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nebraskanwriter's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I found the pages and pages of witty dialogue, though enjoyable at first, they became incredibly tedious. I found myself skimming the majority of the end until the twist/revelation around the 70% mark. From there, the story gets interesting! But all the meandering side plots before then really weighed the story down, in my opinion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Cursing, Pregnancy, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Sexism, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping
dlrosebyh's review
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
1887, London. Orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her global travels in search of scientific inquiry—and the odd amorous dalliance—after burying her spinster aunt. Veronica is as comfortable hunting butterflies as she is fighting off suitors, and she plans to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
But fate has other ideas for Veronica when she foils her own kidnapping with the assistance of an intriguing German aristocrat who gives her refuge in the hands of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can tell what he knows about the conspiracy against her, he is assassinated, leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an enigmatic assailant as hesitant companions in quest of the wicked truth.
This was given to me by a friend since I was seeking for historical fiction mysteries after reading so many modern ones. As a mystery reader, I believe the storyline might have been thickened. The finale was also quite predictable. By 35% of the way through the book, I knew what the finale would be, which is always a bad sign in mystery books. I'm not sure whether I like or dislike Veronica, but I also don't want to read six more novels only to learn more about her, so I'm not sure how I feel about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, and Death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Sexism
Minor: Ableism
hazelgirl21's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Death
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Animal death
em_swanson's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
If you want a fun, light hearted mystery set in Victorian Era London this is a good choice. The main characters are engaging and well written. The plot is unique and fun but easy to follow. There isn't much of a tie in to actual hysterical events however, and some of the characters seem out of their time period.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Alcohol, and Sexual content
breekeeler's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Good fun! At times the “not like other girls” attitude annoyed me, but it mostly served to make Veronica feel flawed and thus believable. The mystery was twisty and entertaining, and the banter between Veronica and Stoker was fun. I’ll definitely be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Terminal illness
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