a dangerous collaboration by deanna raybourn

If this all seems a bit too studiously quirky for your taste, the more conventionally enthralling Lady Julia awaits.Īs sexually adventurous as she is physically daring, she uses her far-flung expeditions as a means of discreetly collecting lovers like so many exotic specimensĭespite his occasional prudishness, Stoker proves as impervious to Victorian social norms as Veronica herself. As sexually adventurous as she is physically daring, she uses her far-flung expeditions as a means of discreetly collecting lovers like so many exotic specimens-much to the discomfort of her partner in crime-solving and slow-burn love interest, Stoker, a scarred, growly former Royal Navy surgeon turned explorer-cum-taxidermist. A lepidopterist by trade, Veronica travels the world in search of rare butterflies for collectors, who fund her globetrotting lifestyle. Veronica, a prototypical “New Woman” of 1880s London, comes complete with a superhero-like costume and a secret identity of sorts: an illustrious (if illegitimate) lineage uncovered in the first book of the series. Raybourn-who previously authored the magnificent Lady Julia Grey mysteries-is incapable of writing Mary Sues. But it’s sure to divide fans, because it sacrifices the sparkling originality of Raybourn’s previous books for a more traditional and accessible narrative.

Happily, Raybourn has written a book that’s sufficiently self-contained newcomers to the series won’t get too lost navigating Veronica’s world. Deanna Raybourn’s historical mysteries already have a loyal following, but A Dangerous Collaboration, the fourth installment in the Veronica Speedwell series, arrives with renewed interest and heightened expectations now that the previous book, A Treacherous Curse, has been nominated for the Edgar Award.

A dangerous collaboration by deanna raybourn