Author: Deanna Raybourn
Published: February 15th 2022 by Berkley Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 325 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 #7
First Sentence: I do not care for infants, and even if I did, I should not care for this one.
Blurb: London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch. He has a personal request on behalf of his goddaughter, Euphemia Hathaway. After years of traveling the world, her eldest brother, Jonathan, heir to Hathaway Hall, was believed to have been killed in the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa a few years before.
But now a man matching Jonathan's description and carrying his possessions has arrived at Hathaway Hall with no memory of his identity or where he has been. Could this man truly be Jonathan, back from the dead? Or is he a devious impostor, determined to gain ownership over the family's most valuable possessions--a legendary parure of priceless Rajasthani jewels? It's a delicate situation, and Veronica is Sir Hugo's only hope.
Veronica and Stoker agree to go to Hathaway Hall to covertly investigate the mysterious amnesiac. Veronica is soon shocked to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. To help Sir Hugo discover the truth, she must open doors to her own history that she long believed to be shut for good.
My Opinion: Is it wrong to say – at least it was better than the last? The previous book, An Unexpected Peril, had me wondering if Deanna Raybourn had used a ghostwriter since it had no flow and the banter was off. I am glad to say that The Impossible Impostor stepped up the game, not completely, but getting back on track. There is more humor and bantering between Veronica and Stoker, but since their relationship has taken a turn, they aren’t as snippy and blunt with each other. I miss their wordplay.
The storyline flows well, and the characters follow their prescribed course. There is a surprise for the readers, not alluded to in previous books, which throws Veronica and Stoker off their usual game. From the beginning, you know who the good guys are and where the bad guys fit. You know Veronica will frustrate, and Stoker will acquiesce. You know they have a do-gooder’s heart, and if capable, they will right all wrongs.
That is why I come back to these books. When they are on their game, they fit each other. They work around each other’s imperfections and find a way, hopefully with wit and teasing to right a wrong and to help the exploited gain their footing.
Blurb: London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch. He has a personal request on behalf of his goddaughter, Euphemia Hathaway. After years of traveling the world, her eldest brother, Jonathan, heir to Hathaway Hall, was believed to have been killed in the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa a few years before.
But now a man matching Jonathan's description and carrying his possessions has arrived at Hathaway Hall with no memory of his identity or where he has been. Could this man truly be Jonathan, back from the dead? Or is he a devious impostor, determined to gain ownership over the family's most valuable possessions--a legendary parure of priceless Rajasthani jewels? It's a delicate situation, and Veronica is Sir Hugo's only hope.
Veronica and Stoker agree to go to Hathaway Hall to covertly investigate the mysterious amnesiac. Veronica is soon shocked to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. To help Sir Hugo discover the truth, she must open doors to her own history that she long believed to be shut for good.
My Opinion: Is it wrong to say – at least it was better than the last? The previous book, An Unexpected Peril, had me wondering if Deanna Raybourn had used a ghostwriter since it had no flow and the banter was off. I am glad to say that The Impossible Impostor stepped up the game, not completely, but getting back on track. There is more humor and bantering between Veronica and Stoker, but since their relationship has taken a turn, they aren’t as snippy and blunt with each other. I miss their wordplay.
The storyline flows well, and the characters follow their prescribed course. There is a surprise for the readers, not alluded to in previous books, which throws Veronica and Stoker off their usual game. From the beginning, you know who the good guys are and where the bad guys fit. You know Veronica will frustrate, and Stoker will acquiesce. You know they have a do-gooder’s heart, and if capable, they will right all wrongs.
That is why I come back to these books. When they are on their game, they fit each other. They work around each other’s imperfections and find a way, hopefully with wit and teasing to right a wrong and to help the exploited gain their footing.
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