Series: Royal Spyness #13
Publication Date: 8/6/19
Number of Pages: 304

I have wanted to start reading this series since its beginning, but for some reason I never did. I remedied that by starting with this book – and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t find starting with the thirteenth book a problem. Yes, I missed the development of the relationship between Darcy and Georgie, but – goodness – I got to start with the honeymoon! I’m sure I missed out on the development of other characters and relationships, but I fully intend to go back and read the first books of the series when I have a chance to do so. None of what I’d missed detracted from my enjoyment of this book. It is well written and witty with great characters and multiple mysteries. All of the loose ends were wrapped up and justice was served just as it should be.

Georgie and Darcy spent the first few days of their honeymoon on a friend's houseboat in a secluded section of the Thames. That was a wonderful, private first few days of marriage, but soon enough the food ran out and they had bumped their heads on the low ceilings one too many times. They both decided it was time to head back into London – where Darcy soon announced that he’d arranged for the remainder of their honeymoon to be in Kenya. WOW! The trip of a lifetime and Georgie is so excited.

Soon, our sharp-as-a-tack heroine comes to suspect that there is more to the destination than meets the eye. When she confronts Darcy, he tells her that he’s been assigned to keep an eye out for a suspected jewel thief. She buys that and soon settles in to help him determine who the thief might be – and to catch him or her.

Once they arrive in Kenya, things soon begin to happen – but none of them actually point toward a jewel thief. There are lots of other mysteries as well – a murder, attempts on Georgie and Darcy’s lives, residents swapping spouses, drug parties – you name it. Then, when you add in the political intrigue, you have quite a busy story.

I thoroughly enjoyed and certainly recommend this book. It is well written, well-plotted and I really loved the characters. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series as well as going back to read the previous books.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this latest entry in the Royal Spyness series, Georgie and Darcy finally are married and they set off for Kenya on the second stage of their honeymoon. Only Georgie quickly discerns that the trip is part of an assignment from the Foreign Office for Darcy, and soon they are embroiled in possible robbery, treason, and a very definite murder.

While the Kenyan locale was interesting, I found this story less engrossing than most of the previous ones in the series. For someone who had been involved in solving multiple previous murders and mysteries, Georgie seemed unrealistically naive and clumsy in her approach both to the debauchery around her and to the murder. At one point, she almost blabbed to relative strangers about Darcy’s secret vocation, and her wide-eyed “golly” response to much of what she saw got to be a bit annoying.

Furthermore, aspects of the mystery were left to inference <spoiler> like who exactly had been trying to kill them and why </spoiler> and a couple other plotlines <spoiler> including the supposedly stolen diamond and the mystery of who Jocelyn really was and what he was doing </spoiler> were wrapped up hastily at the end by other people, making for an unsatisfying conclusion to the couple’s adventure.

This was not a particularly strong addition to the series, but I’m hoping for better in Georgie and Darcy’s next outing.

I am ridiculously fond of this series. It is always light and frothy and good fun.
Highly recommended for the cozy mystery crowd.

"Georgie and Darcy are finally on their honeymoon in Kenya's Happy Valley, but murder crashes the party in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

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...."

If I could only have books set in one location forevermore, it would be Kenya's Happy Valley.

Georgie and Darcy are finally on their honeymoon. The houseboat they were in was nice but it got a bit boring. Darcy tells her he has a surprise for her: they are going to Kenya! It happens to be work related but she doesn't figure that out right away. She's on a mission for the Queen so she can't complain much.

Berkley and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 6th.

They stay with a friend and enjoy their walks and tours. They are warned about ants, snakes, cheetas, lions and elephants. They go to a party that's more dangerous than the animals. There's alcohol, drugs, and wife swapping going on. They refuse to participate and go their rooms early. When they attempt to leave in the morning, they find a car in the middle of the road still running. Darcy yells for the owner, shuts it off and then makes a dreadful discovery. He finds the man's dead body. He's been ravaged by animals. Unfortunately, he died of a knife wound, so it was murder...

Georgie had to fight him off at the party, he was lusting after her, so she's not too heartbroken about it. But she wonders who could have done it. After all it must have been someone from the party. No one else lives very close.

