A Perilous Undertaking: Veronica Speedwell Novel #2. Deanna
Raybourn. Penguin Publishing Group. January 2017. 352 pp. ISBN#: 9780451476159.
Victoria
Speedwell is a sharp lepidopterist who is back again to solve a new mystery
with her natural historian/taxidermist buddy, Stoker. When Victoria is invited to a woman’s club that
is like men’s clubs of the Victorian era in 1887, a place where women’s
intelligence and interest in just about anything are allowed to shine and be
shared. Victoria meets a formidable
member, Lady Sundridge, who brings Victoria into a quiet room where she is
scrutinized and queried by another woman.
Victoria takes very little time to figure out that she is being
addressed by a member of royalty. Now
Lady Sundridge had already begged Victoria to assist in solving the mystery of
the murder of a woman named Artemesia, the lover of a famous society art
patron, Miles Ramsforth who is to be hanged for the murder in only two days.
Not too much pressure! Add to the fact that Victoria she will meet her own
father if she succeeds. Both sides of
this quest have very different, unknown motives in resolving these mysteries
with success!
Stoker
and Victoria discover the more sordid side of royalty in a secret sex society
and other mysterious places and people.
As usual, Victoria receives a secret communication that threatens her
life is he insists on continuing her investigation of the circumstances
surrounding Artemisia’s death.
No
spoiler’s here – we soon discover there are plenty of suspects who might have
committed the murder. We also meet
several high society and royal personages who are a part of the decadence so
characteristic of this historical time. Add
to that the mystery behind Victoria and Stoker’s relationship which seems slightly
hot, growing hotter but never actually getting there, a frustrating conundrum
for readers!
A Perilous Undertaking is a satisfying read that starts off
slowly but gradually picks up momentum with plenty of twists and turns all the
way to the surprising final page! Nicely
done, Deanna Raybourn!
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