A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery: Thorndike Press Large Print Basic) - Hardcover

Praise for Deanna Raybourn and the Lady Julia Grey Novels
"Deanna Raybourn creates unforgettable characters in a richly detailed world. This is storytelling at its most compelling."--Nora Roberts, #1 "New York Times" bestselling author
"Deftly brews up the perfect mix of mystery and romance."--"Chicago Tribune"
"Unabashedly romantic but still very much a literary Victorian detective novel."--"The Denver Post"
"A clever and unique perspective on the Victorian era through the eyes of an unconventional lady."--"Library Journal"
"Perfectly executed."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)
Praise for "A Curious Beginning"
" "
"With wicked intelligence, Deanna Raybourn has created a fresh and fascinating sleuth. Veronica Speedwell is sure to join the greats of mystery fiction. Impeccably plotted and meticulously researched, "A Curious Beginning" will leave you, as it left me, whimpering for more."--Alan Bradley, "New York Times" bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce series
"Oh, frabjous day! Deanna Raybourn is back in the Victorian era with a heroine who could give Amelia Peabody a run for her money. No one write parasols, petticoats, and pistols like Deanna Raybourn."--Lauren Willig, author of the Pink Carnation series and "The Other Daughter
""Deanna Raybourn writes with wisdom, sass and a rich texture that is a joy to read. I love this book!"--Robyn Carr, #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of the Virgin River series

Praise for Deanna Raybourn and the Lady Julia Grey Novels
"Deanna Raybourn creates unforgettable characters in a richly detailed world. This is storytelling at its most compelling."--Nora Roberts, #1 "New York Times" bestselling author
"Deftly brews up the perfect mix of mystery and romance."--"Chicago Tribune"
"Unabashedly romantic but still very much a literary Victorian detective novel."--"The Denver Post"
"A clever and unique perspective on the Victorian era through the eyes of an unconventional lady."--"Library Journal"
"Perfectly executed."--"Publishers Weekly "(starred review)

Praise for"A Curious Beginning"
""
With wicked intelligence, Deanna Raybourn has created a fresh and fascinating sleuth. Veronica Speedwell is sure to join the greats of mystery fiction. Impeccably plotted and meticulously researched, "A Curious Beginning"will leave you, as it left me, whimpering for more. Alan Bradley, "New York Times"bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce series
Oh, frabjous day! Deanna Raybourn is back in the Victorian era with a heroine who could give Amelia Peabody a run for her money. No one write parasols, petticoats, and pistols like Deanna Raybourn. Lauren Willig, "New York Times" bestselling author of the Pink Carnation series and"The Other Daughter
" Wickedly clever and devilishly amusing. . .Veronica Speedwell is a joy unflappable, unrepentant, and thoroughly delightful. Susan Elia MacNeal, "New York Times" bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series
I love this book! Brings us the powerful Veronica Speedwell, who triumphs over adversity and danger with wit, charm, and uncanny determination. A real find. Robyn Carr, "New York Times" bestselling author of the Virgin River series
A treat. One of the few writers who can make history feel immediate and exciting without losing a grasp of the period. Rhys Bowen, "New York Times" bestselling author of Her Royal Spyness series
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In her thrilling new series, the "New York Times" bestselling author of the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, returns once more to Victorian England and introduces intrepid adventuress Veronica Speedwell.
"London, 1887." As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth."