A Sojourn in Italy as a Spy for the Queen

Georgiana Rannoch is eager to marry Darcy, but being in line to the British throne, if only thirty-fifth, she must have permission to renounce her claim so the marriage can proceed. With Darcy off on another mission, Georgiana is not sure how to accomplish this. She also wants to help her friend, Belinda, who is in Italy expecting a baby.

Unexpectedly, the queen comes to her rescue. The Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson are attending a house party in Italy not far from where Belinda is staying. Worried that Mrs. Simpson may have obtained her divorce and push the Prince to marry her, the queen wants a spy at the party. Georgiana is a school friend of the hostess so being invited to the party is easy, and in return, the queen will push to get Georgiana permission to marry Darcy.

The house party starts well, but Georgiana’s mother arrives, the house is filled with Nazi sympathizers, and one of the guests is murdered. With so much happening, the party becomes dangerous for Georgiana who is only eager to help Belinda.

I enjoyed this book. Georgiana is a delightful character. She does make rather clumsy moves, but it all works in the end. I keep hoping she and Darcy will eventually get together. It seems quite cruel to have so many obstacles in their path to matrimony.

The plot is clever and full of twists. It is fairly easy to guess the culprit, but it’s not obvious until near the end. The setting in an Italian villa on a beautiful lake is well done. It’s a place I’d love to visit, and the period details are correct.

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical suspense.

If you have been reading my articles this summer, you know I've been craving cozy mysteries. On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen hit the spot. I loved it so much I gobbled it up in a day.

On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service is book 11 in Her Royal Spyness series. It is also the first book I've read by Rhys Bowen. But like any perfect cozy mystery, it is okay if you haven't read the other books in the series. I didn't feel lost, though I feel that there might be more to Georgie's family relationships.

In addition to being a fun story, it has a feel of Downton Abbey to it. Actually, the novel is set only a few years after the end of the show. There is an appearance by David, the Prince of Wales (who I pictured the whole time as the actor who played him on the show), but he is with Wallis Simpson (who he would later abdicate the throne in order to marry).

Why is royalty showing up in the story? Georgia is in the royal line. She is, like, the 35th person in line for the throne. This fact is actually a sticking point for her marital happiness. She is engaged to Darcy O'Mara. I'm not sure why he isn't acceptable as a spouse for her, but she is willing to give up her seat in the royal line for him. But she needs the permission of Parliament and Queen Mary in order to do so.

Queen Mary is willing to make sure the request goes through without a hitch if Georgie will do a small favor for her. Georgie is, after all, heading to Italy to visit a "sick" friend (her friend is pregnant out of wedlock), so would it be so bad if she dropped into a house party that David is attending nearby?

However, there is a much more dangerous liaison going on at the house party than just the salacious affair between Wallis and David. Will Georgie's spying be discovered?

On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service was a light read with several fun moments, usually revolving around Georgie almost being found out.

I really liked her character. She is the perfect example of a 1930s lady, one that is balancing the changing world. Everyone is shocked that she is traveling abroad without a chaperone or maid, but Georgie feels confident she can manage. Of course, it isn't all smooth sailing (well it is done mostly by train, but you get the picture).

Bowen took care to be as historically accurate as possible, which I greatly appreciated as not all authors of cozy mysteries and romcoms are as careful. It added a layer of realism to the story. I looked up the event after I finished the book. It isn't often that a cozy mystery leads me to do more research.

Summer is winding down and, really, there isn't anything much better than a light, fun read to wrap up the season before the hecticness of fall sets in. Whether you have read one, none, or all the books in Her Royal Spyness series, this is a book you don't want to miss.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in return for an un-biased review.

Let me start out by saying this book was just not my speed. I was hoping for a light read, with a little bit of mystery. I’m also a huge Downton Abbey fan, so I was hoping for a book filled with royals having tea in fabulous gowns, doing fabulous things, with fabulously handsome men. This book sorta delivered. It had fabulously handsome men, tea was served, and I think there were some gowns involved. Ultimately however, it reminded me a little of a meringue. Stick with me here, I’ll explain myself.

Think of a pretty meringue cookie, scrumptious to look at, fragrant and a little shimmery. So lovely to contemplate. You bite into the crunch outer shell but there’s not much inside but air. Sugary air. I know a lot of people who really like meringues… but they’re not for me.

meringue

I found it predictable. I also had some issues with the heroine. She, more than anything else in the book, was lacking in substance. An exceedingly passive young woman. She was not an independent or clever girl at all. I honestly don’t know how she got this reputation as a pseudo-sleuth. Clues simply fell into her lap. I was also bothered by the fact that the murder in the book was taken so lightly. A man dies, and immediately afterward, she is contemplating “vamping” another man so she can get some answers as to who the culprit is. Not just contemplating, but giggling to herself about her inability to vamp. I would find that charming normally, since I’m so bad at vamping myself (ha), but it is a completely inappropriate reaction to the situation. She just struck me oddly. She also talked about her marriage in a very old-fashioned manner, unwilling to do anything other than defer to her fiancee. I can assume that was intentional considering the setting of 1930’s England and Italy. It did not to endear her to me.

