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(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for A Perilous Undertaking, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, A Curious Beginning.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

After Veronica Speedwell's recent madcap adventures, she's settled into a rather routine life in London.  Along with her friend Stoker—a disgraced gentleman and naturalist—she spends her hours sorting through a friend's vast collection of artifacts, readying them for museum display.  It's not un-interesting work, but the intrepid lepidopterist is much more interested in solving mysteries.  Lucky for her, one has practically fallen into her lap.  

A mysterious woman has asked Veronica to do the impossible—stop the upcoming execution of Miles Ramsforth, a patron of the arts who's been accused of murder.  His mistress, 26-year-old Artemisia, was found in his bedchamber with her throat slit.  Despite the conclusive evidence, some insist he's innocent.  Veronica is only too delighted to look into the case.  It's just the kind of diversion for which she's been longing.  Still, the investigation has her digging in places she never could have imagined going—everywhere from an opium den to a subterranean pleasure palace.  These shadowy locales hold secrets certain members of high society would kill to keep under wraps.  Did Artemisia learn something dangerous, something that led to her murder?  Veronica intends to find out—despite myriad warnings to back off.  Can Veronica save Miles from the hangman's noose?  Or will she become the next victim of a desperate killer?

Coincidentally enough, it was a year ago today that I posted my rave review of A Curious Beginning, the first book in Deanna Raybourn's new Victorian mystery series.  The novel delighted me so much that I couldn't wait for a sequel.  I was thrilled, then, to receive an early copy of the second installment in the series, the finished version of which came out on January 10, 2017.  Is A Perilous Undertaking everything I imagined it would be?  Well, no.  I didn't find it nearly as charming as its predecessor.  It's still an enjoyable book, don't get me wrong, but its unsavory subject matter and not-all-that-likable minor characters made it less satisfying for me.  Veronica and Stoker, however, continue to shine.  With their colorful personalities, witty banter, and the sexual tension that crackles between them, they're fun to follow.  The mystery they're chasing in A Perilous Undertaking is full of twists and turns, making for a tense, exciting story.  I definitely could have done without the novel's discomfiting focus on underground Victorian sexual practices; in fact, I would have enjoyed the story a whole lot more had it stayed within the PG-13 realm.  Still, it's a clever page turner that will leave Speedwell/Stoker fans begging for more.  I'm clamoring for the next book as well; I'm just hoping it will focus more on the suspenseful than the sensual.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of  A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn and The Mangle Street Murders by M.R.C Kasasian)  

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

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

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of A Perilous Undertaking from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at NetGalley.  Thank you!

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There's no doubt that Winifred Allen needs a vacation.  Grieving both the loss of her brother and the end of her marriage, the 39-year-old could use a break.  An extreme river rafting adventure isn't quite what she had in mind, but when her BFFs suggest it for an upcoming girl's trip, Wini can't talk her way out of going.  Reluctantly, she joins her three besties as they head into Maine's Allagash Wilderness.  

Wini's concern grows when she meets the river guide, 20-year-old college student Rory Ekhart.  He's nice to look at, sure, but does he know what he's doing?  It's not long before they find out.  A freak accident leaves the group stranded in the woods.  Soon, they're struggling to survive—against nature, each other, and a host of other dangers lurking in the wilderness.  Can they all make it out alive?  Or will their gal pal adventure mean the end of their friendship forever?

I enjoy a good man vs. nature survival story where ordinary people have to dig deep for the will to survive an extraordinary situation.  The River at Night, a debut novel by Erica Ferencik, tells just such a story.  Naturally, it's an exciting, fast-paced adventure tale full of twists and turns, danger and drama.  Yes, it's far-fetched—I mean, would a group of inexperienced middle-aged women really sign up for an extreme, week-long outdoor adventure led by a kid they know little about?  And what is the likelihood that everything would go wrong pretty much right from the start?  Well, it makes for a thrilling story, anyway.  In the end, I didn't love The River at Night, but it did keep me engrossed and guessing—two hallmarks of a good, gripping page turner.   

