An Impossible Imposter by Deanna Raybourn

Book: An Impossible Imposter (Veronica Speedwell # 7)

Author: Deanna Raybourn

Genre: Mystery; Historical Fiction; Victorian Era; Natural Science

Romance Steam Level: 2 out of 5 (Hot Cocoa)

Publisher: Berkley Books

Publication Date: February 15, 2022

Format: hardcover

Length: 325 pages

London 1889

Lepidopterist Veronica Speedwell and her taxidermist beau Stoker Templeton-Vane have barely returned from their adventure in the Alpenwald when Sir Hugo Montgomerie requests a personal favor. He asks them to travel to Devonshire to determine whether a man claiming to be a long-lost grandson is indeed Jonathan Hathaway. They agree to do so (mostly so Stoker can get his hands on a thylacine). However, it isn’t long before Veronica finds herself face-to-face with secrets she’d thought were long gone and buried.

I love this series! Veronica is a total boss. She refuses to let the rules of Victorian society dictate her life, but she also has her own principles and values. Stoker is her intellectual equal and highly skilled in his own field. He also manages to be both grumpy and sincere at the same time.

Stuff goes down in this book. I have a feeling that the events here will play significantly into the future of this series. (Please excuse my vagueness. I’m trying to keep this spoiler-free.)

Note: This is the 7th book in the Veronica Speedwell series. I would highly recommend reading at least the 1st book in the series (A Curious Beginning) prior to this book. Truthfully, though, to really understand what’s going on in this one you kind of have to read the entire series. This book delves into Veronica’s past and there’s just too much backstory in the other books to ignore them.

Additional Note: It’s gotten to the point that if a dog is introduced into the story, I just automatically assume that either Stoker or Veronica will adopt it before the end of the book.