Lord Rosemorran has purchased a wax figure of a beautiful reclining woman and asks Stoker to incorporate a clockwork mechanism to give the Rosemorran Collection its own Sleeping Beauty in the style of Madame Tussaud’s.
But when Stoker goes to cut the mannequin open to insert the mechanism, he makes a gruesome discovery: this is no wax figure. The mannequin is the beautifully preserved body of a young woman who was once very much alive. But who would do such a dreadful thing, and why?
Sleuthing out the answer to this question sets Veronica and Stoker on their wildest adventure yet. From the underground laboratories of scientists experimenting with electricity to resurrect the dead in the vein of Frankenstein to the traveling show where Stoker once toured as an attraction, the gaslit atmosphere of London in October is the perfect setting for this investigation into the unknown.
Through it all, the intrepid pair is always one step behind the latest villain—a man who has killed once and will stop at nothing to recover the body of the woman he loved. Will they unmask him in time to save his next victim? Or will they become the latest figures to be immortalized in his collection of horrors?
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
4 books in catalog
Historical mystery and contemporary thriller fiction often turn on intricate plotting and vivid atmospheric detail, qualities central to the Victorian mysteries and standalone thrillers written by Deanna Raybourn. Best known for creating spirited, unconventional heroines in historical and modern settings, Raybourn established her reputation with the award-winning Lady Julia Grey series and the Edgar Award-nominated Veronica Speedwell mysteries.
Born on June 17, 1968, in Fort Worth, Texas, Raybourn is a sixth-generation Texan and dual British-American citizen. She attended the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she earned a double major in English and history, a foundational academic background that informed her meticulous approach to historical research. She married her college sweetheart, and the couple raised a daughter before settling in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Raybourn launched her publishing career with her debut novel, Silent in the Grave, which introduced Victorian investigator Lady Julia Grey and earned critical recognition, including nominations for the Agatha, Macavity, and Edgar Awards, along with a RITA Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. She expanded her bibliography with standalone historical novels such as A Spear of Summer Grass before launching her long-running Veronica Speedwell mystery series. In September 2022, Raybourn published Killers of a Certain Age, a contemporary action thriller about retired female assassins that debuted at number nine on the New York Times bestseller list and won the 2022 Barry Award for Best Thriller.
Raybourn's narrative style blends rigorous historical research with sharp wit, fast-paced dialogue, and independent female protagonists who challenge the social expectations of their eras. Her historical mystery plots frequently explore themes of agency, intellect, and unconventional partnerships, combining classic whodunit mechanics with romantic tension and rich period detail. Whether chronicling a lepidopterist sleuth in Victorian London or four veteran female assassins navigating modern intrigue, her storytelling emphasizes resilience, camaraderie, and humor alongside suspenseful mystery.
Veronica Speedwell
