I was thrilled to find that the series has reverted to a nice cozy mystery again. The previous entry was quite a misstep but this one has the old Georgie back and sleuthing.

Royal Spyness mysteries are usually a fun glimpse into a slightly sanitized past.

Have to say I really enjoyed FOUR FUNERALS AND A WEDDING from a series and an author I had never read before. There were plenty of chuckles that slipped past my lips as I got further and further into this story and mystery. Judging that this is the 12th volume in the series I can just about imagine some of the scrapes our heroine Georgie had to have gotten into based on the innuendoes mentioned of some of her past klutziness. Somehow if Georgie were a real person I’d definitely have to make her a BFF.

Getting back to the story, it seemed that things seem to be really going Georgies way - not only is she making plans for her long awaited wedding to the love of her life, but she has just learned that she is the heir of one of her mothers ex-husbands – Sir Hubert Anstruther . Plus he has invited her to make her new home in his house in the country. And so begins the main offensive of Georgie versus the household staff at Eynsley Hall who clearly do not want any interference of a Royal whose expectations are for them to serve her.

Georgie, along with a lively plethora of other family and friends was a delight and all the secondary characters only added to the enjoyment of the entire mystery. Questioned – who were these odd band of misfit servants? Why have a cook who didn’t even know how to brew a decent cup of tea? Alas, you will have to read this marvelous tome to discover the latest foibles of Lady Georgiana!

A total delight from start to finish!

Marilyn Rondeau

If you read me, you know I adore the Royal Spyness books, with clumsy yet likable Georgie (34th in line to the throne) and her solving of mysteries that seem to find her wherever she goes. There’s a likable cast of characters throughout, including her stage actress and completely self-absorbed mother, her East London rough grandfather, her dashing beau Darcy (Irish and Catholic!), and her always bumbling maid, Queenie.

We’ve been waiting for books and books for Georgie and Darcy to get together and to marry. Will it finally finally happen??

Publishing today, this novel is a great addition to an already favorite series. You can read it alone or mix them up, but I like reading them as soon as they are published!

Thanks for my e-copy to review via Net Galley.

Weddings are in the air this summer for Lady Georgiana (aka Georgie). Her mother and grandfather are preparing for their respective weddings. The best of all is her own wedding to Darcy O’Mara in just a few weeks. There is quite a bit of planning to do, but first they must find a suitable place to call home. As luck would have it, one of her mother’s former husbands, Sir Hubert, offers his estate to Georgie and her future husband. They eagerly accept this invitation.

While Darcy leaves town on business, Georgie heads to their new home to make sure everything is in place for their official arrival. Instead, she finds the estate in disarray with a staff of servants who are somewhat less than helpful. Most of Sir Hubert's valuables are gone and Georgie wonders what Sir Hubert got her involved in. Meanwhile, Sir Hubert is out of town and unreachable. When a visitor to the estate mysteriously disappears, Georgie is sure something unscrupulous is going on. With help from her mother and grandfather, she decides to stick it out and get to the bottom of it all. However, danger seems to lurk at every step they take.

This is the 12th book in Her Royal Spyness series. Previously, I only read the short prequel to the series, which I enjoyed. I decided to take a chance with this one even though I didn’t read the previous 11 books. I’m so glad I did. I never felt as if I were lost at all. I admit, I do want read the books I missed in this series, but it didn’t ruin reading this one for me. I’m not usually a fan of historical fiction, but I had heard so much about this series that I just had to jump right in and give it a try.

The characters are well-developed, eccentric and a joy to read. I always enjoy books that are set in a mysterious mansion, so that was another plus for me. I immediately fell in love with Georgie. She’s a delightful character. Queenie, her maid, is another favorite of mine. I would have liked more appearances by Darcy, but I did enjoy what I saw so far.

The story itself is a clever mystery involving theft and dead bodies to the backdrop of weddings and all the craziness that goes along with planning one wedding, let alone three. While the story was a good one, it’s the characters that hooked me into this series. It's a charming series that keeps you guessing what Georgie will get herself into next. I can’t wait to dig into the backlist of this series.