If you’re looking for a very simple mystery. A quick read. If you feel like a plateful of meringue. Then this is the book for you. I think if I’d been in a different frame of mind then it would have been much more enjoyable. The books must be very successful, after all this is #11 in the series! I’m sure that it fits it’s intended genre very well. It’s a good book for it’s intended reader.

Song for this book: It Is You – Natalie Prass

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley/the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service in the 11th book in Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness mystery series. These books, set in the 1930s, feature Georgie Rannoch, a young aristocratic who is a cousin to the Royal Family. Georgie is clever and rather innocuous, and she has been called upon to assist the Queen with sensitive matters.

In this book, Georgie is tasked with dropping in on a house party in an Italian villa. She is supposed to be keeping an eye on her cousin David, who is still keeping company with that highly unsuitable American woman (Wallis Simpson).

Just as the house party is getting underway, one of the guests is found murdered. The victim was a rather lascivious gentleman who made overtures to many of the female guests. Many of them had every reason to silence him. Not only that, but high-ranking German and Italian officials are among the guests at the house party. With rumors of war swirling, could the murder have had anything to with that?

This was a satisfying mystery. There really were several plausible suspects, and I wasn’t sure who was going to be revealed as the perpetrator until close to the big reveal. Fans of the series will appreciate Georgie’s adventures in a new milieu. We are introduced to new characters, and old favorites make brief appearances as well. I was a bit disappointed that Georgie’s maid Queenie was left at home and not traveling along to Italy. I do remember hearing that some readers found Queenie’s bumbling to be a bit too distracting, but I definitely missed her.

I would absolutely recommend On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service. I would recommend reading the series in order to get a better appreciation for the series and for everything Georgie has gone through over the years. It is, however, fairly easy to pick up enough background information in the first few chapters if you are unfamiliar with the series. Georgie is an amicable narrator, and one can’t help but root for her and want her to succeed in life. Perhaps this is why people are so wiling to talk to her; this trait does prove to be an invaluable asset for an investigator. Georgie’s future contains many fascinating events: Berlin Olympics, death of King George VI and the subsequent abdication crisis, and World War II. It will be interesting to see how these events play out in Georgie’s story. I’m certainly looking forward to the next book!

I think I need to read some of the previous books in this series, Her Royal Spyness, to fully appreciate the background and life of Georgie. Lady Georgiana travels to Italy to visit a friend while working for the Queen to attend a house party where the Queen's son is a guest. A lot of history is presented in the time frame between WWI and WWII and Georgie's optimistic cheery outlook on life is refreshing. Georgie and Darcy are proceeding with their romance and it looks like giving up her claim to the throne won't be too big a problem.

Tuesday morning I finished reading Rhys Bowen's On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service and as usual with books in this Royal Spyness Mystery Series I did not wish to put it down. Each time I was forced by reality to put it down I was most eager to get back to Dacy and Lady Georgiana Rannoch! You will have to wait a little longer as I feel so honored to have had this book on my table and to read before the August 1st Publication. We are now 11 books in on this A Royal Spyness Mystery and they get even more exciting with each new book. I am in awe of how Rhys Bowen captures not only the Era but the true character of what one assumes the sullied Mrs. Wallis was truly like. The cover is as usual perfect and accurately reflects that the picture painted by Rhys Bowen's words of the impossibility of life for the 35th in line for the throne. In an absolutely brilliant way she ties up an impossible situation with grace, style and fantastically written characters. One of the best series and one of the best books she has written. I highly recommend this book and series!

This series is always a delightful escapist adventure.

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for providing a digital copy of On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen via NetGalley.
This is the first book I have read by Rhys Bowen, and I was a little concerned about starting in the middle of an established series, but I need not have worried; Bowen gives just enough background of the various repeat characters that I didn't feel lost despite not having read the previous books in the series.
The "Her Royal Spyness" series follows the adventures of Lady Georgiana Rannoch who, despite being currently--as of book 11--35th in the line of royal succession, is more like the common man than her aristocratic title would suggest. As the length of the series would testify--"On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service" is the 11th installment--Georgie often finds herself in situations involving intrigue and murder. In this particular episode, the Queen has called upon Georgie to ensure that a secret wedding between the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Wallis Simpson does not occur at a house party in Italy. When one of the guests is found murdered in his room after a secret meeting involving close associates of Hitler and Mussolini, Georgie begins to suspect that something more sinister may be going on.
I enjoyed this book-- it is a light, at times funny, whodunit with some historical touches and aristocratic flair. Reading this book got me interested in tracking down the previous books for some quick, light entertainment and deeper insight into the repeat characters.

Another delightful adventure with Lady Georgiana. She received to letters to her from Queen Mary and Belinda. Queen Mary wanted to ask about her decision to forfeit the crown in order to marry Darcy. When the Queen learns Georgiana is planning on being in the area where a house party, the Duke Of Wales is attending get asked the hostess to invite Georgie. Arriving at the party, minus her maid Georgia finds her Mother, who tells she is being blackmailed by a guest. Of course, we know Darcy is nearby as a gardener. Later the guest is found dead. It looks like suicide but an inept policeman strands the party at the house. Georgiana must find the killer in order to get back to Belinda. I highly recommend this book and series.

