With her increasingly complicated feelings for Revelstoke "Stoker" Templeton-Vane clouding her normally rational judgment, Veronica Speedwell feels the need for some time away from the close quarters she and Stoker share as they work together in London.  When Stoker's older brother, Tiberius, offers the lepidopterist an opportunity to travel to a remote island to study an almost extinct butterfly, she jumps at the chance.  Even if it means posing as Tiberius' fiancée for a two-week house party.  It's worth it to collect larvae for her vivarium—and get an up-close look at a regal Cornish castle that boasts its very own ghost.

Before long, it becomes apparent that their host, Malcolm Romilly, has ulterior motives for gathering guests to his home.  Everyone in attendance, save Veronica, is connected to Rosamund, Malcolm's bride, who disappeared on their wedding day three years ago.  Still tormented by grief, Malcolm is determined to find out what happened to his wife once and for all.  He enlists the help of all present to solve the mystery, even though all but Veronica are suspects. 

The shadowy castle, always the center of superstition and fairy tales, is the perfect setting for an intriguing ghost hunt.  Veronica will do anything to help the grieving groom end his torment, even putting her life on the line to discover Rosamund's fate.  As she fends off the attention of two ardent men, sorts idle village gossip from crucial clues, and scours the mysterious castle for answers, Veronica creeps ever closer to becoming the next victim of a cold-blooded murderer who will not hesitate to kill again.

The Veronica Speedwell mystery series by Deanna Raybourn is one of the most delightful I've ever read, so it's no surprise that I loved A Dangerous Collaboration.  In fact, I think this fourth installment is my favorite.  It's clever, it's fun, it's twisty, and it's entertaining.  Veronica is, as always, a refreshingly forthright narrator.  She's also a smart, spunky heroine who's brave, loyal, and compassionate.  With its Gothic setting, ghostly happenings, and a surprise guest who keeps Veronica on her toes, this novel is simply a whole lot of fun.  I adored it.

(Readalikes:  Other books in the Veronica Speedwell series, including A Curious Beginning, A Perilous Undertaking, and A Treacherous Curse.  Also reminds me a little of the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters)

Grade:

Back in the early days of book blogging, awards were a huge thing.  So big that people got really tired of accepting them, tagging other bloggers, and feeling obligated to pass them on.  That led to "award-free" blogs and the near extinction of blogging awards.  Imagine my surprise, then, when I learned that Stephanie over at She's Probably at the Library had given me an award!  I'm so honored.  Thanks, Stephanie!

I know a lot of bloggers are bugged by these awards, so I'm not going to tag anyone.  The rules of the award are listed below in case you want to pass it on.  I'm not going to do that, but I am going to list 15 blogs that I enjoy reading.  Keep in mind that I read hundreds of book blogs, so this list will obviously not include all my favorite book bloggers.  Do give the ones I list a look-see, though.  They're all excellent blogs by enthusiastic readers who will definitely help you add books to your TBR mountain chain!

• Thank the blogger that nominated you.
• Write a post to show your award.
• Give a brief story of how your blog started.
• Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
• Select 15 other bloggers you want to give this award to.
• Comment on each blog and let them know you have nominated them and provide the link to the post you created.

HOW IT ALL STARTED:  Back in 2006, in the heyday of blogging, I decided a blog would be the perfect platform to use for an online reading journal.  I was proud of my innovation and cleverness—surely no one had yet thought of using a blog for this nerdy purpose!  When I discovered that there was, in fact, a whole book blogging community out there, my mind was blown.  Here was my tribe, just waiting for me to discover it!  I started visiting other blogs, receiving review requests from authors and publishers, joining community events and just having a blast.  Thirteen years later, I'm still having a great time with this book blogging gig.  It's a fun hobby through which I have met some wonderful people (online and off), discovered amazing books, and had opportunities and experiences I never could have imagined before.

TWO PIECES OF ADVICE FOR NEW BLOGGERS: 

• Be yourself!  Write the things you want to write, when you want to write them, and how you want to write them.  Don't take blogging too seriously.  Have fun with it.  Infuse your blog with your unique personality—that's what will make it stand out.
• Engage with the book blogging community.  The best thing about book blogging, IMHO, is communing with like-minded people about our favorite thing—books.  Find blogs you love and visit them often.  Make thoughtful comments.  Join in with memes, reading challenges, scavenger hunts, and other events.  It's the best way to promote your blog in a non-obnoxious way, spread the love to other blogs, support authors and bloggers, and find great new books to read.

15 BLOGS I VISIT OFTEN:

I've been reading book blogs every day for years.  Some of my favorites have fallen by the wayside over the years, but here are 12 I have been loving for at least a year and 4 (bonus!) I have discovered only recently.  Give them all a visit, wontcha?