The Royal Spyness mystery series is one that has been gifted and recommended to me more times than I can count. I literally have three copies of the first book from my mom because she keeps forgetting that she already recommended it to me.

So clearly it’s a book that people want me to read. I just haven’t thought about it when I am looking for something to read. I am no stranger to Rhys Bowen’s books though. She writes beautifully and I love reading her stand alone books!

Finally, after all this time, I picked up a Royal Spyness mystery…..about twelve books too late!

Georgie is finally able to plan for her wedding in the summer. It is going to be a summer of weddings: her mother is marrying Max, her German beau; Georgie’s grandfather is marrying his next door neighbor, Mrs. Huggins; and Darcy’s father is getting up the courage to ask the princess to marry him. Georgie is staying at the princess’s London house when she receives a letter from one of her mother’s former husbands, Sir Hubert Anstruther. Georgie is now his sole heir, and he’s offering her the use of his lovely country house. He suggests she move in right away to keep an eye on the place because all might not be well since his butler died.

Georgie talks this through with her husband-to-be, Darcy, who is off to Europe again, this time to Berlin. They decide that she will take Sir Hubert up on his offer. However, when Georgie arrives, it becomes clear that she is definitely not wanted in the house. Strange things are happening, including a lively ghost and a less than friendly reception from the new butler. When a body shows up, Georgie realizes that Sir Hubert’s invitation may not have been entirely altruistic and begins to wonder if she’ll even make it to her wedding day (summary from Goodreads).

So clearly I need to read the first twelve books! Georgie is smart, funny, and sassy. I love her! It’s very evident that this is a series and yes there are bits and pieces of the greater story that I am missing, but overall I think that Bowen does a good job giving readers a rough sketch when necessary and leaving us to focus on the plot at hand.

As someone who’s coming into this series eleven books behind, it’s a hard one to review. I loved all the twists and turns of this mystery with all the charming elements that make British mysteries what they are…..charming is literally the only word coming to mind right now.

There were little hints and tidbits of information that kept me reading and drove the story. I loved trying to apply the clues and figure things out. There were a host of other supporting characters that kept things interesting. I loved how well this story flowed. Having read some of the Molly Murphy mysteries, it is clear that mysteries are Bowen’s bread and butter, but this series in particular is where she shines. But yet it was hard for me to read this book, let alone review it, because I wanted to know all the little nuances of the larger plot. Basically, I needed those eleven other books!

Was it absolutely critical to this particular mystery that I read the other books? No I suppose not, but I liked Georgie so much and wanted to know how she ended up at this point. In essence—I wanted more back story because the character was so delightful.

I know I say this after every Bowen book I read but now I feel an absolute desire to read the first book in this series, I need more Georgie!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding(Her Royal Spyness #12) by Rhys Bowen

Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Expected publication: August 7th 2018 by Berkley
ASIN B077CNY4P9
Review copy provided by: publisher/author in exchange for an honest review
Recommendation: 4 out of 5

Genre: Historic fiction, mystery, cozy mystery

Memorable lines/quotes:

FOUR FUNERALS AND MAYBE A WEDDING by Rhys Bowen is set in 1930s England and is part of The Royal Spyness series. The main character is slightly flighty and ever impoverished Lady Georgiana Rannoch who is planning her July 1935 wedding to Darcy O'Mara. As part of the royal family, Lady Georgiana bows to the Queen's suggestion that the princesses (Elizabeth and Margaret) be bridesmaids. She is also lucky enough to be offered Eynsleigh, an estate of one of her mother’s former husbands, as a place to live. Forewarned that "all might not be as it should be" at Eynsleigh, she arrives to find a completely new staff who appear incompetent and insolent. Channeling her great grandmother Queen Victoria, Lady Georgiana attempts to put things right and is reinforced by the arrival of her mother, grandfather, and former maid, Queenie. Despite several attempts on her life and other suspicious activities, this cozy mystery is very light and diverting. FOUR FUNERALS AND MAYBE A WEDDING is a LibraryReads selection for August and received a starred review from Library Journal.

