A Dangerous Collaboration
4 Stars

Stoker's brother, Tiberius, invites Veronica to accompany him to a house party on St. Madden's isle, home to an elusive butterfly. But the viscount's ulterior motive is soon revealed when Veronica learns that their host's bride, Rosamund Romilly, vanished three years earlier and that several of the current guests had motives for murder ...

The eerie atmosphere of the remote Cornish island with its superstitious villagers and compelling folklore serves as an excellent backdrop to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Rosamund Romilly. While the investigation is quite straightforward, and most of the twists and turns easy to guess, it is, nevertheless, very entertaining to follow along as our intrepid heroine and her steadfast sidekick unravel the clues.

The developments in Veronica and Stoker's relationship are the highlight of the book as they finally acknowledge to themselves and to each other that their feelings go beyond friendship. The bickering between Stoker and his brother (especially when it comes to Veronica) never fail to elicit a smile.

Looking forward to the next book, which revolves around one of histories most infamous killers, Jack the Ripper. Veronica vs. Jack - should be interesting . . . ( )

fiction, historical fiction, mystery, England, series, own, kindle, 2023 ( )

A bride mysteriously disappears on her wedding day in the newest Veronica Speedwell adventure by the New York Times bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey series.

Lured by the promise of a rare and elusive butterfly, the intrepid Veronica Speedwell is persuaded by Lord Templeton-Vane, the brother of her colleague Stoker, to pose as his fiancée at a house party on a Cornish isle owned by his oldest friend, Malcolm Romilly.
But Veronica soon learns that one question hangs over the party: What happened to Rosamund? Three years ago, Malcolm Romilly's bride vanished on their wedding day, and no trace of her has ever been found. Now those who were closest to her have gathered, each a possible suspect in her disappearance.
From the poison garden kept by Malcolm's sister to the high towers of the family castle, the island's atmosphere is full of shadows, and danger lurks around every corner.
Determined to discover Rosamund's fate, Veronica...

I enjoyed this mystery as much as the others in the same series. My one complaint is also a compliment. Omg the steamy build up between Veronica and stoker might kill me. ( )

Veronica Speedwell has been offered an opportunity to gather a rare species of butterfly on a secluded island off Cornwall. She is escorted by Stoker's brother (he claims she is his fiancée) but once there the 3 (Stoker smuggled along) they are asked to solve the mystery of the missing bride. Lo9ngh story short - the host's bride disappeared the day of the wedding 3 years prior and has ever been heard of since. Since the island is remote - where did she go and how did she get wherever she is?

Simple plot, good characters, fun circumstances ( )