Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen

Title: Above the Bay of Angels

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 2020

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 348

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Cover Lover - Mode of Transportation

Where I Got It: Kindle

Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.

Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.

Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.

Our book club selection for January and amazingly, I had this sitting on my Kindle from years past. I was interested in reading a stand alone mystery from Bowen after reading her Her Lady Spyness series. Unfortunately, this book couldn’t figure out what it was. According to tags and the summary, it’s a mystery of a woman assuming an identity to move ahead career-wise and solve a murder. And yet, the murder doesn’t even happen until about the 80% mark. Seriously I kept waiting for someone to die. Moving past that discrepancy, I was thoroughly bored with the rest of the story. Isabella is too naive and yet too lucky to be real. Everything that potentially can harm her comes to naught. Seriously how lucky can one character be. Even the sections detailing food were boring and lagged on. I just couldn’t make myself like any part of this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen

Title: God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (Royal Spyness #15)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2021

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 302

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans. She has moved to a house on the edge of the Sandringham estate, near the royal family, and wants to invite Darcy and his new bride for Christmas. Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests: Mummy, Grandad, Fig, and Binky all head to Sandringham.

Georgie soon learns that the notorious Mrs. Simpson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, will also be in attendance. It is now crystal clear to Georgie that the Queen expects her to do a bit of spying. There is tension in the air from the get-go, and when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt. Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.

Oof. I think I am officially done with this series. Georgie hasn’t really grown much in the past ten books and Darcy still really annoys me. It’s the side characters that really make these books entertaining. But even now, I’m not convinced they are enough to continue. I just feel like the series is rehashing the same things over and over again with nothing new introduced. Plus the mysteries have really been lackluster. Sorry Georgie, but I just can’t do it anymore.

Her Royal Spyness:

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Last Mrs. Summers by Rhys Bowen

Title: The Last Mrs. Summers (Royal Spyness #14)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2020

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 300

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Theme - July

I am a bit at loose ends at the moment. My cook, Queenie, is making my new role as mistress of Eynsleigh something akin to constant torture as Darcy is off on another one of his top secret jaunts. And Grandad is busy helping wayward youths avoid lives of crime. So when my dearest friend, Belinda, inherits an old cottage in Cornwall and begs me to go with her to inspect the property, I jump at the chance.

After a heart-stopping journey in Belinda’s beast of a motorcar, we arrive at the creaky old cottage called White Sails and quickly realize that it is completely uninhabitable. Just when I’m starting to wonder if I would have been better off trying to get Queenie to cook a roast that hasn’t been burnt beyond all recognition, we meet Rose Summers, a woman Belinda knew as a child when she spent time in Cornwall. Rose invites us to stay at Trewoma Hall, the lovely estate now owned by her husband, Tony.

Belinda confesses that she never liked Rose and had a fling with Tony years ago, so staying with them is far from ideal but beggars can’t be choosers as they say. Trewoma is not the idyllic house Belinda remembers. There’s something claustrophobic and foreboding about the place. Matters aren’t helped by the oppressively efficient housekeeper Mrs. Mannering or by the fact that Tony seems to want to rekindle whatever he and Belinda once had right under his wife’s nose.

Our increasingly awkward visit soon turns deadly when a member of the household is found murdered and all clues point to Belinda as the prime suspect. I soon learn that some long buried secrets have come back to haunt those in residence at Trewoma Hall and I’ll need to sift through the ruins of their past so Belinda doesn’t lose her chance at freedom in the present. . . .

This was not my favorite of the series. Rating it as a stand-alone mystery, I would have given it 4 stars. I liked the more gothic approach to a murder mystery. I liked the new characters and the setting. But this is the 14th book in a series and it just doesn’t fit very well. All of our well-known characters are acting strangely. Many of our favorites were not present for this one. I disliked the relationship between Georgie and Belinda in this book. Georgie becomes a not-nice person when she spends a lot of time with Belinda. Talk about a toxic friend. I was hoping that we would get more of a partnership between Georgie and Darcy once married, but he’s off once again doing his “spy” work leaving Georgie alone. Not a fan. Really hoping the next book in the series returns to normal.