Links in live post:
http://libraryreads.org/august-2018-libraryreads/
https://treviansbookit.blogspot.com/2017/09/more-cozy-mysteries.html

3.5 stars

What a hoot of a story. Georgie is getting married to Darcy and neither of them has much money. When she is offered the chance to live at a grand estate she jumps at the chance. Little does she know what she is moving into.

The beginning of the book moved a little slow. I wasn’t sure where it was heading and was anxious for it to get there. Maybe because I wasn’t familiar with the characters since this was the first book in this series that I have read I missed out on some of the story but I do not feel that was the case. Anyways, once Georgie moved to the estate the story flew. I was excited to learn what new trouble she would find, what she would do next, and what her housemates a.k.a employees were going to do next.

Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is a great historical fiction. There is plenty of laughs, plenty of fun, and some history. I recommend picking up your own copy.

So I always enjoy the Royal Spyness books. I can always depend on them to be fun and light with a great 1930s and touches of royalty. However, for some reason this one really grabbed me and I was all in from page one! I think Georgie just feels a little bit more grown up and a little bit more comfortable in her own skin even when she's having a bit of a (very justified) meltdown. The mystery took a little while to get to but I was so caught up in the wedding planning and all the other life arranging that Georgie is in the middle of figuring out that I didn't even notice!

But the mystery - it was such a good one! I love a good country house upstairs/downstairs mystery and this had that in spades with hijinks and all kids of craziness. It had kind of an Agatha Christie feel but with a bit more humor. I found the pacing to be super fast without being rushed and this one was one of those books I found myself sneaking off to read "just a page or two".

This was such a quick read with all the fun I've come to expect from this series but with a mystery that surpassed my expectations.

Lady Georgiana cannot believe her good fortune. At last she’s going to marry Darcy! The invitations have been sent: at 2 pm, Saturday, 27th July, at The Church of the Immaculate Conception in Mayfair, she’ll wed the Honorable Darcy Byrne O’Mara. Georgiana is staying with her friend Princess Zou Zou at Eaton Square; the bride-to-be is ecstatic that there are only six weeks to go. Although things are going so smoothly that she’s worried she’s tempting fate.

It seems only yesterday that I fled from Castle Rannoch and arrived alone in London, penniless and without a friend in the world. But it’s actually going to happen in a few weeks’ time. Golly. Mrs. Darcy O’Mara. As Jane Bennett would say, “How shall I bear so much happiness?”

Georgiana was tempting fate, because things start to go south almost immediately. Her friend-designed wedding dress looks “like a long white tube with feathers”, her sister-in-law, the Duchess of Rannoch, doesn’t want to host her wedding reception, her mother is engaged to a German industrialist (with ties to the Nazi government), Queen Mary, her royal cousin, wants to invite every penniless royal to the nuptials, and, most concerning, she and Darcy are having abysmal luck in finding a future home.

But like Mr. Micawber, something does turn up. Her “globetrotting godfather” offers her a home, his “fully staffed country estate” Eynsleigh. Why doesn’t Georgiana spend the weeks before the wedding whipping it into shape? Particularly since someday she’ll inherit it. Brilliant suggestion, except the servants don’t want her there and they make that patently obvious. Where are all the old staff she remembers from her childhood? Why is she served wretched food when there’s a thriving kitchen garden? One of my favorite tropes is one fierce woman standing up to a band of miscreants (in this case, scoundrels pretending to be servants). Readers will have confidence that Lady Georgiana, channeling her indomitable great-grandmother, Queen Victoria, will prevail. If she doesn’t die in the attempt first. Her grandfather, a retired policeman, is worried about her; life-threatening accidents, sinister noises at night… wouldn’t she be better off talking to the local constabulary? Or better yet, wait for her fiancé to “sort things out”?

That was the last thing he should have said. Wait for the damsel to be rescued by the handsome prince? Darcy had had to rescue me from difficult situations before and I was very grateful to him. But I wanted to start this marriage as an equal partner, not as a helpless female needing to be protected.

