Helpful Score: 2
imagine you are in line for the throne, 34th in line,but you can't work because it would look bad,so you clean houses for people that might know you, because you have no money,your royal relatives expect you to help them with little problems-like keeping the prince of wales away from a married american woman,play hostess to a bavarian princess,with a mouth right out of hollywood gangster movies,the one the royal relatives want to lure the prince away from the american and oh yes bodies keep showing up around you. the police notice, and the fact that you are royal dosen't seem to help.
a brother, the duke is called binky, his wife is called fig.
your mother is on husband #?-you have lost count.her father your grandfather was a london bobby and does try to help. it's nice to have normal relatives you can relax around.
a fun book it would help to read the first one then this one but not necessary.
a brother, the duke is called binky, his wife is called fig.
your mother is on husband #?-you have lost count.her father your grandfather was a london bobby and does try to help. it's nice to have normal relatives you can relax around.
a fun book it would help to read the first one then this one but not necessary.
Helpful Score: 1
I love the wit and wisdom in this series. Amidst all the laugh-inducing lines and scenes, Bowen gives her readers a real sense of England in the 1930s. I'm not just talking about the Queen trying to steer her son away from the horrifyingly unsuitable American divorcée either. The cars, the clothes, the attitudes, the lingering effects of World War I, Communism, the rise of the Nazi Party... it's all here, wrapped up in a romp of a book (and series) that Bowen has to love writing.
Readers also get a glimpse into the life of the royals from meals to telephones to acquiring antiques. Georgie is such a fun main character. She's been brought up, not to be useful, but to be "thirty-fourth in line to the throne." Nevertheless she's twenty-two and wants her independence from the drafty ancestral castle in Scotland, so she's learning how to cope in London on very little money. She may have been raised to be ornamental, but she's got a good head on her shoulders and thinks on her feet-- which is a good thing because between her own proclivities and those of the Queen, she finds herself in some amazing situations.
Georgie's not the only character who shines. Her glamorous actress mother who left that castle years ago for a procession of handsome and wealthy men slinks through her scenes oozing sex appeal and style. Her retired policeman grandfather is a treat as is his next-door neighbor Mrs. Hetty Huggins, a woman who never met an H she couldn't drop. And then there's that incredibly handsome (and penniless) Darcy O'Mara who makes Georgie's heart flutter and always seems to be around when he's needed most. Although I don't care much for romance in my mysteries, I have to admit that I like keeping an eye on this relationship.
If you're in the mood to have fun, Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series is the one for you!
Readers also get a glimpse into the life of the royals from meals to telephones to acquiring antiques. Georgie is such a fun main character. She's been brought up, not to be useful, but to be "thirty-fourth in line to the throne." Nevertheless she's twenty-two and wants her independence from the drafty ancestral castle in Scotland, so she's learning how to cope in London on very little money. She may have been raised to be ornamental, but she's got a good head on her shoulders and thinks on her feet-- which is a good thing because between her own proclivities and those of the Queen, she finds herself in some amazing situations.
Georgie's not the only character who shines. Her glamorous actress mother who left that castle years ago for a procession of handsome and wealthy men slinks through her scenes oozing sex appeal and style. Her retired policeman grandfather is a treat as is his next-door neighbor Mrs. Hetty Huggins, a woman who never met an H she couldn't drop. And then there's that incredibly handsome (and penniless) Darcy O'Mara who makes Georgie's heart flutter and always seems to be around when he's needed most. Although I don't care much for romance in my mysteries, I have to admit that I like keeping an eye on this relationship.
If you're in the mood to have fun, Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series is the one for you!
Great story!
Jennifer J. (jennifer-in-paradise) reviewed A Royal Pain (Royal Spyness, Bk 2) on + 13 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book very much and didn't see the end coming... and there is more than one surprise at the end! Very well done.
I read the first book in this series earlier this year (Her Royal Spyness) and thoroughly enjoyed it. Rhys Bowen writes a witty, fun and IMO historically accurate mystery.
But thanks to a free tiral from Audiblecom, this time I listened to this book on audio (narrated by Katherine Kellgren) and it was a total hoot! It was so good that I only turned it off to go to sleep - but started it up again the next morning. Thankfully I've got Lady Georgiana's next adventure sitting right on my TBR - and you can bet I'll be getting to it very soon :-)
But thanks to a free tiral from Audiblecom, this time I listened to this book on audio (narrated by Katherine Kellgren) and it was a total hoot! It was so good that I only turned it off to go to sleep - but started it up again the next morning. Thankfully I've got Lady Georgiana's next adventure sitting right on my TBR - and you can bet I'll be getting to it very soon :-)
This "Royal" series is just a plain good read! The between the wars setting reads fresh, the characters are entertaining, and the plot never jars one from suspension of disbelief. An all around entertaining and pleasant way to spend a few hours of down time!
Another great addition to a wonderful series......Lady Georgiana is up to her ears in intrigue, socialists and of course the Royal Family....pretend staff to entertain German royalty.........no money and lots of upper class antics.......Looking forward to the next book in the series........
I LOVE this series! Read it in 2 days.
To make ends meet, slightly impoverished but well-connected Lady Georgiana Rannoch takes on house-cleaning jobs in disguise in Agatha-winner Bowen's enchanting second mystery set in 1930s England (after 2007's Her Royal Spyness). A tea invitation from the queen, however, sets her on a new mission. Georgiana must house and chaperone a young Bavarian princess, Hannelore, whom she hopes will catch the eye of the Prince of Wales and distract him from his dalliance with Mrs. Simpson. Georgiana reluctantly agrees, getting her grandfather and his neighbor to impersonate servants. When Hannelore arrives, she proves a handful, spouting phrases from American gangster movies and setting her sights on Darcy OMara, the one man who makes Georgianas heart leap. To make matters worse, Hannelore expresses interest in the Communist Party and arranges to meet one of the members in a bookshop. Georgiana accompanies Hannelore on the assignation only to have the princess discover the young mans corpse. Then a series of unfortunate deaths arouses Georgiana's suspicions and she launches an investigation that culminates in a startlingly bloody conclusion. Fans will welcome the return of this spunky heroine, 34th in line to the British throne. A delectable mystery with vibrant characters and a bit of romance, Bowens latest is a good read.
