A Royal Pain

Super. There’s a lot to keep track of. I like that these stories don’t skip around.

There are a lot of books in this series, and this is only book one. It was good enough that I’ve ordered book 2, but the writing is a bit sketchy. Not much meat in the story. If book two is better, I might continue the series.I really like to find a detective that I can follow through a series. I admit that I’m hard to please, but I have over a dozen such detectives that I love enough to own every book in the series. So we’ll see.

This is the second book in a new, charming cozy mystery series by the author, and it is a winner. This is a charming, funny look at life among the upper crust in 1930s England, as seen through the eyes of Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, known as Georgie to those near and dear. Her grandmother was one of Queen Victoria's daughters, making Georgie thirty-fourth in line to the throne.Georgie is definitely a thoroughly modern Millie, who has left her family's manor home in Scotland for a sojourn in her family's New Hyde Park London townhouse, where she will fend for herself. While there, she meets old acquaintances, makes new friends, and continues to feel romantic stirrings for an irresistible and handsome Irish peer. Unfortunately, she is flat broke, as her brother, Binky, cut off her allowance due to a reversal of fortune. So, Georgie is without servants, virtually penniless, and unable to obtain even the bare necessities.So, what is a girl to do, especially a royal who is not supposed to work? Well, what Georgie does is sure to set tongues wagging were members of her set to find out, and it would certainly get the Queen in a tizzy were she to discover Georgie's occupation and means of support. After all, it is not every day that a member of the nobility works as a maid.In between cleaning jobs, Georgie is summoned to the palace by the Queen, who is going to host the beautiful and young Bavarian Princess Hannelore, whom the Queen hopes will distract her son, the Prince of Wales, from the dreadful and very married Wallis Simpson. The Queen asks Georgie if she would do her the favor of entertaining and chaperoning the Princess in her home. Unable to say no, after all, who would dare say no to the Queen, Georgie agrees. What Georgie does to ensure that no one knows of her dire circumstances is quite funny. It also turns out that Princess Hannelore turns out to be somewhat of a handful and not at all what Georgie expected. When dead bodies start popping up and become a recurring nightmare, however, Georgie is put to the test to discover just what is going on.As with all cozy mysteries, it is the lives of the characters that propel the story forward. While the mystery is intriguing, it is merely the framework around which the characters evolve. The combination of some history with mystery, as well as a touch of romance and lots of humor, is irresistible. Set within the social mores of the time, all the characters, both downstairs and upstairs, manage to add to the ambience of the book. Those who enjoy cozy British mysteries will find this one to be an entertaining and humorous romp.

Lady Georgiana Rannoch's credentials are quite impressive: Cousin to the King, 34th in line to the throne...and part-time cleaning lady. Like many members of the aristocracy in pre-WWII England, Georgie is flat broke and trying to make it on her own in London, so she takes the occasional discreet cleaning job to make ends meet.When a beautiful young German princess pays an official visit, the Queen asks Georgie to play hostess/chaperone. The Queen would like nothing better than to distract the Prince of Wales from his relationship with that "awful Simpson person" and hopes that Georgie can help to make sure that the two cross paths. Unfortunately for Georgie, her budget does not lend itself to entertaining of any kind - never mind a princess and her traveling companions! But one doesn't say "no" to the Queen, and with a little subterfuge and some help from her grandfather, Georgie manages to pull it off.But something is odd about the young princess and soon enough the two young women are involved with two untimely deaths, and Georgie finds herself in the middle of a bit of political intrigue...and murder.I don't know whether it was the excellent movie, The King's Speech, or all the hoopla over this year's royal wedding, but I really had the urge to read something set in this time period involving the royal family. I had read the first in this series ( Her Royal Spyness: A Royal Spyness Mystery  ) last year, and while I thought it was cute, I really had no intention of continuing on with the series. Boy am I glad that I changed my mind! This was a lot of fun. Georgie's first person narrative is charming and quite funny and the period details are just so engaging. I love the fictional royal gossip about the Prince and Mrs. Simpson, and the glimpse of the often odd social mores of the aristocracy is entertaining. I also liked the way the character of Darcy O'Mara, Georgie's love interest, is developed in this installment.And the mystery? Well, this is a "cozy" after all and the mystery is not going to keep you up at night. It is plausible enough though, and the wonderful characters and charming domestic details make for an entertaining read.No strong language or sexual content. This is the second entry in the series and I would recommend reading them in order.

Well. A threat to the royal family and Georgie must spy on Mrs Simpson who has designs in the heir to the throne. Funny to see it lay out in this story when you know he really married her IRL. Georgie wonders about Darcy …

tried this book on the advice of my better half (wife).. this series in IMHO is brilliant, the danger is I'm on the internet within a couple of hours after finishing buying the next one in the series. not good for the completion of my 'jobs'.griping from the first couple of pages, witty, leaves you reading into the wee small hours before you (I) can put it down.GREAT READ.

I thoroughly enjoyed this second adventure!The plot was well constructed, with so many twists and turns that I read the book in a couple of long sittings. I eagerly await the next!

Poor girl is lumbered by the queen, determined to separate her son David from Mrs Simpson. The bait - a young pretty Bavarian princess. But things start going wrong almost immediately and the body count rises. The plot is somewhat contrived but if you accept the basic premise the storyline is true to itself.

A great read , full of period interest lots of twists and turns. The main character was credible and likable i would certainly recommend it to my friends

5+++++