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Note:  Although this review will not contain spoilers for A Treacherous Curse, it may inadvertently spoil plot surprises from earlier Veronica Speedwell mysteries.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

Unlike most women of her age and era, 26-year-old Veronica Speedwell has no use for stuffy Victorian sensibilities.  She prefers a life of adventure and intrigue unencumbered by the trappings of traditional life.  Her job organizing artifacts for a generous benefactor while living on his estate suits her just fine.  Especially since Ravelstoke "Stoker" Templeton, her handsome but irascible friend, is always close at hand.  Not only is he nice to gaze upon, but he's smart, protective, and strong—a perfect partner in (solving) crime.

Veronica becomes intrigued by the story of John de Morgan, a photographer with an Egyptian expedition, who has seemingly vanished into thin air.  A valuable artifact—a diadem belonging to an Egyptian princess—is also missing.  As the expedition has been plagued by bad luck from its very beginning, rumors of an ancient curse descending on its participants don't seem all that far-fetched.  Especially since a mysterious, Anubis-like figure has been seen lurking around London.  

Although there's no love lost between Stoker and de Morgan, Veronica and her enigmatic sidekick take on the case anyway.  Digging into ancient history—both Egyptian and personal—gets more dangerous by the minute.  Veronica's determined to find answers no matter the cost, but with Anubis roaming the streets, the price may be more dear than she ever imagined.  With lives and reputations on the line, she must solve the mystery and quick, before she and the man she loves become the next victims of a deadly curse.  Or worse.

A Treacherous Curse, the third installment in Deanna Raybourn's lively series starring the intrepid Veronica Speedwell, is as delightful as the first.  After the distasteful subject matter of the second book, I'm glad this one features a more traditional mystery.  Sure, it's a little predictable, but who cares?  A Treacherous Curse is tons of fun.  Veronica continues to be a charming narrator.  She's unconventional, to be sure; she's also brave, funny, loyal, and refreshingly frank.  I adore her.  Her slow-burning relationship with Stoker is also and always entertaining.  Together, they're simply irresistable.  With lovable characters, an engaging plot, and lively prose, this is another enjoyable, madcap mystery from Raybourn.  I loved it.

(Readalikes:  Other Veronica Speedwell mysteries, including A Curious Beginning and A Perilous Undertaking; also [this installment especially] reminds me of the Amelia Peabody mystery series by Elizabeth Peters)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence, sexual innuendo, and brief, mild language (no F-bombs)

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of A Treacherous Curse from the generous folks at Berkley (an imprint of Penguin Random House).  Thank you!

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Each child she found was a molecule, a part of herself still left in the scary world she had left behind.  Eventually they would all come together and form one being, knitted together in triumph.  We are not forgotten, her actions told her.  You will not put us aside.  

(Page 124, from an uncorrected proof)

Once upon a time, 28-year-old Naomi Cottle was a lost girl, a missing child, a kidnapped kid praying for rescue.  Although she can't remember the details of her captivity, fragmented memories still haunt her dreams.  Determined to help children in trouble, she's spent the last eight years working as a P.I. searching for the missing and taken.  With an uncanny knack for finding them, she's earned the nickname "The Child Finder."  Desperate parents look to her to facilitate the happy reunions they've been dreaming of—or at least to help them find closure.  

The Culver Family hires Naomi to locate their daughter, Madison, who went missing in Oregon's Skookum National Forest during a family Christmas tree hunt.  It's been three years since the 5-year-old disappeared, but the Culvers have not given up hope of finding Madison.  As Naomi traipses through the woods searching for clues, she mines her own traumatic past in a frantic attempt to find the answers hidden in her own damaged mind.  If she can locate Madison, will Naomi finally be able to unlock the secrets buried deep inside herself? 

While Naomi combs the icy forest, a little girl uses her active imagination to find safety and escape in the only way she can ...

Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a child who calls herself "the snow girl," The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld is a strange, disquieting novel about being lost and being found.  With experience as an investigator for a public defender, an advocate for victims of sex trafficking, and a foster/adoptive mother, Denfeld clearly has a soft spot for innocents in trouble; it shows in her sensitive handling of this novel's difficult subject matter.  I appreciated that delicacy.  The other thing that stands out about The Child Finder is its shivery atmospheric setting.  Also the fact that it's sad, but ultimately, hopeful.  Other than those things, though, I didn't love this novel.  Naomi struck me as sympathetic but not very likable.  She's pushy, cold, and insensitive; I couldn't understand why parents were so quick to confide in her and all the men fell hopelessly in love with her.  Also, (warning: this may be spoiler-y) because we already know what's happened to Madison, the plot lacks the suspense and tension that would have made it more compelling.  I know I'm in the minority on this one, but for me, The Child Finder is only a so-so read.  I wanted to like it a whole lot more than I did.  

(Readalikes:  Nothing is coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (1 F-bomb, plus milder expletives), violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Child Finder from the generous folks at HarperCollins.  Thank you!

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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for A Killing Frost, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Tomorrow, When the War Began books.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Six months have passed since a group of teens emerged from a camping trip in the bush to find their world changed overnight.  Not only has their small town been taken over by an unknown enemy, but so has all of Australia.  By keeping out of sight, Ellie and her friends have been able to fight back in small—and not so small—ways.  They've experienced both triumph and tragedy, but they've yet to drive away the forces that are keeping their town captive.  It's time to take more extreme measures, which means putting themselves at even greater risk.  Will their efforts pay off?  Or will they end up prisoners of a seemingly unstoppable enemy?

I've enjoyed all the books I've read so far in John Marsden's excellent Tomorrow, When the War Began series.  A Killing Frost, the third installment, is no exception.  The novels are full of action, adventure, humor, romance, and intrigue.  Ellie remains a likable, relatable heroine.  Although she's tough and brave, she's also vulnerable and human.  It's easy to root for her and her friends to triumph over evil.  The installments in this series are short, making them quick reads that will appeal to reluctant readers as well as those who enjoy fast-paced survival stories.  I'm a fan and can't wait to dig in to the next book in the series.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the series, including Tomorrow, When the War Began; The Dead of the Night; Darkness, Be My Friend; Burning for Revenge; The Night is for Hunting; and The Other Side of Dawn)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of A Killing Frost from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

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On a lovely Fall morning near the English/Scottish border, thirteen people float languidly along in a hot air balloon.  The passengers are excited to breathe in the fresh air, take in the bucolic scenery, and watch for colorful wildlife.  The last thing they expect to see is a vicious murder.  Below them, a man is brutally killing a young woman, unaware that he is being observed.  From the balloon, one woman captures his face on camera, but he sees hers as well.  When the balloon is shot down, only one passenger survives.  Suddenly caught in a deadly cat-and-mouse game, the woman must outrun the murderer and get her photographic evidence to the police before she becomes the next victim.

It's best to go into Dead Woman Walking, Sharon Bolton's 2017 crime thriller, without knowing too much.  Although the murderer is identified right off the bat, there are plenty of twists throughout the novel that make it both surprising and satisfying.  Because we know whodunit from the get go, Dead Woman Walking isn't quite as tense or exciting as Bolton's other books.  Still, it's engrossing.  Even though I guessed some of the plot's big reveals, the novel remained entertaining for me.  It's not my favorite of Bolton's books, true, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

(Readalikes:  A hundred titles should be coming to mind, but I got nothin'.  Suggestions?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, blood/gore, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Dead Woman Walking from the generous folks at Minotaur Books (a division of St. Martin's Press.  Thank you!)