A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn

"I have seen evil, and it wears a smiling face."

This third installment of the Veronica Speedwell and Stoker (Revelstoke Templeton-Vane) series is set in London, 1888, and has the pair investigating the untimely disappearance of Stoker's former best friend (who incidentally married his ex wife). Sure, there's bad blood between the two men, but Veronica and Stoker can't resist becoming involved with the circumstances surrounding John de Morgan and the former Caroline Templeton-Vane. He vanished during an excavation of the Egyption tomb of Princess Ankheset, along with a valuable diadem. Has he absconded with the treasure and betrayed his archelogical partner, Sir Leicester Tiverton? And there's this small matter of a curse -- inscribed on the sarcophagus of the entombed princess. The sensation has got the attention of the neewspapers and tabloids are bringing up Stoker's  unsavory past history. Veronica and Stoker want to get to the bottom of this mystery but it does bring up some very awkward moments as they contront and interview all the parties involved.

I really like this series. The interaction between Veronica and Stoker is barbed and often hilarious. Veronica is an independent woman in a time when her sort is not appreciated. She's fiercely independent and a free spirit and is much a match to the hard-boiled Stoker. Yes, we know they are wild about each other, but their romance never quite gets going, and that was a disappointment to me even though I usually hate that part of a good story! Enough already -- let them get on with it! They sort of already live together and it's obvious that they are going to end up a pair. Anyway, despite my frustration over their lack of communication on the subject, they do complement each other perfectly and the witty repartee is one of the best aspects of the narrative.

Suffice to say they bring the case to its conclusion in their usual dogged fashion and the bad guys get their comeuppance. NO SPOILERS. Very entertaining!

I am looking forward to the next book in what I hope is a long running series that I think needs to be read in order so as to be fully appreciated. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for granting me access to this e-book ARC to read and review. I have read many other books by this author and have enjoyed them all!