A Perilous Undertaking - (Veronica Speedwell Mystery) by Deanna Raybourn (Paperback)

About the Book

"London, 1887. Victorian adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell receives an invitation to visit the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women. There she meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Accused of the brutal murder of his artist mistress Artemisia, Ramsforth will face the hangman's noose in a week's time if Veronica cannot find the real killer. But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is only the first of the many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural historian colleague Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer--a ruthless villain who not only took Artemisia's life in cold blood but is happy to see Ramsforth hang for the crime. From a Bohemian artists' colony to a royal palace to a subterranean grotto with a decadent history, the investigation proves to be a very perilous undertaking indeed"--

Book Synopsis

The "wickedly clever and devilishly amusing"* Veronica Speedwell returns for a rousing adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey Mysteries.

London, 1887. At the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task--saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Ramsforth, accused of the brutal murder of his mistress, Artemisia, will face the hangman's noose in a week's time if the real killer is not found.

But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems, and unmasking her true identity is only the first of many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural-historian colleague, Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer. From a Bohemian artists' colony to a royal palace to a subterranean grotto with a decadent history, the investigation proves to be a very perilous undertaking indeed...

*SusanElia MacNeal

Review Quotes

Praise for Deanna Raybourn

"Veronica Speedwell is a joy--unflappable, unrepentant, and thoroughly delightful."--New York Times bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal

"The powerful Veronica Speedwell...triumphs over adversity and danger with wit, charm, and uncanny determination."--#1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr

"Veronica Speedwell is sure to join the greats of mystery fiction."--New York Times bestselling author Alan Bradley

"A smart, plucky, way-ahead-of-her-time heroine."--Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"A fun heroine who defies convention and embraces intrigue."--Booklist

"No one writes parasols, petticoats, and pistols like Deanna Raybourn."--New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig

About the Author

Deanna Raybourn is the author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Lady Julia Grey series, currently in development for television, as well as the USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award nominated Veronica Speedwell Mysteries and several standalone works.