A Royal Pain (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #2)

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A Royal Pain (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries #2)

by Rhys Bowen (Goodreads Author)

3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 · rating details · 3,252 ratings · 377 reviews

Another hilarious mystery featuring penniless aristocrat Lady Georgie, ?a feisty new heroine to delight a legion of Anglophile readers? (Jacqueline Winspear).
The Queen of England has concocted a plan in which Georgie is to entertain a Bavarian princess? and conveniently place her in the playboy Prince's path, in the hopes that he might finally marry.
But queens never ta...more

Hardcover, 320 pages

Published July 1st 2008 by Berkley Hardcover

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Nov 18, 2012 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, audiobook-review

I simply loved this second installment of the continuing adventures of Lady Georgiana. I found much of it hilarious and on audio it is a scream! It really comes through with Hanni's German accent and her "gangster-speak." Katherine Hellgren, the narrator does a great job, as usual, with all the accents, it makes it so much fun to listen to. I think it really enhances all of it, especially the voices of all the males with their 1930's cant, like Gussie and poor Tubby. It really makes me feel like...more

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Sep 05, 2008 Christa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

I enjoyed this second novel about Lady Georgianna "Georgie" Rannoch. Even though it is a mystery that has several murders, overall, it is lighthearted and fun. I like the character of Georgie, and her misadventures are a delight to read.

Lady Georgianna Rannoch, thirty-fourth in line for the British throne, is summoned to tea by the queen. This is never a good omen for Georgie. When she is received by the queen, she is asked to entertain a young, German princess as her houseguest. Georgie, knowi...more I enjoyed this second novel about Lady Georgianna "Georgie" Rannoch. Even though it is a mystery that has several murders, overall, it is lighthearted and fun. I like the character of Georgie, and her misadventures are a delight to read.

Lady Georgianna Rannoch, thirty-fourth in line for the British throne, is summoned to tea by the queen. This is never a good omen for Georgie. When she is received by the queen, she is asked to entertain a young, German princess as her houseguest. Georgie, knowing she can't refuse the queen, agrees, but is faced with numerous problems in having a visitor. Since her family is almost destitute, Georgie's allowance has been cut off. Georgie has been living alone in her family's London home with no servants, and most of the rooms are closed up. She has no money, so she eats baked beans. She is at a loss as to how she will find servants and food, but she puts her mind to it and comes up with a plan. Georgie asks her grandfather and his neighbor to help out by pretending to be her butler and her cook. She talks her brother, Binky, into sending a small amount of money for food and a maid by threatening to bring the German princess to Scotland to be his houseguest.

When the princess, Hannelore "Hanni" arrives, Georgie's life becomes even more complicated. The princess insists on using unseemly American euphemisms when she speaks, and is much too interested in gangsters. Georgie has her work cut out trying to keep the princess in line. The princess shoplifts, chases numerous young men, and acts decidedly improper on most occasions. Georgie thinks she already has her hands full, but then the bodies start to pile up. Within a week, Georgie sees one person fall to his death in what appears to be an accident, finds one young man stabbed to death, and has to deal with the loss of the princess' companion from an apparent heart attack. As Georgie discovers some political motivations that make the deaths seem too coincidental, she tries to tie the events together. All the while, she is watching Darcy O'Mara, a destitute young man that she has a secret attachment to, as he seems to bask in Princess Hanni's attentions.

Lady Georgianna Rannoch is a great character. She is a young, twenty-one year old member of the royal family who is independent enough to live on her own and secretly moonlight as a maid who opens up houses before their owners arrive. She fears being sent to the country as a lady in waiting to an elder member of the royal family and knows she is in danger of being married off to a prince that she loathes. Georgie manages to find murder and mayhem wherever she goes, but she is intelligent enough to keep her cool and solve the problems she encounters. I hope that her story will continue with future books.(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 lia rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

We meet again with Lady Georgie, the penniless royals, the 34th in line and currently living it up alone in big bad London.

After brilliantly saving his brother Binky from the noose on the first book, Binky is back to Scotland and Georgie is back to her penniless self and restarting scrubbing the floor as a hired maid.

