The Mystery of the Royal Rogue

A Lady Darriby-Jones Mystery #9

by C.M. Rawlins

Darriby Hall is famous for entertaining busybody aristocrats, tales from distant lands and a dead body... now and then.

Upon arriving at her grand estate, Lady Darriby-Jones finds it swarming with security forces, their presence a necessity to protect a royal dignitary from Eastern Europe. This mysterious guest, a young noble who recently lost a sibling to a brutal murder in London, is thrust into Lady Darriby-Jones’ care for safekeeping.

As she struggles to maintain the grace and order of her household amidst the disruption, Lady Darriby-Jones begins to unravel the tragic and lonely life of the royal guest, whose title conceals a world of misery. Despite her initial reluctance, her sense of justice compels her to promise that she will find the murderer responsible for the sibling’s death.

However, the situation becomes even more perilous when one of the security officers is discovered dead within the estate's grounds. The scent of conspiracy is unmistakable, and Lady Darriby-Jones knows she must act swiftly. Determined to uncover the truth, she ventures into the shadowy corners of London, risking not only her own safety but the lives of those under her care.

But as she uncovers layers of deceit and treachery, she realizes she’s dealing with a villain as cunning as they are dangerous. Can Lady Darriby-Jones outwit a murderous mastermind, or will her pursuit of justice put her—and her entire household—squarely in the crosshairs?

In this deliciously twisty tale, where even the stiffest upper lips tremble, Lady Darriby-Jones proves that in the world of aristocrats and assassins, a little curiosity can be a deadly thing.

Join Lady Darriby-Jones in this 1920s cozy mystery, a whimsical, laughter-inducing adventure where witty sleuthing meets eccentricity galore.

Get your copy of The Mystery of the Royal Rogue to discover how events unfold in this historical cozy murder mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook

175 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 29, 2024

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Darriby Hall is famous for entertaining busybody aristocrats, tales from distant lands and a dead body... now and then.

Upon arriving at her grand estate, Lady Darriby-Jones finds it swarming with security forces, their presence a necessity to protect a royal dignitary from Eastern Europe. This mysterious guest, a young noble who recently lost a sibling to a brutal murder in London, is thrust into Lady Darriby-Jones’ care for safekeeping.

As she struggles to maintain the grace and order of her household amidst the disruption, Lady Darriby-Jones begins to unravel the tragic and lonely life of the royal guest, whose title conceals a world of misery. Despite her initial reluctance, her sense of justice compels her to promise that she will find the murderer responsible for the sibling’s death.

This 1920s Lady Darriby-Jones Mystery of the Royal Rogue is a whimsical laughter-inducing adventure where witty sleuthing meets eccentricity galore and is page-turning in with exceptional world-building in the shadowy corners of London and characters that are captivating and realistic. Their journey is enthralling in this mystery of the royal rogue that is a delicious twisty tale where Lady Darriby-Jones proves that in the world of aristocrats and assigns a little curiosity can be a deadly thing, a murderous mastermind that Lady Darriby-Jones must outwit, danger, suspense, layers of deceit and treachery, a villain that is cunning and dangerous, pursuing justice, action, heartfelt emotions, and more. I recommend reading this book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate their readers' hearts and attention with the mystery of the Royal Rogue in this 1920s murder mystery that is sure to transport readers into a wildly dangerous world that is murderous and unforgettable.

I received this book via BookFunnel and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[JOAN SALLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Darriby-Jones comes home to find out her house is being used to hide a princess. Unfortunately the security group hiding the princess is clueless in their attempts to make it look like things are normal at the household. Can Lady Darriby-Jones and her amateur sleuth group keep the princess safe? Quite the interesting characters and events in this murder mystery. I really enjoy these books and can't wait for the next one in the series.

I received an ARC of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really disliked the princess for the entire first half of the book, but Lady D-J is so kind and empathetic and understanding toward the little brat that I thawed after a while; while I still think she's kinda obnoxious, I stopped disliking her so much. I was listening to the audiobook so I dunno if the ending craziness felt like it ramped up as quickly to someone reading the normal way, but it felt like the insanity went from zero to 11 within a chapter when they all roll off to a hotel full of assassins in London or whatever!

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed this entire series and will be sad to see it end, The main characters are fun, intelligent, and like a close knit family despite the lack of blood kinship. The supporting characters are equally fun, intelligent, and loyal. The plot is easily followed and the premise is helping a princess hide in safety and finding out who killed the security man in charge and why. The answers will both astonish and infuriate you. I highly recommend this story.

[Lizz Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Darriby-Jones agrees to host and protect royalty (not that she had much choice in the matter!) When someone ends up dead she puts her investigative skills to the test with the help of family and friends. There are a lot of twists and turns in this fun historical fiction cozy set in the 1920s. Although this is part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

[Dianne Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun cozy mystery.

Another fun cozy mystery with Lady Darriby-Jones and her faithful family and staff investigating a murder while simultaneously protecting a young princess. As always, lots of amusing occurrences and clever misdirection as the story unfolds. I enjoyed this book.

I received an advance reader copy of this book and am voluntarily writing this review.

[Big Fat Hairy Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Darriby-Jones is back in this 1920's-based, cozy mystery. This time, she's forced to harbor a royal guest whose sibling was murdered. It's up to her to help figure out the murder mystery before more people are targeted. This is an entertaining, cozy mystery with plenty of twists and humorous moments along the way.

I'm a member of the ARC team and have left an honest review voluntarily.

[Anne Newman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read. This time Darriby Hall has been decided on as a safe refuge for Crown Princess Elena, whose brother has been murdered whilst taking refuge in an hotel in London. On returning home from their holiday, the Darriby-Jones entourage find a lot of cars in their driveway, which is how they learn of their luck! Then the chief of the English side of the security is murdered, although everyone is told he’d gone off to London. Several escapades later and all is revealed.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Danby-Jones is back with her sleuthing ways. A rogue by any means even royalty tends to be fodder to murder. Once again she uses her clout and uncanny solving powers to solve another baffling case. If you enjoy high society and murder you will like this series.

[Kati · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a disappointment after the previous book. And the rushed ending really didn't help, a big set-up and then done on a handful of pages, as if the author ran out of space. Too bad. It was still funny, don't get me wrong, but not really memorable.

[Ordean Zora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Lady Darriby-Jones mystery

[Gillie Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have LOVED every one of this series. This one not so much. The amusement factor was somewhat lacking. Nonetheless, I still look forward to the next one.

[Christmas Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful times in a POSH era never to be seen again. Fun to look back in time. Great Characters.