A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn

When Stoker's expedition partner from the past suddenly goes missing with a valuable diadem, it's beginning to look like Stoker might be charged with murder.  After all, he was back in the local area with his wife, who used to be Stoker's wife...

Berkley sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published January 16th.

Veronica Speedwell is not a shy retiring Victorian lady.  She's full of spit and vinegar and cares less about what people think of her.  But she's fond of Stoker and she doesn't like him being maligned.  Then the owner of the diadem asks them to look into the case.  She's happy to!

This story started a bit slow and didn't really build up momentum until you read over half of it.  But once it begins moving, I couldn't set it down.  The man who asks them to investigate used to have a partner, so he's on their list.  Veronica tells Stoker they need to talk to his ex-wife.  He's not happy about that.  It's a good thing he goes, though, or she wouldn't have found anything out.  His ex-wife is a good actress.

The story is full of human foibles, greed, thievery, and regret.  The criminal was closer than you might think.  

One thing I'm really enjoying is watching Stoker and Veronica dancing around each other.  They're falling in love but they don't want to admit it.  She almost told him at the end of the story but they were interrupted.  I hope the next book continues the romance.

I love this series and this is another good read.  Veronica gets my vote for being smart and not being afraid of danger.  If you haven't met her yet, start with the first book and watch her in action.