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Berkeley Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Georgiana's love has gone away on another secret assignment and she plans to go visit Italy and be with her girlfriend who is having a baby. She calls in to see the Queen first because she's part of the Royal Family and she wishes to give up her right to be queen to she can marry Darcy. She needs parliament permission and the Queen is going to ask for that. As soon as she assures the Queen she really truly loves Darcy, the Queen is content and will ask. However, when she finds Georgiana is on her way to Italy, she gives her an assignment.

Berkley and Net Galley allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published August 1st.

The Queen wants her to go to a house party. Her son and that dreadful Mrs. Simpson will be there. She's afraid they are going to try for a secret marriage and she wants to stop it. Georgiana doesn't know how she would stop it, but she would go and see what she could find out.

What she finds out is that there's more than one spy in the house. There's also political pressuring going on trying to make the prince side with the Germans. Even worse, her mother is there, too, and she has incriminating pictures she wants find to stop blackmailing. With so many irons in the fire, it makes even being in the vicinity dangerous. Then she finds out Darcy, her love, is playing a gardener here. She can't talk to him but they meet secretly.

Then people start dying... Her mother is accused of the murder. They are dealing with a local policeman who wants to end the case quickly. He won't let anyone leave the house. The tension builds quickly...

Set in a time when Mussolini and Hitler were still alive, the story moves along a bit slowly but picks up as more shenanigans go on. Everybody has secrets. But the killer is caught at the end. I hope Darcy and Georgiana marry soon.

Georgie and Darcy are back as well as more with Georgie's mom. We get to spend time in Italy as a mystery needs to be solved. Enjoyable read and this series doesn't disappoint

This Royal Spyness book begins with Georgie and Darcy spending time in his ancestral home, but soon they are called away, Darcy to his job, and Georgie to the palace. They both end up in Italy where there is a weekend house party, and , of course, a crime occurs, which only they together can solve!
This "cozy" mystery series is just my cup of tea. Enjoyable characters, interesting plots, and a royal twist.

I think I keep promising myself I"m going to stop reading these, because they're pretty fluffy and insubstantial. This one was a bit better than the last few installments-- the mystery element was a bit less obvious, the secondary characters less over-the-top silly. I still the the author would do well to wrap this up in another book or two. If you're looking for a light historical fiction with a good period feel, you'll find a 4-star book. If you're looking for suspenseful mystery with a challenging who-dun-it, this is maybe a 2-star series.

Yet another entirely charming installment in this series -- fans of the previous books will not be disappointed! Anyone who likes light, funny period mysteries would enjoy this quite a bit.

“It wasn’t the first decision in my life that I regretted almost as soon as I uttered the words” (location 1585). I think Georgie could have made this statement many times. When your fiancé, your mother, and the Queen of England all ask you to do a little detective work on their behalf, how can you say “no.” Nothing is ever as simple as it might seem on first inspection and Georgie is quickly immersed in danger, mystery, and intrigue. The story reminded me of a P.G. Wodehouse novel with its quirky servants, laughable situations, and wit. I was immediately drawn in.
This is the first Rhys Bowen book that I’ve read. It was a great read as a stand-alone book but it was clear that there was a lot of back story that I didn’t understand. After finishing this book, I ordered the first 10 books in the series and I can’t wait to read more about Queenie and her inept maid skills and how Georgie and Darcy saved the king and queen.
If you are a P.G. Wodehouse or Dorothy Sayers fan, I would highly recommend this book. It was delightful. Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
A Royal Spyness Mystery series:
Book 1: Her Royal Spyness
Book 2: A Royal Pain
Book 3: Royal Flush
Book 4: Royal Blood
Book 5: Naughty in Nice
Book 6: The Twelves Clues of Christmas
Book 7: Heirs and Graces
Book 8: Queen of Hearts
Book 9: Malice at the Palace
Book 10: Crowned and Dangerous
Book 11: On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service

Another installation in a lovely cosy mystery series. Somewhat predictable, but always fun. Although I enjoyed the book overall, I found the ending a bit rushed.

Great book, would recommend to mystery lovers. Pacing is well done

I adore this series, mixing light romance with some novice spying and a touch of royalty, and with continental settings. What could be more delightful? Bowen knows how to keep things moving along and has a perfect touch with this series. Highly recommended.

Another lighthearted entry that fans of this long running series will enjoy. Lady Georgiana is sent to Italy by the queen to keep her eye on the Prince of Wales and Mrs Simpson at a country house party. Unexpected appearances by her mother and her fiance, a spy for the crown disguised as a gardener enliven the party until the murder finally occurs about halfway through the book. Georgie puts herself in danger to solve the crime, and all's well that ends well. A quick, fun read.

Georgie is sent to a house party in Italy to spy on her cousin, the Prince of the Wales, and Wallis Simpson. This one will appeal to fans of the series who are particularly interested in European politics of the 1930s. Solved the mystery easily but the fun of this series is the setting and the endearing characters, which were as delightful as always.