Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    A Curious Beginning
    A Curious Beginning
    A Curious Beginning
    Audiobook10 hours

    A Curious Beginning

    Written by Deanna Raybourn

    Narrated by Angele Masters

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry-and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime. But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker-a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

    Editor's Note

    A Victorian adventuress...

    Edgar-nominated Deanna Raybourn delves into late Victorian England with the debut of her female lepidopterist/amateur sleuth Veronica Speedwell. Of unknown parentage, raised by unorthodox aunts, Veronica does precisely as she wants, including solving a murder when it comes her way. Along the way, she pairs up with an enigmatic natural historian and discovers clues to her parentage.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateSep 1, 2015
    ISBN9781501904271
    A Curious Beginning
    Author

    Deanna Raybourn

    New York Times bestselling author Deanna Raybourn graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a double major in English and history and an emphasis on Shakespearean studies. She taught high school English for three years in San Antonio before leaving education to pursue a career as a novelist. Deanna makes her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband and daughter and is hard at work on her next novel.

    Related to A Curious Beginning

    Titles in the series (5)

    View More
    View More

    Related audiobooks

    Mystery For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary

      Jun 17, 2020

      Mrs Macarthur’s Secret Diary
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Woman At Home

      Jan 29, 2019

      From the journals of Samuel P. Perceval,bookseller: Covent Garden, Dec. 15, 1974 This spring, I found a curious letter sewn into the hem of a coat belonging to my late great-aunt Florence. Crudely enveloped in what appeared to be a page torn from

      5 min read

    • Article

      Four Of A Kind

      May 3, 2023

      Four Of A Kind
      4 min read

    • Article

      Tante’s Tales

      Oct 5, 2021

      Tante’s Tales
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Last Friend on Earth

      May 4, 2023

      It was as if Doreen Saunders had been waiting for me, passing the time until my arrival. She might as well have been sitting in a rocking chair, knitting needles clicking, jam tarts cooling on the side, the door wide open, waiting for the next visito

      6 min read

    • Article

      G’day – And Goodbye

      Aug 25, 2021

      G’day – And Goodbye
      4 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      Chartwell Memories

      Nov 22, 2017

      Chartwell Memories
      5 min read

    • Article

      SHORT STORY by MARGARET ATWOOD

      Mar 22, 2023

      SHORT STORY by MARGARET ATWOOD
      7 min read

    • Article

      SHORT STORY by MARGARET ATWOOD

      Mar 22, 2023

      SHORT STORY by MARGARET ATWOOD
      7 min read

    • Article

      J. Jezewska Stevens

      Dec 15, 2017

      The party was a failure. I can’t even tell you what a failure it was. There are no words. Only a great pain in my chest when I wake up. On the veranda. It’s better when I sit in the chair. Oh, but then I can see around. The gauzy curtains, pushed by

      15 min read

    • Article

      Estella’s Fate

      May 17, 2023

      Estella’s Fate
      7 min read

    • Article

      Voices From The 14th Century

      Jun 11, 2021

      Voices From The 14th Century
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Courage To Be Happy

      Feb 1, 2023

      MARRIAGE and columns have this in common: you tend to repeat yourself. More than once in these pages, I have quoted the New Yorker’s legendary film critic Pauline Kael. After President Nixon’s landslide victory in 1972 she wrote: ‘I live in a rather

      3 min read

    • Article

      My Trouble And Strife

      Sep 21, 2022

      My Trouble And Strife
      3 min read

    • Article

      Pats On The Back

      Dec 12, 2019

      I AM writing this column from a prone position. Reclining on my sofa in the library, propped up with cushions like some latter-day Lady Ottoline Morrell, but without the wit, brilliance and patronage. I wish I could say my current condition arose fro

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Way Home

      Feb 4, 2022

      The Way Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      The Way Home

      Feb 5, 2022

      The Way Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      ‘I Am Houseproud… But I Do Not Do Any Housework!’

      Aug 19, 2019

      Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Marie Kondo – I aspire to be these women, who are goddesses in their respective fields of housekeeping, cooking and organising lives. And I do think I have gained a measure of their greatness, not by being hardworking

      3 min read

    • Article

      THE BLACK SPIDER Part Two

      Oct 30, 2019

      THE BLACK SPIDER Part Two
      25 min read

    • Article

      My Family Was Northern And Complicated – But Food Was Our Way Of Expressing Love

      Oct 15, 2023

      I was born and grew up in Sheffield, the city of steel and, more importantly, the city of Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts and Henderson’s Relish (which is almost exactly like Worcestershire sauce, except if you say so, you will likely be run out of town)

      7 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for A Curious Beginning

    4/5

    759 ratings72 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      The banter is wonderfully witty and hilarious at times. A great story and it kept me guessing. Starting the next story right away. The narrator did such a great job it’s hard to believe it was only one person.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I loved this gaslight historical fiction! An impressive series starter of high drama, intelligence, and adventure.

