Tag Archives: Deanna Raybourn

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

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A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

 

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Description:
Lord Rosemorran has purchased a wax figure of a beautiful reclining woman and asks Stoker to incorporate a clockwork mechanism to give the Rosemorran Collection its own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud’s. But when Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open to insert the mechanism, he makes a gruesome discovery: this is no wax figure. The mannequin is the beautifully preserved body of a young woman who was once very much alive. But who would do such a dreadful thing, and why?

Sleuthing out the answer to this question sets Veronica and Stoker on their wildest adventure yet. From the underground laboratories of scientists experimenting with electricity to resurrect the dead in the vein of Frankenstein to the traveling show where Stoker once toured as an attraction, the gaslit atmosphere of London in October is the perfect setting for this investigation into the unknown. Through it all, the intrepid pair is always one step behind the latest villain—a man who has killed once and will stop at nothing to recover the body of the woman he loved. Will they unmask him in time to save his next victim? Or will they become the latest figures to be immortalized in his collection of horrors?

 

 

Review:

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn is the 9th book in her Veronica Speedwell Mystery series. We get to see Veronica and Stoker at the start, as they both worked for Lord Rosemorran’s helping restore his many collections for future display.  It was nice to see both Veronica and Stoker settling into their affectionate relationship, as they are both clever, witty and always challenging each other.  Veronica Speedwell is a lepidopterist, a woman who is ahead of her time, and Stoker is a scientist and adventurer. They make a terrific team.

Lord Rosemorran lets them know that he has acquired a new purchase, which would be a birthday present for his young daughter; it was a wax figure of Sleeping Beauty, similar to Madame Tussaud’s. He wanted Stoker to add a mechanism to make the figure look alive.  When Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open, to his shock he discovers it was not wax, but a preserved young lady.  Unable to let this go unpunished, both Veronica and Stoker set out to solve this crime. They try to learn how long this body was deceased, and they call their friends, JJ (journalist) and Mornaday (detective) to help search the newspaper and police archives for missing young ladies.

Veronica and Stoker follow a trail that led them first to a circus, to get some answers, but JJ was able to find a girl who drowned 15 years ago, which will lead them to Plumfield’s mortuary to track down who the girl was.  The new Plumfield owner was able to find some papers, and he will be one of the new characters that help Victoria and Stoker; as well as Spyridon, who helped Stoker hide the body.  They were all very good characters, and fun.

What follows is wild adventure that will eventually lead them to a dangerous killer. The mystery was very compelling, as well as a number of twists as we reach the climax.  Veronica and Stoker, as well as JJ and Mornaday will plan a trap to catch the true killer, putting some of them in danger. I really enjoyed both Veronica and Stoker, as they were lots of fun, and romantic. A Grave Robbery was very well written by Deanna Raybourn. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

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A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

 

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Description:
Veronica’s natural-historian beau, Stoker, has been away in Bavaria for months and their relationship is at an impasse. But when Veronica shows up before him with his brother, Tiberius, Lord Templeton-Vane, he is lured back home by an intriguing job offer: preparing an iguanodon for a very special dinner party.
 
Tiberius has received a cryptic message—along with the obituaries of two recently deceased members of his old group of friends, the Seven Sinners—that he too should get his affairs in order. Realizing he is in grave danger but not knowing why, he plans a reunion party for the remaining Sinners at his family estate to lure the killer out while Veronica and Stoker investigate.
 
As the guests arrive and settle in, the evening’s events turn deadly. More clues come to light, leading Veronica, Stoker, and Tiberius to uncover a shared past among the Sinners that has led to the fatal present. But the truth might be far more sinister than what they were prepared for.

 

 

 

Review:

A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn is the 8th book in her Veronica Speedwell Mystery series.  I have not read this series, though it does read well as a standalone; but would have probably been better to have read some of the more previous books.

Veronica Speedwell, our heroine, is a very good amateur sleuth, in historian times.  In the last book, she and her lover, Stoker broke up, and she has been helping his brother, Tiberius on an assignment.  Now, Tiberius wants her help, and also Stoker’s; seems someone is sending threatening cryptic messages regarding a death from twenty years ago.   On that day, twenty years ago, Tiberious hosted friends at his family estate, they called themselves the Seven Sinners; and one member of their party died due to an accident. In present time, Tiberius decides to bring back members of their group to his estate for a reunion party; especially after reading the obituaries of two members of the Seven Sinners.  Tiberius knows someone is out to kill him, and together with Veronica, Stoker, and a younger brother, they welcome the group, with their wives.

What follows is a slow burn story, with Veronica and Stoker still at odds, but together they are determined to discover who in this group is behind the threats, at the same time keeping a protective eye on Tiberius.  Three of the Sinners arrive; Count Pietro Salviati & his wife, Beatrice; James Maciver & his wife Augusta, and Doctor Timothy Gresham & his sister, Elspeth.  The story picks up half way through, when it gets very exciting.  There are a few twists and surprises, with one death that throws things for a loop.  Veronica begins to find clues, and just when she suspects one person, everything changes, as she comes face to face with the real killer; and Veronica’s life is in danger.  Will she survive?

A Sinister Revenge was a very good mystery, though it was a bit slow early on.  I really liked Veronica and how brave she was, as well as her independence.   As noted, the last half of the book was very exciting, with some twists and surprises along the way. A Sinister Revenge was very well written by Deanna Raybourn.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

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Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn – a Review

 

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Description:
Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that’s their secret weapon.

They’ve spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they’re sixty years old, four women friends can’t just retire – it’s kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller by New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.

When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.

Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman–and a killer–of a certain age.

 

 

Review:

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn is a fun, exciting & and entertaining standalone novel.  I have not read Deanna Raybourn for many years, and was so pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Our heroines, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie, have worked for the secret Museum, an elite private network of assassins for 40 years. We get to see them in action during their first assignment (after much training, becoming the first all-female group), and now 40 years later, they have retired, with the company sending them on a bon voyage cruise trip.  The story line is split between two time periods, the present and many of their past escapades.  In the early days of their unique career, they were assigned to kill as many Nazi’s as they can, with after the war and more to the present, their assignments become dangerous murderers, drug dealers, dictators, etc.

The ladies came from different backgrounds, remained friends, though many of their assignments were not together. While enjoying their cruise, they recognize someone who one of them knew from years ago, who worked for the Museum, and they realize that because of their knowledge, they are in danger of being targeted for death. The ladies manage to escape the ship, and begin the process of trying to get more information, as they know they are in a race for their lives.  When an old friend makes an attempt on their life, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie, step up their game to eliminate the leaders who have targeted them.  These ladies were so much fun to watch, as they were not only smart, but tough and amazing.  To say too much more would be spoilers, and you really need to read and enjoy this book.

Killers of a Certain Age was fast pace, at times tense, entertaining, and a fantastic thriller; and very well written by Deanna Raybourn.  The banter (lots of humor) between the ladies was great, as this was so much fun to watch them, with us praying they will survive.  Great concept that at their age (60’s), that they can still fight and prove that they will not go down quietly.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and bravo to Deanna Raybourn for a wonderful story. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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