Lady Georgiana is not a helpless damsel: she and her merry band of cohorts rescue themselves from the villains running a larcenous scam at Eynsleigh. Lady Georgiana really comes into her own in Rhys Bowen’s twelfth Her Royal Spyness mystery. It’s a fast-paced romp with serious undertones: let’s raise a glass to Lady Georgie and her handsome groom.

“Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding”, by Rhys Bowen is a witty and entertaining mystery. This is the twelve book in “A Royal Spyness Mystery” series. This is the only book that I have read and can be read as a stand-alone. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Mystery with a tad of Wit, Satire, and Romance. Poking fun at British Royalty, Rhys Bowen has provided an intriguing story.

The characters in this story are complex, complicated, and quirky. Lady Georgiana Rannock (Georgie) and Darcy O’Mara have scheduled their wedding for the summer. Georgie received a letter from one of her mother’s former husbands, and states that he is gifting her his estate to live in when she marries, and leaving a small space for him to reside in when he is home. He also mentions he would like Georgie to check on his house and make sure that everything seems fine. Darcy is away at his work.

Georgie heads to the estate only to find a Butler with rude manners, a cook that cannot cook and a maid that looks down on her work. Although Georgie starts to realize something is off, when someone leaves the gas on in her room. Other strange things start to happen that she realizes that she is in danger. Georgie has her Mother, and maid come to visit. Strange things, disappearances and bodies start showing up. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest reviews. I would recommend this for readers that enjoy a quirky British mystery.

Prince Harry and Megan Markle aren't the only ones having a royal wedding this summer. Lady Georgiana Rannoch is finally getting her happily ever after in Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding by Rhys Bowen.

I first met Lady Georgiana, or Georgia as she is known to friends, last summer when I read On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service (read my review). I have spent the ensuing year getting to know her more by reading through the series.

By the time I picked up this 12th book in the series, I was looking forward to the pending nuptials between Georgie and Darcy. Bowen has done a great job of building up to this moment and I'm glad she didn't draw it out any longer.

I really enjoyed this book. Having read the series over a relatively short period, I have seen just how much Georgie has grown up. She is no longer the girl living off of baked beans and toast; instead, she is managing a great house. And while she isn't being enlisted by the Queen, she still finds herself entangled in a deadly mystery.

I love seeing Georgie and Darcy together solving mysteries, but I think what I liked most about this book was Georgie solving the mystery on her own. She didn't need Darcy to rescue her.

I also love how life is coming together for Georgie and Darcy. The 1930s were not the most lucrative times and a lot of people found themselves struggling to survive. I'm sure it was very difficult for those used to luxury and not with a whole lot of skills. I liked that Darcy was stuck on holding on to tradition as a peer. And Georgie would really like to be independent, though family obligations forbid a lot of options to her. I do believe Georgia (and perhaps to some extent Darcy) were a bit shocked by how low they were financially when they went flat hunting. They knew they couldn't have afforded a great London home, but even I was shocked that they couldn't afford even a Mews cottage like Belinda's.

The mystery was fun, though slightly obvious. It allowed for time to see Georgie with her mother. Often her mother just breezes in and breezes back out or there are a lot of other main characters around so you just get the self-centered character. But here we see her in a bit more favorable light. I do get the feeling that she really does love her daughter.

Which brings up a point that I'm a bit confused about. Georgie didn't know her maternal grandfather growing up and her mother says something about being kept away from Georgie after divorcing the Duke of Rannoch (Georgie's father), but Georgie remembers spending time at Sir Hurbert Anstruther's estate when her mother was married to him. If she could live with a step-father, why couldn't she visit her grandfather?

While I did feel like Georgie was coming into her own in this book, I did roll my eyes as she once again questioned Darcy's faithfulness. How many times does she have to be proven wrong before she stops jumping to conclusions? If he keeps doing the job he has been doing, these situations are going to keep arising. Georgie needs to have faith.

And speaking of Darcy's future occupation. I would like to see Darcy and Georgie going into the spy business together. They make a good team and perhaps after this case, Darcy will see that Georgie is not a damsel in distress and they can be true partners. With the coming war, I think it would be fun to see them as spies together.

