If you are reading reviews for this book, you must start with the first book in Her Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen. If you are a fan of Georgie, the books about her are still fun, and keep on reading!

It is always fun to read about Georgie, and I enjoyed returning to her newly married status with Darcy. I very much enjoy the audiobooks, but this time I read the eBook version. They travelled to Africa this time for their honeymoon along with a cast of characters, one of whom was a murderer. Georgie and Darcy worked together to discover the murderer’s identity. Africa isn’t my favorite setting, but I still enjoyed the novel with these familiar characters. It was light and fun as is the rest of the series, and it makes me just as ready as always to continue reading this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review the book.

This is a fun, descriptive jaunt through South Africa. The characters make growth in this book in the series. Loved it!

I have read and loved all of the books in Ms. Bowen’s Royal Spyness series, but I have to say this was my least favorite. I was very happy to see Georgie and Darcy to take the next step in their delightful relationship. I’ve cheered for them from the beginning. But otherwise...I can’t say I liked much. The location (Kenya) was promising. But the people - the British colonists - were awful. And there was a pretty big plot point that just didn’t get resolved! I also missed some of my other favorite side characters. And Georgie herself....well bless her heart, I get that she’s naive but I need her to grow up a little. She’s clearly smart, she just needs to show it more!

Sigh. I hate writing unfavorable reviews. I will without a doubt read the next in this series (hoping there is a next?). My love for Ms. Bowen goes on. This one just missed the mark for me.

I liked this book, but it wasn't my favorite in the series. I don’t know if it’s because they are finally married (they didn’t seem married), but something was off. I’ll keep reading this series though- love cozies.

Lady Georgiana is finally Mrs. Darcy after marrying her long time Irish beau. He surprises her with a honeymoon trip to Africa which is financed by the British government because he's on undercover assignment in pursuit of a jewel thief. Lady Georgiana is also given a secret assignment to complete while she's in Africa. The Queen has asked her to keep an eye on her Prince David and his paramore Wallis Simpson. Georgiana and Darcy soon find that the animals aren't nearly as wild as the ex-pat Brits who live in the Happy Valley of Nigeria.

This is the latest in a cozy romance series set in the time period between World War I and World War II. The main characters Georgiana and Darcy are as charming as always and what I love about this series is that you can read them out of order without really missing a step. If you want a fun romp with topsy-turvy mystery you will enjoy this book.

Rhys Bowen continues her Royal Spyness series with Love and Death among the Cheetahs. Lady Georgiana Rannoch, great granddaughter of Queen Victoria has married her beloved Darcy O"Mara and is now honeymooning in Kenya. Darcy has a government assignment to find a jewel thief and the Queen wants Georgina to keep an eye on the Prince of Wales who is in Kenya on a royal visit. What could go wrong? Murder, colonial high society misbehaviour and wild animals. Excellent read in an exotic setting.

It's so comforting to return time and time again to a series you love with familiar characters and an exciting mystery! Bowen never fails to entertain me with Georgie and co and this installment is no exception! I will forever be a loyal reader of this series.

Georgie and Darcy are on their honeymoon in Kenya’s Happy Valley. Georgie has her suspicions that Darcy may have arranged the trip with an ulterior motive in mind. But it isn’t until they arrive in Kenya that she discovers that Darcy has been sent there on assignment, to track down a jewel thief. Robberies have taken place in London and Paris, and it’s likely that the thief is a member of the aristocracy and has fled to Happy Valley.

Being quite pally with the queen, Georgie has her own mission - to keep an eye on The Prince of Wales. The upper-class English lead a decadent lifestyle, involving drinks, drugs and infidelity.

Lord Cheriton is quick to make a pass at Georgie, but she skillfully dodges his advances and makes her feelings clear. Then his body is discovered on an isolated stretch of the road, seemingly a victim of a lion attack. While this isn’t an uncommon occurrence, there are many unusual aspects that point to foul play. And almost everyone has a motive to murder Lord Cheriton…

Bowen’s wonderful descriptions of the setting made it feel like I was on an African safari right alongside Georgie and Darcy. I could practically feel the heat radiating off the pages and hear the calls of wild animals in the distance. I only wish Georgie had shown a little more gumption, as she sometimes seemed to stand in her husband’s shadow.

Inspired by a real-life unsolved murder of a leader of the Happy Valley set in the 1930s, the story is rich with historical facts. Bowen touches upon the issue of racism, prevalent among the British in Kenya at the time, while at the same time providing the reader with the lighthearted sleuthing the series is known for. Delightful!

