This was one of those books I just wanted to keep reading. Although the beginning was a little clunky, once the story got going, you just wanted to find out how life turned out for Bella.
The daughter of the younger son of an aristocratic family, Bella had to go into service after her father's alcoholism left him unemployed and penniless. A chance event meant that after some years working for an employer she despised she ended up as a junior cook at Buckingham Palace, cooking for the elderly Queen Victoria and her household. The 'Bay of Angels' of the title is Nice, where Queen Victoria and her household move for the winter. Although a junior cook, Bella ends up accompanying them, and this is where her adventures begin.
A little predictable, but great descriptions of life in a royal kitchen, the Victorian class system, and attitudes towards women at that time.

A friend whose opinion I value HUGELY recommended Rhys Bowen to me, so I was happy to receive a copy of Above The Bay Of Angels from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Apparently, many of Ms. Bowen’s books move along crisply and bring the reader into another world (just what we need right now, with the state of our current reality!)…but this one is quite leisurely. Okay, it’s slow.

A young woman named Isabella, or Bella, is essentially a servant in search of a position (she longs to become a chef) when she comes across a dying woman who happens to thrust a letter into her hands. This letter serves as an introduction that leads to Bella going to work in the kitchen of a fancy household where she can learn her trade (think Sophie in the kitchen at Downton Abbey, learning the ropes from Mrs. Patmore). About ¾ of the way through the book (finally!), after lots of explication of day-to-day life, finally something happens: a member of the Queen’s royal party dies, and Sophie – I mean Bella—becomes part of the solution of the mystery.

I can only give this one three stars. I MIGHT try another by Rhys Bowen, because she clearly is a skilled writer, and I do love this time period. This one was just a bit slow for me. But I think my friend will adore it – she is waaaaaayyyyy more patient than I.

Great read. Interesting look at the Victorian era from inside the royal household. Love the intrigue and romance that this book brings to the reader and gave you a nice warm feeling as the book came too it's conclusion.

A well written historical fiction book with a twist of good food, imagination and murder mystery.

Bella, from a well to do family has had a spate of bad luck and has had to become a servant to support her family.

Her life is quickly changed when she manages to gain employment in Buckingham palace. The employment comes with a catch, she must use the name of a deceased girl to follow her own passion.

Twists of fate take her to Nice under the queens service as her chef, while there, she experiences many firsts. Her lies risk being exposed, aswell as her being set up as a murderer. Bella takes it upon herself to find the true killer to clear her name.

Above the bay of angels is a gripping, fun, intriguing and overall a very nice read.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Above the Bay of Angels claims to be a suspenseful historical mystery, it is the story of Isabella (Bella) Waverley a distant relative of an Earl whose family fall on hard times and she has to enter service to support herself and her family. Much of the story is a bit too far from the truth, the tragic accident that gives her the chance to escape to the kitchens of Queen Victoria, the fact that the Queen and her court would take time to chat and take advice from a cook. There is also a clash with the attitude of a confident 21st century young woman and the naivety of a Victorian young lady. The blackmail & murder play a very small part in the story.

I was given a copy of Above the Bay of Angels by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Rhys Bowen is an excellent writer. I'm very fond of her Royal Spyness series and enjoy the pace and action of those stories. This one is totally different. It really is pretty slow and meandering. The blurb tells you that Bella makes her way to the palace following the trial of a letter thrust into her hands by a dying woman, and that the mystery is the death of a member of the Queen's royal party. The letter comes into play very quickly, then the mysterious death doesn't occur until 80% of the way through the book.
The entire middle of the book is pretty much comparable to just day-to-day life in, say, the Downton Abbey kitchen (without less drama). It's good, but it just doesn't add much to the overall story line. And even though it's about a girl aspiring to become a true chef, there are no descriptions of the cooking itself, or the process for making any of the dishes. I would have liked maybe just one good description of a signature recipe - about adding the aromatics and how they all smelled and sampling the dish and adding just a pinch of this or that...
I think I would have enjoyed it more as a novella.

CLEVER!


Isabella Waverly learned early on that regardless of the station she was born in and the unfortunate real life experiences that she faced, she could make the most of every situation and her life would be better. Because of this attitude, and a willingness to always be aware and helpful, Isabella’s life is forever changed in breath - the last breath of another young woman. She hands Bella a piece of paper offering employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace. In an instant, Bella has a choice to make. Does she continue to live her life working in under appreciated circumstances or assume the persona of Helen Barton and pursue her own passion for becoming a chef? She takes Helen’s place and the course of her life changed forever! She continues to grow under the tutelage of the Chefs she’s working under and due to an illness of another more experienced Chef, she’s allowed to travel to Nice, France as a part of the Queen’s entourage. It is in Nice that the story takes several different winding turns - Helen (Bella) feels what it’s like to experience first love; she sees the “underside” of some of the Royals; she becomes involved in a murder mystery; she must decide to whom she should confess her charade and she finds that sometimes you’ve been told a lie all your life and the truth is wonderfully waiting on you to discover it!

Above the Bay of Angels is the story of Bella during the late 1800s. Bella is the daughter of a gentleman whose parents have lost status and later died causing her to go into service in order to take care of herself and her younger sister. While in service she discovered a love of cooking. One day an opportunity comes her way and she finds herself working for the Queen under the name Helen Barton.

The story is very much about finding ones own desires and staying true to your real self. There is also a large amount of the book about cultural differences and finding common ground. While the book description teases a murder mystery that only occurs at about 80% of the way through the book and then resolves itself fairly quickly.

I enjoyed this book and read it within a few days. If you like historical fiction with real life persons pick this one up and give it a read.