As they investigate the death, they find out someone is trying to kill them. First they open a window that was shut and leave meat at foot of the bed, hoping a cheetah will come in. Then they put meat in their tent and invite a lion in.

This case is turning dangerous so they had best find the killer soon!

I always enjoy Ms. Bowen's mysteries. She does a good job with them.

I enjoy this series for the comfort factor...familiar characters, quaint British settings, likable characters, etc. This installment was a bit more risque than past offerings, but as the author mentions at the end some of the characters are actual English historical figures who got up to some pretty debaucherous things out there in early 20th century Africa. I enjoy this author's ability to weave historical figures into her story lines in a way that makes them seem like the real people that they were. I am immensely interested to learn more about the Happy Valley set that was featured in this novel as I had never heard of it before. For fans of cozy British mysteries, this title will not disappointment. The only negative is that the main character, Lady Georgiana comes on a bit thick with the whole innocent act with her attempts not to say "golly" often being a fail. The reader wants to just shake her and say grow the heck up! Otherwise, the exotic setting, familiar characters, and a splash of real life drama make this installment one that fans of the series will not want to miss.

Georgie and Darcy have finally married and end up in Kenya for their honeymoon. When a local dies, they investigate. ARC fromNetGalley.

Lady Georgiana is always fun, and the Kenyan setting was intriguing. The mystery itself was a little obvious, but all in all it was a charming and enjoyable read.

Another great entry in the Georgianna Rannoch mystery series! Once Rhys Bowen, seamlessly blends humor, romance and history in a captivating and entertaining read. Readers of the series will be engrossed in all the drama as, once again, Lady Georgianna effortlessly solves a crime - almost by default. It just so happens that colonial Kenya, especially the Happy Valley set is one of my favorite settings and time periods to read about so I was giddy with anticipation! I was so happy when we actually got to attend one of their scandalous parties! I kept hoping we'd also run into Beryl Markham or Denys Finch Hatton but it was just fun to see Georgianna in that setting with all those awful people and totally showing them all how much better she was than all of them! My one complaint, is that the actual mystery is very thin. Seems that there's a lot of running around and then Georgianna just solves it without much fanfare - and then a B mystery goes nowhere! Don't get me wrong, I felt that Bowen sensitively handled the problematic subject matter very well and made Georgianna & Darcy good p.o.v.'s for all the racist colonial attitudes - I just wish that the story had been meatier. I'm curious how she will handle the coming war - I see a show down with some British fascists coming as well as a rescue mission to get her mother out of Germany!

Deliciously witty and cozy, Love and Death Among the Cheetahs is another treat in the Georgiana Rannoch Mystery series. Georgie's voice is distinct and highly relatable. I have been in love with the series since book one, and will continue to read future installments.

Love and Death Among the Cheetahs is 13th in Rhys Bowen's "Her Royal Spyness" series about Georgie, thirty-fourth in line for the throne, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria and occasional spy for Her Majesty. Georgie has just married her beloved Darcy O'Mara and is leaving for Africa on a surprise honeymoon. The trip involves travel by train, airboat, dubious small planes and finally a rickety government vehicle as Darcy's friend picks them up in . Georgie soon figures out that there is more going on then a relaxing and exotic honeymoon she was promised. Darcy, who dabbles in government intrigue, is on the trail of a jewel thief. In addition, Georgie was asked by the Queen to keep an eye on the Prince of Wales and his "friend" Wallis. And much to Georgie's dismay, she's been hit upon on her first day by the randy Lord Cheriton. Add to this some wild parties involving spouse sharing and cocaine and the honeymoon is anything but typical. Georgie and Darcy, happily wed, leave the party as soon as possible and are dismayed to find their way blocked by Lord Cheriton's vehicle. Further investigation reveals the mauled body of Lord Cheriton in the bushes. Of course it is a murder which must be solved before the party guests travel home. Darcy and Georgie manage to salvage a little honeymoon in the midst of all this and end up being instrumental in solving the murder (not the first time for either of them!).

Bowen delivers a well-researched murder mystery that is an all around fun read. The characters are endearing - I've read a few in the series but had no trouble picking this one up and following what was going on. I was a little scandalized at the descriptions of the sex and drug parties that were apparently de regeur for dis-placed society during Victorian times. The inclusion of actual historical characters, including Queen Victoria and her family, adds much to the charm of the story. The rest of the series is right at the top of my "to read" list!

Georgina and Darcy are solving another mystery on their honeymoon in Kenya. This historical mystery showcases life in the Happy Valley of Kenya during the twenties and thirties and a grueling trip where the honeymooners encounter elephants, tigers lions, and murder. It was a pleasure to reacquaint myself with this couple and Bowen did not disappoint with this British mystery. Not only was her heroine solving a murder but she was rubbing elbows with Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson! Very enjoyable.

I enjoyed reading Love and Death Among the Cheetahs. Rhys Bowen does a good job with her research on the characters in the Royal Spyness series. Lady Georgiana and Darcy are finally married and decide to honeymoon in Kenya. Of course there is an alternative reason for Darcy to be there, he has been sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some jewels. Travel to Kenya involves Planes, trains, and automobiles, which were much different in this time period, and when they arrive in Kenya, they are welcomed by the British aristocratic colonists who live a much freer lifestyle than Lady Georgiana is used to.
The mystery involves one of the landowners and the group of locals who have gathered for a party. The characters are given good details, and I could see them portrayed in a 1930s black and white movie starring Vivien Leigh and Lawrence Olivier.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, as I have all of "Her Royal Spyness" books.

3.5 stars

Latest in a long series featuring an almost Royal personage and set in 1930s England. Lady Georgiana has finally married her love Darcy. This couple is well-educated, well-bred (Darcy is an Irish aristocrat) but penniless.

Darcy has managed to surprise Georgia with an exotic honeymoon to Kenya, conveniently able to conduct some of his secret investigating for the Crown. They wind up in the notorious Happy Valley, where wild parties, drugs, and extramarital romps are the norm. Meanwhile, the Queen has asked Georgie to keep an eye on the Prince of Wales since she is concerned about his lady love, Wallis Warfield-Simpson.

On the way home after escaping a party that was decidedly not their cup of tea, they discover the murdered body of one of the more well-known and notorious residents of the valley. Suspects abound as there are irate husbands and jealous wives everywhere. Or was the motive politics?

Georgie and Darcy are always fun to spend time with. They were certainly out of their element in this one but still managed to solve the caper. The characters in the Valley are presented in a very unflattering light, but much of this is based on well-documented history, including the superior attitude of the expats toward the natives.

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS*

However historically accurate this may have been, it was not enjoyable to read about a group of privileged twits insulting everything they could about Kenya while still complaining about whatever they were unable to forcefully covert to traditional British conditions. Too many wild animals! The shopping here is horrible! These gardens don't look English enough, let's bring in non-native plants! How boring, the only activities here are polo, bed-hopping and shooting animals! Why don't the 'natives' cook traditional French/British food?

Queenie and Georgie's mother were hardly in the story, and Belinda not at all, so the only familiar characters besides Georgie and Darcy were Wallis Simpson and 'cousin David.'

And Georgie, after everything that she has been through, you would have thought that she would grow and change as a result. How can she still be the same clueless naif? No wonder Darcy doesn't tell her what he really does for the government - she tries to blow his cover when she introduces him. I thought that she was growing more backbone and common sense. Golly! Why are there mirrors on the ceiling in a house where the hostess greets us while nude in her bathtub?

And the mystery! <spoiler> One of the mysteries turns out to have never existed (jewel thief), another has no satisfactory result (drug running) and a third is never resolved (who is trying to kill Georgie and Darcy). The main mystery, the 'murder,' is pinned on the only Kenyan who is given any type of character development, at the very last moment, with the only indicators to the reader that he is even a suspect being the fact that he is so present in the story. </spoiler>

This is a review of an e-arc, and perhaps the editors will take another look at how this book reads and consider whether they really want to portray people in Kenya so disrespectfully, and the British as so pompous and callous. No joke, at one point while Georgie and other Brits are on safari, a group of Maasai warriors pass, and were described in terms very similar to how all of the other animals were described.

