A Treacherous Curse

By: Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by: Angele Masters

Length: 11 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's Summary

Members of an Egyptian expedition fall victim to an ancient mummy's curse in a thrilling Veronica Speedwell novel from the New York Times best-selling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries.

London, 1888. As colorful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can't resist the allure of an exotic mystery - particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker.

His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumors abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.

But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker's past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats - and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe - Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything....

©2018 Deanna Raybourn (P)2018 Recorded Books

I rarely give a book a 5, but....

I cannot overemphasize how much I love this series. The writing, characters, and plot are excellent, but it is the connection between the two leads that is MAGICAL. Lovers come and go, but to find a partner you are attracted to, one that thinks of you before he thinks of himself, one that loves you as a friend first....Well, guard and nurture that love because it is hard to come by. My Husband and I always say,"I am yours and you are mine" and I shake my head and marvel at what we have between us. Please, NEVER, NEVER take this incredible gift for granted.
The author conveys this concept again and again throughout the series and that theme......
Well, take it with you.

Unoriginal, Unsuspenseful, Unlikely Dialogue

I loved Deanna Raybourn's Julia Grey mysteries, so I was surprised that this series, and this book especially, didn't appeal to me at all. The story is unoriginal and has been better told in plenty of other cozy historic mysteries before (Elizabeth Peters' books, for example).

There were lots of missed opportunities for suspense and romantic tension between our two favorite characters. No one in the story was ever in real danger and the villains kept backing down, becoming nonthreatening. It definitely wasn't a "page turner."

Also, instead of dialogue, the characters just monologue at each other. It was so unrealistic that it was hard to buy into the characters or the story. No real person would have those perfectly prepared scripts to recite at people in the heat of argument or passion, especially not while the other party passively listens.

I also thought the anglophile pandering was a little heavy handed, even though this American girl loves a good English mystery.

That said, still 2 stars for light distracting book and a good performance.

Boring

I like the lead characters, but Holy Cow, this was boring. The shrill voices of the older women are almost unbearable--but maybe that's the point. I appreciate learning more about Stoker's bitchy wife and I liked how Veronica takes no bs from anyone. Still, this story is totally unmemorable and I only listened to find out what might happen between Stoker and Veronica. Otherwise, this was a waste of my time.

Has this series reached its limit? For me it has.

Maybe it's me, but this series seems to be getting a little tiresome. The elaborate Victorian dialogue wears on me, the characters seem even less realistic, and the plot seems strained. Even the narrator's arch tone has become grating. Time for me to move on, I guess.

Still Good, Felt A Little Short

I felt that this one had a different sort of pacing than the previous two books. There wasn’t as much action or verbal sparring, which I heartily enjoyed, but in their place were kinder and more deeply felt scenes. Overall it was a very good book, and a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining listen. As always, the narrator is incomparable.

So much fun!

This is so well written! Listening to the prose and banter is a delight! Obviously a great deal of research has gone into this book and it paints such a clear picture of the Victorian Age. I’ve never been a fan of books set in that time period, but this book has changed my thinking. A strong female character, a male character who admires her for her strength and independence, and slowly growing attraction between them makes for a fun story and has me hoping for more. The reader does a wonderful job conveying the emotions of the characters as she reads. Can’t wait for the next adventure!

LOVE IT!!!

I actually love this Veronica Speedwell series so much that I am listening to all three again. I love the way the author "paints" the book so vividly that I can imagine being right there! And the voice of Angele Masters is INCREDIBLE! She is wonderful in her portrayal through voice of many different characters. TOTALLY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoyable but Meandering

This book, like those that have come before it, is enjoyable. However, I found the plot to be a bit more tedious.

Characters are introduced that do not seem to be of any importance, all for the sake of revealing small clues. And while some of these clues reveal tid bits about motives, the actors and crime are revealed without the need for them.

Additionally, the ending feels hurried. One particular character joins Veronica and Stoker on their climactic journey and I cannot deduce the reason for this, nor the necessity of travel as the setting makes very little difference in the result.

All this said, I still enjoy this series. I wouldn't say it's as good as the Charlotte Holmes series, but it's fun in its own right. Veronica and Stoker have a wonderful chemistry and I appreciate that they push each other to be better people. Their relationship is not wrapped in a beautiful box with bow. It is candid and tumultuous and thus a more real reflection of relationships.

Good but slow at times.

As always, great characters - love Veronica and Stoker and wish there was more of them interacting with each other; but seems like the author gets a bit lost in side character conversations that go on far too long. Get to the damn point. Sometimes When I’ve listened to characters having a conversation for
45 minutes, I don’t even know what information I’m supposed to be remembering.

Good story

It was a good story but they all seem the same and not much happens to progress the characters. Enjoyable but same story