A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn Narrator: Angele Masters
Series: Veronica Speedwell #5
Published by Recorded Books on March 10, 2020
Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery
Length: 11 hours, 41 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Purchased
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Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian colleague Stoker are asked by Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk to help with a potential scandal so explosive it threatens to rock the monarchy. Prince Albert Victor is a regular visitor to the most exclusive private club in London, known as the Club de l'Etoile, and the proprietess, Madame Aurore, has received an expensive gift that can be traced back to the prince. Lady Wellie would like Veronica and Stoker to retrieve the jewel from the club before scandal can break.
Worse yet, London is gripped by hysteria in the autumn of 1888, terrorized by what would become the most notorious and elusive serial killer in history, Jack the Ripper--and Lady Wellie suspects the prince may be responsible.
Veronica and Stoker reluctantly agree to go undercover at Madame Aurore's high class brothel, where another body soon turns up. Many secrets are swirling around Veronica and the royal family--and it's up to Veronica and Stoker to find the truth, before it's too late for all of them.
Veronica Speedwell series has been a lot of fun so far and A Murderous Relation, the fifth book of the series is no exception. Veronica, a lepidopterist (someone who studies butterflies) by trade, and adventurer by accident has just stumbled head first into another mystery. It is amazing how many times she gets both herself and her will they / won’t they compatriot, into trouble with their lives on the line. But, here they go again in a time when Jack the Ripper is roaming through London, killing women who sometimes entertain gentlemen at night and the Prince of England can’t seem to keep it in his pants and might ruin the future of the regency.
In the last book, we had a lot of inner turmoil for Veronica as she explored the depths of her feelings for Stoker and what that might mean to her as a woman of the world. Well, at least she knows she loves the man and honestly who could blame her, he is quite quixotic (not a lot of instances I get to use that word). But now that they have admitted what they are to each other, they have to figure out how the heck are they going to take the next step into a physical relationship and when will the rest of the world get out of the way to let that happen.
Veronica and Stoker have fallen into yet another plot, one the focuses on Veronica and her heritage yet again. She just can’t seem to get away from the legacy of her father as some would like to use her to their own means for freeing Ireland from British rule. Asked by the Queen Veronica and Stoker have been tasked to steal a diamond from a high society house of pleasure and save Veronica’s half brother, the Prince of England, from falling into scandal and losing the chance to marry someone who might help him rule England well. While not entirely excited about accepting the offer, they eventually get pulled into this game anyway.
I almost always like being in Veronica’s head. She is so matter of fact about everything and a woman of great deductive reasoning. She sees the world much differently from others of her time and I enjoy the small arguments she and Stoker have while escapading together. They are a great team and I was really excited to see how this new facet of their relationship might change a few things between them. And while it does a little, Veronica is still Veronica and she will never let anything as silly as love of a good man get in the way of doing whatever she likes.
I enjoyed this mystery. While I was hoping to get a little more closure on the Jack the Ripper part of the story, it was an interesting backdrop to everything else that way happening and really brought the historical realism of the story to life. There was a short author’s note at the end with some of the research on the characters and why certain liberties were and were not taken. I, as a reader, appreciated that insight into the story after finishing it.
All and all, this is a great series for those of us that like strong, smart women, swashbuckling men and a good mystery to figure out. A very Sherlock Holmes type of tirade into a mystery and adventure.
Narration:
Angele Masters has been the voice of Veronica and this series from the beginning. She is great at performing the matter of fact mentality of Veronica, while also making Stoker a sexy dreamboat and the sentimental one of the pair. Angele did a great job again of bringing all the characters to life and also putting forth a great interpretation of Prince Edward for this specific installment of the series. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:Â HERE
About Deanna Raybourn
New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia.
Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including five RITAs, two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, and three du Mauriers. Her Lady Julia Grey novels are currently in development as a television series in the UK and she launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica’s second adventure is A PERILOUS UNDERTAKING (January 2017), and book three, A TREACHEROUS CURSE, was published in January 2018. A DANGEROUS COLLABORATION will be released in March 2019. Further books in the Veronica Speedwell series are contracted through 2020.
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Wonderful review, and I now know what a lepidopterist is!
And your life is probably fuller for it. 🙂
I have really enjoyed this series and I liked this one as well. I do agree about wanting a bit more closure on the Jack the Ripper murders.
Yeah. Maybe they will pop up again or maybe it was just a side note to what was happening at the time.
This series sounds like it would be right up my alley!
I love Veronica and Stoker. But they can be frustrating at times. At least they’re unpredictable.