There is really no hint as to what the future really holds for these two. It looks like for now they aren't homeless or living in squalor. They might even be able to live a bit of the life they are accustomed to, but I don't think they are truly cut out for the quiet life.

Maybe the next book will be about the adventure they find while on their honeymoon - trouble seems to find them wherever they go.

Finally it looks like Lady Georgiana Rannoch and Darcy O'Mara are going to tie the knot. Of course it is not going to go smoothly. Georgiana finds herself in a very bad situation and the problems just keep coming. Then first her Mother and then he Grandfather find that their wedding have been called off. That was their bad news but the good news was that they both arrived to help Georgiana. This is another fun book in Her Royal Spyness Mystery series. Hope that there will be more after this one.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

There is something enormously appealing about the Royal Spyness series. Main character and very minor royal Lady Georgiana Rannoch is a unique heroine -- smart, innocent, stubborn and resourceful.

In this latest adventure, Georgie and her delectable Darcy are finally tying the knot. Wedding plans and complications add to the action as Georgie pre-inherits a house and sets out to get it ready for her and Darcy to move into after the wedding.

But something very strange is going on at Eynsleigh, her new residence. The owner, her former stepfather Hubert, is out of the county indefinitely, leaving supposedly carefully chosen servants to keep the estate running smoothly. But even Georgie, who has no great experience in being lady of the manor, can see that the staff is odd -- inexperienced and unwilling to perform any expected duties.

At the same time, both Georgie's mother and her grandfather also have wedding plans. But a death in the family changes her mother's course and she moves into the mansion with Georgie. They set out to discover what secrets the old house is hiding and what is going on below stairs. When yet another death occurs, they are joined by her grandfather.

These books are fun and full of charm. I found the plot in this one to be especially preposterous but it didn't matter a bit -- I still enjoyed every minute spent with Georgie, Darcy etc. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

This is yet another delightful installment in Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series. I always enjoy reading about Georgie and seeing what kind of trouble she's going to get into next! This mystery was very well done and had me guessing about what was really going on until the end. I also enjoyed getting to spend more time with secondary characters like Georgie's mother in this book and getting a glimpse of what Georgie and Darcy's life might be like in the future. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in this historical mystery series!

A great mystery in her wonderful elegant style. A poor relative who survives on the kindness of her royal family discovers inconsistencies in her new home that her ex step father has given her ab early inheritance. Things are not right and as she investigates those inconsistencies more secrets are uncovered.

An excellent edition to the series and comfort read. Georgie and her adventures continue to be an absolute delight.

Hang with me here: With a fast-approaching release date, this book was next up on my list of advance review copies from the publisher (via NetGalley) and I really needed to get it done. Problem was, one of my top 5 favorite New York Times best-selling mystery/thriller authors had a just-out book that was screaming my name. Oh well, I said - this one's not a 500-pager; I'll hurry through it and get on to the one I really want to read. Well, hurry through it I did - but the reason took an about-face a couple of chapters in. So engaging and entertaining are the characters and story here that I really, really got into it and, for the duration, totally forgot about that "other" book.

Golly.

Now that I've finished, in fact, I'm kicking myself for not finding this series earlier (this is, I believe, the 12th "Royal Spyness" novel). I call it a Royal Treat, and I'm already looking forward to the next one. The setting here is 1935, and series star, Lady Georgiana Rannoch, is in London trying to keep plans for her upcoming wedding to Darcy O'Mara from getting out of hand (the guest list, for instance, keeps growingm but offending royal relatives just wouldn't be proper, don't you know). Half the fun of the book, I hasten to add, is learning how people - rich and poor - lived and interacted way back then.

Early on, Georgie happens upon a reason to be doubtful of her beloved Darcy's faithfulness - and apparently, she has no real idea what he does for a living - but she stalwartly carries on (I guess proper ladies don't ask too many questions). But Darcy makes so few appearances in the book that about all I can discern is that besides being gone much of the time he's dapper, hunky and can charm the socks off of anyone who comes near.

