Series Name:
Veronica Speedwell, # 8
Review By Veronica
The latest instalment in the Veronica Speedwell series will keep you up into the wee hours of the morning. You won’t be able to put it down!
Favourite Quote:
I stepped in front of Tiberius to shield him from certain death as the branches parted to reveal an enormous furry form, its shaggy coat thick with brambles. It emerged on all fours, low to the ground and lumbering forwards, a great heaving growl issuing forth in a sort of mournful ululation.
I held my lantern high and stood my ground as the creature lifted its head—no doubt to bay the rising moon, I decided.
But as the lantern light fell upon its hairy face, I smiled.
“Hello, Stoker.”
Goodreads Synopsis:
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.
I really love this series; it’s just so damn good. Now I have been debating whether you can read this book as a stand-alone or if you need to read the other books first. And I haven’t really come to a firm answer. Yes, part of me thinks you can read this book without reading the previous books, the mystery part of the book stands on its own, and Deanna does an excellent job at bringing readers up to speed with who is who. But I feel some things will confuse some readers who haven’t read any of the other books in the series and hinder their enjoyment of this book. So I guess I am trying to say that if you want to enjoy this book and all that it offers, I would read all or even some of the previous books in the series before diving into this one.
A Sinister Revenge has a slower-paced feel to it. Veronica and Stoker are not travelling all over the world, and the action side of things is minimal. The vibe of this book is more of the old fashion “whodunit” mystery instead of the usual cloak-and-dagger action pact mystery that we usually get from this series. Tiberius (Stoker’s brother) fears his life is in danger and wants Veronica and Stoker to attend a reunion party at Cherboys, their family’s country estate. Tiberius hopes that this party will provide an opportunity for them to catch the killer before they kill again. I enjoyed this story. I love a good old “whodunit” mystery, and I felt like a detective alongside Veronica trying to figure out who the killer was. The plot, as always, is clever, and the dialogue has all the wit that I have come to expect from a Deanna Raybourn book. I will admit I did find the book a bit too slow at times, but it was still an enjoyable experience.
The previous book ended on a real cliffhanger for our dynamic duo, and this book starts off with Veronica and Stoker spending time apart. Stoker left, stating he needed time to think, and Veronica reluctantly gave him that space. Their relationship is quite strained in this book, and there is a distance between them that hasn’t been there before. For me, the thing I missed most when it came to this book was the Veronica and Stoker banter and them working together to solve the mystery. Veronica is alone for most of this book, and it feels wrong. But I do understand why Deanna has thrown this wrench into their relationship and how she uses it to help them grow as a couple.
A Sinister Revenge is another clever and fun mystery read by Deanna Raybourn.
Thank you, Berkley Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
