Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

It's 1936 and Lady Georgiana "Georgie" Rannock is a new mother trying to get a handle on taking care of an infant. But the rest of the world doesn't give her any breathing room. First, her cousin, King Edward, is madly in love with a totally unsuitable woman, a twice-divorced American named Wallis Simpson, and he is desperate to be allowed to marry her. Meanwhile, although America is aware of the affair, England is not, so he needs a place to hide Mrs Simpson until he can figure out what to do. So he calls on Georgie and her husband Darcy to let her stay with them in the large country house where they currently live, courtesy of Georgie's godfather, Sir Hubert. But Mrs Simpson no sooner arrives than Georgie gets a letter from her sister-in-law saying they are coming to look at nearby schools for their son and will also be staying in the house. THEN, Sir Hubert arrives with a "surprise". He has given permission for an American film crew to film on their grounds so they can have authenticity for their movie about Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and the princesses Mary and Elizabeth. Thankfully, the film crew will NOT be staying at the house, but it is a houseful nonetheless.

When the young actress playing a young Princess Elizabeth is kidnapped, everything just gets more complicated. And then there is a murder on the grounds!! Geeorgie uses all her skills and abilities to read people to figure out what has happened and keep her little family happy and safe.

This series never fails to satisfy and serve as a palate cleanser for heavier mysteries!!

I love this series and this entry did not disappoint. We have Georgie and Darcy HIDING Wallis Simpson! Oh, and Georgie just gave birth. Also murder, Just the usual. It's great.

1936, England, historical-mystery, historical-figures, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, royalty, relatives, relationships, families, family-dynamics, famous-persons, unpleasant-guests, unpleasant-in-laws, unpleasant-relative, dogs, uninvited-guests, amateur-sleuth, espionage, investigations, personality-clash, tv-film-industry, rural, family-drama, kidnapping, murder, Sussex, witty****

Georgie and Darcy are living in the countryside on her stepfather's country estate with pigs, chickens, dogs, and infant son when they are invaded by unwanted guests. Her cousin, the current king, wants them to keep his beloved Wallis Simpson (a real diva) away from any publicity. Then one of Georgie's in-laws (another diva) invites herself and family to stay for a week or two. And then there's the film company from America that Sir Hubert invited to film external shots for a historical movie! What could possibly go wrong?
I requested and received a temporary electronic uncorrected proof from Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley via NetGalley. Thank you. Avail Nov 19,2024
#RoyalSpynessMysteriesBk18 #HistoricalCozyMystery

3.75 stars

Another stellar entry in the Royal Spyness series, featuring Lady Georgianna, who used to be (eventually) in line for the throne before she renounced upon marrying her commoner husband Darcy. Georgie is a great character, forthright, grounded, and unusual for her time.

It's 1936. Georgie and her husband Darcy, a sort of spy for the British government, are settled into the castle home of her once stepfather Lord Hubert with their baby son James. Georgie's cousin David is now King but what the British public doesn't yet know is that he is in love with a divorcee and willing to abdicate if he is not allowed to marry her. Meanwhile there are great rumblings in Europe where Hitler is in power and where Georgie's flaky mother is engaged to marry a rich German industrialist who is a Nazi sympathizer.

Their family peace and quiet is disturbed when the King asks Darcy to shelter his lady friend from the press and public scrutiny. Since she is demanding and snobbish and bitchy, they are less than thrilled, but when the King asks, you don't say no. She arrives in the middle of the night with a mountain of luggage and a bad attitude.

Meanwhile, Georgie's brother and his unpleasant wife show up with their kids for a visit so they can ostensibly check out schools for her nephew. Georgie is pretty sure they mostly want to escape the bitter Scottish winter where they live.

As if this wasn't enough, Lord Hubert returns home after having invited a movie film crew to do some filming on location. Amidst all the acrimony, the child star of the movie is possibly kidnapped, the King's lady love disappears, and it isn't long before a dead body is discovered.

Georgie and Darcy cope, as always, with calm, logic, humor and an occasional glimpse of Queen Victoria's steely attitude (she was Georgie's great something grandmother). It's all great fun and highly entertaining. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

While our latest adventure with Lady Georgie Rannoch O'Mara was neither as tightly plotted nor as funny as usual, it was still a solid read. While I could do without both her mother and Mrs. Simpson who were both more annoying than usual, It was good to see the baby grow and Georgie's granddad doing well.

The latest in a series, this book brought us multiple plot lines, including one kidnapping and a murder. Many of the characters were unlikable and that put me off a great deal. This was not one of my favorites in the series by any means but it’s always nice to catch up with Georgie and her family. I’d also say fire Queenie, she’s such an annoying character.

Thank you to Rhys Bowen, NetGalley, and Berkely Publishing for allowing me to read an electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the 18th installment of the Her Royal Spyness series and it is a worthy addition to the overall storyline! Eynsleigh Estate is being turned into a working farm to offset the cost of upkeep on the large estate. There are now piglets, chickens, and gardens and three new local boys hired as farm laborers that live in a cottage on site. A lack of communication between Gorgiana and Sir Hubert results in a madcap estate full of chaos including a Hollywood film crew, a secret individual that is being hidden from the press at the request of the King, an unannounced visit from Fig and Binky and family, and a quick visit from a former actress with Nazi leanings. The plot includes a disappearance, a kidnapping, and a murder to round out the chaos!