I previously read and loved a Rhys Bowen book from her series about the royal spy. I very much enjoyed her writing and her world. A sentiment confirmed by this new book, Above the Bay of Angels. It is a fast-paced, riveting royal historical mystery. I could hardly put it down. I thought Bella was a fascinating, strong character with a personality way ahead of her time. The author obviously undertook a lot of research to instill such a sense of authenticity, whether in the way she describes a royal servant’s daily life or the intricacies of social classes. If you’re looking for a captivating read, go for it!

An interesting and enjoyable read.. Over fifty percent of the story sets the scene about a young women living in the late 1800's during Victoria's .reign in her later years of life. The author has researched this period in history very well and those readers interested in historical literature will find this particularly part of the book interesting. The storyline is about a young girl born into an upper class and noble' family who finds herself forced into service at an early age. Luck plays a major part of her being taken on as a cook in Victoria's Royal household and her rise in popularity within the kitchen brigade is again down to a lot more luck. It is well into the second half of the novel when a member of the Royal family is found dead and suspicion falls on the girl as the cook who poisoned a German Count.. At this point in the story she seemed to turn from that of a cook into a Miss Marple character and is able to solve the murder on her own initiative. I did loose some interest during the latter part of the story but still found enjoyment at the end.

An interesting insight into the Victorian kitchens of the royal palace together with a murder mystery.

Bella takes on the identity of a young trainee cook in the Palace after witnessing an accidental death of the original interviewee.

Written in an easy flowing style in Bella/Helen Barton’s voice this is an insightful read into social history rather than a thrilling murder mystery.

Overall an easy enjoyable read.

One should never make enemies where one might need allies.

Isabella Waverly never expected her life to turn as it did. Her parents died at a young age of 20. Her parents gave her and her sister a proper education however, when the funds ran out, she was forced to into servitude working as a cook. She found herself with a passion of cooking however, her employer was less to be desired. When her sister accepted a hand of marriage, Isabella was free to look for another employer and to only worry for herself. A freak accident led her to Queen Victoria. Under false pretenses, she now was employed has a cook to the Queen.

Hiding her real identity to seize the moment, she found herself among family and was fearful that her identity would be revealed.

Isabella is a character that has found herself in hard times but in a split second her luck changed. A very conscientious young woman and with learned humility, she sees her place in life a chance to start over and make her own way. She has obstacles and it in these obstacles she overcomes and finds love. A historical fiction with a taste of romance. I enjoyed getting to know Isabella and her kind heart.

A Special Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

I enjoyed this in a way, but also found it a bit confusing. That's because the death that's trailed in the blurb happens a long way into the book - and so most of the book is just about Bella's life at the Palace, but the reader is expecting a murder mystery. I've always liked Rhys Bowen's writing style - I love the Royal Spyness series - and it feels very much like her, but because it's being billed as a thriller/mystery but for most of the book it's historical fiction with a slight air of suspense.

And (spoiler alert!) considering it's in the blurb, when it does happen the mystery is wrapped up quite quickly and without as much peril for Bella as you're expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital edition of this book in exchange for a review.

Isabella Waverly has not had an easy life. Sent into service at 14 when her mother dies and her father cannot provide for the family, she hates being a servant. And it is not made easier with the knowledge that her father came from a good family, but had a falling-out with them and was unable to receive any assistance when his family needed it. But one day things change for Bella when she comforts a young woman who has been killed in the street and finds a letter asking her to apply for a job as a cook at Buckingham Palace. Remembering her father's advice, "carpe diem", Bella presents herself as Helen Barton and is hired to cook for Queen Victoria!

When the royal household travels to Nice, circumstances provide a way for Bella/Helen to travel with them and there her fortunes are changed forever.

It was a good read. A bit Victorian romance, a bit Victorian murder mystery and a LOT of fantasy, but I enjoyed it.

Above the Bay of Angels was such a pleasure to read. It is set during a little slice of history I had never heard of: Queen Victoria wintering on the French Riviera in a hotel built especially for her. A young lady fallen on hard times jumps at the chance to switch places with another woman who has an interview scheduled at Buckingham Palace to be a cook. Bella is hired on as Helen and has to maintain this fiction to keep her job. Unfortunately the real Helen had a no-good brother who discovers what Bella has done. Blackmail, palace intrigue, potential romance, murder. It's all here!

Received from Net Gallery and this is one of the very many books from this author that was not a disappointment! Fixed in the 1800's,England working in the kitchen of the queen! You have a mixture of everything in this book,history,drama,murder and romance! The characters in this story pop out at you where you feel like you know them! Not at all a disappointment in her style of writing! You will not be able to not finish this story!! Happy Reading!!

This book was cataloged before I could finish it but what I did read I enjoyed. I will be getting a copy to finish reading once it is available at my library. I am a huge fan of historical fiction but I have never read a book set in this time period (the early 1800s). It was incredible to see how the author was able to characterize historical characters and was able to capture the lead protagonist very well. I am excited to finish reading it.

Wow, another fantastic read by Rhys Bowen. The storyline and characters just draw you into an amazing world.
Thank you netgalley.

A fictional account of a young woman who is employed by the kitchen staff for Queen Victoria. She quickly gains the attention of the Monarch and is invited to the Riveria to cook for the Queen. Romance, intrigue, and murder soon follow. A well written story that makes the Victorian Age come alive. It is a must read for fans of historical fiction.

Another good read by Bowen, this piece of historical fiction includes intrigue, secrets and the right touch of royalty. Bella was from a well off family, until her parents died and she had to fend for her and her sister. After going into service, she became interested in cooking, and used an opportunity to find herself in Queen Victoria’s kitchen, hiding her real identity. Much of the book takes place in Nice, where Queen Victoria had a hotel built for her and her entourage during summers later in her life. I enjoyed the novel and recommend it, especially with the touch of mystery added.