(Readalikes: I can't think of any specific books, but The River at Night did remind me of the movie The River Wild)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, blood/gore, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The River at Night from the generous folks at Scout Press/Simon and Schuster via those at Wunderkind PR and NetGalley.  Thank you!  

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Brett has been entranced with Charlie Moss ever since she met him as an 18-year-old college student.  Even now, after marriage and the birth of their first child, she's still swayed by his magnetic charm.  His blasé attitude and perpetual joblessness, however, are becoming a bit of a problem.  Struggling to hold their little family together, Brett is at the end of her rope.  She doesn't want to hurt Charlie, but it might be time to call it quits.  For her sake and for that of 15 month-old Sarah.

Then, the unthinkable happens.  Charlie is murdered, his throat gruesomely slit on the back deck of the Moss' seaside Cape Cod cottage.  Wracked with grief, Brett struggles to understand what has happened.  Who could have done such a heinous deed?  The most obvious suspect is Charlie's mentally unstable brother, Eli, who had shown up unexpectedly the day before.  But he's not the only one with motive, opportunity.  Was Charlie killed by a passing stranger?  Or someone he knew?  His own brother, perhaps?  As the investigation wears on, Brett will have to face some shocking truths—about her marriage, her family, and herself.

Although The Last September by Nina de Gramont is a murder mystery, it's really more of a family drama than anything else.  Its focus remains on the characters and their relationships, not the crime.  Brett, Charlie, Eli, and the rest are complex story people.  All realistically flawed, only Eli is truly sympathetic.  Neither Brett nor Charlie are super likable, both being fickle and selfish.  Overall, the novel is depressing, but it's also compelling enough that I wanted to know what really happened to Charlie.  The Last September is a satisfying read, in the end, just not a super memorable one.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Last September with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.

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When the dead body of an 11-year-old boy is found on the beach in the sleepy, seaside hamlet of Broadchurch, it rocks the small Dorset community to its core.  Danny Latimer had grown up in the town, was well known by many.  Did he purposely jump off the cliffs in order to end his own life?  Did he fall?  Was he pushed?  These are the questions that haunt Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller.  For her, it's a very personal case—Danny was her son's best friend.  Ellie knows the Latimers well.  Their grief pierces her to the soul.

Ellie's keen to solve the case, knowing closure will do the Latimers a world of good.  She's not thrilled, however, when a brusque outsider—Detective Inspector Alec Hardy—is brought in to help the local police investigate Danny's death.  Not only does DI Hardy harbor his own secrets, but he's certain the good folks of Broadchurch keep plenty of their own.  He's not wrong.  As the detectives pummel Ellie's friends, neighbors, and acquaintances for answers, she's shocked by what they uncover.  Someone killed Danny.  Someone from Broadchurch.  Who would do such a thing?  And why?  As the Latimers slowly fall apart, it's up to Ellie—their friend and confidante—to figure out what really happened to their little boy.  The truth will bring an already outraged town to its knees.  It always does when the monster is one of your own ...

You may have heard of Broadchurch, a British crime drama that ran on ITV for three seasons starting in 2013.  Starring David Tennant (best known as the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who) as DI Hardy and Olivia Colman as Ellie, the series is available to view on Netflix.  Interestingly, Broadchurch the show is not based on Broadchurch the novel, but the other way around.  This is so odd because, to me, the latter is much better than the former.  Perhaps this simply has to do with my preference for print over film, but Broadchurch by Erin Kelly tells a much fuller story than the t.v. version.  In fact, if I hadn't read the book first I think I would have been a bit lost watching the series as its filmed in an artsy way with a choppy storyline and lots of moody, melodramatic scenes that offer more in the way of creativity than clarity.   Still, both versions are complex, compelling, and well-plotted.  The twists mostly caught me off-guard.  As did the identity of the murderer.  I did not see it coming at all.  While I always like a small-town-with-big-secrets story, some are more disturbing than others.  I'm not going to lie—Broadchurch was difficult to read (and watch) at certain points.  It's depressing.  And the ending made me sick to my stomach, truth be told.  Overall, though, the book's an engrossing page turner that I had trouble putting down even when I really, really wanted to.  I'll definitely look for more of Kelly's work at my local library.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find