But yet again, Her Majesty the Queen ask for Georgie's help regarding her son David, Prince of Wales and the American hag, Mrs. Wallis Simpson. The Queen want to entice David to a...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Jaylia3 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the second in the A Royal Spyness Mystery series, and it’s just as fun and entertaining as the first. Lady Georgiana is a great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and thirty fourth in line to the throne, but almost totally broke, so to afford the wardrobe and lifestyle expected of a royal she periodically hires herself out as a maid—incognito, of course. This time around her life is complicated by Queen Mary’s request that Georgie host a young and beautiful but hard to handle Bavarian princ...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Kathy Davie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: funny, history, mystery

Second in the Her Royal Spyness mystery series set in the start of the Depression in London and revolving around the Lady Victoria Georgiana "Georgie" Charlotte Eugenie of Glen Garry and Rannoch, 34th from the throne and poorer than a church mouse.

The Story
Lady Georgie is still working her job as the sole employee, the maid, in her new business, Coronet Domestics, and it certainly is a chore trying to keep her head down when people she knows book her and she needs to avoid them realizing who she...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the "Royal Spyness" series. This one again features Lady Georgiana ("Georgie") a minor British royal as a reluctant sleuth in the 1930s. Georgie is living in her family's London house alone - she can't afford servants and her brother has cut off her allowance. The Queen summons her to ask her to entertain a German princess who she is hoping will take her son's attention away from his infatuation with that American woman (Wallis Simpson). Georgie enlists her maternal gr...more

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Sep 27, 2011 Susan Jane McLeod rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Saturday, June 11, 1932
Diary,
German princess arrives today. Sense impending doom."
But what actually ensues is another madcap adventure for the charming Lady Georgiana Rannoch. Tasked by the Queen to entertain the decidedly odd princess, Georgie must do so while struggling to make a living and keep up appearances. Being a minor royal does not, alas, come with the funds necessary to do either. And Georgie also has an unfortunate habit of stumbling across dead bodies and dark plots, complicatin...more "Saturday, June 11, 1932
Diary,
German princess arrives today. Sense impending doom."
But what actually ensues is another madcap adventure for the charming Lady Georgiana Rannoch. Tasked by the Queen to entertain the decidedly odd princess, Georgie must do so while struggling to make a living and keep up appearances. Being a minor royal does not, alas, come with the funds necessary to do either. And Georgie also has an unfortunate habit of stumbling across dead bodies and dark plots, complicating her life even further. But she gets by with a lot of help from her friends, the man-hungry Belinda and the "unreliable rogue" Darcy O'Mara, who describes himself as her "guardian angel." Her sweet and solid ex-copper granddad and his redoubtable neighbor, Mrs. Huggins, also lend a hand as Georgie copes with the princess, a chaotic personal life, and the mysteries and murders around her.
Rhys Bowen's prose positively sparkles. I found myself reading sentences over again just for the sheer pleasure of the words. The book is both fun and funny, and while it may be classified as a "cozy", it doesn't ignore the real world. Soup kitchens, ordinary people dealing with privation, and blackshirts clashing with communists are mixed in with the often frivolous lifestyles of the upper crust. It is interesting to me to see Georgie's awareness of class disparity being challenged. I would like to see this developed in the future. I also long to know more about the intriguing Mr. O'Mara-there is a tantalizing twist to his character in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Bowen's Constable Evans series, but I think I may have to take my heart out of his hands and give it to the delectable Darcy!
I loved this book. After all, I met Noel Coward, the King and Queen of England, the ghastly Wallis Simpson, and a colorful array of fictional characters. I can definitely see these books as a television series. They remind me of P.G. Wodehouse but they have an element of Dorothy Sayers as well, especially Clouds of Witness and Murder Must Advertise. Anyone who can evoke those two writers is a must-read in my book!
(less)

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May 15, 2011 Hannah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, cozy-mystery, historical-mystery

Rhys Bowen's A Royal Pain, the follow up to Her Royal Spyness, is as good if not better than the first book! I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end, and even have the dark eye circles to show for it. I simply could not put it down.

We meet Georgie again, who's still dealing rather matter-of-factly with her penniless existence and is as humorous and witty as ever. To make her life worse (and amuse us further), the Queen's decided that visiting Princess Hannelore (Hanni) of Bavaria should...more Rhys Bowen's A Royal Pain, the follow up to Her Royal Spyness, is as good if not better than the first book! I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end, and even have the dark eye circles to show for it. I simply could not put it down.

We meet Georgie again, who's still dealing rather matter-of-factly with her penniless existence and is as humorous and witty as ever. To make her life worse (and amuse us further), the Queen's decided that visiting Princess Hannelore (Hanni) of Bavaria should stay with Georgie for an undetermined length of time, and this princess is not only boy-mad, but has a shoplifting habit. Along the way, we get a lot more Darcy, more Granddad and meet a whole host of interesting new characters.

