Of all the books I've read for my book club, the Veronica Speedwell is likely my favorite find.  Another fantastic installment in this series.

Veronica and Stoker are tapped to evaluate the heir to a noble family when he returns from being presumed dead.  This heir carries a personal secret of Veronica's, and of course, things for her and Stoker are never as simple as they seem.

I really struggle with books that have one character hiding something significant from the other, so I spent about 20% of this book supremely uncomfortable.  Thankfully, it becomes clear to the reader, if not Veronica, that the secret is not a secret at all, and that space is being created for her to reveal it all.

This series is incredibly self-aware of its place and time, which I really appreciate.  Still, there are times where I'd like to see it go just a little bit further from awareness to action, specifically the sarcophagus that Veronica and Stoker have.  But overall, I think this series is so emblematic of the good work that historical fiction can do to right the narrative about "the old days" and who had power then.

At this point, there's basically one thing that could get me to stop reading this series, and I think this book makes it clear that that's not in the author's plan.  I'm on the edge of my seat for the next!

Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!