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A Perilous Undertaking
A Perilous Undertaking
A Perilous Undertaking
Audiobook12 hours

A Perilous Undertaking

Written by Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by Angele Masters

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Veronica Speedwell returns in a brand new adventure from Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries. London, 1887. Victorian adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell receives an invitation to visit the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women. There she meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task-saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Accused of the brutal murder of his artist mistress Artemisia, Ramsforth will face the hangman's noose in a week's time if Veronica cannot find the real killer. But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is only the first of the many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural historian colleague Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer-a ruthless villain who not only took Artemisia's life in cold blood but is happy to see Ramsforth hang for the crime. 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.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 10, 2017
ISBN9781501940705
A Perilous Undertaking
Author

Deanna Raybourn

New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history and an emphasis on Shakespearean studies. She taught high school English for three years in San Antonio before leaving education to pursue a career as a novelist. Deanna makes her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband and daughter and is hard at work on her next novel.

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Reviews for A Perilous Undertaking

Rating: 4.20659345054945 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Absolutely delightful! I enjoyed this one just as much, if not more, than the first. Can't wait to continue the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Exquisitely narrated, beautiful use of language and a decidedly charming plot. That is what this lovely book is.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This series is so much fun! I absolutely love Veronica and Stoker. I think the sequel was a bit better than the first book and I enjoyed the plot more. I sincerely look forward to reading the next book.

    I think part of the excitement of reading this series is that I very randomly found it based on the cover and decided to read it. I didn't even read a synopsis before starting the first one. It reminds me of the days when I would wander the library and B&N picking up random books to read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love these gaslight murder mysteries with a zing of passion. I am hooked!

    Next month. Next book. Excelsior!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Veronica Speedwell is lured from her butterfly hunting when a Royal Princess asks her to look into the case of a friend who has been convicted of murder and is soon to hang. Reputations, even Royal ones, are on the line and the real murderer needs to be found soon.It doesn't take long before Veronica and her friend Stoker are deep into their investigations. Their suspects come from the arty, Bohemian crowd and give us a glimpse into that group. The setting and time period are well-described and the attitudes and morals of the day play nicely into the mystery. Veronica is a free spirit who doesn't subscribe to the morals of the day. She is a scientist which informs her thinking. She has taken lovers when abroad but won't consider it while she is in England. She has no interest in marriage. She is also the unacknowledged daughter of the Prince of Wales which is a secret that worries the Royal family more than it worries her. She wavers between wanting to meet her father and knowing that she can not. She would prefer not to interact with them but this case involves them.Stoker is the black sheep of his family and, in this episode, we find out why. Stoker is also a scientist and adventurer. He's a doctor who served in the Royal Navy and looks like a pirate. He and Veronica have a strong friendship and I get the feeling that he would like more. This was an entertaining mystery. I look forward to reading more of Veronica and Stoker's adventures.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The laugh out loud moments I enjoyed from the first volume came along on this second mystery. I love the characters, both the two amateur investigators and the supporting cast of suspects, friends, foils, etc. The author has doubled down on Veronica's openness about her sexual escapades and I felt myself blushing as often as the long suffering Stoker :D

    While I sort of picked up on a clue that gave me suspicions about who done it, there were enough red herrings, salacious details, and adventure to keep the story going until the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The continuing adventures of Veronica Speedwell are not to be missed! Her forthright manner, general ability to rile everyone around her (for their own benefit, of course) and effective investigation techniques have landed her a murder mystery among bohemians, artists and hedonists. Fun exploration of that part of the Victorian world, more insight into Templeton-Vane's family, and a slowly coalescing romance. Also, a new and irascible elderly relative on the scene just adds to the entertainment value.

