Red-Haired Ash Reads

Veronica and Stoker have had a quiet few months and if they are being honest, they are ready for another mystery to solve. When Mornaday comes asking for a favor, they jump at the chance, especially since it seems to involve the folktale of the vampire. 

Can you believe it’s already been ten adventures with Stoker and Veronica. When I first started this series I wasn’t sure I would enjoy it but these two have definitely become some of my favorite characters. I never know what kind of mysteries they will be solving and their banter is just superb. For this mystery, I was constantly on my toes because I wasn’t sure what was going to happen next and how this was going to play out, especially since it had the vampire angle, which was honestly so much fun. 

Stoker and Veronica’s relationship in this is wonderful. They are solid, they have settled into a comfortable relationship, but the banter and sense of adventure with these two is still really high. I loved seeing them so happy and not at odds. A highlight for me is seeing them work together on a case without tension or other people interfering with their teamwork. Also it was just great seeing Veronica voice her feelings for Stoker when she struggled for so long letting him in and admitting her feelings. 

This also heavily features Mornaday and J.J. helping on the case. I honestly love how weak and surprised Mornaday constantly is any time he ends up working with Stoker and Veronica, especially since he is a part of Scotland Yard. J.J. ends up helping a lot with research on this case but we also get to see how far her relationship with Veronica has come. They are now actual friends and lean on each other for help, as we see in this one with J.J. I love that Veronica is starting to have female friends who are as eccentric as she is. 

This book also features a crossover with the Lady Julia Gray series. Lady Julia and Nicolas Brisbane end up helping Veronica and Stoker with gather information for a brief time. While their page time is short, it was great seeing the characters interact. Julia and Veronica hit it off right away and I really enjoyed their interactions. It makes me wonder if they will appear again in future books. Also, now it makes me want to give the Lady Julia Gray series a second chance because I was struggling with Julia in the early books. 

Overall, this was another fantastic adventure for these two. I really look forward to reading the next one, especially now that their relationship is settled and there is no tension between them during cases. 

TW: murder; drug use and nonconsensual drugging; poisoning; kidnapping; homomisia; 

*ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Previous books and reviews for the series:

1. A Curious Beginning
2. A Perilous Undertaking 
3. A Treacherous Curse
4. A Dangerous Collaboration
5. A Murderous Relation
6. A Unexpected Peril
7. An Impossible Imposter
8. A Sinister Revenge
9. A Grave Robbery