Her Royal Spyness:

Next up on the TBR pile:

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs by Rhys Bowen

Title: Love and Death Among the Cheetahs (Royal Spyness #13)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

I was so excited when Darcy announced out of the blue that we were flying to Kenya for our extended honeymoon. Now that we are here, I suspect he has actually been sent to fulfill another secret mission. I am trying very hard not to pick a fight about it, because after all, we are in paradise! Darcy finally confides that there have been robberies in London and Paris. It seems the thief was a member of the aristocracy and may have fled to Kenya. Since we are staying in the Happy Valley—the center of upper-class English life—we are well positioned to hunt for clues and ferret out possible suspects.
Now that I am a sophisticated married woman, I am doing my best to sound like one. But crikey! These aristocrats are a thoroughly loathsome sort enjoying a completely decadent lifestyle filled with wild parties and rampant infidelity. And one of the leading lights in the community, Lord Cheriton, has the nerve to make a play for me. While I am on my honeymoon! Of course, I put an end to that right off.

When he is found bloodied and lifeless along a lonely stretch of road, it appears he fell victim to a lion. But it seems that the Happy Valley community wants to close the case a bit too quickly. Darcy and I soon discover that there is much more than a simple robbery and an animal attack to contend with here in Kenya. Nearly everyone has a motive to want Lord Cheriton dead and some will go to great lengths to silence anyone who asks too many questions. The hunt is on! I just hope I can survive my honeymoon long enough to catch a killer. . . .

Another Georgie mystery. It was pretty decent, but not the best in the series. I did enjoy the change in scenery to Kenya. Unfortunately the relations between the natives and Europeans was a bit much. I understand the time period, but I I wasn’t really excited by all of the commentary. The murder mystery was interesting, but then the reveal is much too quick. I would have liked a bit more discussion and resolution. And there was a decided lack of grandfather and Claire. I need more in the next book.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen

Title: Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (Royal Spyness #12)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2018

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 299

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

If only Darcy and I had eloped! What I thought would be a simple wedding has been transformed into a grand affair, thanks to the attendance of the queen, who has offered up the princesses as bridesmaids. Silly me! I thought that withdrawing from the royal line of succession would simplify my life. But before Darcy and I tie the knot in front of queen and country, we have to find a place to live as man and wife...

House hunting turns out to be a pretty grim affair. Just as we start to lose hope, my globetrotting godfather offers us his fully staffed country estate. Mistress of Eynsleigh I shall be! With Darcy off in parts unknown, I head to Eynsleigh alone, only to have my hopes dashed. The grounds are in disarray and the small staff is suspiciously incompetent. Not to mention the gas tap leak in my bedroom, which I can only imagine was an attempt on my life. Something rotten is afoot--and bringing the place up to snuff may put me six feet under before I even get a chance to walk down the aisle...

Finally we got back into some good Georgie mysteries. I loved the central mystery to this book. And as much as I was annoyed by Claire and Belinda in the past, I really enjoyed them in this volume. And we get Georgie’s grandfather returning. I loved the coming together of the family. Plus a new setting (and home) for Georgie and the reappearance of a talked about character. Really enjoyed this one, even if Darcy’s gaslighting still bothers me.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen

Title: On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service (Royal Spyness #11)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 298

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

When royal sleuth Georgie Rannoch receives a letter from her dearest friend Belinda, who's in an Italian villa awaiting the birth of her illegitimate baby, she yearns to run to her side. If only she could find a way to get there! But then opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way—her cousin the queen asks her to attend a house party in the Italian Lake Country. The Prince of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding.

What luck! A chance to see Belinda, even if it is under the guise of stopping unwanted nuptials. Only that's as far as Georgie's fortune takes her. She soon discovers that she attended finishing school with the hostess of the party—and the hatred they had for each other then has barely dimmed. Plus, she needs to hide Belinda's delicate condition from the other guests. And her dashing beau, Darcy's (naturally) working undercover on a dangerous mission. Then her actress mother shows up, with a not-so-little task to perform. With all this subterfuge, it seems something is bound to go horribly wrong—and Georgie will no doubt be left to pick up the pieces when it does.

