I always enjoy Deanna Raybourn's stories, so I was excited to pick up A GHASTLY CATASTROPHE, book 10 in the Veronica Speedwell series. Social media was all-a- flutter when this book was announced, and Raybourn fans were ecstatic to describe this as a crossover with Lady Julia characters Julia and Nicholas Brisbane from the Raybourn series Lady Julia Grey. I think crossover is too robust a description for the actual action, where there are just two limited scenes with husband and wife private inquiry agents Nicholas Brisbane and his spouse, Lady Julia. It did feel like a nice Easter egg, though, to have these beloved characters pop onto the page with the current Veronica Speedwell protagonists.

As usual, I love Raybourn’s use of evocative language and large, succulent words that are lushly right for the setting. It’s astonishing to me how captivating Raybourn’s stories are, even as her characters are all slightly larger than life and clearly ridiculous, but ever so endearing.

Stoker and Veronica are the perfect foils for one another. Stoker is a grumpy aristocrat who claims he just wants to be left alone to pursue his taxidermy, but he always gamely follows Veronica into whatever dangerous investigation she shanghaies them into. Veronica is a quirky lepidopterist, and she’s like a chihuahua who barges through life acting as if she’s a giant wolfhound.  It’s delightful to watch her buck the patriarchy and mostly succeed. Her outspokenness and flaunting of the Victorian sexual mores will please the modern woman.

Here, Veronica and Stoker are in search of a secret society tied to several deaths, a vampire, and a witch. There are, of course, lots of shenanigans and some romantic interludes as they pursue their investigation! Our audacious investigators are in mortal danger themselves as they try to outsmart the murderous criminals.  This sprightly tale made me laugh out loud all the way through the historical murder mystery.  A GHASTLY CATASTROPHE shines with Raybourn’s typical exuberance.