Above the Bay of Angels was a disappointing Rhys Bowen book. Parts of this book were slow and then very rushed. This was not get usual smooth flowing novel.

This was ..: not my favorite. There was too much setting up and not enough mystery. Everything about the actual plot felt rushed because 75% was background.

Rhys Bowen is a master storyteller, and this book is a great story that moves along at a nice clip. A young woman takes advantage of a rare opportunity to work in the kitchen of Buckingham Palace during Queen Victoria's reign. She ends up traveling to Nice, France with the Queen as a cook and pastry chef.

The background of this book was well researched, and the details of life in a royal kitchen were interesting. The information on what people ate at that time was fascinating as well. The characters were well developed. However, the plot strained the bounds of credulity at many points in this book. The initial premise - the main character takes an invitation to interview at the Palace from a dead girl's hand after the girl is hit by a but - is a bit much. At the end of the book, our heroine is just a bit too clever for believability as well. Overall, however, I enjoyed this book, and it was great light reading.

Thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Never having read any by this Author I was intrigued by the title but afraid to say not the best book for me

This book was absolutely ludicrous. The situations that “Helen” got into and the private audiences she had would NEVER have happened! The writing was perfectly fine but not good.

I have read a few of the Molly Murphy and Royal Spyness stories and have really enjoyed them.

This story never really got going for me and I had to admit I gave up on this as it never seemed to get going.

This will appeal to Rhys Bowen’s die-hard fans but this wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Rhys Bowen's series books and this is the first standalone of hers that I have read. I was impressed and will definitely be looking forward to her next work of historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for a chance to review this novel by Rhys Bowen. This is my honest review.
I am long time fan of Rhys Bowen. I have read and enjoyed almost all of her backlist so I was excited to see a new entry of hers in historical fiction. Above the Bay of Angels tells the tale of Isabella Waverly, a girl who was forced into being a servant because her father died. At the being of the novel, Isabella comes across an accident. A girl is dying and she stays with her so she is not alone at death. This shows how compassionate Isabella is. However, she then decides that her best opportunity going forward is to pretend to be someone else. She enters the service of Queen Victoria as an undercook.
I loved the parts of the book which showed how the cooks worked during Victorian times. The descriptions of the types of meals and the different foods were well researched.
I was not a fan of the overall story of Isabella. It seemed rather soap-operaish and rather outlandish. Everyone who she mets in her new role is charmed by her. She is even capable of figuring out who is responsible for a sudden death that she is suspected of. I found the ending pat.
I have given it 3 stars. Overall, it is well-written. Lots of people will find it more enjoyable than I did. I will continue to read and enjoy Rhys Bowen's work.

I'm already a fan of R. Bowen's Molly Murphy mystery series..... so this book is a bit of a different 'flavor'.... I'd say it's a bit more of a historical drama, with a little bit of a mystery thrown in. I did enjoy the factual historical aspects weaved in the story, & the 'Author's Note' at the end explaining the real history......& there was quite a bit of that all along though out the book. It's a good look into a slice of that later period of Queen Victoria's reign. If you're a fan of PBS's Masterpiece Theater 'Victoria', you'll probably enjoy this book! A light, easy, quick read.
I received this e-ARC from Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley, in exchange for the opportunity to read it & offer my own fair & honest review.

This book had it all! Historical fiction based in London during Queen Victoria's rule. Bella ,the main character, has many things go wrong in her life, but the one thing she always remembers from her dad is Carpe Diem ( sieze the day), and she does just that. From being made to serve others to finding herself as the only female cook for the Queen, Bella makes the most of every chance she gets.

This book has everything I enjoy in a book, a little bit of history, love, sadness, mystery and redemption! I really enjoyed it, and will be reading this authors backlist now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake
Union Publishing for a copy of this ebook for my honest review.

A weak four - not my favorite Bowen. Though I love the details and the well-researched time period, parts of this lagged for me. Perhaps I was expecting a little more suspense?

Above the Bay of Angels is true women's fiction, with romance a minor sub-theme. It is about a young woman making her way in the world, making choices, finding her passion. The historical background is provided in relevant detail. Definitely a good read.