Despite my love for the first book, I winced a bit at the thought of this dreaded royal pain, Princess Hanni, taking up a great deal of time in this second one. It's very hard to like a brat! Imagine my relief when I realized she might have her annoying sides, but she's impossible not to like. Without leaving any spoilers, I must say that Hanni gets increasingly interesting as her role in the bigger picture is revealed.

Another positive result of Hanni's appearance is that Darcy and Georgie's previously stalled relationship has been kicked into gear again upped a notch! A Royal Pain reveals a great deal more about Darcy's mysterious background and hints that his "guardian angel" habit of being there whenever Georgie needs him has much deeper implications than just coincidence or a show of his interest in her. Despite Georgie's insecurity, Darcy clearly cares deeply for her. I can't wait to see more developments in the next book.

Like in Her Royal Spyness, the murder mystery is set into motion reasonably early on, but only really takes center stage in the latter third of the book. However, unlike other cozy mysteries where I might complain that other unnecessary events take too much time, there's no such problem here. One of the greatest strength in this series is the character building; we have a whole host of incredibly vivid and colourful main and supporting characters, and it is so much fun to see their interpersonal relationships in play and learn more about their past - particularly the scandalous ones! Frankly, I so enjoyed taking part in Georgie's high-class world and social engagements that I didn't even notice she hadn't begun real investigating yet.

All in all, A Royal Pain was spiffing good fun. It's too bad the next installment takes Georgie back to Castle Rannoch, because having Granddad there to aid her investigation really spiced it up. But who cares, when there's (hopefully) more Darcy? Onto the third book!(less)

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Mar 12, 2011 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction

Where I got the book: bought retail at an author event.

A Royal Pain is the second in the Royal Spyness series, set in the 1930s and starring Lady Georgiana, who is 34th in line to the British throne and thus has access to the Palace and the upper echelons of society.

Unfortunately, Georgie is flat broke but can't reveal the fact due to her social position, so she sneaks around London doing cleaning jobs for money. When the Queen orders her to take in a young German princess for a while, Georgie h...more

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Oct 18, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

This a good follow-up to Her Royal Spyness. Funnier and laden with more mystery in the latter part of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book that I didn't even notice I had read it so swiftly even if I had been travelling. I just kept turning the pages, laughing out loud (sometimes suppressing my laughter because I'm in a crowded place) at the antics, adventures, and misadventures of Lady Georgina, the 34th in line to the British throne, still penniless and hungry. The humor is very Br...more

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Mar 28, 2010 Gail rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a daughter of a duke and great grand daughter of Queen Victoria, there are certain expectations of a young lady 34th in line for the crown. One is that she conduct herself appropriately to her rank and the other is that she live in a style that represents her family and her station. The latter is difficult because her cash strapped brother has cut off her allowance, hoping to make this 22 year old find a rich husband. Instead she starts a cleaning business for the upper class based on her gro...more

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Oct 26, 2009 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-list, mystery

A nice chitter chattery read, just right for a gloomy October day. Lady Georgiana (Georgie to her friends), is Maisie Dobbs light, which makes for interesting comparisons - London between the wars? check; older relative from the lower classes warming protagnonist's heart and serving tea and hearty soup? check; independent young woman raised in an upper class environment trying to make a go of earning a living? check; flighty friends from school who are really salt of the earth supporters? check....more

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Dec 29, 2010 Debbie Maskus rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy the humor, sarcasm, and smugness of this series of England in the 1930's. In this episode, Georgie has been commanded by the Queen to chaperone and entertain a Bavarian Princess. The Queen hopes that her son David, The Prince of Wales, will fall for the Princess and leave his married mistress. Money seems to be the root of evil and problems for Georgie, since Georgie is penniless. In the course of this caper, a man falls to his death while Georgie watches, a Communist follower is stabbed...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Ruby Scarlett rated it 3 of 5 stars

The plot is really interesting yet handled terribly. I had a lot of moral issues with this book which really prevented me from enjoying most of it. Here are some of them:

- 'If you're going to be raped, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.' I don't even know where to begin with that one. Georgiana is almost raped in this book yet ends up praising the young man telling eveyone he's harmless. It's a really shocking scene and the author has absolutely no problem with it. She's rescued by - who e...more

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Jun 24, 2012 M. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humorous-mysteries, murder-mysteries

This was my first encounter with Lady Georgianna Rannoch. She's 34th in line to the throne of England back in the 1930s. That is not as glamorous as it sounds...the 1930s were also the time of the Great Depression, which had its effect across the pond as well.

