A Dangerous Collaboration

It's March 1888, and heroine Veronica Speedwell and her business and adventure partner Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, "Stoker", are in London cataloguing the family natural history collection of the Earl of Rosemorran. Veronica had apparently come dangerously close to revealing her heart to Stoker which unsettled her greatly. They've been at this cat and mouse game for some time. But given her background, she is steadfast in her commitment to never marry - she'll be the chattel of no man. So off to Madeira she goes with friend, Lady Cordelia, the Earl's sister, in search of her precious Lampides boeticus (butterfly) and to allow her heart to settle.

Soon upon her return to London, Stoker's eldest brother, Lord (Tiberius) Templeton-Vane asks show more Veronica to accompany him to his childhood friend's castle on the isle of St. Maddern with the promise of procuring specimens of the believed to be extinct Oleria romillia (Romilly Glasswing butterfly). What Tiberius had neglected to share with her is that Lord Malcolm Romilly had requested Tiberius' attendance at the family's island estate to help solve the mystery of his beloved's disappearance on their wedding day, three year's prior. Of course Stoker shows up uninvited but that turns out to be for the best as they unravel the whereabouts of Lady Romilly. Did she get cold feet and leave the island without notice? Was there foul play involved? If murdered, where's the body?

There's a lot more to this story than I should let on. So, I'll stop right here. I adore this heroine and her independence, fearlessness, and love of adventure. The writing is delicious and the clever cheeky banter between Veronica, Stoker and Tiberius is brilliant.

Don't be fooled (as I initially was) by the charming and mystical artwork on the cover of the Veronica Speedwell mystery series. It is not young adult fiction. It is an historical fiction mystery series with a touch of romance, innuendo and is definitely fodder for the adult mind.

Even though this book is fourth in series, it can easily stand alone. But as good as it is, you'll probably want to read them all. I certainly will be catching up on the earlier installments of this fun series.

I am grateful to publisher Berkely and Netgalley for having provided a free uncorrected proof e-book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone. show less

This kept me reading and wondering what was going to happen next, I had an inkling of who was the murderer but there were enough red herrings to keep me second guessing myself.

Veronica poses as Lord Templeton-Vane's (Stoker's Brother) fiancée to try to help him discover what happened to the love of his life. Of course Stoker comes along and all is complicated by Lord Templeton-Vane and Stoker's childhood legacy of hatred and stress. It's a complicated story of messy relationships and family strain but it's also an interesting read.

Almost perfect. On the plus side, Veronica stopped beating poor Stoker over the head with her libertine sexual views; to the minus side, the book started off tropetastically, with Veronica running away from a romantic entanglement with Stoker by going to Madeira for 6 months, and then immediately afterwards haring off to a house party with Stoker's detested brother as his fiancee. That's a lot of trope stuffed into a few chapters.

But then Raybourn tuns all of it on its head, and makes it all meaty and interesting. From the Madeira trip revelation to Tiberius's reasons for bringing Veronica (and Stoker) to the Cornish isle of St. Maddern's. Tiberius's story is raw and brutal, as is the final outcome of the plot. Without giving anything show more away, all I can say is holy christ, it was horrifying and tragic and really un-hygienic.

The mystery plotting I can sum up by saying: I did not see that coming.

The 1/2 star deduction was for the insanity of the "we can only be friends" nonsense. There's a fine line between stringing the romantic tension along through a series and the point at which, I, as the reader, starts telling the book "oh just DO it already!". I'm a fan of sexual tension, but not teasing, even if it is consensual. I find it tedious. Fortunately by all appearances, unless Raybourn decides to yank everyone's chains, the teasing will-they-won't-they ends with this book's conclusion.

What remains consistent through the whole series is Veronica's fierce intelligence and pragmatism, Stoker's somewhat vicious integrity, and the incredibly rich and amusing banter that Raybourn excels at. I don't think I've ever read any author who captures family dynamics - both good and bad - as well as she does and does it with so much wit and gravitas at the same time.

This is one of those series I'd have liked to have discovered late, allowing me to binge read the adventures; as it is, I'll have to wait another year for the next adventure.

A favorite quote:

Tiberius' voice was sharp. "You think he might have killed himself?"

"It's one of eight possibilities for his absence," I remarked.

Tiberius' eyes fairly popped. "Eight?"

I ticked off the prospects as I named them. "I have been thinking out the possibilities with regard to Rosamund's fate, but they will do just as well for Malcom. He might have killed himself. He might have met with an accident. He may be trapped somewhere and unable to free himself. Hie might be hiding. He might have suffered a breakdown of sorts. He might have been murdered. He might have keeled over dead of quite natural causes. He might have surprised smugglers or pirates and is being held against his will in a lair –"

Tiberius made a strangled noise and Stoker shook his head. "You've over-egged the pudding with that one." show less

*I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Veronica Speedwell is one of my favorite fictitious heroines of all time. She's an intelligent, witty woman full of fervor. I had one dilemma upon reading this novel: Do I devour it in one sitting, or do I take my time, enjoying every delicious scene. After all, it will probably be another year before the next Veronica Speedwell novel is released. Despite my internal struggle, I ended it up devouring it. Because once I started reading A Dangerous Collaboration, I couldn't stop.

Deanna Raybourn left her readers dangling at the end of A Treacherous Curse with the question will they or won't they? No spoilers here, folks, so don't ask. show more Raybourne once again teases her audience with the wonderful verbal sparring of Veronica and Stoker that escalates once Stoker's older brother, Tiberius, becomes part of the picture. Tiberius swoops in and whisks Veronica away to a secluded island with the promise of a rare butterfly. How could she say no?