Another fun mystery. This time we get actual Nazis and a new location in Italy. It’s always nice to leave England every couple of books. I really enjoyed re-meeting Paolo and Max while negotiating a tricky murder and diplomatic situation. I wish we had had more Darcy and a little less Wallis and Claire. Here’s hoping the next book has more focus on Georgie and Darcy.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

Crowned and Dangerous by Rhys Bowen

Title: Crowned and Dangerous (Royal Spyness #10)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2016

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 315

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library

As Lady Georgiana's beloved Darcy drives her out of London, she soon discovers that he isn’t planning to introduce her to the pleasures of sinning in secret—as she had hoped—but to make her his wife!

Of course, she'll need special permission from the king to marry a Roman Catholic. Though he will inherit a title, Darcy is as broke as Georgie. Even his family’s Irish castle has been sold to a rich American who now employs his father.

Nothing will deter them from their mission—except perhaps the news that Georgie's future father-in-law has just been arrested for murdering the rich American. With the elopement postponed, they head for Ireland, where the suspect insists he’s innocent, and it’s up to them to prove it—for better or worse.

Oh yes! Thank you Georgie for another fun murder mystery. We finally get to meet Darcy’s father and see a bit of his previous life in Ireland. I am still annoyed by the lack of communication between Georgie and Darcy, but he’s growing on me. I did love the inclusion of Zou Zou to mix up the situation.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

Malice at the Palace by Rhys Bowen

Title: Malice at the Palace (Royal Spyness #9)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2015

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Caught between her high birth and empty purse, Georgie is relieved to receive a new assignment from the Queen. The King’s youngest son, George, is to wed Princess Marina of Greece, and the Queen wants Georgie to be her companion: showing her the best of London—and dispelling any rumors about George’s libertine history.

The prince is known for his many affairs with women as well as men—including the great songwriter Noel Coward. But things truly get complicated when one of his supposed mistresses is murdered.

The Queen wants the whole matter hushed. But as the case unfolds—and Georgie's beau Darcy, as always, turns up in the most unlikely of places—their investigation brings them precariously close to the prince himself.

Another fun cozy mystery. I do so love the murders that befall people around Lady Georgie. They are always interesting and fun. I think cozy mysteries are becoming comfort reads for me. As for this one, I loved meeting more of the Royal Family including Princess Marina. Plus we get some good interactions between Georgie and some of the recurring characters. I was annoyed by Darcy and his constant reassurances without ever really explaining. I think Georgie should kick him to the curb for awhile, but alas, she seems to be of one mind when it comes to Darcy.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

Title: Queen of Hearts (Royal Spyness #8)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2014

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 306

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Monthly Theme

England, 1934. Georgie's mother, the glamorous and much-married actress, is hearing wedding bells once again—which is why she must hop across the pond for a quickie divorce in Reno. To offer her moral support, Georgie agrees to go along on the all expenses paid voyage across the Atlantic.

While her mother meets movie mogul Cy Goldman—who insists on casting her in his next picture—Georgie finds herself caught up in the secret investigation of a suspected jewel thief. Lucky for her, the lead investigator happens to be her dashing beau, Darcy!

Her mother's movie and Darcy’s larceny lead everyone to Cy’s Hollywood home, where the likes of Charlie Chaplin are hanging about and there’s enough romantic intrigue to fill a double feature. But they hardly get a chance to work out the sleeping arrangements before Cy turns up dead. As if there wasn’t enough drama already...