A much better title would have been: Drug-running, partner-swapping, and colonial exploitation in 1930s Kenya.

Lady Georgiana, she of the ROYAL SPYNESS series has given up her claim to the throne--she was 35th or 36th in line--so that she can marry Darcy O'Mara--finally. They are to honeymoon in Kenya--and both the government and the crown have jobs for Darcy and Georgiana. He is on the trail of spies, and as ever, she is on the trail of Wallis Simpson.
This is not an outstanding entry in the series. It might be that away from England, the nasty goings on of the aristocracy become more apparent and less amusing.

In the latest Her Royal Spyness mystery, Georgie and Darcy are off on their honeymoon to Kenya. Tensions arise when Georgie suspects that Darcy has an ulterior motive for their trip and it seems as if someone is out to murder the couple. This book was enjoyable, but the ending was very anti-climatic and a bit of a let-down.

While this wasn't the strongest installment in the Royal Spyness series, I appreciate the trickiness of writing a book about British aristocrats set in colonial-era Africa, and thought Bowen handled it with a fair amount of sensitivity. It's incredibly satisfying as a longtime reader of the series to see Darcy and Georgie's relationship continuing to progress as they begin their marriage, and though the mystery felt like a bit of an afterthought, I'm still entirely sold on this series.

In book number 13 of the Royal Spyness series, we finally see Darcy and Georgie enjoying married life and their much awaited honeymoon. Although the trip is really related to Darcy's job, Georgie decides she will enjoy it nonetheless. It's the African wilds after all. In Kenya, they are surrounded by a group of rich aristocrats known as the happy valley set. The group is loud, flamboyant, and believes they are above the law. They also love to throw loud extravagant parties. It is after one of these parties that Georgie and Darcy discover the body of a member of the happy valley set. Immediately they begin to investigate to find the culprit as well as the reasoning behind the murder. First they must determine whether the crime is connected in any way to Darcy's current investigation. Suspects abound in this land of greed and misbehavior so the pair have their work cut out for them.
This was a fun mystery set in an unusual, exotic location. I loved the back and forth between Darcy and Georgie that was sometimes missing for long lengths of time in the previous books however I did miss some of the other supporting characters such as Queenie. The mystery was a bit predictable however the setting and the cast of new characters among the happy valley set more than compensated. I look forward to reading more adventures featuring these fun loving newlyweds in the future.

Picking up just days after Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding, Love and Death Among the Cheetahs, is the story of Georgie and Darcy’s honeymoon. At a garden party hosted by the queen, Darcy surprised Georgie with the fact they will be flying to Kenya on their honeymoon the next day. However, Georgie soon realizes it is cover for one of Darcy’s assignments. Still, they plan to enjoy the trip and make that a priority.

Once in Kenya, they find themselves among the Happy Valley set, a group of rich expatriates who call the valley home. These aristocrats are flamboyant, think they are above the law, and love wild parties. After one of those parties, a British lord turns up dead alongside a road and Darcy and Georgie are the ones to find the body. Is the murder connected to Darcy’s investigations? Or is it because Lord Cheriton was the biggest womanizer and cheat of the Happy Valley set?

It was wonderful to see how Darcy and Georgie started their life together. And setting the story in Kenya was amazing since that setting is open to so many amazing stories of life on safari and in the bush. As a mystery, I found parts predictable but the aforementioned aspects of the story made up for it.

Bowen addressed some tricky situations over the course of the novel. One had to show how the Happy Valley set conducted their lives, which seems like something out of modern-day Hollywood. However, that group also thought themselves racially superior to the native Africans. Bowen addressed both sides of the issue by having Georgie be uncomfortable with how the natives were treated and having normal conversations with the Africans and by having one native supporting character readers can gain insights from. With everyone realizing war was again in the future, Bowen also addresses how the characters were responding to the rise of Fascism in Europe with characters on both sides of the issue. Addressing either situation is tricky, but managing to address both in the same novel and do it well is a feat.

I'll be posting this review to my blog closer to the publication date.