Seven Books Worth Reading
The subject of this evening’s post is one that is near and dear to my heart - The Veronica Speedwell Mysteries by Deanna Raybourn. Not just one book, but seven. Lucky me, and lucky you, and lucky world! Thank you Deanna. Now, I should say, I’m usually not a huge fan of series. Too much responsibility. I don’t like to leave things unfinished, so for me, a series is a major commitment. I end up feeling trapped, and if I give up, I feel guilty. This series, however, is an exception to the rule. I just finished the seventh book of the series (with breaks waiting for publication between the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh!!!), so take from that what you will. These books are a real treat, and this is going to be a long one, so buckle up.
First and foremost, by nature of the fact that these books are ~~mysteries~~ I am going to keep my notes on plot to a minimum. Our heroine is none other than Veronica Speedwell, an orphaned, lepidopterist (butterfly hunter, for those who don’t know), with an origin shrouded in mystery. She was raised by her spinster aunts, but was mostly free to roam to the far reaches of the earth in pursuit of rare butterflies and men. She is fierce, independent, dauntless, etc. She lives for adventure. Our hero is Stoker (Revelstoke Templeton-Vane). He is a moody natural-historian with a dark past, often seen restoring old taxidermy in a state of half-undress. He has a sweet tooth and a penchant for quoting Keats in moments of high emotion (all emotions). SWOON. If you need more than that to entice you, I will give a brief breakdown of the trouble that these two get into in each book:
A Curious Beginning: Veronica is abducted from her aunt’s funeral. A mysterious but well-meaning German baron helps her escape and places her in Stoker's care. When the baron is murdered, Veronica and Stoker work together to find his killer. Let the games begin.
A Perilous Undertaking: A high society art patron awaits execution for the murder of his mistress, and a mysterious lady asks Veronica to help prove his innocence. There’s intrigue, betrayal, and a hearty serving of sexual innuendo as Veronica and Stoker traipse through high society and low society (think orgies) to find the real killer before time runs out. We also learn about Veronica’s background in this one (I’m being intentionally vague).
A Treacherous Curse: This one is Egyptology themed, which is fun. One of Stoker’s former colleagues (cue deep dive into Stoker’s past) has disappeared from an archeological dig with a priceless diadem. This is not the first strange thing to happen to the team on this expedition, so there are whispers of an unleashed curse. This theory is bolstered by the fact that someone dressed as Anubis is haunting the streets of London. Veronica and Stoker, obviously, are on the case.
A Dangerous Collaboration: Our pair is off to the Cornish Isles, after Stoker’s brother convinces Veronica to pose as his fiancé for a weekend (cue a jealousy storyline, which causes Stoker to crash the party). We quickly learn that years ago, the host of this weekend getaway misplaced his bride on the day of their wedding - i.e. she ran away - OR did she?! It’s gloomy, gothic, foggy, hazy, vanished bride, etc.
A Murderous Relation: This one is about the royal family and a brothel. Prince Albert Victor has a favorite brothel and gives a gift to the proprietress that might be traced back to him. Veronica and Stoker are asked to fetch it back before scandal breaks, but - uh oh! Jack the Ripper is on the loose and the prince might be a suspect?! Good fun is had by all.
An Unexpected Peril: A fellow female scientist and explorer is found dead in the Alpenwald. While planning the memorial exhibition, Veronica discovers that the death was not an accident…it was murder (obviously)! The princess of the Aplenwald gets involved and then disappears. Veronica is forced to impersonate her, and she almost gets killed but does get to play dress up. Stoker is there too in his most perfect iteration yet.
An Impossible Imposter: Veronica and Stoker are sent to Hathaway Hall to determine if a man claiming to be the long lost (presumed dead) heir to the family fortune is the real deal or not. Why, you ask? Because Veronica knew the real heir from her days as an adventurist (cue revelations about Veronica’s past). Precious gems are involved and there’s a lot of baiting and switching going on. Stoker is even more perfect.
If you haven’t caught on already, a certain suspension of disbelief is essential to the enjoyment of these novels. They are written in the framework of Victorian England - the first one takes place in 1887 and the series spans two years, so far. I don’t claim to be an expert on the period, but it’s doesn’t take much to know that the characters, the sensibilities of those characters and the situations those characters get into, are unrealistic to the point of being ridiculous. This is to mention nothing of Veronica’s own backstory, which is so hilariously outlandish that I wouldn’t dare to even hint at what it is. If you lack imagination or even just the ability to appreciate the imagination of others, these books might not be for you.