Lady Georgianna moonlights as a maid (not in her name and not when anyone else is around, if she can help it), but every now and then her royal duties come calling. For example, when the Queen summons her to Buckingham Palace to host a visi...more

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Mar 23, 2012 Babs rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-cozy

Okay, I was all ready to say that this was it - I'm not continuing with this series. However, I was not done with the book. I was about 92% done when I was ready to throw in the towel: then the last 7% hooked me again. Oh my god - I'm hooked by the heroine's potential romance and love interest. I can't believe it. The woman who professes to not really like romances.

Frankly, much of the book was tedious. Its supposed to be humorous, that Georgie, thirty-four in line to the throne on England, is...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, humor, mystery, read-in-2011, romance

"A Royal Pain" is the second in the Lady Georgiana series by Rhys Bowen. In this one, set in Depression era London, Georgie's house cleaning business isn't going that well but she is scraping by, living alone in Rannoch House and eating baked beans and toast. One day she is summoned to Buck House by Queen Mary. It seems the Queen is very concerned about her son David's inappropriate attachment to "that awful American woman", Wallis Simpson, and has decided to try to entice him to a more suitable...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Ellen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I admit it. The exploits of not-so-well-off Georgie and her "set" are winning me over with whimsy and charm. The penchant of the upper crust to give themselves ridiculous nicknames is a hoot and the returning characters are welcoming. In this edition, Georgie is getting comfortable with her secret life as a domestic, trying to scratch together a life of some independence, albeit secretly. Things are not so simple, however, when the queen, or H.M. as she is affectionately called by the royals...more

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Oct 26, 2011 Lori McD rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 1930s, cozy-mystery, chick-lit, british-lit, fun-fluff, pseudo-mystery, romance, 2011_read, favorite-author

Quite a fun romp of a cozy mystery, set in the early 1930s in London, pre-WWII... Lady Georgie is trying to be independent, but it's tough being 34th in line for the throne without an income or even an allowance. She's decided to stay in London sans maid or help to get away from her annoying sister-in-law Fig. But to make some extra cash, Georgie's set up a service to open houses for English gentry -- just a bit of dusting and light housework.

Except, Her Majesty (Queen May), aka HM, has asked Ge...more Quite a fun romp of a cozy mystery, set in the early 1930s in London, pre-WWII... Lady Georgie is trying to be independent, but it's tough being 34th in line for the throne without an income or even an allowance. She's decided to stay in London sans maid or help to get away from her annoying sister-in-law Fig. But to make some extra cash, Georgie's set up a service to open houses for English gentry -- just a bit of dusting and light housework.

Except, Her Majesty (Queen May), aka HM, has asked Georgie to chaperone the Princess Hannelore from the Bavarian royalty lineage and a distant cousin. HM is concerned that the Prince of Wales is far too interested in an old, sour American woman (Wallis Simpson) and not doing his duty to marry and settle into his role as future king. So HM thinks that the 18 year old, virginal Princess Hanni who was raised in a convent is just the ticket to get the Prince of Wales' attention. Except that Princess Hanni is more than a handful. And even after getting her non-royal Cockney grandfather and his good neighbor Mrs. 'uggins to serve as butler and cook, Georgie has her hands full. Especially since she and the princess seem to continually being mixed up with deaths -- the unfortunate death of gentry who drunkenly tumbled from a balcony at a party, the cute socialist-communist that Hanni insisted on visiting in the East End, and now the owner of the bookshop where the cute socialist-communist worked at.

Thank goodness that Darcy O'Mara seems to be close enough at hand to save Georgie and Hanni from too much publicity and too much danger. Or is he? Just who is behind all of these deaths? Is it a communist or fascist conspiracy against the English throne?

One of the more fun and funny books in the series (yes, I read them out of order by mistake).