      With an MC named Stoker I had thought there would be vampires afoot but there was no need to plumb the supernatural for drama here.

      Both in their past adventures and their future endeavors Victoria Speedwell and Revelstoke have a lot offer a reader.

      Next month, next book. Excelsior!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This was fun! I don't remember why I added this to my list but it seems like a good easy mystery series to pop into every now and then. This first book isn't that heavy on the mystery the whole time but the characters were fun to follow even when not sleuthing. I enjoy the more progressive female in this setting and the bits of naturalist interests were great. Looking forward to more of these.
    • 3/5
      I didn't all the way 'buy' this. In a number of ways. As one example, sometimes the heroine was nearly impossibly clever and knowledgeable, and then at other times it felt like she was slower than any reasonable person could be to catch onto things. Each extreme would be unlikely, but alternating between *both* felt even less realistic. Several things felt nearly there, but just shy of their potential. It wasn't bad though, and I think I'll go ahead and try the next book in the series.
    • 5/5
      Delightful, laugh-out-loud humorous, and just plain fun. I love the interplay between Veronica and Stoker and the fascinating descriptions of the times.
    • 5/5
      One great book deserves another! Funny and great mystery to boot! Loved the characters and the setting just wild!
    • 4/5
      Veronica was an intriguing character but often felt like a cardboard cutout; Stoker was immeasurably better and much more engaging; the plot swung from silly to plausible, however I generally enjoyed the adventure even though half the book was read before I felt the story started to flow.
    • 5/5
      Smart writing. Witty characters. A surprising plot twist. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
    • 1/5
      I tried listening to the audio and found the lead character obnoxious. Maybe this was intentional. Maybe the author meant to create an obnoxious character and the narrator and producer did the same. The character talked and acted as if most people were dumber than her. Or as if most were to boring to be bothered with.
    • 5/5
      I found the narration of this story exceptional ! Cannot wait to listen to the second book.
    • 4/5
      This book was amazing!! I loved every single minute of it! The relationship between Stoker and Speedwell is just everything! I haven’t been this into British mystery since Sherlock! Can’t wait to continue the series!
    • 5/5
      Its keeps you guessing until the end. Wonderfully written. Can't wait to read the next book.
    • 4/5
      How fun. Well written. Awesome narrator. Love the authentic English accent. A peek into the language of the 1800’s. Learn a little about butterflies.
      Looking forward to the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      Amazing! I love every single aspect of this story. The characters, the banter, the plot. Such great entertainment brings me fond memories of a similar story from a TV series. I can't wait to read more adventures of Veronica and Stroke.
    • 5/5
      Move over, Amelia Peabody, there is a new Victorian eccentric in town. Veronica Speedwell loves to go on adventures hunting butterflies and attractive foreign men. Now that her aunt has passed away, she has no ties keeping her in England. But when she returns to her aunt's cottage after the funeral, she surprises an intruder who is searching the place and who attempts to kidnap her. She is rescued by Baron Maximillian von Stauffenbach who offers her a ride to London and answers to her questions. He is convinced that she is in deadly danger and deposits her with an old friend of his Stoker.Stoker is grouchy, disheveled and living in a warehouse down by the river surrounded by his natural history specimens. He isn't eager to be a refuge for Veronica but owes Max and thus agrees. Veronica and Stoker clash for a number of reasons. She questions the accuracy of his labels on some of his specimens and, worst of all, cleans the place up because she prefers a tidy organized environment. When the baron is murdered, Veronica and Stoker want to solve the crime but the police have decided that Stoker is a suspect in the crime. The two wind up fleeing the city. On their way out of town, Veronica is approached by Edmund de Clare who offers to save her from Stoker. And while they are in hiding at a traveling curiosity show, a groom with suspiciously soft hands and refined speech named Mornaday also offers to rescue her from Stoker. Veronica wonders why she is suddenly drawing so much attention. Orphaned, illegitimate Veronica has a secret past of her own. Those secrets are very threatening to some people who would either like her dead or who would like to control her. Veronica has to find a way to neutralize the situation to save both Stoker and herself.Veronica is a wonderful character. She is a free thinker. She seems oblivious to the danger she is in. In fact, she acts likes she's ten feet tall and bullet-proof. She has a confidence that borders on arrogance and absolutely no tact. She is quite smart and has no need or desire to be under any man's protection. She is anything but a typical Victorian woman of the gentility.I loved the relationship between Veronica and Stoker. Their arguments and other conversations were filled with wonderful dialogue. I liked the way he came to treat her as an equal partner and I liked the struggle between them until he did. Stoker is a man with secrets that Veronica would love to probe but she is giving him time to share them. I can't wait to read more books in this new series to find out how their relationship grows and find out what new mysteries they solve.
    • 3/5
      This was a very random read for me, but I really liked it! I literally knew nothing about this before going into it, but it was a lot of fun. The story was a little all over the place, but I really liked the main character, Veronica. I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
    • 4/5
      A good start to what could be an interesting new series from a very capable author. .Set in the Victorian Era, one wonders if this time period would have been so fertile for fiction writers if the Prince of Wales had died in infancy. It introduces two disparate but strangely compatible characters who in are on the run and forced to work together. Palace intriguers and Irish revolutionaries form the pursuit to a denouement by fire ending.
    • 4/5
      Absolutely delightful! Veronica Speedwell is one of my new favorite characters!
    • 5/5
      Great narrative and wonderful book. Excited to read the rest of the series.
    • 5/5
      I was just lamenting the other day how much I miss Amelia Peabody's continuing adventures -- what a delight to discover Veronica Speedwell's pragmatic personality and her highly amusing bedeviling of Stoker, her newfound partner in science. I can tell already that I will be fond of the supporting characters, and follow the emerging romantic possibilities with enthusiasm.

