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Set in 1932, Bowen's winning third Royal Spyness whodunit to feature Lady Georgiana, a great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and 34th in line to the English throne (after 2008's A Royal Pain), will please fans of romantic, humorous historicals. Georgie makes an ill-advised attempt to start her own business, before discovering, to her embarrassment, that her definition of a female escort is not the same as that of her clientele. Fearing scandal, the authorities send her off to the family castle in Scotland, where a shooting party that includes the prince of Wales is in residence, with a brief from the Home Office to keep her eyes peeled for threats to the Crown. A series of serious accidents suggests that someone is targeting members of the royal family. The violence soon escalates to murder. The secret behind the attacks has been employed by such other mystery writers as David Dickinson and Robin Paige, but Bowen, who's won both Agatha and Anthony awards, puts a fresh slant on it. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Still penniless, still 34th in line to the British throne, and living alone in the family house in Belgrave Square, Lady Georgiana launches her latest attempt at a business venture: an escort service for men needing a young lady of good family to have dinner with them. But her first client has the wrong idea about her services. To avoid what could become a scandal, Scotland Yard sends Georgiana to her family estate in Scotland to keep American houseguest Mrs. Wallis Simpson away from the Prince of Wales as well to keep an eye on the Prince's shooting party at nearby Balmoral since someone is trying to kill royal family members.
VERDICT This third entry (after A Royal Pain) in Bowen's charming, delightfully fresh series earns high marks in painting a nostalgic picture of 1932 England enriched by a look into the royal family's everyday life. Fans of historical cozies who like Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher series will snap this up. [See Prepub Mystery, LJ3/1/09.]
Anonymous
Posted August 31, 2009
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Twenty-something Lady Georgiana ("Georgie" to family and friends) is thirty-fourth in line to the British throne during the summer of 1932. The younger sister of the Duke of Rannoch (aka Binky), Georgie is also quite impoverished and has not yielded to efforts to marry her off to undesirable men of appropriate rank.
As the story opens, she's living alone (no servants) in the family's London house, somewhat at loose ends in the August heat, waiting for her annual trek to visit the Royal family at Balmoral which is two weeks away.
A visit with her glamorous socialite friend Belinda gives Georgie an idea for a money-making scheme. But alas she's too naive to know what her innocently-intended ad in the Times for upper-class "escort" services means to the men who read it and call her. Saved from disaster by the handsome enigmatic young Darcy, she's packed off by Scotland Yard to her Rannoch family estate in Scotland, with a secret assignment: to keep an eye out for attacks on members of the royal family. Balmoral is practically next door and some odd things have occurred.
She finds her brother Binky laid up with a nasty foot injury and her sister-in-law struggling to cope with a a houseful of American guests - including Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Simpson - who are being entertained by the Rannochs as a favor to the Prince of Wales. From the first moments, Georgie's visit home is anything but restful. There are close calls, physical danger, off-putting strangers who want to get close to her, several encounters with the attractive Darcy, and murder.
This story deftly blends fast-paced action, romance, and insight into Georgie's character, with bits of British history. The handful of continuing series characters are well-drawn, including Georgie's commoner grandfather, her awkward sister-in-law and clueless brother, her glamorous friend Belinda and her elegant, distant mother (who bolted with a lover when Georgie was a tyke, leaving her to be raised by her father).
This was a fun and engaging read from start to finish.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I really love this series and I think this was the best of them all. Lady Georgiana is thirty-fourth in line to the throne but her family has very little money. Georgie has been living alone in her family home in London, but now it is summer and her secret (secret because if the Queen found out, Georgie would be shipped off to marry a foreign prince) maid service business is quite slow. Georgie's friend Belinda sets her up on a date with a man from out of town who is looking for a dinner companion. This gives Georgie the idea to start a new business, and she puts in add in the paper offering escort services. However, the naive Georgie did not realize what kind of men that would attract. She is saved by Darcy O'Mara, the penniless lord she has a sort-of relationship with. The Home Office discovers what Georgie has done and they ship her back to Scotland, to avoid any scandal for the Royal Family. But Georgie discovers the real reason; someone may be out to harm members of the Royal Family and the police think it is an inside job. Who better to look for clues than Lady Georgie, as the Royal Family is vacationing near her family's castle.
This series is full of great characters. We see more of her long-suffering sister-in-law Fig and brother Binky. Fig is at her wits end as she has a houseful of unwanted American guests, including Wallis Simpson, the married lover of the Prince of Wales. Georgie's mother, who fled castle life when Georgie was two, to marry many other rich men, is also present and the bickering between her and Wallis is very amusing. Darcy pops up in Scotland, mysterious as ever. There is also a female daredevil pilot and Georgie's loud Scottish cousins.
I can't wait for the next book to be released, this is a fun, delightful series.
my rating 4.5/5
http://bookmagic418.blogspot.com/
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.In 1932, impoverished Lady Georgiana decides to start an escort business. However, her definition of escort and that of her first client do not match. Being thirty-fourth in line to the throne, the family hierarchy decides to exile Georgie for a while so she does not bring scandal and embarrassment to the royals.------------
Georgie is sent to Castle Ronnoch in Scotland where she is told to rusticate; stay out of trouble; keep a divorcee away from the Prince of Wales who is staying at the castle while on a hunting trip; and by Scotland Yard to perform unpaid volunteered surveillance to insure no on stalks the royals. However, several accidents followed by a homicide in residence makes it clear someone wants the royal family dead.------------
The third royal historical amateur sleuth throne (see HER ROYAL SPYNESS and A ROYAL PAIN) is a terrific Depression Era mystery starring a likable heroine and a strong supporting cast; many of whom are real personas. Georgie's obnoxious sister-in-law and wuss brother provide comic relief by driving her to the point of considering killing both of them and knowing she would beat the rap (think of Lemmon's How to Murder Your Wife). The assaults set up a fine inquiry by Georgie as Rhys Bowen provides a super 1930s whodunit.----
Harriet Klausner
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Paris182
Posted June 27, 2010
I have read all of the Royal Spyness series and have enjoyed every one. The heroine is resourceful, funny and believeable and the supporting characters amusing and if not historically correct, historically credible. In Royal Flush, the premise is unusual and not out of bounds, the dialogue amusing and witty, and the situations the heroine finds herself realistic. Most of her characters are based on real people, so this gives them a credibility, often not seen in this type of mystery. I also enjoyed the amusing subplots between Wallis Simpson, Georgiana and her mother. The dialogue between them is fun and realistic. I also enjoyed this issue as Georgiana's sister in law Fig becomes slightly more sympathetic. A good read, for a long hot summers day
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 9, 2010
I love this series...the books are simply enjoyable and fun! Found this book while I was at the beach browsing in a B&N bookstore - and found out that it is a great book to take on the beach and read while relaxing - or just one to grab on a rainy day! The things I love the most are probably the time period and the humor in the writing - oh, and the main characters! They are just fantastic. I would recommend this book to anyone, or give it as a gift! The writing style is great too..I'm going to have to pick up more of Rhys Bowen's books after reading this series!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This book is a great little book for escape. Put yourself back in the time when country houses were the rage, and weekends lent themselves to romance and intrigue. Add some excellent characters and there you have a wonderful book to take with you everywhere, so that you can advance in the story while you wait for things. My advice, leave the house early for your errands and sneak a quite read in the parking lot.
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Overview
1930's London: Poor Lady Georgiana-thirty-fourth in line to the throne- has been sent home due to a little scandal. Now she must keep the entirely unsuitable Mrs. Simpson from seducing the Prince of Wales-and help Scotland Yard by preventing someone from shooting the Prince of Wales instead of quails.