ARC Review: Veronica Speedwell #10

A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourne

Publication Date: March 3, 2026

Summary from NetGalley:

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide—and Veronica and her intrepid beau Stoker know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Romany boy may know more about their first victim, and the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear that the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

ARC provided by Berkley Publishing via Netgalley for an honest review.

Confession:

I have loved every single one of the previous Veronica Speedwell books, and this newest one is just as good as the others. I adore both Veronica and Stoker and their witty banter always makes me laugh. This time they take on a mystery involving a possible vampire, which leads them to all sorts of dark places.

Veronica and Stoker are bored, which of course leads them to jump at the chance to investigate a death that sounds and looks suspicious, but the police are being told not to investigate. There is also a suicide, that may not be a suicide, and the mixture of vampires and witches and a secret society made for a very exciting adventure.

Veronica and Stoker continue to be my favorite literary couple. They just get each other, and their desire for each other is still strong. Their witty banter is the best and almost always makes me at least smile, if not laugh out loud. I also appreciate how the respect each other’s talents and can admit when they are wrong, even if a bit grudgingly. They also respect their friends and will do anything to help them.

JJ and Mornaday make appearances in this story, but are not as involved as the are in previous ones. JJ has lost her job and is in a bad way, but Veronica and Stoker help her out. There is a fun scene between JJ and Mornaday that still makes me smile whenever I think of it. We also meet a new couple ( at least they were new to me), Lady Jane and Brisbane, another investigating couple. I loved them, and I later learned they are from an earlier series by this author, which I haven’t read. I do hope they return in the next Speedwell book.

The story was well done. I love how well this author depicts the Victorian era, including the smells and the debris that were abundant at that time. The pacing was also well done with action scenes mingling with the more domestic ones. I enjoyed the mystery as well. I had it mostly figured out, but there still were a few surprises. The villains in this story were well written and the vampire lore added some interesting intrigue into the story.

If you are a fan of the series, you will enjoy this one as much as the others. If you have not yet read this series, I highly recommend that you go back to the beginning. Veronica’s and Stoker’s slow burn romance should not be missed.