Rhys Bowen does a beautiful job of advancing the overall story within the real historical background, while keeping up the tension in the storyline of the current book! I loved this book and already can't wait until the next one!

I am such a sucker for this series! While this may not be an intricate mystery that taxes my mental faculties, it does deliver what I want from this series---a well-honed British mystery with likable recurring characters. Rhys Bowen always nails it in capturing the atmosphere of the time period and the inclusion of real life historical figures, such as Wallace Simpson, is a nice touch. Recommended for fans of the series or those looking for a nice cosy mystery to forget about their stress for a moment.

Lady Georgiana is settled into her country house with her husband and three month old son anticipating a quiet November until visitors descend, beginning with the King's "special" friend Mrs Simpson, then Georgie's brother the Duke and his insufferable wife, followed by Georgie's godfather Sir Hugh, owner of Eynsleigh, who brings a group of Americans who plan to use the Tudor house to shoot a movie.

First Mrs Simpson disappears, then a child actress disappears, a possible kidnap victim, and finally a body is discovered on the estate.

The plot unfolds at a leisurely pace and the first two mysteries have obvious solutions, but the final mystery caught me by surprise and kept the story interesting. An enjoyable, light read.

4.0

There’s really no way to talk about this latest installment of “Her Royal Spyness” without spoilers, other than to say that it it breaks more than one of the rules of mystery writing and Wallis Simpson is back.

We started at such an idyllic point. Georgie madly in love with her baby and routinely breastfeeding him throughout the day. Grandad is there enjoying his great grandson who spends lots of time downstairs and not in the nursery. Darcy is even around a lot of the time.

Even when Wallis Simpson, Fig and family, and a mob descend on the house and chaos ensues, she is still more settled than we have ever seen her. I cannot imagine the next book will be another set at quiet Eynsleigh though, but it has been nice.

Otherwise,…

(START OF SPOILERS)

Had I not been a little perplexed and gone back to the publisher’s summary, I may have assumed that this book did not even have a murder. Most of it did not, since the discovery wasn’t made until literally 75% through the book, and we didn’t know who it would be until then when Georgianna (of course) made the discovery with the help of Holly and Jolly and her handsome husband.

Furthermore, the final two suspects do not even make an appearance–if you can even call it that–until the 50% point (long before anybody dies) and then not again until the end.

Hopefully you have read the book if you are reading what was clearly marked as a spoiler. That, or you are my mother.

Still, I’ll keep it a little cryptic.

Here are my questions:
Can Addy and Podge just stay there and get the love they deserve?
If Darcy has already been slipping over to Germany, why does he think he’ll just be working a desk job if they go to war.
How is £10,000 equal to $50,000 in the mid 1930s when America was hit hardest by the stock market crash and ensuing depression?
How is Sir Hubert not considered an extremely wealthy man when he can walk into his bank and get more than £880k/$1.1 million in today’s money to lend to someone he barely knows without having to sell or cash in anything? I am assuming he has more cash and probably much more in assets.


(END SPOILERS)

(The rest refer to ongoing plotlines, minor details, or world history you should already know.)


On that last note, it may have been addressed in earlier books when it was first introduced, but why is his house and land not entailed and he can leave it to Georgie?
Since each question spurs another one, are O’Mara and Georgie going to go back and forth between a remote, somewhat-neglected old castle in Ireland and a remote, somewhat-neglected old manor in Sussex when they inherit?
How are they going to get Georgie’s mom to wake up and ditch Max and get the heck out of Germany? For Georgie’s sake, obviously. Her mother kind of deserves it otherwise.
And speaking of the “dowager duchess”, even though I’m not her biggest fan, why did she get all the blame for not wanting to stay with Sir Hubert when he was gone all the time scaling dangerous mountains is remote places?
Where is Belinda? She’s been overlooked for a while it seems. Even Zou Zou made the conversation a couple of times.
What happened to her Georgie’s father’s second family? I did not remember that. Was it addressed in “Naughty in Nice”? Otherwise, it seems like it should be a can of worms about to open.
Dominatrix or not, what could Edward possibly see in Wallis Simpson? Regardless, given their great affinity for Hitler, his abdication was very much a blessing.

I have to say that I didn’t love this book as much as I have others, but parts of it I enjoyed more than most. Part of that was due to the skirting of the code for mystery writing and part was that there was just a lot of chaos and unlikeable people. Still, it’s got that Royal Spyness charm, but just a bit more grown up. I’m not sure how they can keep going during the war without turning into a more serious series, but I guess (hope) we’ll find out. It’s better than the alternative.