Sure wish Darcy and Georgie would figure out what they've got and get on with it all ready. Although I must say, I don't quite like the cavalier attitude that Georgie's mother and friend Belinda take towards sex and casual affairs. Not being a prude by any means, it just seems that they're both trying to force Georgie into giving away her virginity... for what? Neither her mother nor her friend are that happy, despite having clothes and men and parties galore. They both seem empty and shallow. And while they add splash and color to the stories, I almost wish neither were around much. Except when Georgie's mother says something oh so sweetly cutting to Wallis Simpson; that makes her presence much more bearable!(less)

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Apr 30, 2013 Marie Claude rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: agatha-awards

Georgie is one of Queen Victoria's great-grand-daughter and 34th in line for the throne. But like a lot of aristocrats, she has the title but no money. So when the Queen asks her help to match the Prince of Whales with the young princess of Bavaria who is visiting, Georgie, as everybody, cannot say no. The problem is, the young princess, just out of a convent, is a little out of control and the prince is a lot more interested in Mrs Simpson. And naturally, death is once again on Georgie's path.

G...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-suspense, modern-historical-fiction

This second book in the "Her Royal Spyness" series was every bit as light and fun as the first. It's hard to call these stories anything but fluff, but the mystery in this one (though still not very challenging) had more depth and was more intriguing than the one in Book #1. As for the supporting cast brought in for this one, I have to say that Bowen hit the mark! Hanni, the grim baroness, and Mrs. 'uggins were all hilarious. They really gave the story a certain sparkle, though it is Georgie who...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Ren rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, historical, mystery, read-in-2013

My main issue with is the love interest who keeps popping out at convenient times to rescue the protagonist or to offer her a sympathetic shoulder. It was tolerable in the first book but now it's just ridiculous, there's no suspense at all because every time Georgie is upset and/or afraid and/or attacked by the killer, why, just wait for Darcy to appear. He'll whisk her away, set her heart aflutter and then conveniently disappear for another couple of chapters. In fact, at the end I was left wit...more

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Jan 10, 2011 MJ rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: liked-it, mystery

Lady Georgina 34th in line for the throne of England is still hanging in there cleaning the houses of her peers of course in disguise. Now the Queen of England wants her to host a German Princess in the hopes that her playboy son will be interested in her. But Georgie is penniless and has no servants how can she possibly complete this task...by blackmailing her brother Binky to send money and talking her non-royal Grandfather and his neighbor into playing butler and cook. Unfortunately Georgie a...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Shiela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, cozy, female-protagonist, humour, mystery

Better than the first in the series.

Lady Georgiana Rannoch is back and her financial situation is as dire as ever. However, a summons from the Queen puts her secret house cleaning business on the back burner as she is asked to host and chaperone a young Bavarian princess the Queen is hoping to pair with her son. But fatal "accidents" start plaguing our heiress and Georgie soon finds herself in the midst of another mystery that has political implications.

It's the characters that make this serie...more

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Aug 03, 2009 Deb rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books-read

Lady Georgianna is cousin to King George V, great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and 34th in line to the throne. She's also just about penniless and runs Coronet Cleaning Services to earn a living. She is the only employee of her company and she attempts to provide her aristocratic clients good service while avoiding recognition. This is book #2 in the series that started with "Her Royal Spyness". In this installment, Queen Mary has persuaded Lady Georgianna to chaperone a Bavarian princess an...more

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May 17, 2012 Gerry rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lady Georgiana Rannoch presents us with a pleasant romp through 1930s London when she is detailed to entertain a Bavarian princess by Her Majesty the Queen.

Not particularly keen on her duty, she engages her grandfather and his lady friend as butler and maid in her London flat. The Bavarian brings with her a companion, not well liked, and a German-speaking maid, even less well liked.

They attend social functions aplenty and it is there that the first misfortune befalls them. Another follows when t...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Pamela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Something is rotten in the House of Rannoch. Perhaps it is Georgie's finances, which, despite her moonlighting as a posh house cleaner, are pretty near rock bottom. Perhaps it is the visiting Bavarian princess, whom Georgie is saddled with by the queen despite her lack of funds, staff, and culinary know-how beyond boiled eggs on toast. Perhaps it is the Princess Hannelore's propensity to speak English culled from American gangster movies--"Please do not call Her Majesty a doll, babe, or broad"--...more Something is rotten in the House of Rannoch. Perhaps it is Georgie's finances, which, despite her moonlighting as a posh house cleaner, are pretty near rock bottom. Perhaps it is the visiting Bavarian princess, whom Georgie is saddled with by the queen despite her lack of funds, staff, and culinary know-how beyond boiled eggs on toast. Perhaps it is the Princess Hannelore's propensity to speak English culled from American gangster movies--"Please do not call Her Majesty a doll, babe, or broad"--use a five finger discount at Harrods, consort with communists, and, when not chugging cocktails, canoodling with boys and stumbling into cocaine binges at parties, make no effort to do her royal duty and usurp the Prince of Wales's affections from tacky Wallis Simpson. Perhaps it is the Honorable(?) Darcy O'Mara, who has resurfaced at the Savoy with a glamorous brunette on his arm. Or perhaps it is the aptly named Baroness Rottenmeister, Hanni's dour chaperon who only stops berating Georgie about the substandard state of her accommodations, entertainment, and everything else to eat Georgie out of house and home, which she does at great gastronomical sacrifice.

