A Royal Pain (Royal Spyness Series #2)

by Rhys Bowen

Overview

Lady Georgiana finds herself in a heap of royal trouble in the second novel in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness Mystery series.

London, 1932. Poor Lady Georgiana—thirty-fourth in line to the throne—has nothing to serve her Bavarian princess houseguest, even though the Queen of England has requested that she entertain her. Then there's the matter of the body in the bookshop and the princess's unwitting involvement with the Communist party. It's enough to drive a girl mad...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780425228722
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	07/07/2009
Series:	Royal Spyness Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	78,335
Product dimensions:	4.20(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Rhys Bowen, a New York Times bestselling author, has been nominated for every major award in mystery writing, including the Edgar®, and has won many, including both the Agatha and Anthony awards. She is the author of the Royal Spyness Mysteries, set in 1930s London, 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 now divides her time between Northern California and Arizona.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A grand period piece and a lighthearted and completely diverting mystery."
-DENVER POST

"Enchanting. Fans will welcome the return of this spunky heroine."
-PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Royal Spyness Mysteries

“Wonderful characters...A delight.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris

“An insightful blend of old-fashioned whodunnit, clever satire and drawing room comedy of errors.”—New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Winspear

“Brilliant...This is so much more than a murder mystery. It’s part love story, part social commentary, part fun and part downright terrifying. And completely riveting.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny

“The perfect fix between seasons for Downton Abbey addicts.”—New York Times bestselling author Deborah Crombie

“Fans of P.G. Wodehouse looking for laughs mingled with some amateur sleuthing will be quite pleased.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Georgie’s high spirits and the author’s frothy prose are utterly captivating.”—The Denver Post

“A smashing romp.”—Booklist (starred review)

From the Publisher

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 the queen hopes to set up with the prince of Wales, thus diverting his attention from his current American love interest. The princess proves to be quite a handful, naïve and addicted to slang. Invitations to the palace, country house weekends and swinging parties are provided for her amusement. When a series of unfortunate deaths arouses Georgiana's suspicions, 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. (July)

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Publishers Weekly

A royal relative turns sleuth when murder haunts her household. Lady Georgiana Rannoch, who lives in her impoverished brother's London house, survives by doing occasional light cleaning jobs. Although dead broke, she is 34th in line to the throne and at the beck and call of the Queen, who's thought up a scheme to scuttle the highly unsuitable romance between her son David and the married American Wallis Simpson. The Queen asks Georgie to host the lovely young Bavarian Princess, known by her friends as Hanni, as well as her escort Baroness Rottenmeister and their maid. Having no money or servants, Georgie calls on her grandfather and his neighbor to act as butler and cook. Hanni turns out to be a lively young miss with an American accent acquired from watching gangster movies and a bent for unsuitable young men, shoplifting and wild parties. At an aristocratic bash whose guest list includes the Prince of Wales, Mrs. Simpson and Georgie's actress mother, a young man is killed in a fall from a balcony. Georgie and Hanni are escorted away by Georgie's love interest, sexy Irishman Darcy O'Mara (Her Royal Spyness, 2007). As Georgie attempts to keep Hanni out of trouble, more murders follow. Nothing daunted, Georgie works to discover if the cause is a Communist or Fascist plot or something even more sinister. A pre-World War II mystery with a touch of romance that adds another winner to Bowen's accomplishments.

Kirkus Reviews