      Re-read it as an audio book and found it highly enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      A little slow at the beginning, but very satisfying. I look forward to the next in the series.
    • 4/5
      What can I say? I really liked this one, it's an excellent start to what I hope will be many equally interesting adventures. Ms. Raybourn nailed the characters, imo: Ms. Speedwell is my personal historical heroine; I love her history and the way she owns her choices, and Stoker is Sebastian Gage, v2.0. He's still fiery, vitriolic, dark, mysterious - but he's not a disrespectful jackass. As a few of my friends have said before me, I could have done without the traveling circus and not missed it; I get that the author needed a setting, a motivation, an excuse to give Stoker and Speedwell the chance to learn more about each other and some of their secretive pasts, but the circus thing just doesn't interest me and that's the only reason this book 'only' got 4 stars instead of 4.5. The ending was bold. Really bold. Ms. Raybourn truly made Veronica the most dangerous person to the UK in a subtle, glorious and inspired way. I'm a little disappointed that it seems we're going to be subjected to an over-arcing villain in the series, but I suppose I can't have everything. I can't wait until book 2 comes out to see what happens next. NB: I'd have taken the money. ;)
    • 2/5
      2.5 If I’m going to read a slightly trashy and VERY SILLY book, I expect there to be actual sex in it. Highly disappointed. The POTENTIAL for sex kept me reading past the point of interest, which I guess is a point in its favor.
    • 4/5
      Fun. Very light stuff.
    • 4/5
      June 1887. Veronica Speedwell has just buried the second and last of her guardians, Nell Harbottle in Little Byfield. When she is confronted by Baron Maxmillian von Stauffenbach who promises to reveal the truth about her past. But for her safety she is given into the care of his friend Stoker. But with the Baron murdered Veronica and Stoker are on the run before he can be arrested, but what of Veronica's past.
      An entertaining well-written Victorian mystery, though I don't approve of Veronica's occupation as a lepidopterist. But Stoker is a delightful character.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant, fun, and intriguing from page one to the end. I loved it!
    • 4/5
      The first in the Veronica Speedwell mystery series. These are set in Victorian England and follow Veronica, an unconventional young women lepidopterist who has no interest in living a "correct" or expected life. There's an intriguing man named Stoker with whom she joins forces. And a mystery. The novel was fun, but I was kind of lukewarm about it. I didn't care for Veronica or Stoker as much as I would have liked to, the pacing was kind of off, and I never felt like I got fully *in*to the story. It is not at all impossible that some of this reaction stemmed from Quarantimes Malaise, so YMMV. I read this along with a friend, and our discussion was, as always, aces.
    • 5/5
      Synopsis:In 1887 Victoria Speedwell finds herself once more an orphan. Both of her aunts are now deceased, leaving her with a small amount of money and nothing to keep her from pursuing her passion of butterfly collecting. However, as she comes back to her house, she surprises a thief, and meets a man who knows something about her parents, and tells her she is in danger. Although she doesn't really believe him, he agrees to take her to London, which is where she wants to go anyway. Everything seems to be going fine until he is murdered, leaving her in the care of a rather young curmudgeon who is out to avenge his mentor's death.Review: Written in the very best Elizabeth Peters style, this series may prove to be as interesting as the one written by Peters.
    • 4/5
      Orphan Veronica Speedwell intends on returning to traipsing the world in search of exotic butterflies after she buries her aunt. A break-in and the appearance of a kindly German baron takes her to London when the man mentions he knew her parents. When the baron is killed, Veronica must follow the trail of her parentage to learn the truth.Try as I might, I just couldn't like Veronica. To me, she seemed too modern for the time. It took about half the book before she takes any action to investigate. Stoker was a little bit more interesting but not enough to carry the book.The plot moved fast and then slowed to a snail's pace before accelerating once again. The writing was alright, and none of the supporting cast was very memorable.Though I wish I could have enjoyed a new series, I doubt I will continue.
    • 4/5
      Curiously lighthearted but a nice beginning to a series.