** spoiler alert ** I received an unedited copy for this honest review.

Ms. Bowen has done it again!
A fascinating read from beginning to end!
The cooking detail and well researched royal details surrounding Queen Victoria’s court was impeccable!
An entertaining plot with a touch of who done it!
A piece of history I was unaware but the exquisite detail drew me right into the Hotel Regina Excelsior and beautiful Nice!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an ARC of this novel for a fair review.

If you are familiar with Rhys Bowen’s books, then you know that her heroines are usually down-on-her-luck upper class/minor royals with a knack for detective work. Bella, the main character in this novel, is no different. Bella is the oldest daughter of the youngest son of an Earl. Her father was in the Army in India but her mother couldn’t handle the climate and he was forced back to Englan. There he worked managing clubs-not the best job for the son of an Earl, but it paid the bills and educated his daughters, for awhile, until he forces Bella to go work as a servant to pay for her own upkeep. After her mother dies, her father turns more and more to drinking, and well, you can see where this is going. Bella actually doesn’t mind working in the kitchen, helping prepare meals, it’s the other things, like hauling coal that she doesn’t like. The problem is she really doesn’t like her employer, who she sees as a mere tradesman acting above her rank. She desperately wants to leave, but when the employer finds out, she threatens to not give her a reference, which would make it impossible to secure employment. Until one day, when Bella is out enjoying her day off, and seizes the opportunity to take someone else’s identity and apply for a position as an under cook at the palace.

At the palace, Bella, whose new name is now Helen, enjoys the freedom she has, the friends she makes, and the things she is learning in the kitchen and soon becomes the pastry chef’s apprentice. Without retelling the entire story, after a series of events, some of the staff are chosen to accompany the Queen and some of her family to Nice, France fir a vacation, and Helen née Bella is one. And this is where the deceive work comes in, and a little side romance, because Ms. Bowen also likes to add romance to her novels. So here is Helen, a young, beautiful girl exploring a new country and new foods surrounded by all these young men both in the kitchen and out, and she soon has more than one suites knocking on her door to take her on walks. There is also intrigue inside the Queen’s inner circle as she continues to matchmake and pair her grandchildren up with the various heads of state across Europe, some not so happy about it. Soon there is a murder, and when Scotland Yard arrives to investigate, Helen is questioned and asked for her particulars...date and place of birth, which of course she doesn’t know. Now panicked, she wonders what will happen? Will she be found out and thrown in prison? Of course there are rouges and dastardly men hindering her along the way.

Not as comedic as “Her Royal Spyness” series, but good fun. The plot never slowed down.

Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.

Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.

Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.
Amazon.com

Above The Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen is set in London and Nice during the last years of Queen Victoria’s reign. It is one era I know little about so reading the book was a learning experience, which I’ve now come to expect when reading Rhys’s books. It’s not just the big milestones, but the minutia of daily life that fascinates.

Rhys creates another memorable character in Isabella Waverly (aka Helen Barton). Isabella must adjust from peerage class to working class status after her father loses his job due to his drinking and her mother dies. Although her father didn’t inherit a title, he and his children were educated and of the peerage class. Put into servitude to help upkeep her little sister, Isabella puts her feelings aside to do her best in a bad situation. Given the opportunity, Isabella excels in Queen Victoria’s kitchen.
When I read the royal menus loaded with calories, it was no wonder few British people lived past 50 in 1900.

The book is also a study of contrasts. Isabella is a woman of little power and status working for a queen who rules much of the world.

Please welcome Rhys Bowen back to WWK. E. B. Davis

I’ve read most of your books. Is this the first one set during Queen Victoria’s era? Was the research motivation to write the book?
RHYS: The motivation came from a previous visit to Nice. I was up on a hill and saw an enormous white building. I asked a gardener if it was a hotel. He said, “No, madame, it was built for your queen.” Did he mean Queen Elizabeth? I asked. “No, madame. Queen Victoria.”
That was the first time I learned that Queen Victoria had spent her later years visiting the Riviera every winter. A hotel was built for her. She came with her entire household (including her bedroom furniture). This was something I had to write about so I started doing more in- depth research both through reading and in the library in Nice.







