April 8, 2024
In bestseller Raybourn’s whirlwind ninth historical adventure for Veronica Speedwell (after An Impossible Impostor), the lepidopterist teams up with taxidermist Stoker Templeton-Vane to identify a cadaver trapped in a wax figure. At the novel’s outset, the Earl of Rosemorran commissions Veronica and Stoker to install a waxwork figure of a “maiden captured in enchanted slumber” with a mechanical engine for the entertainment of his spoiled 11-year-old daughter. When the pair makes the first cut, they discover the figure is, in fact, an actual corpse entombed in wax. Shocked, they set out to identify the deceased, launching an investigation that takes them to various macabre corners of Victorian London, including a freak show featuring a spider woman, an underground railway through a chilling necropolis, and a group of researchers using “applied galvanics” to resurrect the dead. Vibrant secondary characters, a sea of plausible suspects, and a steadily growing body count make this a treat for series devotees and newcomers alike. Agent: Pam Hopkins, Hopkins Literary Assoc.
September 13, 2024
Raybourn dedicates her latest to series narrator Ang�le Masters, who artfully brings to life the ninth installment in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series (following A Sinister Revenge). Lady Rose, the precocious daughter of Lord Rosemorran, has asked for a rather unusual birthday gift this year--her very own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud. What luck that her father, in purchasing yet more items for Veronica and taxidermist Stoker to catalog, stumbles upon a wax figure in storage. The earl asks Stoker to insert a clockwork mechanism to bring the figure to life, but they are horrified to discover that the beautiful figure is actually a corpse. Veronica and Stoker set out to find out who this young lady was and how she ended up encased in wax. The investigative duo soon encounter all sorts of bizarre happenings, from comically finding themselves as part of a display to discovering unsettling, Frankenstein-like science experiments. Masters nails her depiction of Veronica, imbuing her character with vivacity while capturing the delicious tension of Veronica and Stoker's blossoming relationship. VERDICT A sparkling production and highly recommended purchase for any audio mystery collection. Recommend to fans of Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series.--Heather Davidson Maneiro
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