Saying a novel is a du Maurier-like mystery, immediately catches a reader’s attention and sets a pretty high bar for an author to attain. Rhys Bowen, however, is one of the few writers who achieved that goal with flare. In her latest installment of the Her Royal Spyness Mystery series, The Last Mrs. Summers, Ms. Bowen was not only inspired by the Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, she matched the the novel with her own creative genius. After all, within this one series Ms. Bowen has tackled the love of the romance genre, the intrigue of a classical murder mystery, the suspense of a spy thriller, the angst of a historical drama, the friendship found in women’s fiction, (I’m sure I’m leaving something out) and now the foreboding of a gothic novel. How an author does that in one cozy mystery series is beyond brilliant.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier not only fascinated readers because of its gothic style, but also for its narrative format from the viewpoint of the second Mrs. de Winter. I love that Ms. Bowen named her character Mrs. Summers—the seasons may be opposite, but her characters are equally captivating. On page one du Maurier began: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” Bowen started her novel, The Last Mrs. Summers, in very similar manner: “Last night I had a strange dream. I dreamed that I was mistress of an enormous house.”
Georgie, of course, is not the second wife of this mystery. Our heroine is, however, the new mistress of the Eynsleigh estate—a name remiscent of du Maurier’s Manderley House. I don’t think a stage could be set better than that even if Eynsleigh estate isn’t the scene of the crime—thank goodness!
But that’s not all The Last Mrs. Summers has in common with Rebecca.
Rebecca was published in 1938. Georgie is living in pre-World War II 1935.
Obviously, the plot’s are similar: a young wife obsessed with her husband’s first marriage and the death of his first wife.
Rebecca was the first wife, Rose, in The Last Mrs. Summer, was the second. Since the name of the second wife was never revealed in Rebecca, it’s only fitting that Rebecca and Rose be an alliteration. Don’t you think?
Like the second Mrs. de Winter, Rose found herself going from rags to riches.
Both stories are set in the wilds of Cornwall. Wilds by English standards are a bit different than American:)
The murders of both first wives were hidden until the second wife meddled into the past.
There are plenty of red herrings who are guilty of other offenses
Innocence is lost but justice prevails

There are many more similarities between the two novels, and I found myself looking for commonalities that Ms. Bowen artfully twisted. Rebecca may be the inspiration for The Last Mrs. Summers, but this is far from a repeat of the timeless tale. Ms. Bowen has matched du Maurier’s gothic style with literal and figurative secret passages, hidden panels, and trapdoors with the bonus of her clever whit in a mystery to enthrall readers until the very end. I have to say that I agree with Georgie. Perfection is scary, but in Ms. Bowen’s case, it’s utterly delightful.

I have been a long time Rhys Bowen fan and I have been trying to get caught up on the Royal Spyness series for the last year.

I have been reading the later mysteries out of order but going back and trying to read the earlier ones so I can have a better appreciation for the characters and their back stories.

I love Georgie and all the quirky characters in this series and when I saw another book was coming out I couldn’t wait to check it out even though I wasn’t entirely caught up with the series over all.

Summary
Georgie is just back from her honeymoon with Darcy when a friend in need pulls her into a du Maurier-like murder in this all-new installment in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen!

Georgie’s best friend, Belinda, inherits a spooky old house in Cornwall and asks Georgie to go with her to inspect the property. When they arrive, they meet Rose, a woman Belinda knew as a child when she spent her summers with her grandmother in Cornwall. Belinda never liked Rose, who has always been bossy and a bit of a bully, but when Belinda’s house proves to be uninhabitable, Rose invites them to stay with her.

Rose is now married to Tony Summers, Belinda’s childhood crush, and lives in the lovely house on the cliffs that he has inherited. Rose confides that she thinks Tony killed his first wife and now she is afraid. She asks Georgie and Belinda to observe Tony’s behavior and their surroundings. Is Rose imagining things? Is Tony dangerous? In their quest for answers, they encounter a creepy housekeeper, Mrs. Manners, and learn that some kind of forgotten tragedy occurred on the property years ago involving them all.

