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Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the invitation to read and review the newest installment in the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, A Dangerous Collaboration! Available now!

About the Book:

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker’s brother calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly’s house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée–much to Stoker’s chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly’s wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband’s mind.

As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker’s help to discover the host’s true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund…

My Thoughts:

I’m a self-admitted unusual and irregular series reader. I have a hard time sticking with them and sometimes wait until multiple books are out so I can read them in a row. Not so with the Veronica Speedwell mysteries, or at least, partially not so. I started with the first book and devoured the second. Somehow I missed the third, but I was ecstatic for the opportunity to read the fourth, and here I am! Ah-may-zing, and there’s a reason why this series has so many devoted fans!

In A Dangerous Collaboration, our capable sleuth, Veronica Speedwell is back, and this time, she’s off to Cornwall, to a remote island off the coast. 

She’s been asked to accompany a friend to Lord Malcolm Romilly’s house party, and moreover, she’s been asked to pose as this friend’s (Tiberius’), fiancé. 

Of course, this isn’t just any innocent party. Romilly’s wife, Rosamund, disappeared three years prior, on their wedding day, and every guest at the party is connected to Rosamund. Why were they all invited?

Veronica takes on the mission of finding out the why and begins her investigation with Stoker’s help. What do they uncover? There are several mysteries regarding the Romillys, and any one of the guests could have been her killer. 

Veronica and Stoker are their witty selves here, and it’s always so much fun to read the dialogue between these two. A Dangerous Collaboration has a gothic feel with some ghosts and tons of atmosphere on the remote island. Our two main characters have evolved in this installment, just a little, and that kept me engaged and wondering what will happen next for these two. There was the tiniest hint at the direction of the next book, for which I cannot wait! Overall, another solid installment in this well-loved and entertaining series! 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including five RITAs, two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, and three du Mauriers. Her Lady Julia Grey novels are currently in development as a television series in the UK and she launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica’s second adventure is A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING (January 2017), and book three, A TREACHEROUS CURSE, was published in January 2018. A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION will be released in March 2019. Further books in the Veronica Speedwell series are contracted through 2020.

Have you read A Dangerous Collaboration, or is it on your TBR? Have you read any of the Veronica Speedwell mysteries? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR