise. Life is never dull for them, is it?

Wellie, their friend, asks them to meet her but it is actually Princess Alexandra who is meeting with them to ask them to retrieve a gift of a diamond star that her eldest son, the future king, gave to the owner of a private club that he frequents. Veronica says no, Wellie has an attack of angina, and in their subsequent break in to read Wellie's papers,  Veronica and Stoker discover that there may be much more to the request. So off they go to the club to get it back.

They have quite an adventure from that point as they work to find out what is going on. They do not also take on finding Jack the Ripper, if the reader is inferring that from the back cover copy. They have quite enough on their hands already. It is always in the background because of the anxiety and furor in the news about it and because agents they would normally work with are all caught up in it.

I don't want to spoil further developments because I think it's better for readers to enjoy them without reading about them beforehand. It does make writing this review a challenge but I will say I didn't put the book down as I was eager to see what would happen next.

Series readers will enjoy the developments in the will-they-or-won't-they with Veronica and Stoker, and the fast pace of the storyline. Raybourn's trademark humour and historical research shine in A Murderous Relation.

Another delightful entry in the Veronica Speedwell chronicles, which is set at the height of the Jack the Ripper murders. The developing relationship between Veronica and Stoker continues to be a major plot point, after the dramatic ending of book 4, but Raybourn also manages to fit in a lot of information about the social conditions of the time, along with her trademark humor and fast-paced action. Highly recommended!

This book was okay. It still had the wit of Veronica Speedwell; but the plot itself still wasn't as good as the first four novels. I feel like the last two just haven't had the same thrill and story development that the beginning of the story had, but this one is better than the previous one. I will say that FINALLY Stoker and Veronica admit they love each other. It only took six books. My favorite part of this novel is the sweet and virtuous attitude of Stoker. I am hoping that in the next book we get more of a development with Veronica's family.

A Murderous Relation (releases March 20)
By Deanna Raybourn
Berkley/Penguin Random House, 320 pages
★

Gardeners know that veronica–also known as speedwell or gypsyweed–is a splashy, spiky perennial. Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell is also colorful and spiky, if by the second term we mean opinionated, edgy, and unconventional. Those who have followed the adventures of Miss Speedwell also know that she is the half-sister of Prince Albert Victor, heir to the English throne. A Murderous Relation is Book Five of the Veronica Speedwell series and two more are in the works. Alas, if the current book is any indication, that will make three too many. Perhaps it’s time for Raybourn to tuck this franchise into a featherbed, take a cold shower, and move on to new things before her characters steer her more deeply into the realms of contrivance and soft porn.

First, a short overview. Veronica Speedwell is far too independent to want anything to do with the restrictions of royalty, plus she bears a deep grudge against the Royal family for its treatment of her mother. She is more focused on finding the right time to consummate a mutually agreed upon toss in the sack with “Stoker”–Revelstoke Templeton-Vane–her longtime collaborator in crime-solving and evolving object of desire. He too is of noble blood–though his older brother holds both the title of lord and the family estate–but he shares Veronica’s outward contempt for aristocratic airs. (Both, however, move comfortably in upper-class circles and enjoy wealth and fine things.) It comes as little surprise, that neither is enthused when “Wellies,” (Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk) calls upon them to save “Eddy” (Prince Albert) from a potential scandal. As far as Victoria is concerned, she’d rather work on her butterfly collection and admire Stoker’s “flanks” and bare chest. For his part, Stoker is content to pursue his latest taxidermy project.

As you might expect, though, Veronica and Stoker will eventually agree to postpone the old in-and-out and tackle the task of saving Eddy. The gist of the matter is that the impetuous and randy prince has given a very rare jewel to Madame Aurore, the proprietress of his favorite upper-class knocking shop. If that scandal were to become public, it would sandbag plans for the 23-year-old heir to marry a 16-year-old princess whom his parents (the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) have picked out. Veronica and Stoker are charged with getting Aurore to relinquish the jewel–by hook or crook.

This task will take readers to absurd places. It begins with assembling outlandish costumes to attend a masked ball at Madame Aurore’s house of ill repute. The best that can be said about this is that Raybourn dressed them in ways to maximize the use of purple prose calling attention to body parts. I suppose it’s somewhat refreshing that we get much more of the female gaze than the customary male ogling, but it’s problematic no matter how we shift the focus.

The problems don’t end there. The setting is 1888, the year in which Jack the Ripper is leaving corpses strewn across the section of East London known as Whitechapel. The Ripper makes several anonymous visits to the novel and before we are done, there are grisly murders, a dangerous flight through Whitechapel, a kidnapping, a contrived plot involving Irish nationalism, a reconciliation (of sorts) between Veronica and Eddy, and some serious fender and bumper damage inflicted upon Stoker’s body. But rest assured, delayed carnality is all the sweeter. I wish the same were true of our stretched credulity.

Deanna Rayburn is exceedingly well-versed in Victoriana, including its phrases, fashions, and politics. In A Murderous Relation, however, most of her background seems like showing off. It’s as if she put all her effort into polishing the background baubles while using a paint-by-the-numbers template for the narrative. This Victoria Speedwell perennial is definitely out of season. Call it Jack the Ripper meets bodice ripper.

Rob Weir

* One of the many theories regarding the identity of Jack the Ripper is that he was Prince Albert Victor, though evidence shows that he was not in London at the time. Eddy was nevertheless a controversial rumored to part of a homosexual prostitution ring. This too is widely dismissed, though he had numerous dalliances and failed failed engagements before dying of influenza in 1892 at age 28.

Once again, the talented Deanna Raybourn has brought to life two of my favorite characters, Veronica Speedwell and her partner, Stoker. This adventure coincides with the the events surrounding one of London's most notorious serial killers, and I'm still feeling chills after reading her description of a chance meeting on a quiet street. Through twists and turns in London's seedy underbelly, Veronica and Stoker manage to save the day again, even adding another member to their motley crew of beasts. I especially loved getting to know J.J. Butterworth better in this book. She seems like someone who has her own adventures to share. I'm already looking forward to the next one by Deanna Raybourn!

The latest addition to the Veronica Speedwell series is a treat, with the long-simmering romantic tension and fast-paced mystery sleuthing readers have come to expect from Raybourn's witty writing full of funny repartee between the two protagonists and other recurring characters.

Another excellent installment in the Veronica Speedwell series. Plenty of adventure and intrigue as a member of the royal family gets involved in a suspicious death. A couple of less-than-believable moments (Stoker seems to be like a Victorian Jack Bauer) but altogether a great read.

Another fun adventure! In this installment we get more face time with the royals and visits from those we thought we had seen the last of. We also get a little bit of closure.