Veronica Speedwell and her cantankerous companion Stoker return in their fourth adventure. Veronica is just back in England after a lengthy butterfly hunting trip abroad. She'd been using the time away to try and figure out where her feelings stand in regard to Stoker but still hasn't figured anything out. So an invitation from Stoker's brother, Tiberius, to attend a house party at the estate of Lord Malcolm Romilly, which is on an island off the coast of Cornwall, seems just the ticket to distract her. Even learning that Tiberius has told people at the house party that Veronica is his fiancee isn't enough to whet her appetite for a chance to visit a remote island and perhaps gather the pupa of a rare butterfly that nest only on the island. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that this is not a carefree kind of house party. Every guest (outside of Veronica) is somehow connected to Lord Romilly's wife who disappeared on their wedding day three years ago. Ghostly appearances and mysterious motivations abound as Veronica sets out to discover just what happened to Rosamund.
This is another exciting adventure for Veronica and her fans. Raybourn does a nice job in further developing her series characters and deepening their relationships. As always I finished Raybourn's book with a sigh and a wish that the next one was available right now!