London, 1888. As colourful and unfettered as the butterflies she collects, Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell can't resist the allure of an exotic mystery-particularly one involving her enigmatic colleague, Stoker. His former expedition partner has vanished from an archaeological dig with a priceless diadem unearthed from the newly discovered tomb of an Egyptian princess. This disappearance is just the latest in a string of unfortunate events that have plagued the controversial expedition, and rumours abound that the curse of the vengeful princess has been unleashed as the shadowy figure of Anubis himself stalks the streets of London.
But the perils of an ancient curse are not the only challenges Veronica must face as sordid details and malevolent enemies emerge from Stoker's past. Caught in a tangle of conspiracies and threats-and thrust into the public eye by an enterprising new foe-Veronica must separate facts from fantasy to unravel a web of duplicity that threatens to cost Stoker everything.
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['I ASSURE YOU, I AM perfectly capable of identifying a phallus when I see one', Stoker informed me, clipping the words sharply. 'And that is no such thing'](Titan Books, 9 January 2018, ebook, 320 pages, copy from publisher and voluntarily reviewed)
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I really enjoyed A Treacherous Curse and am a huge fan of the series.
I continue to really like Veronica as a character. She's amazing. I love her wit, the fact she's outspoken and such a likable person. Yeah, Veronica. We need feisty female heroines in fiction. I like Stoker a little less but I love the way Veronica gets under his skin.
The mystery elements in this novel is a little different than the other two books.
A Treacherous Curse focuses on Stoker and his dark, mysterious past. The mystery the duo solve is interesting but a little drawn out compared to the other books. Interestingly enough the story is stronger and the series is going from strength to strength.
The unspoken romance between Stoker and Veronica continued to bug me but it doesn't get in the way of the mystery too much.
I was disappointed by the fact Veronica and Stoker never actually travel to Egypt to investigate the curse. The actual mystery does not really take centre stage which disappointed me a little. However, the overall book is a great read.