There is a lot of strange to go around and things only get weirder–and deadlier–when one night a member of the household is found dead. All clues point to Belinda as the prime suspect. Now Georgie must uncover some long buried secrets that may prove the victim was really a villain before Belinda takes the fall for the murder. (summary from Goodreads)

Review
I adore this series and this book was high up on my anticipated books list and I couldn’t wait to read it, mostly because it has a spooky house in it and I love mysterious houses with checkered pasts and this one didn’t disappoint even if the mystery was just ok for me.

Bowen does a great job keeping readers orientated in the larger collective narrative while at the same time focusing on the mystery. So far all of her books have been mystery driven and it’s always a treat to pick up one of her books and escape for a few days. They are always well written, fast paced and come on, Georgie is so cheeky without trying to be that she wins my heart every time!

I don’t know that I would call this one a ‘thriller’ or one that even had a lot of twists and turns in the mystery but I thought that even if it was a little predictable at times, there was a lot to love in the characters. The characters are always what wins me over and Georgie, Belinda, and Queenie, are my absolute favorites in this series.

The mystery as I said was just ok but even though I figured out who it was early on, it didn’t diminish the overall story for me because I love spending time with these characters and seeing what they have been up to since the last book. This is a series that you don’t necessarily need to read beginning to end but it currently helps. I haven’t felt lost jumping around in the series but it has helped to go back and read some earlier books to pick up the nuances of the friendships and relationships.

Overall this was a good installment to the series and I am looking forward to more Georgie!

Book Info and Rating
Kindle Edition
Expected publication: August 4th 2020 by Berkley
ASIN B0818ZF1RF
Free review copy provided by publisher, Berkley, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and in no way influenced.
Rating: 4 stars
Genre: historical mystery, cozy mystery

I haven’t visited Georgie, Darcy, and company for quite a while. I read the first few books in the series and then it got away from me. That’s all to say I wasn’t lost jumping back in at this late date.

Darcy is off on assignment leaving Georgie at loose ends. When Belinda asks her to accompany her as she takes a look at a Cornwall cottage she’s inherited Georgie accepts. In due course they find themselves involved in a mystery and among the suspects of a murder. Sounds serious, doesn’t it? Well, parts are but other parts are laugh out loud funny. I was completely invested in the crime solving and can’t wait to read another of this wonderful series. Highly recommended to fans of the genre!

It’s fall 1935, and Lady Georgiana O’Mara is back from her honeymoon and settling into her new married life until Darcy is called away on another of his assignments. Suddenly at loose ends, Georgie jumps at a chance to join her friend Belinda is looking at the cottage she just inherited in Cornwall. However, the cottage turns out to be more of a shack. The friends are deciding what to do when they run into Rose, a childhood friend of Belinda’s. Rose announces she is now the mistress of one of the nearby mansions, and insists that Georgie and Belinda stay with her. However, something is off about life at the mansion. Will Georgie figure out what is going on before tragedy strikes?

It's always fun to slip back into Georgie’s world, and I picked up this book with anticipation. As usual, the book opens with updates on Georgie’s various friends and family, and I enjoy finding out how life is going for them. Once the story gets going, we are treated to a mystery filled with confusing happenings and plenty of atmosphere. The plot is minimally inspired by the classic Rebecca, and it uses the gothic elements well. I’m not familiar with Rebecca, but not picking up on nods to that book didn’t diminish my enjoyment at all. The new characters we meet along the way help pull us into the book. Naturally, everything makes sense once Georgie figures it all out. When you pick up this book, be prepared to be swept back in time. Fans of the series will be thrilled to catch up with Georgie’s latest adventures.

I've been reading this series since the beginning and while I've missed a few in the middle I've always enjoying catching up with what Georgie was up to and I've really enjoyed seeing her relationship with Darcy grow. It's especially nice to have the will they/won't they wrap up with a decided will. I do wish Darcy was in this book more but his presence would have been a bit odd so I'm willing to overlook it.

