Rhys Bowen_Royal Spyness 02

Rhys Bowen_Royal Spyness 02

A Royal Pain

A Royal Pain

1930s London. Poor Lady Georgiana-thirty-fourth in line to the throne-has nothing to serve her Bavarian princess houseguest, even though the Queen of England has requested that she entertain her. Then there's the matter of the body in the bookshop and the princess's unwitting involvement with the Communist party. It's enough to drive a girl mad.From Publishers WeeklyTo make ends meet, slightly impoverished but well-connected Lady Georgiana Rannoch takes on house-cleaning jobs in disguise in Agatha-winner Bowen's enchanting second mystery set in 1930s England (after 2007's Her Royal Spyness). A tea invitation from the queen, however, sets her on a new mission. Georgiana must house and chaperone a young Bavarian princess the queen hopes to set up with the prince of Wales, thus diverting his attention from his current American love interest. The princess proves to be quite a handful, naïve and addicted to slang. Invitations to the palace, country house weekends and swinging parties are provided for her amusement. When a series of unfortunate deaths arouses Georgiana's suspicions, she launches an investigation that culminates in a startlingly bloody conclusion. Fans will welcome the return of this spunky heroine, 34th in line to the British throne. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistReaders first met impoverished Lady Georgiana when she cleared her brother of a murder charge in Her Royal Spyness (2007), set in 1930s London. Georgiana is now summoned to the palace of her distant relation, the Queen of England, who wants Georgiana to play hostess to a visiting German princess, Hannelore, whom she hopes will catch the eye of the Prince of Wales and distract him from his dalliance with Mrs. Simpson. Georgiana reluctantly agrees, getting her grandfather and his neighbor to impersonate servants. When Hannelore arrives, she proves a handful, spouting phrases from American gangster movies and setting her sights on Darcy O’Mara, the one man who makes Georgiana’s heart leap. To make matters worse, Hannelore expresses interest in the Communist Party and arranges to meet one of the members in a bookshop. Georgiana accompanies Hannelore on the assignation only to have the princess discover the young man’s corpse. A delectable mystery with vibrant characters and a bit of romance, Bowen’s latest is a rollicking good read. --Kristine Huntley
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