Before the social changes brought about by WWI and WWII, women had little power, especially in England where the class system was entrenched. Isabella is a study of grace under pressure. Was this a common situation, one in which impoverished gentry ended up in the working class?

RHYS: Usually an impoverished girl of the upper class would end up as a companion or, if educated, a governess. But Bella is so young that the only position open to her was that of household servant.

After women married, it was expected they would stay at home, one rationalization for not providing training for women in the workplace. How did women in the lower classes survive when they married without jobs? Their spouses didn’t make much money.

RHYS: Until recently most households could exist on the salary of the husband. Food and lodging were affordable. Even the poorer families had a roast on Sunday. If the wife wanted to help out with money (or if the husband drank away his paycheck, which sometimes happened) she could take in laundry, do someone’s ironing or mind someone’s children. There were plenty of factories where women also worked.

I’ve never thought of Queen Victoria as being progressive. Did she push for positions for women in the workplace?

RHYS: She was divided on such matters. In some ways progressive, as in cleaner standards for water and labor laws for children. But she also felt that women should defer to their husbands, or at least be guided by them, as she was by Albert. She probably felt that women shouldn’t have to work.

I loved Lady Mary Crozier. Would she later become a suffragette?

RHYS: I don’t think she would actively demonstrate. She was too much in love with her husband to want to embarrass him.

Isabella had problems transitioning to her lowered status. Louisa, Isabella’s little sister, doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, although she isn’t in servitude. Louisa decides to marry into trade. Isabella isn’t happy, yet can’t fault Louisa because her future in-laws are wealthy. Was Louisa more practically minded or did she not appreciate her former gentrified status?

RHYS: Louisa was younger, so probably didn’t remember her father at a time when he behaved like a true aristocrat. And she is less intelligent/ambitious. I presume also that she has fallen in love with this boy and love blurs all boundaries of class.

When Louisa offers a place in her household for Isabella so she will not have to work, why did Isabella turn her down?

RHYS: She was definitely tempted, especially when it is pointed out to her that she could resume her education. But I think it was pride, not wanting to be beholden to a younger sister, or to a family she considers lower down the social scale. But also, it was the realization that she loved to cook and she has a chance to make strides in her new career. If she had still been with her horrible employer, she would have accepted!

I was a bit confused about meals. Did they eat breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner, too?

RHYS: Oh yes. They ate and ate. Full breakfast, kidneys, bacon, eggs, fish, etc. and for the royals also lamb chops and more. Then all those courses for lunch. Sandwiches, cakes, scones for tea and then a full banquet of food for dinner. If you saw how fat Queen Victoria became you would understand where all that food went!

The elaborate meals with many courses couldn’t have been healthy. But during that era, wasn’t being plump a status statement of wealth?

RHYS: They liked a girl with some meat on her, as they put it. But also remember that houses were very cold. They burned calories keeping warm, and they took a lot of exercise. Think of Jane Austen. Those women walked into town and back, several miles. The aristocrats would go riding, hunting, dancing.

Although Isabella gets her position in the Royal kitchen through false pretenses, how does she earn her way to Nice?

RHYS: Through a stroke of luck! The pastry chef injures his leg and cannot travel. She is the assistant pastry chef and also the only one who speaks French so they have to take her.

At one point, the Queen’s doctor asks the cooking staff to reduce the calories of the Queen’s meals because she was having difficulty walking. Was this solely due to her being too heavy, or did she have gout and a congestive heart condition?

RHYS: I don’t think she had a heart condition. She was so heavy that her legs would no longer support her. She might well have had gout, or diabetes.

What were chilblains? Do people still get them?

RHYS: They were red inflamed sore places on fingers and toes. I have never seen them personally but the generation older than I spoke about them. Apparently, you got them from sitting too close to the fire, although that might be an old wives’ tale.

Bayer Heroin? When was this product outlawed?