    Re-read as an audio book and thoroughly enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've been looking forward to this second book for months and while it wasn't quite as good as the first book, it definitely wasn't disappointing. In the first book, startling revelations about Veronica were a big part of the plot, and Stoker's past was shared in teasing bits here and there. I suppose, given those revelations, the author couldn't resist using them to prop up the plot in this book, but I'll admit I found the device (especially the you must investigate this!) trite. At a guess, the family angst bit was perhaps meant to show Veronica's vulnerability and humanity - we all just want to be accepted and loved, dammit! But it just didn't work for me. I found the scene with the butterfly in the garden to be far more effective and moving, without being a cliché. I did enjoy learning more about Stoker's family though. A BookLikes friend of mine wrote, in her review, that the themes throughout this book seemed chosen as much for their shock value as for their ability to showcase Veronica's conscious independence. She's not wrong. I'm not sure if the author wanted to shock, or just combat the general assumption that Victorian England was the apex of prudishness, purity and virginal thinking, but either way, this book is not for anyone who prefers a chaste story. There's no overt sex, but boy howdy, is it talked about. A lot. The murder reveal didn't surprise me; the more the author asserts a character's innocence, the more I suspect them, but I hardly cared. The banter between Stoker and Veronica–actually the banter between anyone and Veronica–were what I enjoyed the most about this book. If you want a strong, intelligent, pragmatic, rational female heroine you cannot do much better than Miss Speedwell. Raybourn knows how to write. My favourite highlights: Patricia the Galapagos tortoise, and that final scene between Stoker and Veronica. That final scene might, in fact, make my top 5 favourites of all time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In 1887 London it is arranged that Veronica meets with Princess Louisa who has a task for her. Prove that condemned murderer Miles Ramsforth is innocent. Innocent of the murder of his mistress, Artemisia. She has one week. With the help of her friend Revelstoke they investigate.
    A very enjoyable well-written mystery with very likeable rounded characters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Veronica Speedwell, the daughter of the Prince of Wales, but unknown to the world, has been asked by Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, to look into the conviction of her friend, Miles Ramsforth, for the murder of his mistress. She enlists the help of her colleague and friend, Stoker Templeton-Vane.The investigation leads them into a world of Bohemian artist s and orgies as well as interaction with Stoker's estranged aristocratic family.The mystery was well-written and the characters are developing nicely.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Miles Ramsforth has been found guilty of the murder of his mistress Artemisia, an artist, and he is to be hanged in one week. Lady Veronica Speedwell meets with Lady Sundridge (who turns out to be somebody Very Important) who convinces Veronica that Miles Ramsforth is innocent and that Veronica should uncover the real murderer. Her colleague and friend, Stoker Templeton-Vane, assists her with the investigation.As they investigate, the two uncover secrets of upper class England that put Veronica and Stoker in situations that were hilarious. It was entertaining to see the reactions of both them and how they reacted to each other when confronted with these "uncomfortable" scenarios. The disdain that Veronica and Stoker have for "polite" Victorian society is entertaining. The plot was well thought-out and the murderer was not completely obvious until the end.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pretty tacky to have Veronica dress up like a "Chinese servant" and then get outrageously high on opium, but it was otherwise a fun read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell Mystery series, following A Curious Beginning. This book is set in 1887 London, where Veronica and Stoker have accepted a job from their benefactor, Lord Rosemorran, who wants them to curate his museum. They are busily planning a trek to South America when Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, asks them to look into a death. Her artist friend, Artemisia, was brutally murdered by by her lover and art patron, Miles Ramsforth. Princess Louise is sure he is innocent, and Veronica and Stoker must find out the identity of the true murderer.