Belinda has long been a favorite side character and I really enjoyed seeing her front and center in this latest book though she definitely didn't have the easiest time of it. Her friendship with Georgie has really come through a lot and these are two women I really believe are friends. What really stands out about this particular book is the atmosphere. While this is usually a fun romp of a series this book has full on Rebecca style atmosphere with a huge maze of a house, a sinister housekeeper and a host of tragedy centering around the family that lived there. The atmosphere is strong from the beginning but the actual murder doesn't occur until about halfway through the book. That doesn't mean this book drags though. There's plenty of non-murderous mystery from the very beginning so really when the body falls I had kind of forgotten there hadn't been a murder.

While this is book 14 in the series I really think you could jump in here though some aspects of characters will be easier to understand if you're a bit more invested in the series. If you are looking for a fun spooky read with a great Cornish setting and lots of secrets then this is a read not to be missed.

I loved this entry in the Royal Spyness series! I worried that once Georgie and Darcy married that the series would grow stale, but it hasn't. In fact, Georgie is showing some growth and maturity and starting to figure out how to manage her estate. However I was happy that the story focused on a different location, up in Cornwall where Belinda has inherited a cottage. The change of scenery was interesting and provided a slightly different culture and a smaller cast of characters to deal with. The mystery is truly creepy and I loved spending most of the book with just Belinda, Georgie, and a handful of untrustworthy strangers. Very good!

Lady Georgiana Rannoch has married her beloved Darcy and left her place in the English royal succession. In pursuit of activity she joins an old friend in a trip to some newly inherited property which is found to be in very poor condition. Invited to the local great house by a childhood playmate Georgiana discovers a dangerous atmosphere. Someone is going to die. Who? Why? Echoes of Rebecca ensue. The housekeeper is the dangerous Mrs. Mannering, the master lost his first wife after a year of marriage and the bodies start dropping. First the master of the house. More to come. Not as plot interesting as the previous novels in the Royal Spyness mysteries but OK for a rainy day reading indoors.

In this edition of the Royal Spyness series, Georgie, who is back from her honeymoon, finds herself bored as her husband returns to work. After being nearly run down by Brutus, a car driven by her best friend Belinda, they go to Cornwall to check out a small house her friend has inherited. Belinda was a part of a group of friends in this town that included children of the manor houses as well as children of the domestic workers. If you liked Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier, you will find there are some similarities which the author acknowledges in the beginning of the book. Look for brooding housekeepers and a second wife who can’t even come close to filling the role of the first wife. I really liked this mystery, even if Darcy, Georgie’s husband wasn’t a big part of it. Nothing like being stuck in a giant, creepy house with your best friend and a murder mystery to solve.

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book and have left an honest review.

With Darcy once again out of town for his job, Georgie jumps at the chance to accompany her pal Belinda on a quick trip to Cornwall to check out the cottage she has recently inherited from her late grandmother. While Belinda has many fond memories of summers spent at the cottage, it has since fallen into disrepair. The girls spend the night however they head to town first thing in the morning in search of a local hotel and a handyman to repair the cottage. A chance encounter with Rose, a childhood acquaintance of Belinda's derails their plans however and the trio head off to Rose's mansion. Immediately upon arrival Georgie and Belinda start to feel ill at ease. The mansion itself has a haunted, creepy feel and the housekeeper, Mrs. Mannering is always lurking in the background in a most off-putting manner. When a murder occurs and Belinda falls under suspicion, Georgie jumps at the chance to investigate once more and find the true culprit.
Drawing inspiration from Daphne du Maurier's Gothic thriller Rebecca, The Last Mrs. Summers lays out a similar creepy, atmospheric setting complete with a hovering housekeeper and a lady of the manor who feel anything but at ease. However the story starts to diverge from the original in the most fascinating of ways and firmly falls i the cozy mystery camp by the end. Cornwall made for the perfect atmospheric setting and the author set the scene expertly, with just the right amount of descriptive details to make readers feel as though they have traveled through time and space to accompany Belinda and Georgie on their romp. While the mystery had a bit of a slow start, the pacing soon picked up with plenty of twists and turns throughout. I highly recommend The Last Mrs. Summers for fans of the classic tale Rebecca, or for those looking for a historical cozy mystery with plenty of chilling Gothic inspiration.