Oh so much fun! I love this cozy mystery series and am so glad that we get to see more growth from Georgie. She’s definitely not the innocent anymore. I loved the change in setting to a ship and then to California. It was fun to see all the Brits deal with the Americans in a very loose setting. We get major Hearst Castle vibes from Cy’s house including the menagerie. Lots of fun! And then we get the actual mystery (or should I say mysteries). I totally solved both of them about 2/3 of the way through the book. Overall it was very entertaining. Here’s hoping we get to see more of Darcy next book.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding
#13 Love and Death Among the Cheetahs
#14 The Last Mrs. Summers

Next up on the TBR pile:

Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen

Title: Heirs and Graces (Royal Spyness #7)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2013

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 295

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Cloak and Dagger

London, 1934. Entrusted by Her Majesty the Queen with grooming Jack Altringham—the Duke of Eynsford’s newly discovered heir fresh from the Outback of Australia—for high society, Georgie now has the luxurious opportunity to live in one of England’s most gorgeous stately homes. But upon her arrival at Kingsdowne Place, Georgie finds herself in a manor full of miscreants, none of whom are pleased with the discovery of her new ward.

Then the duke announces he wants to choose his own heir and causes quite the hubbub. Somewhere along the way Jack’s hunting knife ends up in the duke’s back. Eyes fall, backs turn, and fingers point to the young heir. As if the rascal weren’t enough of a handful, now he’s suspected of murder. But while Jack may be wild, Georgie would bet the crown jewels it wasn’t he who killed the duke...

Still enjoying this series, but this volume was a slight disappointment. I didn’t love the setting, story, or reveal. I really wanted a more sinister plot and conclusion. I did enjoy some of the side characters especially the old aunties. The seances were a fun inclusion to the storyline. But Georgie’s interaction with the family wasn’t much fun. And don’t get me started on Belinda. She was definitely shoe-horned into the story. No thank you. I still enjoy the fun cozy mystery and will continue reading. Here’s hoping the next volume is better.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Twelve Clues of Christmas by Rhys Bowen

Title: The Twelve Clues of Christmas (Royal Spyness #6)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2012

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 354

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Cloak and Dagger

Scotland, 1933. While her true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending his feliz navidad tramping around South America and her mother is holed up in a tiny village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey with droll playwright Noel Coward, Georgie is quite literally stuck at Castle Rannoch thanks to a snowstorm.

It seems like a Christmas miracle when she manages to land a position as hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village should be like something out of A Christmas Carol, but as soon as she arrives things take a deadly turn when a neighborhood nuisance falls out of a tree. On her second day, another so-called accident results in a death—and there’s yet another on her third, making Georgie wonder if there's something wicked happening in this winter wonderland...

Another fun cozy mystery featuring Georgie and her wayward relatives. I loved the move to a new village full of Christmas cheer and murder. I thought the murder plot was pretty laid out early on, but it took Georgie forever to figure it out. But that’s okay, she’s an amateur detective. The part that I wasn’t keen on was Darcy’s insistence that Georgie was wrong. I really loved racy until this volume. He just irked me. And then his revelation to Georgie seems to come out of the blue. I just want more…

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

Title: Naughty in Nice (Royal Spyness #5)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2011

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 354

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Finishing the Series; Women Authors

London, 1933. Her Majesty the Queen is sending Georgie off to Nice with a secret assignment—to recover her priceless, stolen snuff box from the disreputable Sir Toby Groper. Her Majesty’s trust is an honor, but an even greater honor is bestowed upon Georgie in Nice when none other than Coco Chanel asks her to model the latest fashions.

Unfortunately, things go disastrously wrong on the catwalk and before Georgie can snatch the snuff box, someone’s life is snuffed out in a very dastardly way. With a murderer on the loose—and Georgie's beau Darcy seen in the company of another woman—how’s a girl to find any time to go to the casino?

I always enjoy this series. I love the change of scenery to the Riveria full of glamorous and slightly sinister characters. I’ve never been a fan of Georgie’s mother, but it was interesting to see her in this environment and even see a bit warming toward her daughter. The mystery was thoroughly intriguing and the murders dastardly. My only issue with this book was that there was a significant lack of Darcy.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

Royal Blood by Rhys Bowen

Title: Royal Blood (Royal Spyness #4)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2010

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 318

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal Series - Wearing a Sweater

London, 1932. With her hateful brother Binky in town, Georgie has been desperately seeking an escape. So when an invitation from the Queen of England arrives asking her to represent the royals at a wedding in Transylvania—legendary home of vampires—she's delighted to accept. But when the bride starts acting a little batty and a prominent wedding guest is poisoned, something must be done lest the couple's vows become "till undeath do they part..."

