I peaked ahead to read the descriptions of the seven (seven!) books that follow, and their plots sound like my cup of tea: an innocent accused of murder, missing Egyptian jewels, and murder at an English houseparty. They are kind and well-rounded and totally believable. It was the characters surrounding Veronica that kept me coming back. The puzzle wasn’t what kept me reading, though. This book is more adventure story than who-done-it, and the reader is in the backseat following along as Veronica and Stoker piece together a scandalous origin story for Veronica. What I loved about the book most were the secondary characters surrounding Veronica: a befuddled nobleman, his efficient sister, and, of course, the naturalist-cum-love-interest Stoker. If that’s not a good sign of reader interest, I don’t know what is. Her tart tongue, no-nonsense attitude, and total independence were a delight to follow, and I’m curious where her relationship with Stoker will go in future books. What a fun read! Like Lida, I enjoyed the spirited and wise Veronica Speedwell. I don’t know if my afternoon tea will ever be the same. The author deftly gave the pacing just the right amount of briskness and made it hard to resist a heroine who constantly flexes her mental muscles, and shows herself to be way-ahead-of-her-time. When the baron is murdered, and Stoker implicated in his death, the two set off to find the baron’s killer and along the way, unlock the truth about Veronica’s birth parents.ĭialogue-driven, I found myself hanging on every word between Stoker and Veronica words which more fully formed their characters. The romantic tension between them adds an extra layer of intrigue. Reclusive for good reason, we later discover. The baron deposits Veronica with Stoker, a mysterious and reclusive scientist.

The baron persuades the cool and clever Veronica to accompany him to London, hinting at ties to her past.

Intrigue was promptly introduced in the guise of a kindly, enigmatic German baron who appears during a scuffle between Veronica and an intruder. Instead, she feels a wave of euphoria, anticipating an escape from her former life to travel the world in pursuit of exotic butterflies, an expertise she’s finely honed.Īs the story unfolded, I discovered an independent, highly articulate heroine (she’s a voracious reader). Two such spinsters had been Veronica’s lifelong guardians, yet Veronica is unable to shed a single tear at the funeral. Set in Victorian England, the opening scene introduces a strong-willed, unconventional heroine attending the somber funeral of her remaining spinster aunt. An author new to me, I was very pleasantly surprised. Always on the lookout for a read with action, snappy dialogue, and a mystery, I happened upon Deanna Raybourn’s A Curious Beginning.

A curious beginning series