I've been curious as to how the Royal Spyness series would continue now that the main characters have married. Would there be something missing now that there wasn't the tug-of-war of will they/won't they get together? Or would there be more fun as the two solve crime together?

I was really hoping after the last book where Darcy and Georgie solved the murder together that we would get a super-spy dynamic duo. So you can imagine my disappointment when, in the first chapter, that Darcy has been called away to parts unknown and Georgie is left home.

Not quite ready to take up her role in society as mistress of the manor and entertain the village on her own, she hopes to find companionship in London my visiting ZouZou or her grandfather. Unfortunately, they are both engaged. But just as Georgie resigns herself to the boredom of a lonely estate, Belinda barrels in - quite literally as she has purchased an Ashton Marten and is speeding down the drive as Georgie walks back from the train station. Apparently, Belinda has a lead foot and this near miss won't be the last as she and Georgie speed away to Cornwall.

In past books, particularly the early stories, I found Belinda to be a bit annoying. Perhaps she is growing on me. Or maybe it is because I always root for the underdog and Belinda has started to show her more vulnerable side. Whatever the reason, I really quite liked her in this story.

Compared to some of the books in the series, The Last Mrs. Summers has a pretty pared down cast of characters. There's a brief appearance of Georgie's grandad, but her mother is back with Max (presumably in Germany). I half expected that the mysteries wealthy foreigner who owned Belinda's grandmother's house to be Max. Though Georgie goes to London there is no visit with the royal relatives, so no Queen Mary and not Prince of Wales. Though Darcy is absent for most of the story, I guessed how his path would cross Georgie's.

I liked having fewer characters; it gave us more time to get to know Belinda and really see her friendship with Georgie in a new way. There still plenty of suspects for the murder but as we don't really know any of them we are right with Georgie and Belinda as they try to discern suspect and motive.

So while I still want to see Darcy and Georgie solve crime together, I enjoyed The Last Mrs. Summers. As a fan of Poldark, I really liked that it was set in Cornwall. I kind of liked not having the distraction of Georgie pining for Darcy. She does miss him, but it isn't like when she had the added worry of whether he really liked her or not.

Overall, another solid installment in the Royal Spyness series.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/08/the-last-mrs-summers-by-rhys-bowen.html

Series: Royal Spyness #14
Publication Date: 8/4/20
Number of Pages: 304

I always look forward to Georgie’s next adventure because you never know what she’ll get herself into. While I enjoyed this read, it was my least favorite so far – not sure why. Maybe there was too little Darcy or maybe it just didn’t seem to ‘ring true’ to the series – I’m not sure, but I am pretty sure the problem was mine and not the book.

Georgie and Darcy are home from their African honeymoon and Darcy is headed back to work for the Crown. At Georgie’s urging, he turned down a desk job and is headed back to the field. Georgie encouraged it because she knew he loved his work and wouldn’t be happy with a desk job. However, she is now presented with the fact that he has to leave on an assignment and he cannot tell her where he is going nor how long he’ll be gone. She’s at loose ends and has no idea what to do with herself, so she heads to London to meet up with her friend and to see her grandfather. Bummer – the friends aren’t in town and her grandfather has new tasks to see to as well. So – now what is she to do. Well, hang on to your hats because she’s off on a most unexpected adventure.

As she is returning home, having walked from the train station, she is almost run down by a speeding, very sporty, shiny new, red, Aston Martin Le Mans – named Brutus. Brutus is being driven by Georgie’s good friend Belinda who has just returned from Paris where she had studied clothing design with none other than Chanel. Belinda is excited because her grandmother’s will has finally been settled and she is now a very rich lady. Belinda also inherited a small cottage in Cornwall and she wants Georgie to go with her to check it out. She fondly remembers one property her grandmother owned there, but her grandmother sold it years ago, and she has absolutely no clue about the small cottage called White Sails.