Title: Love And Death Among The Cheetahs



Author: Rhys Bowen



Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Series,



Plot: With this latest installment in the ongoing saga that is Georgie's life in the 1930s, Georgie is on her honeymoon with the dashing Darcy O'Mara. After a long and bumpy journey, they finally arrive at their destination and begin to settle in with the locals who are an odd bunch, to say the least. But shortly into the trip, Georgie begins to suspect that Darcy didn't whip out this magical trip to Africa at the last minute just to amaze her. He is actually here on his secret spy business.



Needless to say, that knowledge does not sit well with Georgie and she begins to investigate his sneaky business. She gets a bit waylaid when a body is discovered and the question comes up of whether or not the dead man was connected to Darcy's shady dealings or not.



Likes/Dislikes: This is the 13th book in the series. I enjoyed reading about Darcy as a main character rather than the dashing hero who saves the girl at some convenient time. I don't really care for Georgie, even after watching her grow a bit over the course of the series. She's just not assertive enough and comes up with some really dumb ideas sometimes. In this particular book, it is very obvious that they were invited to an orgy. Even Darcy figured it out eventually and rumor has it that he's been around the block. All in all, this was a fun read but it won't make it to my favorites' list.



Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content (dead bodies and talk of orgies).



Date Review Written: June 4th, 2019



I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

I always enjoy Rhys Bowen's books, and wait eagerly for each new Royal Spyness book to come out. This one fell a little flat compared to previous books in the series. The exotic location offered so many possibilities but the main character didn't rise to challenges as she usually does; she seemed squeamish and whiny.

I never tire of this series, with Lady Georgiana Rannoch, 38th in line to the throne of England, solving mysteries in the 1930’s. Time passes and life goes on throughout the timeline of this series, but each installment is fun and well-plotted. This one was no exception. Thank you for my review copy via Net Galley!

This was a light, entertaining, easy read, which is what I expect from this series. The mystery got started far too late in the book, and sometimes it feels like the main characters don't learn or change much, which gets a little old. I missed some of the usual fun side characters, but this had an interesting setting.

Georgie and Darcy are finally married and on the surprise part of the honeymoon. They are in Africa and much is not what it seems. This is a fun romp that highlights the lifestyle of many of th English when they lived in Kenya. It does seem that the mystery will not be solved but look again. Great addition with tension and danger as we get a peek into the history of white settlers in Africa.

My favorite clumsy royal is back! Lady Georgina Rannoch, who is something like 35th in line to the throne, has finally married her love Darcy in this 13th installment of the delightful Royal Spyness series set in 1930s England. (linked to my review) Georgie, whose deadpan humor and predilection for getting herself into scrapes makes the series such a delight, is surprised and happy when Darcy announces he’s taking her to Kenya for their honeymoon. She is asked by Queen Mary to keep an eye out for the presence of one Mrs. Wallis Simpson, who seems to have such a hold on the heir to the throne, but other than that, what could go wrong?

Well, it is a murder mystery. The duo endure a luxurious yet still harrowing trip by tiny plane and boat to Nairobi, then head up to Happy Valley. This gorgeous location is populated by English expatriates behaving badly, complete with wild parties full of drink, drugs and wife-swapping, and the ensuing feuds and bad blood between all represented. Georgie, who tends to be a bit of an innocent, is shocked, especially when one of the community’s leading lights make a play for her–even though she’s on her honeymoon. She’s also a bit bemused by the habit of her compatriots to discuss their African staff in front of them, as if a darker skin color denoted deafness. (Aside: I appreciated the author trying to be true to her time, no matter how offensive such things are)

Darcy and Georgie leave a wild house party early and are headed home in the dawn light when they find a car blocking a mountain road. Following vultures, they discover the body of one of the worst offenders. Although they are quite sure he wasn’t killed by a lion, everyone else seems to want to close the case quickly under that assumption. They have to deal with incompetent government officials, hysterical former mistresses, and more. It soon becomes apparent that many people had motives for wanting him dead, and that the killer may be willing to kill again.

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs is a solid addition to the series. Like everyone else in college in the late 80s, I spent several years obsessed with Isak Dinesen and Beryl Markham, and it was fun to get glimpses of their real-life characters as background players to Georgie and Darcy’s adventures. Georgie tries to act the sophisticate with very limited success, which is always amusing, but it’s not as funny as some of the earlier books. Still, I found it very enjoyable, and a great summer read.

