Veronica Speedwell never fails to charm me. Eight books in and I hoped that the magic would still be there. I was relieved to find her just as appealing as usual. Veronica has a problem: oh, Tiberius Templeton-Vane has recruited her and his brother to help him respond to a threatening letter he has received, but that's not the most drastic issue on her mind. It's Stoker, who is feeling offended that she has not confided in him and did not seek him out on his “I need space to think about things" trip to Europe. He wants to feel needed and appreciated. Veronica is loathe to give him so much leverage in their relationship.
It is difficult for Veronica to trust. After all, her birth family want to keep her at arms length, with plausible deniability. And in the last book, we learned of the man that she believed to be her first husband. (See An Impossible Imposter). It turns out that shoddy paperwork annulled their union, but Stoker had stomped off to Europe before that became clear. Will Veronica be able to win him back? Will she win her bet with Stoker and Tiberius? Will she mend her friendship with J.J. Butterworth? Will they discover the murderer?
Raybourn's humour is perennially appealing to me. I love her portrayal of our daring lepidopterist, who is always aware of butterflies, but often oblivious to the finer human feelings around her. I wouldn't have her any other way!
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