{"id":23700,"date":"2024-06-11T10:11:37","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T14:11:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=23700"},"modified":"2024-08-08T20:06:47","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T00:06:47","slug":"a-grave-robbery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/23700","title":{"rendered":"A Grave Robbery"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Grave Robbery<\/em><\/a> (2024) Deanna Raybourn<\/a> (Veronica Speedwell #9)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>Set in London in 1889<\/p>\n

Lord Rosemoran has purchased an amazing wax figure that may or may not be an Anatomical Venus, and has asked Stoker to see if he can add a clockwork mechanism to simulate breathing.<\/p>\n

He gestured towards her midsection. \u201cWell, if she is an Anatomical Venus, she would be complete. Thorough. Intact, as it were.\u201d <\/p>\n

I stared at him for a long moment before understanding dawned. \u201cYou mean she would be\u2014\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAs detailed as an actual woman. In every particular.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAll the more reason to include Lady Rose,\u201d I said. \u201cThe child is on the cusp of puberty and heaven alone knows if anyone has prepared her for it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cBut in that case surely she ought to have a few more accoutrements. An opening that would approximate a vag\u2014\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI beg you not to finish that thought,\u201d he pleaded. <\/p>\n

\u201cI am simply pointing out that if the intention of such a figure is to provide sexual gratification, she really ought to come fully equipped for such activities.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However Stoker quickly discovers the reason the Beauty looks so realistic, is because she was once alive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is to do with the water,\u201d Stoker said in an absent tone. \u201cWhatever method was used to preserve her must first have removed the water from her tissues. Water is the author of destruction, hastening decomposition.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I was fascinated by the bits about the Anatomical Venus and other wax figures.<\/p>\n

The Anatomical Venuses described in this book were created as teaching aids as well as objects of entertainment and titillation. For a comprehensive overview of this phenomenon, The Anatomical Venus by Joanna Ebenstein is highly recommended.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The rest of the story, however, felt over the top and heavy handed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhose body?\u201d J. J. demanded. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what we were hoping you could help us discover,\u201d Stoker said. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut how?\u201d J. J. asked. \u201cHow does one simply acquire a body?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cOurs was purchased at auction,\u201d I told her. <\/p>\n

Mornaday groaned again, and Stoker passed him the decanter as I rose.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Characters<\/strong>: Stoker, Veronica, JJ Butterworth, Mornaday, Sir Hugo, Lord Rosemoran, Lady Rose, Professor Pygopagus, Lavinia, Plumtree, Parthenope Fleet, Julius, Spyridon, Despard, Lady Cordelia Beauclerk<\/p>\n

Cover design and art by Leo Nickolls<\/p>\n

Publisher: Berkley<\/p>\n

Rating: 7\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Grave Robbery (2024) Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell #9) Set in London in 1889 Lord Rosemoran has purchased an amazing wax figure that may or may not be an Anatomical Venus, and has asked Stoker to see if he can add a clockwork mechanism to simulate breathing. He gestured towards her midsection. \u201cWell, if she […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[193,30,190,292,204,33,8],"tags":[152,153,557],"class_list":["post-23700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-7-10","category-british","category-cozy","category-ebook","category-good","category-historical","category-mystery","tag-deanna-raybourn","tag-veronica-speedwell","tag-victorian"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-6ag","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23793,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/23793","url_meta":{"origin":23700,"position":0},"title":"An Impossible Impostor, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"July 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"An Impossible Impostor, Audio Edition (2022) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angele Masters (Veronica Speedwell #7) Set in England in 1900. I did an awful lot of, waitwhat? and but... why? and that is just plain stupid on this listen. Characters: Veronica Speedwell, Stoker Templeton-Vane, Sir Hugo Montgomerie, Euphemia Hathaway, Jonathan\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio Book"","block_context":{"text":"Audio Book","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/audio-book"},"img":{"alt_text":"An Impossible Impostor","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/An-Impossible-Impostor.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":23496,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/23496","url_meta":{"origin":23700,"position":1},"title":"An Unexpected Peril, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"April 1, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"An Unexpected Peril, Audio Edition (2021) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Angele Masters (Veronica Speedwell) Set in London in 1889 \"He said it was the oddest little place he had ever been. One mountain, one small city, one castle, and seventy varieties of beer. He remembered it with great difficulty,\u201d Stoker\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"An Unexpected Peril","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/An-Unexpected-Peril.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22026,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22026","url_meta":{"origin":23700,"position":2},"title":"A Perilous Undertaking, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"May 29, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A Perilous Undertaking, Audio Book (2017) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Ang\u00e8le Masters (Veronica Speedwell) Set in England in 1887 We're continuing to listen to this series in the car, and Michael continues to enjoy it. We meet Lady Wellingtonia. \u201cIn my day, chairs were not for comfort. They were to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Perilous Undertaking","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Perilous-Undertaking-1-e1511036579944.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":22121,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/22121","url_meta":{"origin":23700,"position":3},"title":"A Treacherous Curse, Audio Book","author":"Michelle","date":"June 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A Treacherous Curse, Audio Book (2018) Deanna Raybourn narrated by Ang\u00e8le Masters (Veronica Speedwell) Set in England in 1888 Stoker blushed furiously. \u201cFor the love of God, put that thing away.\u201d \u201cI cannot imagine why you are so bashful on the subject of the male genitalia of Homo sapiens when\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Treacherous Curse","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/A-Treacherous-Curse.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":20083,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/20083","url_meta":{"origin":23700,"position":4},"title":"An Impossible Impostor","author":"Michelle","date":"July 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"An Impossible Impostor (2022) Deanna Raybourn (Veronica Speedwell) Set in England in 1900. 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