    I really loved the first book in this series and the second is equally as good. The interaction between Stoker and Veronica had me laughing out loud. Their witty banter is loaded with sarcastic wit and not-so-innocent flirtation. Veronica and Stoker don't fit with the times and are unique characters. I've never read the Lady Julia Gray mysteries but I plan to give them a try since reading this series. I'm excited to see the third book is coming out in January 2018. I highly recommend this novel to those who love Victorian England, mysteries, romance and intrigue.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The audiobook narrator for this series is absolutely perfect for Veronica Speedwell but her voices for other female characters are grating and her male voices are weak. That's one reason I was less entertained by this second book in the series but also because there are so many unlikable characters. Lady Wellingtonia, an outspoken elderly woman, is mostly fun but the author makes her attitudes toward sex too modern to be authentic. The best part of this series is the non-romantic (so far) friendship that develops between Veronica and Stoker. As two people determined *not* to become romantically involved, their relationship is based more on care and respect than attraction and I appreciate the author taking the time to build a solid base for their relationship, whether or not it becomes more sexual in later books. Overall, still a fun historical mystery with depth to the main characters and a good hanging thread (Stoker's origin) for the next book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Synopsis: 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: These are really well written books, quite in the style of Elizabeth Peters.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Perilous Undertaking is the second book in the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn. Set in 1887 London, Veronica is tasked by an acquaintance to prove that a man, Miles Ramsforth, is innocent of the murder of his pregnant mistress. Veronica and her friend Stoker, decide to take the case and set about trying to learn all they can about the incident.

    I am not a big reader of historical mysteries, but I have read a few. This one is unlike any I have read before. The mystery takes Veronica and Stoker to a Bohemian artist's colony, where all the propriety I associate with the 1880's goes out the window. The people there live a very hedonistic lifestyle. Veronica and Stoker also go to a sex club in an underground grotto. The descriptions, although not x-rated, are still pretty risqué. Truthfully, the amount of sexual references surprised me, mainly since it is not what I expect from this time period.

    Stoker and Veronica have a nice rapport and it is fun to read their interactions. There is a good amount of sexual tension brewing between them, but their relationship remains platonic. Perhaps it will be explored in another installment of this series. This is a fun and entertaining read. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the book. There are many colorful characters and many suspects. I thought a little too much was made of how "forthright" and "outspoken" Veronica is. I get that she is unusual for the time period, but it seems she is constantly trying to shock and surprise others with her demeanor.

    I did not read the first book in the series. I don't think it is necessary for the enjoyment of this one. This is a stand alone mystery that doesn't rely on previous experiences by the characters. The main benefit to reading the first book first would be for the backstory on Stoker and Veronica and how they met.

    I give this 4 out of 5 stars.

    I received a free ARC through the First to Read program from Penguin Books.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The second Veronica Speedwell mystery did not disappoint. It was just as much fun as the first. Great, witty banter between the main characters, an entertaining secondary cast, and a, quite frankly, ridiculous plot, combine to create a fun, enjoyable, quick read. I look forward to more!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Fast on the heels of completing book one in this delicious Victorian period mystery, I read this 2nd installment. Although not quite as good the first (in my opinion), it certainly did not disappoint. The cheeky repartee between fiercely independent Veronica Speedwell and her prickly colleague, Stoker, is writing at its finest. As each becomes better acquainted with the other, a deep and trustworthy friendship develops. There is still quite a bit of sexual tension between these two and the subterranean grotto setting only heightened it.I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and recommend it highly to my adult reader friends. (Please note: if sexual innuendo causes discomfort, this may not be the best book for you.)Synopsis (from book's dust jacket):London, 1887. Victorian adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell receives an invitation to visit the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women. There she 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 artist mistress, Artemisia, will face the hangman’s noose in a week’s time if Veronica cannot find the real killer.But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is just the first of many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural-historian colleague, Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer -- a ruthless villain who not only took Artemisia’s life in cold blood but is happy to see Ramsforth hang for the crime. 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....
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I totally enjoyed the first Veronica Speedwell book, but am far less enthusiastic about this one and can't really say why. The plot is good, and some interesting new characters are introduced, but the chemistry and tension between the two protagonists isn't there. I had an advanced reading copy from Netgalley, so maybe that's part of it. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Veronica and Stoker in the first book, but found them both rather tedious, predictable and bordering on unlikable in this one. Some of that could be attributed to this being a galley, so I am giving this 3 stars for now, but plan to go back and read again when the final version comes out in January 2017.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked it, but it wasn't as good as the first novel in this series. My expectations might have been high, given that I liked the first book so much.
    The story didn't grip me that much, Stoker and Veronica were dancing around each other and I was hoping they'd eventually breach the self-errected wall between them; their banter was great, though.
    Should there be a third book, I would certainly read it, but my expectations are going to be pretty low.