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs is the 13th book in the Royal Spyness Mysteries series by Rhys Bowen. This newest installment finds Georgie and Darcy on their honeymoon. Darcy unexpectedly surprises his new bride with a trip to Kenya. But, she quickly realizes that it is part of Darcy’s latest assignment – tracking down a jewel thief. Meanwhile, the Queen asks Georgie to keep an eye on the Duke of Windsor and his mistress, Wallis Simpson. All in all, it sounds as though it will be a busy honeymoon.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books in this series, but this is not one of my favorites. The story is slow-moving, the characters are largely unlikable and under-developed, and there seems to be quite a bit of redundancy. Facts surrounding the mystery are repeated several times and then repeated again. It feels as though the storyline is becoming flat and a little lifeless. I am still giving this book 3 stars simply because I have enjoyed the series and I’m hopeful that this is just an anomaly - maybe because it’s unlucky number thirteen?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Rhys Bowen is a SOLID author, and this book does not disappoint. I am confident I can pick up any of her books and it will be a rewarding and satisfactory read. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to review this book!

Debauchery and Murder in Kenya in the 1930s

Darcy promised Georgina a special honeymoon, but she had no idea it might be in Kenya. At first she’s thrilled with the exotic beauty of the place, but as she meets the residents of Happy Valley, she suspects Darcy has been sent on assignment. He tells Georgina that jewel robberies have taken place in London and the authorities suspect someone has escaped to Kenya. She accepts the explanation, but wonders if it’s true.

The newly weds, at least Georgina, are shocked by the debauchery in the Happy Valley. Drugs and sex are the main occupations with considerable imbibing of alcohol. One of the ring leaders is Lord Cheriton. He makes a pass a Georgina who puts a stop to that quickly. Then he’s found dead. It’s a lonely stretch of road, and it appears that Lord Cheriton was attacked by an animal. The more Darcy and Georgina learn, the less realistic this seems.

This novel is based on a true unsolved crime in Kenya. The historical scene including the debauchery is quite realistic. I enjoyed the background and learning more about Kenya under the British. However, it wasn’t a pleasant story. Aside from Georgina and Darcy, the characters were uniformly unpleasant.

The murder plot was interesting, but I felt not enough was done to build up the minor characters so the ending while a surprise seemed rushed. I enjoy this series, but aside from seeing Darcy and Georgina finally married, it was one of my least favorites.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

Rhys Bowen is one of my favorite authors and I am enjoying her latest, LOVE AND DEATH AMONG THE CHEETAHS. This light, entertaining mystery is 13th in the Royal Spyness series which features Lady Georgiana Rannoch, now married to Darcy O'Mara and on honeymoon in 1935 Kenya. Dinner parties, a polo match and a safari seem like fun, although there is work for the newlyweds: as a distant relative of the Queen, Lady Georgie has been asked to keep an eye on the Prince of Wales and Wallis Simpson, while Darcy is in the midst of a case tracking a jewel thief.

The exotic African setting gives Bowen the opportunity to address the infidelities, alcohol/drug use, and attitudes towards servants as shown in the "Happy Valley" expatriate lifestyle of the time. In addition, there are several references to real-life residents including Beryl Markham, Idina Sackville, and Tom Delamere. It is inevitable that Lady Georgie and Darcy discover a dead body and like an Agatha Christie mystery, suspects and motives are plentiful amongst the expatriates and their servants. I am already looking forward to their next charming adventure.

Lady Georgie marries her Darcy in splendid style. Her bridal attendants are Elizabeth and Margaret Rose, England’s little princesses, in a church full of senior members of the royal family. Georgie is a very minor royal, yet she’s a favorite of Queen Mary. She is of service to Her Majesty because she keeps the Queen apprised of what David and “That Woman” are up to (David, the Prince of Wales, and his scandalous American paramour, Mrs. Wallis Simpson).

Georgie and Darcy are as poor as aristocratic churchmice; the first part of their honeymoon is spent on a borrowed canal boat. They leave their rocking honeymoon suite when the champagne goes flat and the food runs out, but Darcy has a surprise: they’re off to Happy Valley in Kenya. This is the 13th Royal Spyness Mystery book, so a mystery is inevitable, recalling the cliché Busman’s Honeymoon.

They have a long journey ahead, and Georgie is alarmed at the “rather small and frail” size of the “aeroplanes lined up on the tarmac.”

“Gol—Good heavens,” I said. “Are we going to fly all the way to Africa in one of those?”



