Deanna Raybourn

In Deanna Raybourn's "An Unexpected Peril," set in London in 1889, the independent, fiercely intelligent, and thrill-seeking Veronica Speedwell again takes on the role of amateur sleuth. Her fellow investigator is the Honorable Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (Stoker). Veronica and Stoker share a passion for natural history, and both bear physical and emotional scars from ugly encounters they have had in the past. Now, they live on the estate of their employer and patron, the Earl of Rosemorran. show more The Earl's sister, Lady Cordelia Beauclerk, enlists Veronica and Stoker's help in setting up an exhibition to honor an accomplished British climber and feminist, Alice Baker-Green, who "had perished a few months previously on the highest peak in the Alpenwald," a fictional country on the border between France and Germany.

Everything changes when Stoker finds evidence pointing to an alarming possibility—that someone may have cut Alice's climbing rope, an act that could have led to her fatal plunge. Veronica is eager to find and capture the perpetrator, but Stoker is tired of sticking his nose into other people's business. Such exploits generally land Stoker and Veronica in trouble, and they are fortunate to have survived repeated attempts on their lives. Other key characters, in addition to our hero and heroine, are Princess Gisella, the hereditary ruler of the Alpenwald; Baroness von Wallenberg, Gisella's lady-in-waiting; Duke Maximillian, Gisella's suitor; and J. J. Butterworth, a reporter who writes sensational stories for a disreputable newspaper.

The author is an accomplished descriptive writer who, for example, can take us into a master chef's kitchen and make our mouths water with her detailed depiction of delectable treats that are a feast for the eyes and palate. In addition, here is a poignant and poetic passage about butterflies: "They lived out their brief existence, bursting into jeweled magnificence and then, after a few short months of activity, fading into oblivion." The cast is lively, the plot engaging, and Raybourn's language is rich and literate. The laughs keep coming in this entertaining romp that does not take itself too seriously. When Veronica is enlisted to masquerade as Princess Gisella, we cannot help but smile, since for someone like Veronica—who disdains elaborate coiffures and extravagant attire—having to pose as royalty is akin to torture. "An Unexpected Peril" explores women's struggles to fulfill their professional and personal ambitions; the selfishness and hypocrisy of corrupt people, whether they are high-born or barely able to make ends meet; and the joy that one experiences when he or she has a colleague and lover who is also a kindred spirit. show less

A gleefully amoral romp, the second to feature Deanna Raybourn's team of four older women assassins. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite as strong as the first book in the series—the characters weren't as clearly defined and the relationship between Billie and Friends took a bit of a backseat to Billie's slightly repetitive musings about the cost of a lifestyle like hers. Still, taken for the kind of women's power fantasy it is, it's great fun. Recommended as an escapist, popcorn read.

Well, that was a ride full of twists and turns, laced with a consistent dread on when the murder will occur. Loved spending time with Veronica and Stoker -- desperately frustrated with the drama drama drama of it all -- but I really appreciated how frustrated Veronica was with herself for not talking things out with Stoker. Loved the repatriation aspects, the fury over the plight of unmarried women of little funds, the ever growing collection of dogs. Great story, very enjoyable.

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon.

They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire—it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered show more old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU.

My Review: Aren't revenge-fantasy stories fun? In general, the genre gives me a vicarious delight in the ability of the PoV character(s) to exact personal revenge on them as wronged 'em. I find the more general type of revenge story, the wars/quests/crusades sort, not as compelling as this direct and deeply personal kind.

What works here, for this old male reader, is the "just-assume-the-backstory" nature of the women's friendships. There are hops back and forth in the story's timeline that fill in details, but honestly they were integrated in a way that worked to increase my investment in the shared backstory. It felt a bit like having a memory flash when you're talking to someone you've known for ages.

That might also be a bit of a problem for book one of a series, with the next one (Kills Well with Others) to come on 11 March 2025. I think the way people expect stuff to go in this book is more violent, more "wet job" details in it. Instead, we get the motivation for the revenge story, and the way these women plan and execute (!) events based on their cultural invisibility. I myownself liked that better than the pleasures to be had from a solidly crafted Repairman Jack tale. It's more relatable, more like something I could see myself doing if I was competent in these arts.

Billie, our primary PoV character (though we hear from everyone), has a dry, biting wit that agrees with me, and the situations that are supposed to be funny were indeed funny to me. Humor's hard, y'all, so Author Raybourn gets and deserves nosegays of praise for that achievement. It's also welcome to have women as professional killers, if I'm honest. They're so good at the job they've never been caught. This is probably a weird thing to say, but the existence of women reinforcing ma'at on the dark side seems to me like a welcome development. Saintly do-gooders? Been there done that. Cops repairing the broken social compact? Yawn. Targeting and killing them what just needs killin'? NOW you got me.

A four-star funhouse mirror held to the myth of women as passive, victim-of-crime ciphers. These are vibrant personalities with agency, doing what they know from long experience how to do, only against the ingrates they thought were on their side. I think it's well worth your time and treasure. show less