RHYS: Oh, you would be amazed at what products were readily available: cocaine in children’s drinks, arsenic in various medications, and the newly invented heroin—more refined and better for you than opium! It was marketed as good for coughs! I’ve no idea when it was outlawed.

Helena, Queen Victoria’s daughter, was addicted to heroin, but she lived 77 years. Did she remain addicted throughout her life?

RHYS: I’m not sure. She also took cocaine.

When did “Cordon Bleu” become common terminology?

RHYS: The term was first used in 1827. The Cordon Bleu cooking school in 1896.

I was surprised Isabella didn’t encounter more prejudice and sexism in a kitchen led by male chefs. Is there honor among chefs?

RHYS: In the royal kitchen it was known that Queen Victoria wanted her. Therefore, it was up to the staff to accept her. The male yeoman cooks ignore her and she is assigned to the female cook. In the French kitchen the male chefs probably think this is some kind of English peculiarity. However, when they see that she knows how to cook, they accept her. The food is the most important thing!

Why did Queen Victoria become close with Abdul Karim and why did this alarm those near to her?

RHYS: He was sent over as a gift from India, to be a table servant. She was always attracted by the exotic and by handsome young men, so gradually he wormed his way into her affections.
He claimed to be the son of an army surgeon when in reality his father was only an orderly. He claimed to be an educated man when he wasn’t. The queen became dependent on him, because she had recently lost John Brown who bossed her around, I believe. She liked a man telling her what to do.
Unfortunately, this man was not only objectionable but dangerous. He was close friends with the head of the Muslim League—actively working to expel the British from India. Victoria used to have him in the room while she went through the confidential government papers. There were many attempts made to get rid of him.

Queen Victoria was the last British monarch of the House of Hanover. What does that mean? She had children.

RHYS: She was actually a Saxe-Coburg because she was married to Albert. At the outbreak of WW1 there was much anti-German feeling in Britain and her grandson, King George, changed the family name to the House of Windsor to sound more British.

Obviously, the Queen no longer arranges marriages for her children. But back then Queen Victoria did, and the motive was to increase political allies—often by relations marrying relations—resulting in hemophilia. When did arranged marriages stop? Was hemophilia a factor in stopping this practice?

RHYS: The lack of suitable monarchies stopped it. Germany became a republic. France was a republic. Russia murdered its Tsar. But to a certain extent, royal marriages have still to be arranged. Charles was told that Diana was suitable, not Camilla. The queen was attracted to Prince Phillip and then a match was arranged between them. Harry is the first to marry a commoner.

Why is Jean-Paul Lepin impressed by Isabella?

RHYS: Physical attraction, then her feisty nature, then her ability to cook.

"Above the Bay of Angels" was very typical of a Rhys Bowen book--an enlightened girl with big dreams, a fascinating historical setting, and a pinch of mystery. I enjoyed this book as I've enjoyed all of Bowen's books, but I did find it a bit less suspenseful than many of her others.

This book follows the adventures of Bella Waverley, lady-turned-servant, who takes a position in Queen Victoria's kitchen after stealing the identity of a deceased girl named Helen Barton. Bella travels with the queen's convoy to France where she works in the kitchen preparing pastries and solving crimes in her spare time.

I loved the story of Bella/Helen figuring out her dreams and what she wants to be and the challenging relationships that came with that, but I found the main plot line lacking in suspense. Was it about her fear of discovery? The accusations of murder against her? It was a little hard to find the main plot point and thus the suspense was less than stellar. A good read though, and I'm glad I read it!

Bella has fallen about as far down the British social ladder as she can go. Her once aristocratic father has fallen on hard times, in large part because of his fondness for the bottle. Her mother is dead, and to support her father and sister, she goes to work as a maid. A terrible job with no prospects for the future, until she happens upon a dying woman and a chance to improve her lot in life. She pretends to be Helen Barton, the dead girl and becomes employed at Buckingham Palace. A definite step up, but one fraught with risk in case her fraud is discovered.
Bella is pulled into a murder mystery when she becomes a suspect. Desperate for her true identity not to become public knowledge, she knows she must unmask the real killer.
A cozy mystery with a well-written historical backdrop. I thoroughly enjoyed Above the Bay of Angels and was Team Bella all the way! This was my first Rhys Bowen's book and it was a lovely change of pace from my October spooky reads. I will read more of her books.
I received a DRC from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley.

I always look forward to a new Rhys Bowen title. I've read several of her series and enjoy the historical as well as mystery aspects of her books. Unfortunately I was disappointed in Above the Bay of Angels. In keeping with its food aspects, it was more of a light bon bon than a more substantial solid cake. Most of the story is about the "downstairs" life in the British royal household. It's fun reading but not much substance. The mystery appears only in the last part of the book, as if it were a last minute thought.
It's a quick snack, but not very filling.

Slice of History with a Dash of Suspense

When her aristocratic father lapses into alcoholism, Bella Waverly must forget about school and go into service to support her family. Motherless and without any practical training, she finds herself at the very bottom of Britain's social ladder. As a scullery maid, she lugs coal up multiple flights of stairs all day and collapses into a dreamless sleep at night. Though she gradually works her way up to assistant baker she doesn't see much of a future for herself. Then one day she witnesses an ominbus run into a young woman and rushes to her aid. The dying woman shoves a letter into Bella's hand and in a moment everything changes. The letter, as it turns out, is an offer of employment at Buckingham Palace—as an undercook for Queen Victoria. Bella ignores her misgivings about impersonating a dead woman and grabs at the chance to make a better life for herself. But, as always, such choices come with risks.

Above the Bay of Angels is the first Rhys Bowen novel I've read and it's the sort of cozy mystery I enjoy. The historical backdrop kept me engaged and I especially liked Bowen's decision to set part of the novel at the Hotel Regina, which was built for Queen Victoria's vacations in Nice. As a baker, I loved the descriptions of the queen's kitchens and the pastries Bella prepares (this was actually why I chose to read the book). Bella's character is a likeable, spirited cozy mystery heroine and the supporting characters, particularly the historical figures, were well sketched, for the most part. Bowen captures Victoria's strong, intelligent, independent character, as well as her son Edward's tendency to seduce every woman he encountered. There is even a cameo of Sarah Bernhardt, the famous French actress who was Edward's mistress at one point. I also appreciated the upstairs/downstairs mood that persisted throughout the book; as a down-on-her-luck aristocrat, Bella is caught between two very different worlds and must ultimately decide which one she wants to commit to. Does she want an easy life of luxury or should she pursue her passion for cooking?

There is one drawback to the novel—the “mystery” aspect is definitely not the plot's driving force. While the story begins with an intriguing mix-up, the suspense is put on the back burner (pun intended?) until the second half of the book. The murder occurs quickly and is resolved just as rapidly, so if you're looking for an edge-of-your-seat page-turner, this probably isn't the Bowen novel to start with. On the other hand, if you're in the mood for a light, charming read that depicts a little known historical vignette, this might be the book for you. It reminds me of the vintage postcards I collect—quaint yet vivid, with just a tinge of the enigmatic.

Much thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four Stars

Preorder on Amazon

I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rhys Bowen‘s new book drops February 2020 and, if you‘re a fan of Queen Victoria and all things Victorian, you may enjoy this novel about a young gentlewoman, Isabella, who falls on hard times. After a distressing period as a scullery maid, discovers that she loves to cook.

Assuming a false identity, Bella ends up cooking for the royal household and travels to the Ancien Regina Hotel in Nice with Queen Victoria's retinue. A murder mystery is rushed through at the very end which, in my opinion, did not improve the book and stretched credulity. There is plenty of melodramatic tension about whether Bella's true identity will be discovered and which man (and fate) she will choose. Fans know that Bowen has the ability as a writer to be wickedly funny and to venture beyond mere tropes, but in this novel, she doesn't.

Not as funny as the “Her Royal Spyness” series and lacking the depth of “On Fairleigh Field,” this is still an enjoyable light read.