Monday, March 8, 2021

An Unexpected Peril

Title: An Unexpected Peril
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Published: March 2nd 2021 by Berkley
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Veronica Speedwell #6

Flat. That is the best word that I can use to describe this shallow and superficial sixth outing featuring Veronica Speedwell. Gone is the sexual tension and humorous retorts between Veronica and Stoker. There are a few quips, but so few and far between that you almost forget that there had been any.

Putting together an exhibit at London’s Curiosity Club to honor the late Alice Baker-Greene, a mountaineer from Alpenwald, Veronica comes to realize that all the pieces of the story are not melding. With the help of Stoker, they begin to realize that it was no accident that claimed Alice’s life. When Princess Gisela of the Alpenwald, who came to view the exhibit goes missing, Veronica is coerced to stand in her place. Little did she know that this would put her in the same room as her biological father.

In a panic, and with time running out and an assassin on her heels, Veronica needs to find the missing Gisela, solve a murder, answer a few nagging questions, figure out why she is feeling despondent, and ultimately decide if her life with Stoker is what would make her truly happy or does she need time away to rediscover her independence.

Not my favorite in the series. I found this book to be more of a turning point between Veronica and Stoker. Where will they go now that there is no underlying tension? Has Veronica scratched that proverbial itch and it is time to take her lepidopterist nets and search out new adventures?

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