And … the adventure begins. When the cottage turns out to be all but uninhabitable, they are at a loss because in this part of the country, finding a place to stay is near impossible. Then – their fortunes change when an old ‘friend’ recognizes Belinda and asks them to stay with her and her new husband for a few days. Belinda and Georgie are very hesitant – especially once Belinda learns the husband’s name – but it is almost impossible to refuse the invitation.

There is, of course, a murder, and then another, and hints of one from years ago. The house is forbidding even though the host and hostess are not. Something is definitely amiss in the household, tensions are thick, but nothing obvious – at first.

Given that the book-blurb likens the book to a Daphne du Marier murder, you immediately know who the villain is. What you don’t know is why or how. You especially don’t know why that villain might want to harm Belinda by causing her to be arrested for murder. You’ll find the answers to all of that as you move through the story to its exciting end.

I was so afraid the author was going to commit one of my cardinal sins – making me really like a character before killing them off. Luckily, it didn’t happen, because I have a really hard time liking a book after that happens. I didn’t dislike the victim but wasn’t in love with them either.

I really enjoyed the read and hope you will as well!

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

I first discovered Rhys Bowen and her prolificness (?, prolificosity? prolificity? - you know what I mean) about a dozen years ago. I stumbled across a section of her books on a shelf in a small library in North Dakota, and then proceeded to read pretty much everything she's ever written...so 43 books in all. That should tell you a bit about how much I enjoy them.

The Royal Spyness series is a wonderful cozy mystery set in England in the 1930s. Georgie, cousin to the King, is a poor royal relation and over the course of the books finds herself embroiled in numerous murder cases. Whilst helping to solve all of them, she manages to collect a cadre of quirky friends as well as handsome husband.

This particular book is a manor house mystery set upon the atmospheric Cornwall coast. In it someone is wrongly accused, someone is plotting revenge, and the answers just don't quite add up.

Another good entry for the series, it'll be interesting to see how Georgie continues to settle into married life.

This is the latest entry in the enjoyable Royal Spyness series. While these aren't deep, they have some heft. This one in particular sees real growth for Georgie--she's even trying not to say golly to often which had become a bit annoying in earlier books. This one, the 14th in the series is loosely based on Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca, allows Georgie to help her dear friend Belinda clear from a murder charge. It's a nice read, which some twists and well-drawn characters. I look forward to the next in the series.

"Lady Georgiana Rannoch is just back from her honeymoon with dashing Darcy O’Mara when a friend in need pulls her into a twisted Gothic tale of betrayal, deception and, most definitely, murder....

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...."

It's the first week of August, time for a new Lady Georgiana adventure!

Another delightful addition to the Her Royal Spyness mysteries. This book follows Georgie and Belinda as they both become accustomed to their new lives - Belinda as an heiress and Georgie as a wife at a country estate. The story was engrossing and enjoyable - although I do wish there would have been more of Darcy in the book.

I think it is time to retire this series. It has run its course now. I could not even finish it, and that is always a sign that the series is done.

I love this series by Rhys Bowen. The whole premise of sweet but awkward Georgie, 35th in line for the throne, cousin to the King and penniless is so endearing. This latest addition doesn't disappoint. Georgie sets out with best bud Belinda to view a property Belinda has inherited. When there is a body and Belinda is accused of murder, the ladies are on their own to prove Belinda's innocence. Highly recommended!

I adore this series, and this is one of the best yet. The elements borrowed from Rebecca absolutely worked perfectly, without being distracting, derivative, or plodding. More, more, more!

I look forward to reading the next books in this series every summer!
I love the ones that take place at some grand house in a remote place - and this one didn't disappoint in Cornwall! Although I found the story to start off by being a bit slow paced and I found it was easily put down-able, once I got halfway through it got very good!
The ending was a bit contrite for me, especially the ending for the culprit, it seemed a bit cliché for me.
All in all, it was a great read and I look forward to the next one in 2021!

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Another delightful cozy mystery by the wonderful Rhys Bowen. The Her Royal Spyness series has always been one of my favourite series, and every read is better than the last. The Last Mrs. Summers was no exception. I found this story to have a much more gothic feel than her usual style. An eerie mansion as the main setting really sets the stage for a creepy mystery. I truly enjoyed it. Well done again!