A Grave Robbery, the ninth Veronica Speedwell mystery from Deanna Raybourn (Killers of a Certain Age), is an effervescent delight. This twisty investigation--with laugh-out-loud funny repartee between the indomitable Veronica, a talented lepidopterist, and her handsome partner, Stoker--is historical mystery at its finest.
The case begins when Lord Rosemorran, the eccentric earl who sponsors Stoker and Veronica's research, brings them a wax figure of a beautiful woman. She appears to be an "Anatomical Venus," popular among Victorian anatomists for studying the human body. Lord Rosemorran wants Stoker, a gifted taxidermist, to try to make the Sleeping Beauty "breathe" like the one in Madame Tussaud's waxworks. But when Stoker cuts into the wax figure in order to install a breathing apparatus, he is appalled to discover internal organs. What they thought was a wax figure is a dead woman, cleverly embalmed.
Veronica and Stoker, determined to find out who the dead woman was and bring whoever desecrated her body to justice, set off on madcap adventures that take them from a shoddy circus to the elite of London society. With the eager help of reporter J.J. Butterworth and the reluctant assistance of Inspector Mornaday, the intrepid duo leaves no stone unturned in their search for the truth. As Stoker says, "Who but us would undertake such activities? Do you really imagine London is full of natural scientists repeatedly and relentlessly distracted from their work by felonies and mayhem?" Engaging from beginning to end, A Grave Robbery can be read alone but will send readers scrambling to read the rest of the entries in this charming series. --Jessica Howard, freelance book reviewer