Description: London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can’t resist the allure of an exotic mystery—particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker.

His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.

But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker’s past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats—and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe—Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything.

Description: London, 1887. At the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task--saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Ramsforth, accused of the brutal murder of his mistress, Artemisia, will face the hangman's noose in a week's time if the real killer is not found.
But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is only the first of many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural-historian colleague, Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer. From a Bohemian artists' colony to a royal palace to a subterranean grotto with a decadent history, the investigation proves to be a very perilous undertaking indeed.

Review: If you are looking for an entertaining, well written historical mystery with large dashes of humor and a promise of romance then I would highly suggest picking up Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series. There are currently five books out in this series and while you can read them independently you will miss out on character backstories and development.
  In this second installment, Veronica is sought out by Princess Louise to help exonerate Louise’s friend who is about to be hanged for the murder of his mistress, but Louise knows he is innocent. She tasks Veronica and her working partner cohort/roommate/potential love interest?, Stoker, to identify the real culprit. Though Veronica has unpopular feelings towards royalty, her intrigue and desire for adventures propel her to take the case. The investigation leads them from London’s competitive art community to a covert paradise for sexual deviants. Although this mystery includes classic suspicious characters and unexpected twists, Veronica’s modern attitude and disregard of Victorian social mores along with her humorous banter with Stoker are the biggest draw to this series. It is highly entertaining in seeing Veronica and Stoker assess their mystery just as they were working on their own fields of interest, for Veronica that would be studying butterflies and for Stoker taxidermy. With each book we peal more layers to the Veronica and Stoker's backstories. Another exciting installment in Raybourn’s promising historical-mystery series. I think this series will get better and better with each new book and I can't wait to read them.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong sexual content in the book, which includes sexual humor and imagery, scenes of an opium dens, and some language. Recommended for older teens and adults. 

If you like this book try: A Trecherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #3), Merriweather and Royston mysteries by Vivian Conroy

Description: After burying her spinster aunt, Veronica Speedwell embarks on a world tour hunting for butterflies, but when Veronica thwarts her own abduction with the help of a German baron who has ties to her past, she goes with him to his friend Stoker's home, a reclusive natural historian, until the baron is found dead and Veronica and Stoker must go on the run from an elusive assailant.

Review: I have been meaning to read Deanna Raybourn's historical mystery series for quite some time. After reading trusted reviewer's great reviews of her Veronica Speedwell series, I thought I would try it. A Curious Beginning did not disappoint and it seems to be a great Victorian mystery series. Determined to live an independent life, Veronica Speedwell is anything but a proper Victorian lady. Veronica is an incredibly witty, snarky, scientist who is happily to turn her back on "civil" society in order to pursue her own desires. So when her home is attacked during her aunt's funeral, a rollicking adventure ensues. After rescuing Veronica from her attacker, Baron von Stauffenbach whisks her to London, depositing her in the care of the enigmatic Mr. Stoker, a brooding, surly hero with a mysterious past who also loves natural history. Before the Baron can return to tell Veronica what he knows of her mother, he's found dead, and the police like Stoker for a suspect. Stoker and Veronica partner up to find the real culprit and they ping-pong throughout London and its outskirts as they dodge villains with murky motives and hulking henchmen. Soon, they realize that Stauffer's death may be connected to the mystery of Veronica's birth parents.
  I enjoyed reading A Curious Beginning. I liked that the mystery is shrouded in Veronica's origins. When the mystery seem to stall, I didn't feel bored as I loved getting to know Veronica and trying to figure out Stoker. Their banter made me laugh out loud several times and it was absolute pleasure to read. Not mention that their sexual tension crackled on the page. It did not take me long to ship these two characters together. The author does a good job in resolving the overall mystery, but there are still things that we don't know about in particular about Stoker's past, I can't wait to learn more about. I look forward seeing what other situations Veronica and Stoker find themselves into in the upcoming books in this series.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language, sexual references and innuendos in the book. Recommended to older teens and adults who enjoy historical mysteries.

If you like this book try: A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #2), Lady Grey series by Deanna Raybourn, Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander