Cover: “[A] rollicking series…A grand period piece and a light hearted and completely diverting mystery.” THE DENVER POST
It’s 1930s London, and “feisty new heroine”* Lady Georgiana - thirty-forth in line to the throne – has a lot of her plate, but little in her cupboards, in this national bestseller…*[Jacqueline Winspear]

Baked beans and boiled eggs. That’s what my houseguest, the Bavarian princess, will have to eat if I don’t get help post-haste. The Queen of England has requested I entertain said princess, placing her in the playboy princes path, in the hopes he might finally marry. But queens never consider money, of course while I have little. And which is why I moonlight as a maid-in-disguise. My plans:

1) Clean house in manner of palace.
2) Blackmail brother, Binky, into sending a few quid.
3) Unteach Princess Hanni English from gangster movie – lest she address the queen as “old broad.”
4) Keep an eye on princess at parties, where she drinks like a fish. Then there’s the matter of the body in the bookshop and Hanni’s unwitting involvement with the communist party. It’s enough to drive a girl mad…

“Enchanting. Fans will welcome the return of this spunky heroine.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A ROYAL PAIN (Royal Spyness #2) by RHYS BOWEN (2008) ISBN: 9780425228722 (USA Mass Mkt PB) Publisher: Berkley Mystery, Penguin Group.

NB - Thu 02 March 2017 - Here’s a place marker to remind me this goes to Cassandra2020 next – then onto Flutterbies9!

2nd of a Royal Spyness series which I read shortly after the first and happily I was rather more impressed than I had been after completion of the first, Her Royal Spyness. Both getting the hang of the tone now and also do feel this was rather more skilfully put together. In fact, that seemed clearest on reflection as I by then knew the narrative moved from light farce through to a situation heralding dire danger and finished shockingly with bloodied corpses! Keeping the momentum while moving from one unlikely situation to another even more so takes just the right touch and Bowen managed the fine balancing neatly while in the process providing what seemed a meatier plot than in the first volume.

On completing volume 1 I thought I’d more likely be avidly chasing other book series before I specifically tracked down more of the Royal Spyness series. However, I must add subsequent to reading book 2 which I found more diverting and provided the sliver of darkness missing from the first I want to add a reminder note to my files about placing the rest of this series to my wish-list!
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Today is the Edinburgh BookCrossers Xmas Bash at The Filmhouse and this book is being passed to BookCrosser Cassandra2020 there. I hope this amusesyou Cassandra2020 then you’ll be sure to pass this onto Flutterbies9 when it’s convenient for you both. Cheers rainbow3

Thank you for saving this for me. I'll be sure to pass on after I've read it.

A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen - OK

I started reading a biography of Muriel Spark and whilst it is well written and interesting, it is also scholarly and weighty (in both senses of the word) and I needed something light to read alongside for respite!

This provided it admirably. Light fluffy nonsense, it is modern vintage crime i.e. set in the 1930s but written now. Lady Georgiana has once more got herself mixed up in murder and sets about solving the crime herself.

Perfect companion reading.

Bringing to Old Gang Meetup to pass to Lynn to pass to her sister

Posted on

Although this book is registered at www.bookcrossing.com, you don't have to be a member. It's perfectly OK to just take the book and enjoy it. Of course, if you can visit the website and let us know that you've picked it up, that would be even better - you don't even have to join, you can add your comments anonymously - you can also post your review when you've read it, then return it or pass it on to someone else.

If you do join Bookcrossing, you'll be able to see what happens to it afterwards - for ever!

Oops, I patently forgot to journal this when it arrived! Apologies, my head is all over the place still, and I'm on white rabbit time too!

Thanks for sending this through, I was trying to read these in series so most welcome as it is the one I should be reading next and I'm almost completed the Book Club book for this month leaving some book space for a new volume (hence why I picked it up tonight and realised I had not journaled it).

Well, although I picked it up in August, I did not read it until now as I wanted a light hearted read of fun after my Book Club book and another I had just finished. This fitted the bill well.

A light and fluffy read indeed with some really magical farcical moments interspersed with many "how could you live with your head that much in the clouds" ones! I've read the first two now and have book four in my possession but I am not sure whether I will add these to my "series to follow" list as enjoyable light read moments in time or do I really want to add another author series to those I am already stuck in series on?

Meanwhile, this will go on available - though I may have a more long tern plan for it. Who knows?

A wishlist book release for Secret Santa. Hope you enjoy.

Happy travels little book.

Thank you for a lovely Secret Santa package, I love it all. It was kind of you to send a wishlist book, I'm looking forward to reading it but as my TBR pile is massive it may take me a while to get to it.

A fun, quick and easy read, just what I needed atthe moment. I will be on the lookout for the next in the series.

Going into the Already Crossed Book Box.

Received this in the already bookcrossed book box.
Leaving it in the box :)

Taken from the "Already Crossed" Bookbox

On it's way to a Bookcrosser whose book supply needs topping up.

Thank you very much, plum, for the wonderful box of books and goodies the postman brought me. The Christmas card is on the door where we display them and the two wrapped surprises are under the Christmas tree. Yes, we've already decorated the house this year, started on the 1st, far, far earlier than we normally would . . . but it's not been a normal year - and we all need all the colour and light we can get as the days get darker and more wintry!

This looks like the sort of easy, lightweight mystery that I enjoy - unless it's one that's too silly and annoying, with such an irritating protagonist that I throw it across the room unfinished . . . only thrown metaphorically, of course! Time will tell which, there's no predicting in advance when it's an author I don't know! * Thanks for sending it :-)

* 23.9.22 ETA: Apparently I was lying as I find I read Evans Above back in 2010!

It's all very silly - and surprisingly entertaining! I don't suppose I'll make a habit of it, doubt I'll seek out more in the series, although I wouldn't turn it away if another one crossed my path unexpectedly . . .

Christmas Greetings to my friend and neighbour Blower :-)

From my friend and neighbour Nu-Knees just before Christmas.
This looked like a fun read and one not to be taken too seriously.
This was a lighthearted mystery set in 1930s society London.
Enjoyable read.