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A Perilous Undertaking  By  cover art

A Perilous Undertaking

By: Deanna Raybourn
Narrated by: Angele Masters
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Publisher's summary

Veronica Speedwell returns in a brand new adventure from Deanna Raybourn, the New York Times best-selling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries.

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.

©2017 Deanna Raybourn (P)2017 Recorded Books

Featured Article: Best Mystery Series—Listens That'll Take You Right to the Crime Scene


While a standalone mystery is great when you're in the mood for a one-and-done, sometimes you want to feed your craving with an entire mystery series—knowing there's a world and characters you can keep coming back to for the satisfaction of solving crimes. With audiobooks, you get the added bonus of sinking deeper into the setting, clues, and suspects as the story is performed for you, so you'll feel like you're alongside detectives, ready to bust a case.

What listeners say about A Perilous Undertaking

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

What sex? No where is anyone actually having sex.

What made the experience of listening to A Perilous Undertaking the most enjoyable?

Ms. Masters is pretty much spot on. She enunciates, pronounces words properly and has the perfect cadence to tell this type of story. I could tell the difference between characters. She reads very well and I enjoyed her. The story flows.

What other book might you compare A Perilous Undertaking to and why?

A Curious Beginning. To compare it to another author's story is not something I do. To me each author is a separate entity. Apples and oranges thing.

What does Angele Masters bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The story isn't convoluted, simple relationship story with a bit of mystery, 19th century humor. Not sure, due to my Veteran PTSD, I cannot read a book anymore. So I can't give my opinion.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

chasing butterflies up a camels butt!

Any additional comments?

I don't understand the reviews about too much sex. No where in the story does anyone have sex. It is talked about and with some explicit descriptions. If you can't handle limited descriptions of sex, not the book for you

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75 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Such a disappointment!

I love these characters, and loved the first book of the series. I even went so far as to preorder this sequel, something I have never done before. But I was sorely disappointed. The author, it seems, was absolutely consumed with a single topic while writing this episode: sex. The plot and subplots are about sex, in every imaginable form and several, quite frankly, better unimagined. This is not just the jealous-lover-turned murderer kind of sex. This book is obsessed with intercourse. While we hear about all these goings-on from our heroine in her adorably stilted and downright clinical perspective, still it all boils down to: sex. Lame.

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38 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • J
  • 02-07-17

Much More Sexual Than the First

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This book would be better with far less discussion of historic sex toys and orgies.

What does Angele Masters bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Master is an impressive narrator. She reads male and female voices so distinctly that it is easy to tell the different characters from each other. Beautiful work.

Any additional comments?

This book is not one I would share with my young teenagers. It was gorier and more prurient than the first novel. This is a plus for some readers, just not my thing.

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36 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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An Intriguing Mystery

In this second installment of the Veronica Speedwell mysteries I find that I have come to like her character better than in the first book. I only have one complaint: it was a bit much that with every new acquaintance Veronica made she had to prove to them how unaffected she is by their lack of convention or morality, and try to one-up them with her own immoral views I find it hard to believe that everyone she meets would try to shock her and then admire her for not reacting. Other than that I really enjoyed the story. I loved seeing how Veronica and Stoker's friendship has grown and how they well they complement each other. I also like a book where I am not able to figure out the murderer right away. Now if only miss Angele Masters could narrate a female character, besides Veronica, that does not have a shrill voice . . .

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28 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Enjoying Veronica and Stoker

BUT why is it that almost every "progressive" female in this genre must be at best promiscuous, if not amoral. These characters, these storylines, this dialogue would be even more enjoyable if all the sexual innuendo, activity, etc. were omitted. I stopped reading one author because her protagonist was forever jumping in someone's bed. I am going listen to book 3 and hope it manages to entertain without the superfluous debauchery.

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24 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

A vulgar Amelia Peabody

I had chosen this series because it was compared to the Amelia Peabody series that I absolutely love. There are many ways in which the main character and setting are similar to Amelia Peabody: intrepid, independent heroine, Victorian setting, strong male love interest and partner in investigations. However, in this book in the series, the author lacks subtlety. The style of writing and the culture come from the Victorian area, and I understand that the personal sexual values of individuals throughout history may not change very much, but how the overlay of modern sexual values (one night stands, references to homosexuality, blatant comments on sexual body parts) are communicated in a manner that is inconsistent not only with the era, but with the otherwise charming style of the author. Miss Speedwell's fascination with phallic "art" is written in a coarse and vulgar manner that take away from the charm of the story and, unfortunately, as the theme of sexual adventures is woven throughout much of the book, these inconsistencies are jarring and unpleasant. I have listened to many books that have modern day sexual values and have enjoyed them. Amelia Peabody, herself, thoroughly enjoys her sex life and doesn't condemn others for their choices. However, this author doesn't make it work in this series, and especially in this book of the series.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • C
  • 02-17-17

Too Much Sex

Would you try another book from Deanna Raybourn and/or Angele Masters?

no

What was most disappointing about Deanna Raybourn’s story?

Although I found the plot intriguing, I can't wade through all the sex to get to the end.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Angele Masters?

The narrator is great

Any additional comments?

Too Much Sex-use your amazing descriptive ability to describe something other than sex toys and positional paraphernalia

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Can't get enough!!

Love this series!!! I have Deanna's Julia Grey book one in my wish list!

This series is best read in order.

Angele Masters narration is marvelous!!

Veronica and Stoker are wonderful together!! They have such a wonderful relationship. If you like a good mystery with great characters and a series that adds more history of the main characters each book. This is for you.

Good ending no cliff hanger (thank goodness). Still I cannot wait for the next book!!

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Another winner!

Veronica is my kind of hero! I love her attitude.

This second book in Raybourn's latest series continues the excitement and humor of the first. The dialogue between Veronica and Stoker is fabulous! Their interactions - whether in a mortuary or an opium den - make for an amazing adventure.

The narration was perfect. I hope Angele Masters remains the narrator for the following books. And I hope Deanna Raybourn is writing frantically.

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17 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Could have been a great series, but.........

There is merit in Deanna Raybourn's writing, however, she sells herself short with inserting titillation. The first book was well written, the characters interesting, and had a great plot. It was a little risque, but this second book is definitely soft porn, which is unfortunate. If you go in for that sort of thing, this series is definitely for you, but I personally don't want it. I don't read romance novels for a reason. I wish Ms. Raybourn recognized that she is a good writer without the titillation. I'm very disappointed and choose not to continue the series.

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12 people found this helpful