Sophia Rose Reviews- A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

 

Today Sophia Rose gives us her thoughts on Deanna Raybourn's latest Veronica Speedwell historical mystery.
Enjoy!

A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn

#8 Veronica Speedwell

Historical Mystery

Publisher:  Berkley

Published:  3.12.24

Pages:  336

Rating: 4.5 stars

Format: eARC

Source:  Net Galley

Sellers:  Amazon

ADD TO: GoodReads

 

GoodReads Synopsis:

Veronica and Stoker discover that not all fairy tales have happy endings, and some end in murder, in this latest historical mystery from New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

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?

 

Sophia Rose's Review:

When the earl returns with his latest auction purchases, among them is a breathtaking wax figure much like the Sleeping Beauty at Madame Tussaud’s.  But, alas, the figure is not what it seems and leads Veronica and Stoker on a new merry adventure full of mischief and mayhem.

 

A Grave Robbery is the ninth in a series that is fabulous when read in order so the personal, romantic, and friend relationships are seen developing along the way.

 

A Grave Robbery, like the rest of the series has a spring release, but I feel would be amazing read during Spooky season because the time in the story is Victorian London in the fall and the macabre mystery Veronica and Stoker are working on lends itself to the atmosphere of a dark autumn night.  With whiffs of Frankenstein to it, A Grave Robbery has the detecting pair learning about the anatomically correct wax figures used by medical students or in a circus freak show, about the Victorian fashion fixation for death and grieving, about the study of electricity used in reanimation, and the sad differences for male and female scholars in the scientific world.

 

I loved seeing side characters like JJ the newspaper gal and their Scotland Yard Inspector getting involved in the case.  In fact, it was fun seeing the team dynamics get a bit of a change up with Veronica learning to unbend on her stern need for independence to appreciate what strengths others can bring to the table.

Sidenote- Loved encountering a crossover character from the Lady Julia Grey series in Julia's sister Portia.

 

The romance side was at peace and a comfortable background for once though yes, Veronica takes delight in stirring up Stoker.  He makes some beautiful speeches to her at times that penetrated her emotional walls and had her dabbing her eyes which I appreciated myself.  However, it was his choice right at the moment of her planning to leap into danger that left me breathless.  Stoker only gets more impressive, it seems.

 

The mystery was an easy one for me, but I was engaged in how it all came about.  And, the suspense and danger was good stuff.

 

All in all, another solid series entry that left me wanting more.  Historical Mystery fans who enjoy eccentric lead characters and authentic Victorian historical elements should give this a go.

 

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is the author of the Veronica Speedwell Victorian mystery series, and her first contemporary thriller, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, published in September of 2022 at #9 on the New York Times bestseller list and won the 2022 Barry Award for Best Thriller. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including the Edgar, the Macavity, and the Agatha. She makes her home in Virginia.

Website:  https://www.deannaraybourn.com/

Sophia’s Bio:

Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.

As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sophia.rose.7587

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sophiarose1816

GoodReads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13418187.Sophia_Rose