Thank you to Rhys Bowen, NetGalley, and Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Georgie is settling in as a new mother when she gets asked for a favor by the King (her cousin). She’s asked to host Wallis Simpson at her home while he awaits the decision if they can marry. Georgie reluctantly agrees, but meanwhile Sir Hubert invites some Hollywood people to film at the home. Of course, Fig and Binky arrive unannounced, making for a an upheaval that Georgie didn’t want. Add in a murder and she has quite the surprise she didn’t want. It’s nice seeing Georgie and Darcy being married and now parents. Georgie has certainly come a long way. As always these books are like catching up with old friends. With Hitler on the horizon and Georgie’s mum being in Germany…..I wonder if we’ll get more stories?

It’s Oct. 1936 and Lady Georgie is enjoying her quiet life at home in the country being a wife and new mother. Of course that peace is soon shattered by the arrival of the dreaded Wallis Simpson; imperious Fig, guileless Binky, and their kids Podge, and Addy; an American film company; Georgie's naïve mother; and a murder!

How did this chaos ensue? First, new King VIII needs a place where Mrs. Simpson can stay out of sight of the press while Parliament decides if the he can marry her. He naturally imposes on his easy-going cousin, Lady Georgie.

Fig and Binky's son Podge is nearing boarding school age, so they need place to stay while searching for a suitable school, preferably one that's near relatives he can impose on, uh, visit during the school holidays. They extend their stay far longer than the few days Fig suggests when informing Georgie of their visit. After all, Eysnleigh Manor in Sussex is much more hospitable than Rannoch Castle in Scotland during the winter!

Sir Hubert, Georgie's godfather and master of Eysnleigh Manor, stops in Hollywood, CA on his way home from his usual adventures abroad and invites a film crew to shoot some outdoor scenes of a Henry VIII movie at the manor. Naturally, the arrangement evolves from outdoor-shooting only, to interior shooting, to actors and crew all over the house.

Of course, the presence of Mrs. Simpson is a trial, especially since she needs avoid being seen by outsiders. Combined with the imperious presence of Fig, the two are a social/houseguest nightmare. Add American actors who are in awe of royals and Queenie, Georgie's inept and star-struck maid, and chaos is sure to ensue – and it does, much to the amusement of the reader.

As a long-time fan of this series, I could hardly wait to see what Queenie would to do Mrs. Simpson, Fig, or both, let alone the American film stars. Watching Georgie try to deal with the chaos while solving a kidnapping and a murder makes the book compelling.

In addition to the situational humour, I really enjoyed seeing how Bowen dealt with the long-awaited abdication of King Edward VIII. Since the series began with Lady Georgie spying on the then Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson at the behest of Queen Mary, I wonder how the "Royal Spyness" aspect of the series will continue now that the need to observe the progression of Edward and Mrs. Simpson's relationship has presumably ended. Will Lady Georgie be expected to keep eye on the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in exile? They are, after all Nazi sympathizers. The series shows no sign of ending soon so we only have to wait a year to find out!

I have been a fan of Georgie Rannoch since her first appearance, and found this to be a delightful addition. I always look forward to the latest of her adventures, and felt this was among the better ones. As far as ongoing characters are concerned, it definitely helps to have some familiarity with the series to have a sense of everyone's relationships, but like most in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

At this point, Georgie and Darcy are living with their infant son on Georgie's stepfather's estate. They are asked by Georgie's cousin, David, aka King Edward to hide his paramour Wallis Simpson (yes, that Wallis Simpson) for a few days while he awaits Parliament's decision as to whether they can be wed. Not a fan of Mrs, Simpson, they begrudgingly agree. But soon, they are joined, uninvited, by Georgie's brother, whom she likes, and sister-in-law Fig, with whom there is mutual dislike, and their two small children. Sir Hubert, the owner of the estate announces that he is coming home (yay!) and decides to bring a film crew with him (surprise!) as they are filming a movie about Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, and would love to film it on his property. Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson's presence a secret only becomes more and more challenging!

As if that wasn't enough, there is a kidnapping or two, and of course, a murder, to propel this charming mystery.

In all, this is one of the series that I very much enjoyed, and will definitely recommend.

This was an odd installment in this series. Instead of one mystery, we got three. It is always fun to read about Georgie though.

We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen continues the very chatty, very cozy stories of Lady Georgiana and her husband Darcy, and now their baby boy. When they are asked to hide Wallis Simpson for a bit and then have a movie crew descend on them, turmoil ensues as usual. Another wonderful addition to the series while we learn more British and World history.

I love Rhys Bowen and her amazing characters! The story was entertaining and the setting perfect! I would recommend her books to anyone!

I look forward to the new book in this series each year! Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I was able to guess the ending for all three "mysteries" in the book. In addition, I felt like the murder happened too late in the book and then wrapped up too quickly at the end.
I really enjoyed the historical aspect, especially the unfolding of Wallis Simpson & the Duke of Windsor. I miss having Belinda as a character in her books. It will be interesting to see how the series unfolds as it moves closer and closer to the start of WWII.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lady Georgiana and Darcy have a full house - the infamous Mrs. Simpson (in hiding), a film crew from America, and various members of Georgie's family all arrive practically unannounced. What mayhem follows!

First of the series to read. Initially not impressed -
Although was intrigued eventually by the multiple story lines

I love Rhys Bowen and have recommended all her books to so many readers! Thanks for letting me read them ahead of time. This series is one of my favorites.