But no, all of these woes fade in comparison to the rather impressive number of bodies that seem to be falling all around Georgie and her royal houseguest. First a suspicious accident at a party, then a stabbing at a bookshop, and now Scotland Yard is knocking on the door asking for the definition of "coincidence." What's making a stink is Murder Most Foul.

So it's once more unto the breach for Georgie when the Queen asks her if she can't just quietly solve the crime(s) on her own and avoid the fuss of a major international incident. What's one more item on an already bursting to-do list? Joining her are her trusty ex-bobby grandfather, kindly masquerading as her butler during the princess's stay, her fast and loose friend Belinda, and the enigmatic Darcy, who has a talent for appearing at just the right time. One starts to wonder, as Georgie does, if it's just the luck of the Irish or if Darcy hasn't got a bit of 007 in him?

I enjoyed Georgie's second adventure, though not quite as much as I did her first. The mystery component was well-developed and well-paced. While I didn't guess precisely whodunit until the very end, I had my general suspicions fairly early on. I like the fact that, like the reader, Georgie is an amateur so that she goes through the paces with us. Bowen does a good job with misdirection, putting out several pieces of information that don't quite fit until we adjust our focus or thinking just a bit, and then click they all fall into place. Her tone is also, again, expert, with perfect Wodehousian diction. I love her characters and characterizations and wish that I, too, could run with the smart London set (except I'd rather not attend parties where murder is on the menu) and sit down for some tea and sympathy with Georgie and her grandad. Where this fell a bit short for me, however, was in the comedy department. These books are as much social farces as they are romantic mysteries and the first installment, Her Royal Spyness offered an endless variety of punchlines as Georgie tried for the first time ever to cope with living (and living it up) on her own. The punchline in A Royal Pain, however, was more often than not centered around Princess Hanni's American gangster English/appalling manners and, after the first 20 times, the joke started to get a little old. When the focus shifted to other characters--awful Wallis Simpson, for example--the laughs came frequently enough to provoke stares from my fellow Ann Arbor Transit riders.

Verdict: not quite as delightful as the first book in the series but it was still jolly fun. On to Royal Flush! (less)

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Apr 12, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Oh my goodness. Everything the narrator touches turns to gold!

I got this book on a lark for an Audible sale, knowing I needed something funny and entertaining and that I could trust the narrator to do a good job. Plus, though the first book wasn't spectacular, it wasn't bad either. This book is much of the same--the parts that irk me still make me want to facepalm, the parts that I loved I still loved in this one. I think the series' strength is in its characters, and I adored the Princess chara...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Sue Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2011

Well, old bean (where do they get expressions like that anyways?!)- being the second book into the 'Her Royal Spyness' series, it wasn't too bad. The heroine- Georgie Raddock- is a pretty hapless detective for the most part, but since she's basically guilted into the role by the Royals, I suppose that's to be expected. And since she doesn't really break with the role (by becoming competent that is), it seems to work!

This adventure finds bodies falling around Georgie while she is given the charge...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Laura Rodd rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anglophiles and light mystery buffs

This book was a wonderful light read. Featuring a penniless royal, the great granddaughter of Queen Victoria, named Georgiana. It is 1930 and the Communists and Fascist National Parties are rearing their ugly heads in London. War with Germany is in the air again as Hitler is becoming popular and England ties with Germany are strained at best. Mrs. Simpson is sleeping with the future king though she is still married to an American and the Queen will not have her son marrying a divorcee. Georgiana...more

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About Rhys Bowen

"I'm a mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.

I also write the bestselling Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series this year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my aw...more

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Books by Rhys Bowen

Her Royal Spyness (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #1)

Royal Blood (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #4)

Royal Flush (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #3)

Murphy's Law (Molly Murphy Mysteries #1)

Naughty in Nice (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries, #5)

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2241722.A_Royal_Pain?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347589611l/2241722.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2241722.A_Royal_Pain?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen[/url]

A Royal Pain (Her Royal Spyness Mysteries #2)

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