A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

Narrated by Angèle Masters

As someone who enjoyed Deanna Raybourn’s Lady Julia series of mysteries set in Victorian England, I admit to raising an eyebrow when I learned the author was writing a new … series of mysteries set in Victorian England. But when I read A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell book 1) last summer, I was immediately impressed by how different the tone is from the previous series and how Ms Raybourn so very quickly pulled me in to this new story and characters, thus quickly dispelling any concerns I had regarding her ability to do something different in a similar setting.

Veronica Speedwell is an orphan who was brought up by two ladies she calls “aunts”, but who are not actually related to her. She has had an unusual upbringing, moving around frequently and not really settling anywhere, which, as a child she didn’t enjoy. But as an adult, she realises it has made her into a very self-reliant, tolerant person, although given the setting of 1887, she is still bound by the restrictions that society places on young women. Or she would be if she gave a fig for that sort of thing. When she was younger, she hit upon the idea of collecting butterflies as a way to get outdoors on her own while still indulging in an occupation regarded as ladylike. Now in her twenties, she is a respected lepidopterist, and has undertaken a number of expeditions abroad in search of rare species which she sells to collectors and museums. Her travels have also given her the opportunity to indulge in discreet affairs, although she has strict rules; the affair ends when she returns home and she never, ever dallies with Englishmen.

The story opens on the day of the funeral of her Aunt Nell (her Aunt Lucy having died some years before), whence Veronica has been summoned back from her latest expedition. It is her intention to leave England again after the funeral is over, but on returning one last time to the cottage which had been her home, she is surprised to discover that it has been ransacked and that the intruder is still on the premises. Veronica is nothing if not intrepid – also, armed with a dangerously sharp hat-pin and swordstick! – and gives chase, only to realise it was a bad idea when the man overpowers her and starts dragging her towards a waiting carriage. Luckily for Veronica, her abduction is interrupted by a distinguished older man who threatens her would-be captor with a gun and later introduces himself as the Baron Maximillian von Stauffenbach.

The baron tells Veronica that her life is in danger and offers to take her to a place of safety. She is sceptical, but reasons that as she is going to London anyway, she might as well accept the baron’s escort. (Plus, she still has the hat-pin and swordstick!) On the journey, he reveals to her that he knows something of her history and that he knew her mother. Veronica is naturally eager to hear more, but he tells her that these secrets are not his to tell but that he will seek permission to explain everything to her as soon as he can.

Arrived in London, Max takes Veronica to a shabby warehouse where she gets her first glimpse of Stoker, the man to whom the baron is going to entrust her safety. That first glimpse is of his muscled, tattooed back as he struggles with some kind of large animal skeleton – and she can’t deny that for all his dishevelment, he’s an attractive specimen. She quickly discovers he’s a sarcastic, overbearing specimen, too, a fellow student of natural history who, while he has given his word to Max that he will protect her with his life if need be, doesn’t appreciate her efforts to create some sort of order out of his chaotic surroundings. The sparks fly between these two from the very start, and their witty, snarky banter is one of the highlights of the book.

Veronica soon realises that there is much more to the darkly brooding Stoker than meets the eye, but there isn’t time for her to uncover more before they are plunged into a situation which could prove disastrous for them both. The baron is found murdered in his home, and Stoker is adamant that they need to get out of London and into hiding immediately. Veronica is still not convinced of the danger but as far as Stoker is concerned, if Max feared for her life, then those fears were well-grounded – and he vowed to protect her at all costs. Complicating matters further is that Stoker’s association with Max, together with certain events is his past are going to make him a likely suspect, and if he’s arrested not only could it prove very bad for him, it will leave Veronica unprotected.

Thus begins an enjoyable adventure story in which Veronica and Stoker are on the run and facing peril from all sides while also trying to work out why anyone would be interested in hunting down an orphaned lepidopterist. I’m not going to spoil the plot save to say that they end up in some unusual places, and that the dénouement is brilliantly audacious and very well thought-out. Veronica is a great heroine; outspoken, practical and unsentimental, she’s like Scully to Stoker’s Mulder in that she has a rational explanation for everything and is never fazed by anything. That said, her determination to be ultra-practical does get a little wearing as the book progresses; she seems to have no weaknesses (unless it’s for scruffy, mysterious and piratically handsome men!) and her unconventionality at times borders on caricature. Stoker, on the other hand, is quite delicious; a man with secrets who, beneath his gruff exterior displays an endearing vulnerability and is a bit of a romantic on the quiet.

Angèle Masters is an experienced narrator, but this is the first time I have listened to her. She acquits herself very well here and the clipped, no nonsense style of delivery she adopts is the perfect match for Veronica’s personality. I have to admit, though, that I did find it somewhat wearing after a while, due to the fact that the story is narrated in the first person. Ms Masters’ interpretation of the character is very apt, but because we’re in Veronica’s head all the time and the narrator remains “in character” for the narrative portions of the story, there is no respite from her brusque tones and sometimes strident delivery. Veronica is a very forceful character, but there are a few places in the story where I felt she should have softened up a bit (such as some of the more intense moments she shares with Stoker), but Ms Masters opts not to do that which I admit I found just a tiny bit disappointing. She portrays Stoker by lowering her pitch a little and gives him a slightly gravelly tone which suits his gruffness, while also conveying the sense that this is a man you wouldn’t want to cross. Her interpretations of the secondary characters are all solid and well differentiated, and she does a reasonable job with Max’s German accent and some other British regional accents later in the story.

Being completely honest, I didn’t enjoy the audiobook version of A Curious Beginning quite as much as I’d hoped to. I gave the print edition an A grade when I reviewed it for All About Romance, but didn’t get the same sense of tension and excitement in the audio as leapt off the page when I read the book. Still, it’s a great story and while Angèle Masters’ narration didn’t blow me away, it’s highly accomplished and I’m not ruling out listening to future books in the series.

Caz

Narration: B+

Book Content: B+

Steam Factor: You can play it out loud

Violence Rating: Minimal

Genre: Historical Mystery

Publisher: Recorded Books

A Curious Beginning was provided to AudioGals by Recorded Books for a review.