Synopsis: “A Curious Beginning” begins in the year 1887 in London where we meet the delightfully, intelligent Veronica Speedwell. Veronica Speedwell is a lepidopterologist (a butterfly collector) and has an uncanny ability to solve puzzles or mysteries. Her actions and mannerisms are unexpected for the time period she is born in. She is a spunky and strong heroine that is misunderstood in the world that she lives in. Our story opens with the loss of a spinster aunt and in the midst of her loss, an attempted kidnapping on Veronica’s life. She must make the choice to flee to safety which leads her on a mysterious adventure that she never intended to take. Veronica Speedwell ends up realizing that solving this mystery is a necessary part of saving her life and also discovering where she came from.

My Thoughts:

This is a delightful, fast-paced read that would be an ideal book to take on vacation or if you are in the mood for a lighter read. Veronica Speedwell, our heroine, is a strong protagonist that does not fit into the expectations of the women of her time. I enjoyed her intelligence and her tenacity to solve the puzzles put before her. This is not a mystery read that will keep you on the edge of your seats, but it has a more light hearted and fun aspect to the unexpected ending of the book. An interesting element to this book is that it centers around the different relationships that our heroine encounter just as much as the mystery. Veronica Speedwell enters into a friendship with Stoker who helps solve the mystery. Stoker is a grumpy and antagonistic character that fulfills an unexpected need of friendship in Veronica’s life. The combining of mystery and exploring the relationships that our heroine encountered made me enjoy the book even more. The author did a wonderful job of helping the reader to get to know the characters and what they were thinking.

An interesting fact that I just learned about this series is that the main character is based off a real woman in history who had a career of hunting and collecting butterflies. This woman was the inspiration for the author to create her character of Veronica Speedwell. A woman that spoke her mind or had a career was not the norm in society in the 1800s. It made the interactions of Veronica Speedwell with her fellow companions quite entertaining.

One of the things that I did not like about the book was how our heroine continues to be so strong minded and independent, she would alienate those around her. I love a strong protagonist but after awhile, it drove me a little nuts, that she kept doing things her way and never listening to anyone around her. Her likability as a character started to be affected as I kept reading the book.

Deanna Raybourn created a mystery that is a fun and enjoyable read. Reading her book is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I have already ordered the second book because I want to know what is going to happen next.

Recommended For:

This is for people who love mysteries, but also like to explore what the characters are thinking and the relationships they encounter. This is also for people who are looking for a fast-pace, fun read with a strong female protagonist. It’s kind of a “Pride and Prejudice” meets “Indiana Jones” type of book.

Content Warning: Clean, but has adult themes. Some Language. In my family, this would be a book for adults not the kids.

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