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She may be thirty-fifth in line for the throne, but Lady Georgiana Rannoch cannot wait to ring in the new year—before a Christmas killer wrings another neck…
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me—well, actually, my true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending a feliz navidad tramping around South America. Meanwhile, Mummy is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with that droll Noel Coward! And I’m snowed in at Castle Rannoch with my bumbling brother, Binky, and sourpuss sister-in-law, Fig.
So it’s a miracle when I contrive to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village is like something out of A Christmas Carol! But no sooner have I arrived than a neighborhood nuisance, a fellow named Freddie falls out of a tree, dead…. Dickensian, indeed.
Freddie’s merely a stocking stuffer. On my second day in town, another so-called accident turns up another mincemeat pie—and yet another on my third. The village is buzzing that a recent prison break could have something to do with it… that, or a long-standing witch’s curse. I’m not so sure. But after Darcy shows up beneath the mistletoe, anything could be possible in this wicked wonderland.
Rhys Bowen has been nominated for every major award in mystery writing, including the Edgar®, and has won many, including both Agatha and Anthony awards. She is also the author of the Molly Murphy Mysteries set in turn-of-the-century New York, and the Constable Evans Mysteries set in Wales. She was born in England and lives in Northern California.
tedfeit0
Posted April 18, 2013
A holiday mystery based on the twelve days of Christmas is the basis for this latest Royal Spyness Mystery series. Georgie (Lady Georgiana Bannock, 35th or 36th in line for the throne) escapes from Castle Rannoch and her sister-in-law, Fig, whom she dislikes, by answering an ad to act as a social hostess for a large Christmas party in a small English village, Tiddleton-under-Lovey. Her actress mother and Noel Coward are staying in the same village, supposedly writing a play, and Georgie convinces her grandfather to join them.
But almost immediately dead bodies begin to appear, one a day. The police think it is the result of a prison breakout by three convicts. Villagers believe the deaths are the result of the Lovey Curse, made by a “witch” burned there hundreds of years before. However, all the deaths appear to be accidental, at least until Georgie comes up with a possible motive for murder.
This sixth novel in the series is, as were its predecessors, very entertaining. The plot is clever, woven around the Twelve Days of Christmas theme. And as an added bonus, all the recipes for an old-fashioned English Christmas, food and games are provided after the mystery is solved. Who can ask for anything more?
Recommended.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 30, 2012
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the characters and the story was intriguing. I was not expecting the ending. A good read.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 10, 2013
but not depressing! I am loving this series and her diet of beans on toast (poor thing). Can't wait to see who the Irishman really is really.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 22, 2013
I have read plenty of reviews that the love interest of Georgiana's is never featured enough thru this series....romance lovers...you will enjoy this one! Mr. Darcy O'Mara makes an appearance and becomes a main character in this Christmas story...wonderful !!!
The main plot of this story is Georgiana getting a job to be a co-host at a traditional English country home for Christmas. But once she arrives, a person dies each day for the twelve days of christmas. Who is doing this and why?
Rhys Bowen has woven a great mystery plot. It moved quickly. I truly enjoyed the cozy mystery and substantially more of a relationship for Georgiana and Darcy in this book.
I recommend this book to all cozy mystery readers!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 21, 2013
This book was like the whipped cream on top of my Christmas Irish coffee! The plot was clever, exciting, and the characters were three dimensional. Woven into the story were the customs and activities of the Christmas season in a simpler and less commercial time, including in an appendix an explanation of the activities, food, and games portrayed in the book. This was a diamond in the "Royal Spyness" series, and I look forward to the next installment!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 16, 2013
Finally, Georgie and Darcy are engaged. Let's hope it doesn't take another six books for them to marry.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted December 3, 2012
Another great story with interesting characters - Georgie and Darcy never fail to please. Looking forward to the next.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 30, 2012
Good story, moved rapidly, one of my favorite authors
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 14, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed THE TWELVE CLUES OF CHRISTMAS!! The story line is GREAT and it's easy to get lost in the world of Georgiana Rannoch. You can relate to each character in this novel and I couldn't help thinking that the Dowager Countess in the book was the same as the Dowager on Downton Abby (lol) . I could visualize her and her remarks so vividly! The twists and turns of this book will have you on the edge of your seat! You won't be able to put it down! I was not left wanting!!! Good job, Rhys, as always! I highly recommend the Royal Spyness Series if you haven't already read them!! GREAT READS!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 12, 2012
Just finished the latest installment. This would be so wonderful as a television series. I love the creepy, witty, theatrical, suspense with the holiday theme.
I can't wait for the next one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 12, 2012
Great read!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 10, 2012
Great book as usual! I just love Darcy and Georgie!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted October 3, 2012
To find the clue make a pair of two the clue is one false note
1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Posted November 12, 2012
This one left me feeling a bit lukewarm. I can't put my finger on it directly. I wasn't as happy though with the portrayal of Darcy. While I love the ending, I didn't feel as if he was portrayed as the dashing spy figure as he was in the other books. Perhaps it was because he wasn't on a "job", just relaxing with family, but him acting as foil to Georgie just didn't work for me. It was a basic, enjoyable read, but didn't produce the same enthusiasm I've felt reading her other Spyness novels.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.chefdt
Posted November 9, 2012
The Twelve Clues Of Christmas is the 6th book in the Royal Spyness series.
Things couldn't look bleaker for Lady Georgiana Rannoch, thirty fourth in line for throne. The cold winds are blowing across the moors, she over hears her sister in law, Fig, being told by Figs mother she just has to find somebody to marry Georgiana and take her off the family's hands. Fig's sister and her family will also be spending the holiday at Rannoch. Georgiana had spent some time in Nice with these obnoxious people. And the worse thing of all is that Georgiana is completely without funds.
So when things seemed the darkest, she sees at advertisement for a job to assist a hostess with a large Christmas party that Lady Hawse-Gorzley is having. The best thing of all is that the home is in Tiddleton-under-Lovey, the same quaint village that her mother will be staying in with Noel Coward.
As Georgiana is arriving at Lady Hawse-Gorzley home, the local constables are just leaving and she begins to second guess herself. The neighbor has fallen out of a tree and has died from a gunshot wound. Soon the a spinster in town is found dead, a local jeweler is robbed, telephone operator dies in a fire and a local butcher dies delivering the Christmas goose to Lady H-G home. there are a couple more, too, none of which appear to be murders, but then this is a lot of deaths for a small village. The constables want to lay the blame on the recent escaped convicts from the Dartmoor prison break. Georgiana and Darcy don't believe so. So they, with the help of Georgiana's granddad they start to put the clues together track down the killer.
It's always a joy to spend time with Lady Georgiana and this book is no exception. Rhys has very skillfully woven a bit of Christmas' past into this story.
Anonymous
Posted May 28, 2013
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Anonymous
Posted December 30, 2012
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Posted January 4, 2013
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Posted December 27, 2012
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Posted January 4, 2013
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Overview
She may be thirty-fifth in line for the throne, but Lady Georgiana Rannoch cannot wait to ring in the new year—before a Christmas killer wrings another neck…
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me—well, actually, my true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending a feliz navidad tramping around South America. Meanwhile, Mummy is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with that droll Noel...