So, all of those details and disclaimers out of the way, we can get to the most important part: the romance. This is kind of a spoiler, but I don’t feel bad about it because anyone with a pulse would be able to tell that Veronica and Stoker are going to get together from the very start. These two are to die for. As they like to say - they are quick silver, and the rest of the world is mud. AHHHH! I won’t be able to get into the intricacies of each stage of their romance because this post would be a veritable thesis if I tried, but I am going to do my best to give an overarching picture that will, hopefully, convince you to read these books even if you don’t like mysteries or unrealistic plot lines.
For the first few books, it’s a game of will-they-won’t-they in which it is apparent that they will if you just keep reading. This is the best kind of literary will-they-won’t-they, in my opinion. For the sake of keeping you on your toes and also because I honestly don’t remember exactly, I will not be revealing when (i.e. in which book) they finally get together. All that matters is that they do. Obviously as a reader, the moment when Deanna FINALLY stops making us wait for it is satisfying beyond belief. I whooped and hollered and laughed and wept, etc. However, after seven books, I am beginning to realize that the will-they-won’t-they can be the best part. It’s the part that happens after is hard to get right.
I am not a novelist, and I have a genuine admiration for anyone who is capable of writing and publishing even one novel. If it’s not already clear, I am also a huge fan of this particular series. As many Veronica Speedwell Mysteries as Deanna wants to pump out, I will read. But, I do have a couple notes. Or maybe thoughts is a better word. Either way, here they are.
To start with, there’s not enough sex. I understand why Deanna makes us wait for it, or rather, why, to maintain a shred of realism, Veronica and Stoker don’t immediately hop into bed together. This is Victorian England, so fine - they won’t do it right away. I get that. But as someone who reads romance novels, I can tell you that the way Deanna set this up made it seem like there would be some seriously steamy scenes coming down the pipe. The chemistry between Veronica and Stoker is enough to start a fire, and it simmered, and simmered…and simmered. After waiting an undisclosed amount of time (books), I was on the edge of my seat for this moment, and she CUT AWAY. I thought, okay maybe as they get more comfortable with each other, Deanna will get more comfortable with sharing the details. No. I’ll spare you the disappointment I had to experience every single time, and let you know that she always cuts away.
Aside from that, and much more nuanced than that, something interesting happens after Veronica and Stoker get together. At the beginning, they’re both the type of people who insist (with what could be called pride) that they will never get truly close to anyone because they are better off alone. Then they wear each other down, and the world (reader) rejoices. Then Stoker holds up his end of the deal and becomes a veritable dream, while Veronica…gets worse? I won’t speak in absolutes because based off the end of the seventh novel, this isn’t over, but that’s how I feel. Stoker bears his soul - gives it all - everything. He’s ready to commit forever, settle down, stop running off on adventures, etc. When Stoker expresses these feelings to Veronica, she shuts him down without much discussion. She can’t change, so if he wants her, he must change. And he does (!!!) because he cannot live without her. It’s romantic I guess, but it’s not equal, which makes it unsettling to me. It certainly doesn’t fill me with the warm and fuzzies like it should.
I’ve thought a lot about it, and I think this pattern can be attributed to Deanna’s insistence that Veronica be a strong and independent woman who doesn’t need a man. In the early books, this is part of what makes Veronica’s character so captivating. Once she meets Stoker though, and falls in love, and he proves himself to be an excellent man, capable of compromise and willing to put her first, it would be nice to see Veronica compromise as well - to see her put him first sometimes. Instead, Raybourn makes her more closed off - more fierce in clinging to a sense of independence that Stoker would never try to take away.
I do recognize that too often in romance, we see our heroines making sacrifices to placate and satisfy their ‘heroes.’ With that in mind, Deanna’s choices can be viewed as a response - an alternative vision. It’s just not the vision that I want. I get that Veronica’s whole thing is that she’s an independent woman, but its too far in the right direction that you end up in the wrong direction. True romance is a give and take, and there is something beautiful about bending ourselves to the ones we love - as long as they are willing to bend themselves to us as well. I think in the adventure, the mystery and the fun, Deanna lets Veronica’s emotional development fall to the wayside, and Stoker’s perfection makes this lack of development glaring. I haven’t lost faith though - I have something to hope for in book number eight!
Thank you to one of the best teachers I’ve ever had, Cristina Griffin, for showing me these books. I love them and every other book you’ve ever told me to read.