Once they get to the island, the plot starts to unfold, and the mystery is revealed. Tiberius's old friend, Lord Malcolm Romilly, has invited a small group of people to help him figure out what happened to his missing bride, who disappeared three years before. Stoker, perhaps fueled by jealousy, tags along to keep his eye on Veronica and Tiberius.

A Dangerous Collaboration taps into the Gothic mystery of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. Just when I think Raybourn could not top her last novel, she absolutely does. The story is fast-paced and well-written. I love the evolution of Veronica and Stoker, together and separately. I am so ready for the next book to come out. I can't wait to see how she surpasses this one!

Read more at https://www.toreadornottoread.net/2019/04/review-dangerous-collaboration.html#es... show less

A Dangerous Collaboration
4 Stars

Stoker's brother, Tiberius, invites Veronica to accompany him to a house party on St. Madden's isle, home to an elusive butterfly. But the viscount's ulterior motive is soon revealed when Veronica learns that their host's bride, Rosamund Romilly, vanished three years earlier and that several of the current guests had motives for murder ...

The eerie atmosphere of the remote Cornish island with its superstitious villagers and compelling folklore serves as an excellent backdrop to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Rosamund Romilly. While the investigation is quite straightforward, and most of the twists and turns easy to guess, it is, nevertheless, very entertaining to follow along as our show more intrepid heroine and her steadfast sidekick unravel the clues.

The developments in Veronica and Stoker's relationship are the highlight of the book as they finally acknowledge to themselves and to each other that their feelings go beyond friendship. The bickering between Stoker and his brother (especially when it comes to Veronica) never fail to elicit a smile.

Looking forward to the next book, which revolves around one of histories most infamous killers, Jack the Ripper. Veronica vs. Jack - should be interesting . . . show less

Deanna Raybourn's "A Dangerous Collaboration" takes place in England in 1888. Twenty-six-year-old Veronica Speedwell and her colleague, Stoker, are employed by the fabulously wealthy Lord Rosemorran to repair, organize, and catalog his huge collection of artifacts. Stoker, who has been scarred emotionally and physically over the years, can be moody and quarrelsome at times. Veronica is not the easiest person to get along with either. She is sharp-tongued, sarcastic, and does not suffer fools gladly. A skilled lepidopterist, Speedwell hunts for and studies intriguing specimens of butterflies and moths. Although she is wildly attracted to the roguishly handsome and charismatic Stoker, Veronica is reluctant to declare her feelings. In show more fact, Speedwell and Stoker spend a great deal of time bickering like irritable schoolchildren.

Their latest adventure takes them to St. Maddern's Isle, off the coast of Cornwall, where Malcolm Romilly lives a forlorn existence with his sister, Mertensia. Malcolm invites his old friend, Viscount Templeton-Vane, Stoker's eldest brother, to pay him a visit. Also present are Helen, Malcolm's sister-in-law (a widow with dwindling resources), and her surly eighteen-year-old son, Caspian. We soon discover that Malcolm has an ulterior motive for this get-together. He would like his guests to help him investigate the disappearance of his wife, Rosamund, who vanished three years earlier on their wedding day. Did his bride flee, have an accident, or meet with foul play?

Raybourn lends a gothic touch to this tale of passion, jealousy, betrayal, and vengeance. Much time is spent raking over the past and speculating about the possibility that there may be a deranged killer among them. The author entertains us with a great deal of breezy banter, and she makes the most of her scenic locale. The magnificent vistas of St. Maddern serve as a refreshing contrast to the overcrowded and foggy streets of London. Readers will enjoy guessing—along with our intrepid sleuths--who did what to whom and why. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this witty, colorful, and suspenseful mystery. show less

Deanna Raybourn's "A Dangerous Collaboration" takes place in England in 1888. Twenty-six-year-old Veronica Speedwell and her colleague, Stoker, are employed by the fabulously wealthy Lord Rosemorran to repair, organize, and catalog his huge collection of artifacts. Stoker, who has been scarred emotionally and physically over the years, can be moody and quarrelsome at times. Veronica is not the easiest person to get along with either. She is sharp-tongued, sarcastic, and does not suffer fools gladly. A skilled lepidopterist, Speedwell hunts for and studies intriguing specimens of butterflies and moths. Although she is wildly attracted to the roguishly handsome and charismatic Stoker, Veronica is reluctant to declare her feelings. In show more fact, Speedwell and Stoker spend a great deal of time bickering like irritable schoolchildren.

Their latest adventure takes them to St. Maddern's Isle, off the coast of Cornwall, where Malcolm Romilly lives a forlorn existence with his sister, Mertensia. Malcolm invites his old friend, Viscount Templeton-Vane, Stoker's eldest brother, to pay him a visit. Also present are Helen, Malcolm's sister-in-law (a widow with dwindling resources), and her surly eighteen-year-old son, Caspian. We soon discover that Malcolm has an ulterior motive for this get-together. He would like his guests to help him investigate the disappearance of his wife, Rosamund, who vanished three years earlier on their wedding day. Did his bride flee, have an accident, or meet with foul play?

Raybourn lends a gothic touch to this tale of passion, jealousy, betrayal, and vengeance. Much time is spent raking over the past and speculating about the possibility that there may be a deranged killer among them. The author entertains us with a great deal of breezy banter, and she makes the most of her scenic locale. The magnificent vistas of St. Maddern serve as a refreshing contrast to the overcrowded and foggy streets of London. Readers will enjoy guessing—along with our intrepid sleuths--who did what to whom and why. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this witty, colorful, and suspenseful mystery. show less