    That said, there were avoidable grammar and editing errors that interrupted my reading pace.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Veronica Speedwell and Revelstoke Templeton-Vane (known to his friends as Stoker) have settled into a comfortable partnership, cataloging a nobleman's natural history collection while planning a new expedition. Those plans start to get derailed when Veronica is invited to tea at the Curiosity Club, a club for ladies with intellectual and artistic interests. She's there to meet a Lady Sundridge, of whom she has never heard.

    Figuring out who Lady Sundridge really is, is her first challenge.

    Her next challenge is the one Lady Sundridge sets her: proving the innocence of a man sentenced to hang for murder in just one week.

    Both Veronica and Stoker's personal characters and their relationship continue to develop in interesting and involving ways. We and Veronica learn more about Stoker's personal history and his relationship with his family. Veronica continues to learn more about her own character, and to grow and develop in her understanding of how her past has affected her. Raybourn does a fine job of showing Veronica's self-examination, both its discomforts and the way she sometimes dodges it. The more this process proceeds, the more confidently she deals with parts of her own past--and the more basis she has for understanding Stoker's problems with his past. All in all, it's some fine character development.

    Veronica and Stoker's adventures are on the fantastic side, but this is an ear when educated and relatively well-off women who were prepared to defy convention could have quite daring careers. This book and its predecessor, A Curious Beginning, are both entertaining and engaging reads.

    Recommended.

    I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Veronica Speedwell was an intriguing character in her first appearance in A Curious Beginning, and this sequel may be even better than the first. Set in Victorian London, Veronica has a unique relationship with the royal family, and that relationship is exploited to pull her and her associate, Stoker, to investigate a murder and try to clear the man who is scheduled to hang for the crime. There are numerous interesting and eccentric characters and lively dialogue. I was not surprised by who was the actual murderer, but there was plenty of suspense as the action reached its conclusion. Now I can't wait for the next installment.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I find Veronica quite maddening sometimes but her faultless logic is entertaining and the hoops she makes Stoker jump through are fun. The two of them spark well and this was an involved and messy murder mystery that involved the crown, again. It will be interesting to see where the author goes from here.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I absolutely love this series. Veronica Speedwell is her own woman in the late 1800's. She proudly says she is an intentional spinster. She doesn't want to be tied down by a marriage and be the "property" of a man. She wants to travel and have "relations" with whoever she wants whenever she wants. She and Stoker are an interesting duo and their friendship is refreshing. I can't wait to see what they get into next. This is well worth the time.