But as Georgie soon learns, there's many a slip between the bridal cup and the lip. Not only must she deal with the fast-approaching wedding details, she must attend the wedding of her mother's father to a woman who's said to be a cruel and awful woman. And then there's Georgie's mother; she's planning to marry a German who's well connected to the Nazis. As if that weren't enough to bring on the vapors, where on earth will Georgie and Darcy live once they're married? Since Darcy isn't around enough to put in an opinion, that decision, too, is left to Georgie.

The matter is happily settled when the out-of-the-country first husband of Georgie's mother offers his home, an enormous estate called Eynsleigh. Or so Georgie thinks - until she moves in to get the house in order. Right away, she must deal with the hired help, who not only don't seem to know their places, but they can't perform their duties responsibly and - lordie - clearly aren't happy that a lady of the manor has settled in to make their lives miserable.

From there on, it could be called utter chaos; the staff still can't, or won't, do their jobs (and how can one possibly survive when the proper accoutrements don't accompany high tea?), monkey wrenches get thrown at a couple of the upcoming weddings and at least one dead body turns up. Georgie's mother's decision to move in doesn't seem to help much; in fact, the two ladies soon learn that they may be facing danger far greater than losing a satin shoe in the mud.

But everything gets worked out in the end, although not necessarily to all the characters' satisfaction. I, however, was totally satisfied with this delightful book. More, please!

I always love these books. The little details of real people mixed in with the fictional people really helps bring to the life the time period these books take place in. It will be interesting to see how this series continues as it gets closer to WWII and the mother's relationship with the German gentleman, if they continue after this latest volume.

Georgie is back, this time planning her wedding as both her mother and grandfather are planning theirs. She’s dealing with wedding dress drama, her royal relatives inviting themselves, and Darcy’s (usual) absence when she receives a welcome invitation from Sir Hubert, one of her mother’s ex-husbands. Sir Hubert always had been fond of Georgie, and in fact had made her his heir, and he invites her to take residence permanently on his estate. Georgie had very fond memories of her time there and is eager to accept. Only when she arrives, things are not quite as she remembers. Sir Hubert has been away for years climbing mountains around the world, and his estate has fallen into disuse with only a handful of servants who are new. Georgie quickly discerns that, even beyond the neglect, all is not well.

The story brings together some favorite characters, including Georgie’s mother and grandfather, Queenie (who surprisingly has become a good cook), and other friends and family who all want to make sure Georgie makes it to her own nuptuals intact. Darcy makes only a few appearances, but those are the important ones. <spoiler>Honestly, I’d have enjoyed seeing a bit more of Darcy. When he did arrive at a key dangerous moment, I was a bit surprised that he was so reticent to deal with the bad guys. One would think that his work, presumably as a spy, would make him quite competent (and armed) for dealing with danger. Still, his main concern had to be Georgie’s safety.</spoiler> The ending leaves us with perhaps a slightly new direction for the series. I hope that Darcy can and will share a bit more of his secret life with Georgie and that she grows in confidence to truly be a partner to him in all matters. That would be fun to read.

I have been a fan of Her Royal Sypness for several years. I love reading Georgie's crazy escapades, and trying to solve they crimes along with her. I'm always a bit nervous when an author writes a really long series, since they sometimes can get dry or repetitive. I'm so glad that's not what happened in Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding! Georgie was just as crazy, just as unlucky and just as poor as always. I thought Georgie really came into her own in this book, finally getting the chance to use all the things she learned at her fancy girls' school. But, of course, she did it in typical Georgie fashion--with plenty of mistakes and mishaps along the way!
The same cast of characters returns again, and they're just as lovable as ever. Some of my favorite scenes involve Georgie's visits with the king and queen, and scenes with her mother are a hoot. As always, I wish there had been more Darcy, but then, I always want more Darcy!
The adventure continues for Georgie in this latest installment, and you'll find yourself hoping she really does make it to the altar. Georgianna and her friends are always great for a laugh, and a great mystery, and that's still the case in Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding!