Victorian adventures are a pleasure of mine. After all, I am a fan of Sherlock Holmes. It might just be the Victorian Era as well. Despite the classism, the lack of women’s rights, and the lack of labor laws, the feel and the romanticism of it inspire me.
A friend of mine-actually a few friends- were talking about this series about a woman detective so I thought I’d pick up the first book and see what it was about. I had extra credits in my Audible account so I bought A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn.
This was my introduction to Veronica Speedwell.
The opening of the book takes place at a funeral. The last of Veronica’s matron aunts has passed leaving Veronica alone in the world. She doesn’t know who her parents are and has lived her entire life with her two aunts. Self-educated, Veronica is a lepidopterist who has been on expeditions around the civilized and uncivilized parts of the world collecting butterflies for wealthy patrons.
Veronica plans to journey to London with her aunt’s passing and find employment. However, when she returns to her cottage she finds it has been burgled. A scuffle with a large intruder has her nearly kidnapped. Her savior comes in the form of an elderly German baron who tells her he knew her mother, she is in danger. He implores her to take his offer to travel to London in his coach. Once in London, he leaves her in the care of a taciturn man named Stoker.
The next morning, when the Baron is found dead in his home, the adventure of Veronica Speedwell begins.
I truly enjoyed this series. It was fast-paced and entertaining. There was one slow part in the middle of the traveling circus but once that was past, everything sped up again. The interactions between Veronica and Stoker were delightful. While there was some attraction and pent-up lust between them, it was never resolved which worked for the two of them.
Stoker is the black sheep of an affluent family. He used to lead expeditions, and now taxidermies animals for wealthy patrons. He is brash, rude, and protective. Veronica is all of those things as well. Left to her own devices at a young age, Veronica is intelligent, adventurous, and dismissive of tact. She compliments Stoker in personality and it works.
This is the origin story, if you will, of Veronica so it should have been slower-paced. But it wasn’t. There was a murder, a mystery, an adventure to discover not only who murdered the Baron but who Veronica’s parents were. The twist was not one I expected. It should have felt trite or unbelievable but it works. And the way in which it works makes the entire story believable while underlining the importance of Veronica’s parentage.
And with that out of the way, I cannot wait to dive into more of her adventures.
Books are a great escape and I’ve found them my friends during times of trouble. Or when you just want to get away for an hour. With the holidays coming, we’re all going to want to get away for an hour or two at one time or another. Remember to visit your local library this season. They’re less crowded then the malls and stores and you can get books there for much cheaper. If you want to buy a book though, consider your local book shops. For the rest of the year, all the book recommendations will be linked to a small independent book store. If it’s something that interests you, consider ordering it from there. They’ll appreciate it.
Until next week friends, take time out for yourself. Settle in and curl up with a good book.
Mouse's Reading Nook 