    I won this book through Goodreads Giveaway.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Veronica and Stoker have lots of chemistry only they don't know it. They bicker. argue and are extremely loyal to one another. They been asked to prove that an artist is innocent of murder in the week before his hanging. There's a very funny laugh out loud episode where V & S go undercover to an opium den and Stoker has to throw Veronica over his shoulder to get them out and she keeps remarking on what a lovely, firm bottom he has.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Perilous Undertaking contains everything I loved about A Curious Beginning and more. Veronica and Stoker again find themselves on the trail of a murderer, and as they try to untangle the mystery, they stumble into some dangerous - and hilarious - situations. The perfect blend of excitement, humor, and romantic tension, A Perilous Undertaking is an extremely fun read!The major highlight of this story is Veronica and Stoker. Their banter and relationship development are what kept me glued to the page. While they still have plenty of buried secrets, we do learn additional details about both of their pasts. I loved watching their friendship become more solid - true partners in crime - even as the possibility of something deeper hovers in the background. This is the kind of slow burn romance that makes you want to savor every page.My only quibble with this book is the plot. Fairly early on, I did guess the culprit, who confesses everything just when they have the heroes in their clutches. (This narrative device needs to die, in my opinion.) There is also a bizarre amount of sexual humor in this installment, in part due to the nature of the mystery. Although it cracked me up, it was a bit surprising and weird for this kind of book. Despite these complaints, I still found A Perilous Undertaking immensely entertaining.In short, if you enjoyed A Curious Beginning, then A Perilous Undertaking won’t disappoint. This novel made me fall in love with Veronica and Stoker all over again. I can’t wait for their next adventure together!(Note: This is a review of the advance reader’s edition. Changes may have been made before it went to press.)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Speedwell and Stoker undertake, for a Princess Royal, a mission to prove the innocence of a man about to be hanged for murder. These quite interesting characters go about it in a seemingly random but entertaining fashion, Another good series from D Raybourn.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I do love Victorian murder mysteries with feminine heroines and that is what we have here. Veronica Speedwell and her sidekick, Stoker, are tasked by Lady Sundridge to uncover the real murderer of Artemisia, the mistress of an art patron. The man currently being held for the crime, the art patron, is not guilty in the opinion of Sundridge. It is a race against time to prove his innocence. Delicious! My thanks to the author and the Penguin First to Read program for a complimentary copy.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A Perilous Undertaking is the second in Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell series set in Victorian London. Veronica is a very strong-minded and independent woman, whose profession is lepidoptery. In the previous book, Veronica joined forces with Stoker, and they are now both employed by Lord Rosemorran to catalog his collection of art, natural history specimens, and other mementos and organize a formal exhibition on Lord Rosemorran's estate where they both live. Lady Cordelia, Lord Rosemorran's sister, takes Veronica to the Curiosity Club, where she meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, an artist, who may be able to provide information about Veronica's past. Lady Sundridge asks Veronica to help Miles Ramsforth, who has been tried and convicted of the murder of his mistress and will soon hang for his crime. She believes that Ramsforth is not guilty, but refuses to tell Veronica what she knows. Veronica and Stoker are soon summoned by the Special Branch of Scotland Yard and warned not to investigate, but the warning makes her more determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. As in the first book of the series, the plot moves at a good pace. Although this is a historical mystery, the detail is kept to a minimum, which doesn't distract from the story. There are again a few twists and turns, but the clues are all there, and it is possible to deduce the murderer. For the most part, the clues are not blatant, and up to the end, it seems that Veronica and Stoker may not be completely sure. We learn just a little more about both Veronica and Stoker in this book. Those who are looking for the romance between Veronica and Stoker to develop more may be a little disappointed as this book is more about the mystery and less focused on advancing any romance or other background storyline. It is interesting that on several book review websites, this book is more highly rated than the first book. I felt just the opposite - I didn't like it quite as much as the first, possibly because I was hoping that there would be more character development. I still enjoyed it quite a bit though and have already preordered the next in the series.I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a historical mystery with a strong, independent female protagonist.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Veronica and Stoker have been on each others' nerves ever since their planned expedition was cancelled due to their benefactor breaking his leg. Stuck in London the pair are mildly intrigued when they are asked to investigate the murder of Artemisia, an artist, who was purportedly murdered by her lover, Miles Ramsforth. The catch: they have only one week before Miles Ramsforth is hung for the crime. As Veronica and Stoker begin to dig into the crime they find themselves in the midst of a mystery that could threaten their very lives.I enjoyed this second entry in the Veronica Speedwell series. The central characters continue to grow and delight and this novel hints at back story for both Veronica and Stoker that has me intrigued and looking forward to future entries in the series. The mystery itself felt a bit scattered but that may have been the result of my scattered reading the novel. While I wasn't surprised by the ultimate whodunnit reveal, I did enjoy the resolution anyway. A solid read that will please fans of the series.