“Oh no,” Darcy said. “From here we fly to Basel in Switzerland. Then we take a train overnight through Italy to Brindisi. From Brindisi it’s a flying boat to Alexandria. From there it’s a Handley Page Hannibal to Cairo, Khartoum, Juba and finally Kisumu.”

Coincidentally, Mrs. Simpson, David’s paramour, is a fellow passenger for much of their itinerary. How odd. But Georgie brushes it off since “it was supposed to be a honeymoon [she’d] never forget.” Their destination is the White Highlands; they have an unparalleled view of the countryside from their train.

The track went along the edge of the lake and again I cried out aloud. The lake was covered in what looked like pink blossoms. But at the sound of the train they rose into the air—thousands of flamingos, flying in a dense pink cloud. This was truly a land of wonders. I was now really glad we had come.

The Kenyan highlands were a mecca for Europeans because, in 1902, the White Highlands were “officially reserved for the exclusive use of Europeans.” Something that didn’t end until 1961. The hedonistic Happy Valley set has been immortalized in recent years in memoirs, novels, and films, and Rhys Bowen does a marvelous job of plunging the shocked newlyweds into a hedonistic swirl of drugs, alcohol, and casual infidelity.

Freddie Blanchford, an acquaintance of Darcy’s, drives them to their destination, saying he “wangled an invitation for you with friends.” All good, yes?

As we approached the car he said to Darcy, in a lower voice, “It was good of you to come. I can’t tell you how glad I am that you’re here.”

Their car ride takes them past untamed nature and native villages, where “the sight of a group of round mud huts with thatched roofs and some naked African babies playing outside” reminded them they were far from home. Contrast that with their introduction to Diddy Ruocco, a “slender woman, wearing riding breeches and an open-necked shirt,” who tells them of the fun to be had. She promises them “lots of parties, and safaris, and polo of course.”

Georgie, ever persistent and curious, tackles her husband when they’re alone. What did Freddie mean? Darcy says he’s “on the trail of a jewel thief.” But this isn’t Georgie’s first rodeo safari either; by happenstance, she’ll be able to monitor Mrs. Simpson and David for Queen Mary. The Prince of Wales has asked Mrs. Simpson to join him for a little R&R, a respite from the “ghastly colonial tour” he’s stuck on.

Lord Cheriton, known as Bwana, rescues Georgie from a spot of bother. Bwana means “a boss or master,” and the overly jovial Cheriton embodies that role. He looks at Georgie “like the big bad wolf when Little Red Riding Hood stepped into the cottage.” It gets worse.

I felt the hand round my waist move upward until it was distinctly touching the underside of my breast. I could sense him giving me an inquiring look as to whether I was enjoying this or not. Now I was completely embarrassed and not sure what to do … I was about to channel my great-grandmother and let him know that I was not amused when we heard fast-moving footsteps heading our way.

Georgie’s timely rescue by a young African man obviates her adopting the persona of Queen Victoria. Joseph is the man’s Christian name, but he tells Georgie that he also has a Maasai name.

“So you’re a Massai? That’s very different from a Kikuyu, is it?”



“Very different,” he said. “We are the first owners of this land. Before Kikuyu. Before white people. We are warriors. To be a Maasai warrior a boy must prove himself by fighting and killing a lion with his spear.”

Their first dinner party consists of gossip, gin and tonics made up mostly of gin, and to Georgie’s horror, Bwana Cheriton putting the moves on her. She asks her husband to take her home right away, saying she has an altitude headache. They slip away early one morning, drinking in the stunning landscape until they see a car blocking their way. The car is still running. Georgie starts to get an uneasy feeling, particularly when they spot a vulture on the running board. Not good. They see more vultures and then “a body, or the remains of a body,” facedown on the grass.

“Who is it?” I asked. And then I saw. Something had already fed on the body but I recognized that blond hair and how it curled, a little long, at the back of his neck. Something had eaten Bwana Hartley, Lord Cheriton.

Like an Agatha Christie mystery, there are many people who have a reason to dislike and despise the late Lord Cheriton. A little ruefully, the newlyweds set out to solve the mystery, as it’s surely not the honeymoon they hoped for. Rhys Bowen weaves the barely perceptible tension between the African servants (some enduring almost slave-like conditions) and their European masters into her fascinating story of murder in a unique time and place that’s occupied by a vivid cast of characters. Readers will appreciate Bowen’s willingness to stretch the limits of her series to examine the attitudes and mores of a troubled period.