A ghastly catastrophe

Raybourn's enjoyable latest case for 1890s lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell (after A Grave Robbery) sets the unlikely sleuth on the trail of a possible vampire. Though Veronica and her beau, taxidermist Revelstoke "Stoker" Templeton-Vane, have been hired for a lucrative gig cataloging a nobleman's estate, Veronica yearns for the excitement of crime solving. Her ears perk up when she learns that a young man named Maurice Quincey was found dead in a carriage near her local cemetery. Though the consulting physician theorized that Quincey died of natural causes, the two puncture marks in his neck convince Veronica he was killed by a bloodsucker. The mystery deepens when Veronica's friend, Det. Insp. Mornaday, informs her that a week earlier, Quincey's best friend, Jameson Harkness, died at home after falling off his balcony. Veronica ropes Stoker and his old friend, Lady Julia Grey--heroine of another Raybourn series--into her inquiry, which proves to be among the series' most complex. The author's fans will delight at the well-executed crossover, and armchair sleuths will have fun puzzling out the intricate whodunit plot. It's a spooky good time. Agent: Pamela Hopkins, Hopkins Literary. (Mar.)

Lepidopterist and amateur sleuth Veronica Speedwell has made progress with her latest collection of butterflies, but she can't ignore her growing restlessness. She finally admits to herself that she's itching to dive into another investigation. Inspector Mornaday answers her unspoken desire when he arrives to tell her and Stoker, her partner in life and crime-solving, that two men are dead; all evidence points to the work of a vampire. Both Veronica and Stoker are scientists, but while Stoker scoffs at the supernatural, Veronica is unwilling to dismiss anything out of hand. A strangely compelling couple involved in a very secret society, a young Romani boy who is a potential witness to one of the murders, and a cursed jewel keep Veronica and Stoker hunting for clues in grave danger. Will this be the case where their luck runs out? VERDICT With its 10th entry (after 2024's A Grave Robbery), Raybourn's series continues to delight with its mix of historical elements, twisty mystery, and delicious byplay between the two main characters. Highly recommended for readers of Sherry Thomas's "Lady Sherlock" series or Andrea Penrose's Wrexford & Sloane mysteries.--Julie Ciccarelli

Do vampires exist? That's a question for a detective duo whose cases are never mundane in 1890s England. Lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell cares little about the gossip swirling around her and lover, naturalist and adventurer Revelstoke Templeton-Vane, scion of an aristocratic family, who eschews the trappings of his class. Together, they've solved many unusual murder cases, and they're rather bored with their ordinary job of cataloging an extensive collection for the Earl of Rosemorran at his home in Marylebone. The arrival of their friend J.J., a journalist, and then of Scotland Yard detective Mornaday, both with tales of woe, makes their lives distinctly more interesting. Mornaday tells them that the body of a man named Maurice Quincey was found in a carriage outside Highgate Cemetery, looking as if he might have died of natural causes but for the fang marks in his neck. This sparks an argument between the lovers, as Veronica naturally thinks of vampires while Stoker ridicules the idea. Oddly, Jameson Harkness, Quincey's best friend, died the week before in a fall from a balcony, possibly not by accident. The only real clues to Quincey's death are the sighting of a Romany boy near the carriage and the shifty testimony of one of Quincey's friends about a secret society. A visit to a Romany camp is interesting and informative. Stoker and Veronica receive an invitation from Lord Ruthven, who certainly looks like a vampire, and his friend Asphodel, who's very witchy indeed, but both are fakes and fraudsters willing to use potions and poisons to get their way. The detectives find themselves in grave danger but are unafraid of anything that's coming. Another odd and exciting case for a pair of passionate sleuths who never let Victorian mores stand in their way. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.