Another fun romp with Georgiana and her random cast of realties and friends. it was a nice change of pace to to shift the action from England to Transylvania. And I loved meeting even more of Georgie’s royal relatives across the continent. The murder mystery was a bit silly, but at least we get a dramatic death this time. And we get to see more of Darcy. Yeah!

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

Royal Flush by Rhys Bowen

Title: Royal Flush (Royal Spyness #3)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2009

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 332

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal Series - Eating Soup

Scotland, 1932. Back home until a little London scandal blows over, minor royal Lady Georgiana Rannoch has two equally important objectives. Queen Mary wants Georgie to keep the divorced, American, and entirely unsuitable Wallis Simpson from seducing the Prince of Wales, while Scotland Yard wants her to stop one of the members of the shooting party at Balmoral from turning their sights from the quails to His Royal Highness...

Another fun mystery featuring the misadventures of Georgie and the royal set. I loved the change of scenery to Scotland and the reintroduction of Binky and Fig. This mystery was tons of fun to figure out. I didn’t quite catch the connection until right before the reveal, but it was fun following the clues with Georgie.

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen

Title: A Royal Pain (Royal Spyness #2)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2008

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 332

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Seasonal Series - Set in real world

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...

A fun little cozy mystery for this week. It started out slow, but once the killings started, we were off! I loved Georgie’s attempts to fake a rich household for the visiting princess complete with imposter butler, cook, and maid. But what I really want to know is who is Darcy? Or more to the point, who is he working for? Plus, what’s up with the Inspector? Very annoying man!

Her Royal Spyness:

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile:

Masked Ball at Broxley Manor by Rhys Bowen

Title: Masked Ball at Broxley Manor (Royal Spyness #0.5)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2012

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 41

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

At the end of her first unsuccessful season out in society, Lady Georgiana has all but given up on attracting a suitable man—until she receives an invitation to a masked Halloween ball at Broxley Manor. Georgie is uncertain why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family intends to marry her off to a foreign prince, one reputed to be mad.

When the prince, dressed as the devil, rescues her from an embarrassing situation at the ball, Georgie is surprised to find her unwanted suitor to be a dashing, charming man—especially when he pulls her aside and gives her the kiss of a lifetime. But as the time comes for the unmasking, Georgie’s rescuer vanishes and the party is thrown into chaos, making it clear that everything at Broxley Manor is not as it appears…

A quick little prequel to Her Royal Spyness. I loved seeing Georgie’s first meeting with Darcy and the hijinks involved. I can’t wait to read more from this series!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

Title: Her Royal Spyness (Royal Spyness #1)

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Berkley 2007

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 324

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Love Libraries; Seasonal Series - Free Space

London, 1932. Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, 34th in line for the English throne, is flat broke. She's bolted Scotland, her greedy brother, and her fish-faced betrothed. London is a place where she'll experience freedom, learn life lessons aplenty, do a bit of spying for HRH—oh, and find a dead Frenchman in her tub. Now her new job is to clear her long family name...

Our book club selection for September. Unfortunately due to moving, I won't be able to attend the meeting, but I did pick up the book and dove in. This a cute fun mystery series set in the 1930s. I immediately fell for Georgie and her cast of friends and relatives. I figured out who-dun-it fairly early on, but still loved reading the progression of the mystery and ultimate reveal. Plus we get the makings of an interesting series and a possible love interest. I will definitely have to continue this series.

Royal Spyness

#0.5 Masked Ball at Broxley Manor
#1 Her Royal Spyness
#2 A Royal Pain
#3 Royal Flush
#4 Royal Blood
#5 Naughty in Nice
#6 The Twelve Clues of Christmas
#7 Heirs and Graces
#8 Queen of Hearts
#9 Malice at the Palace
#10 Crowned and Dangerous
#11 On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service
#12 Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding

Next up on the TBR pile: