Revenge, Served Royal by Celeste Connally is the third in the Lady Petra Inquires series. Set in the Regency era, this delightfully fun story features Petra and her aristocratic friends and employees. As Petra works to solve the untimely death of a famous cook and cookbook author, there are also royal balls, a fete at the castle with all sorts of entertainment, and a Great British Bake Off type of contest.

The mystery is a good one with a lot of red herrings, and I think it could be put together from the clues that are scattered throughout. The characters are well done, many hiding things beneath their outward countenance. Petra is especially fun since she is allowed to be headstrong, smart, and talented in an era when this was not necessarily condoned in public.

Those that enjoy light historically-set mysteries should enjoy this. Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for this entertaining, free, eARC.

The book taking place in Windsor Castle was something fun and different as you get to see Lady Petra in a new setting without her home turf advantage and get to hear tidbits about the royal family (accurate or not, I don't know, it was still something novel). The setting is a week long festival in Windsor Castle with lots of events and competitions (including a dessert contest that Petra is judging even though her own cook is one of the contestants).

Other than that, it had components of a locked room mystery which is always fun and I did not figure out the solution until it was revealed. The new setting and lots of characters altogether helped make this book feel different from the other two in the series which can often be difficult with a third book (or movie, season, etc).

This book starts off a little slow, but once it finds its stride, it’s a such a fun blend of royal history, murder mystery.

I really enjoyed the mix of real historical figures, grand castle settings, and the patisserie contest that serves as the centerpiece of the plot. Lady Petra is such a strong, independent heroine, clearly ahead of her time. Admittedly, some of her modern attitudes, self-defense training, and even her wardrobe alterations felt a bit unrealistic for the period, but honestly, I didn’t mind much. She’s bold, clever, and resourceful - the kind of woman I’d love to meet in real life.

The mystery kept me guessing, especially with its tangled threads of royal secrets, poisoned tea, and a wrongly accused valet. The pacing picks up nicely after the initial setup, and by the time the murderer is unmasked, the reveal is both clever and satisfying. I especially loved the portrayal of Queen Charlotte and the way the competition brought extra tension and charm to the story.

This is a well-written, entertaining historical cozy with a delightful cast, plenty of intrigue, and a mouthwatering dash of pastry magic. I’ll be happy to follow Lady Petra on her next adventure.

My copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Minotaur Books for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My first time to pick up this series thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books. A cozy mystery with a likeable heroine set in an interesting time period.
The inclusion of a British baking competition really caught my eye on this one. Great for fans of the famous show.
Lady Petra’s cook is entered in the contest and she will be one of the aristocrats judging. A murder occurs and Lady Petra’s maids brother is quickly imprisoned. Of course she will try to solve the crime along with her friends. The murdered man is the former chef to the royal family and a cookbook author. (Paul Hollywood vibes?)
The premise was great but I found the execution chaotic. So many characters, a very disjointed investigation.
I would have liked more description to bring the setting alive. The setting and time period did very much interest me.
I was somewhat shocked by the British justice system and how it was bypassed by the royals a little shocking. Definitely a period drama. Oddly I found Colonel Wolston to be one of my favorite characters by book’s end.
I did like Lady Petra as a strong and independent female figure clearly ahead of her times. Just not sure how realistic that her attitudes and demeanor were for the time period. All in all the historical aspects seemed a bit mixed - more modern alongside more regressive.

A week at a royal court! What a wonderous idea! And all the activities keep everyone going around the clock. Throw in a murder, and you have the perfect week. Well, until it seems the murderer has directed his/her eyes toward you.
Let me start by saying that this book is the third in a series. I have not read the first so. That didn't stop me from enjoying the read. The author gave enough background where needed so that I didn't have to miss out on anything crucial. It only made me want to go read the other two as soon as possible. 
The setting is mostly in the palace of King George III and Queen Charlotte with tons of lords and ladies moving in and out. The main characters include the Queen and the Prince Reagent as well as the main characters in the series. So there are quite a few players the reader has to keep track of, but the author does a great job in helping the reader do that with descriptions that are detailed and vivid as well as not usually having them all in the same place at the same time. 
The main characters are very intriguing. That is why I want to read the other books. Lady Petra would have fared well in our modern times as she has an independent streak and isn't afraid to stand up for herself as others. Her actions are very modern for the time-period as she learns self-defense moves and even alters her clothes to allow herself a freer range of movement as she moves about solving crime. I would love to meet this woman! She understands the world around her and finds a way to make her way through it without compromising her own beliefs. 
Did I figure it out? Not really. I had ideas, but I was in the dark as much as Lady Petra. But the ride there was fun. A read that will have you only wanting more.

Readers will be happy to see Lady Petra back, investigating murders in this third book of the series. Fans of Bridgerton and other regency-era romances will particularly like this. Lady Petra's cook is chosen to participate in a baking competition at Queen Charlotte's upcoming celebration, and everyone is very excited. Petra accompanies her, and upon arriving, they happen upon a murder. Then, it becomes clear that some poisoned tea was clearly meant for Petra, but found another victim instead. Petra must use all her wits in this super entertaining story. I look forward to recommending it.

Storyline was fine and the characters ok but the conversations were too much “Downton Abbey “ like for my taste.

It is a hot summer day that demands indoor activities and this book has kept me occupied and entertained to the — nth degree. I loved the characters, the suspense, and particularly enjoyed the very satisfying patisserie competition that our heroine’s cook participated in at Buckingham Palace.

Light historical mysteries can occasionally try too hard to be amusing, or clever, but this book had just the right amount of “ smarts,” of heart, and of daring-do to keep me both interested and entertained. I loved it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book.
I quite enjoyed this mystery. Set in 1815, lady Petra serves as a judge for a baking competition. This is the perfect backdrop for a murder mystery. I’ve read this as a standalone since I didn’t read the 2 previous books in the series. I did find that I was lacking a bit of information so I would recommend reading the other books before. However, I really liked lady Petra, she is smart and determined. The story was engaging and reveal was satisfactory! Overall, I’d recommend this book.

This book started off somewhat slow, in my opinion, and I was not sure if I would like it as much as I did the earlier books in this series. However, in the end, I found the story quite enjoyable. There are plenty of surprises, with potential "villains" turning out to be decent people, and seemingly "decent" people turning out to be "rotten." The ultimate villain is both surprising but yet not surprising. The Prince Regent (Prinny) and numerous other high society individuals have potentially scandalous behavior in their pasts that they want to keep hidden, and the desire to guard their secrets will result in some rather questionable, if not downright heinous, behavior. However, Lady Petra, with her "impertinent" behavior and the assistance of her family, friends, and new allies, will unravel the mystery before anyone else joins former royal chef Sir Rufus in death.

I appreciated the afterword, where the author explained the inspiration for certain plot devices and revealed that Chef Carême was an actual renowned French chef who worked for Prinny for a while.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The mystery was engaging and kept me guessing. I love the characters and they keep getting better with every new book in the series! A must read for historical fiction and cozy fans!

A Regency romance, disguised as a mystery. Third in the series of Lady Petra Inquires.
Lady Petra is a very independent young woman who makes no bones about not wanting to marry and is very open about her current love, Duncan. She and many other aristocrats head to Windsor Castle for a week, and where Lady Petra will be one of the judges at a patisserie competition, with her very own head cook as one of the contestants. There will, of course, be royal balls and physical contests and scholarly presentations.

Sir Rufus, who was Petra's family's chef when Petra was a young child, will also be one of the judges. Agreeing to meet with him early one morning, Petra arrives at the library only to find him strangled with a black silk ribbon, and a valet attempting to remove the ribbon - or finish the job, Petra isn't sure which. The castle guards believe it to be an open and shut case - the valet murdered him, and he is thrown in the castle prison. Lady Petra isn't so sure, and she sets out to investigate. Unusual for her time, Lady Petra carries a knife and a set of lock picks and knows how to use both, which serve her well as the story unfolds.

The third book in the series, and I feel that the books do need to be read in order to fully understand who is who. Lady Petra and her cook are off to Windsor Castle for a bake off competition, with Petra as a judge. The usual cast of characters are all invited, as well as a few new ones. There is a murder (of course!), and Petra sets out to determine who the real killer is, as Annie's (her lady's maid) brother, is accused and put into the dungeon. Speculations, twists and turns, poison and some drama. Well written, the story pulls the reader in. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series! Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Connally, and St Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of, Revenge, Served Royal, by Celeste Connally, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Its fall in 1815 at Windsor Castle, Lady Petra is excited to be at the castle, until she has a mystery to solve, someone has been murdered, and Lady Petra was almost poisoned. This was a nice royal mystery, I enjoyed it.

I've fallen in love with this series. Lady Petra is a forward-thinking lady that follows her heart and still attempts to follow the societal rules.

It is clear that the author researched the background of not only the time, but she also included recipes/foods of the time as well as ideas from current day competitions. It was a fun read but wasn't my favorite. I'm not sure why I didn't love it like I did the two previous books. It might be that there was so much going on. I enjoyed the whodunnit plot. One thing I really love about these books is the explanation of everything. Everything is explained really well without seeming like it is being explained.

This book fits so many people and I recommend you try it.
It is an easy and fun read. The main character - Lady Petra - is so much fun.
I don't enjoy romance books but love this series because Lady Petra has a brain and uses it.

I enjoyed this latest in the series far more than the sophomore effort. In the previous book, Lady Petra was behaving like a whiny, petulant child and in this one she is acting like the smart lady that she is. Told over the series of a few days while she is serving as a judge for the Queen's patisserie contest at Windsor Castle, Lady Petra is the star of the show. While her lover, Duncan, and friends, Caroline, Lottie and Frances, are also in attendance and assist her in her investigations into the murder of retired royal chef, Sir Rufus, Lady Petra takes center stage and the book is more successful for it. Highly recommend for those who love regency era romances and for those who like cozy mysteries.

Lady Petra and her entourage are off to Windsor Castle so she can be one of the judges in a royal event of a patisserie contest plus the usual assortment of balls and more. Suddenly it appears as if one of the judges was witnessed being strangled by the man who was his own servant and that it was the servant's own sister who believed that she witnessed him doing the murder. Oddly, when Petra reported it, she was told that he had recently told the royals that he was dying of a cancer. That did not stop her from carrying out her investigation to find the truth. The story is peppered with humor and mouth-watering descriptions of the food being prepared. This one is even better than the last!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books via NetGalley. ***** #review #preorders
#RevengeServedRoyal by @celesteconnallyauthor #LadyPetraInquiresBk3 @minotaur_books #NetGalley @stmartinspress Pub date 11/11/2025 #goodreads #bookbub #storygraph #librarything
#royalintrigue #regencyromance #historicalmystery #series #patisseriecontest #bookshop_org #bookshop_org_uk @indiebookstoresca #windsorcastle #fun #snarky

This third mystery in the Lady Petra Inquires series finds our intrepid heroine investigating murder in the midst of a week of royal celebrations held at Windsor Castle. The highlight of the week is a patisserie contest designed to find England's best baker. Petra is delighted to be acting as a judge for the contest until one of her fellow judges is found murdered. What follows is a multi-faceted plot involving blackmail, secrets and revenge. Lady Petra must decide which of the many possible suspects most wished to kill a man who was not the beloved figure she remembers from her childhood.

This book is well written, with a cast of interesting characters. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of Queen Charlotte. The baking contest provides a fun framework for the action, and the conclusion and unveiling of the murderer is both clever and satisfying.

I have read the first book of this series but not the second. This didn't affect my enjoyment of this installment, and I think it would work just fine as a stand-alone mystery.

Fans of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell and Tasha Alexander's Lady Emily mysteries should find this enjoyable.

If you enjoyed the Great British Bake-Off, you will love this book for the food descriptions. Lady Petra is such a fun and feisty character and the Windsor Castle setting was fantastic. Plus there is romance and murder. It was suspenseful with lots of twists and turns,

This was a good read! I loved the women in this book and their cleverness. It will always take a woman to unravel secrets and solve mysteries!!

It was a slow burn, but I liked the way the author connected all the characters and how everything came together at the end.

Lady Petra was a badass!!! I absolutely loved everything about this character. She had charisma, intelligence, and beauty. Not to mention, she was witty and knew self-defense. She kicked butt!!!

This is a 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin's Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.