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Her Royal Spyness #19
From Cradle to Grave
Lady Georgiana “Georgie” Rannoch is just like any other new mother, balancing responsibilities such as being 34th in line for the British throne and solving the mysterious deaths of several young men, in the newest case from the queen of historical mystery, Rhys Bowen.
Georgie may not have much in common with your average new mother, but she does have one a new nanny she despises. Knowing she must find a nanny more suited to her young son, Georgie travels to London to see her old friend ZouZou, only to find her about to depart for a funeral, after the unexpected death of a young man. It quickly becomes clear there’s more than one mysterious death around town, when another friend, Georgie Gormsley, reveals he’s just returned from the funeral of a school friend, who seemingly drowned while swimming. And then Georgie's best friend, Belinda, receives a telegram informing her that the son of family friends has died tragically. It begins to seem like too much of a coincidence to Georgie. Yet the victims didn’t seem to have any connection to one another.
Georgie returns to ZouZou, who puts the final nail in the coffin—she’s sure that the deaths were not an accident and begs Georgie to solve the case. As Georgie begins investigating, she can’t help worrying that her own husband, Darcy, may be next. She begins to suspect there might be a serial killer at work and as she delves deeper into the case, realizes that the young men may all share a link to a crime many years ago. Will Georgie solve the murders before it’s too late for Darcy, and manage to find the perfect nanny all at the same time?
Georgie may not have much in common with your average new mother, but she does have one a new nanny she despises. Knowing she must find a nanny more suited to her young son, Georgie travels to London to see her old friend ZouZou, only to find her about to depart for a funeral, after the unexpected death of a young man. It quickly becomes clear there’s more than one mysterious death around town, when another friend, Georgie Gormsley, reveals he’s just returned from the funeral of a school friend, who seemingly drowned while swimming. And then Georgie's best friend, Belinda, receives a telegram informing her that the son of family friends has died tragically. It begins to seem like too much of a coincidence to Georgie. Yet the victims didn’t seem to have any connection to one another.
Georgie returns to ZouZou, who puts the final nail in the coffin—she’s sure that the deaths were not an accident and begs Georgie to solve the case. As Georgie begins investigating, she can’t help worrying that her own husband, Darcy, may be next. She begins to suspect there might be a serial killer at work and as she delves deeper into the case, realizes that the young men may all share a link to a crime many years ago. Will Georgie solve the murders before it’s too late for Darcy, and manage to find the perfect nanny all at the same time?
Library Binding
Published December 24, 2025
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About the author
Rhys Bowen
152 books9,687 followersI'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.
I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.
My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.
I also write the Agatha-winning 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 one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.
I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law
I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.
My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.
I also write the Agatha-winning 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 one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.
I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries
Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
July 19, 2025
I love this series so much. It’s such a comfort read for me. It always feels like catching up with friends. Georgie is settling into motherhood, but Fig is being controlling about a nanny. Then some unexpected deaths are happening. Georgie decides to investigate. We see Zou Zou, Belinda, Granddad, Darcy, and Queenie. I liked that this one was Georgie’s show. She really proved her skills in this one. Love it. Have not been disappointed with any of them.
December 31, 2025
From Cradle to Grave was a nice little mystery but the best part is that Georgiana finally stopped letting other characters boss her about - way to go, Georgie!
June 27, 2025
Sometimes Georgie's adventures irritate me, but as she juggles a nanny she didn't want for her baby, a visit from her hypercritical sister in law (who gifted her with the nanny) and the suspicious deaths of 4 young men, it all works well and ends satisfactorily. A fun installment in this series.
October 26, 2025
We spend more time in Georgiana’s domesticities than the mystery. This book takes a while to get to the suspense, but it’s not as bad as the previous book.
Fans who have loved Georgie since she came to London broke and hired Queenie will enjoy it, although I doubt the mystery will appeal to new readers. I thought an obvious question about the victims would get to the resolution faster. Belinda’s subplot was painfully obvious and the excuse that no one could call Scotland Yard on a Friday night was a far fetched.
What six month old is pulling himself to standing and saying up, mama, dada, and no? Darcy had a few out of character moments where he was more like Molly Murphy’s charmless Daniel in wanting Georgiana to stick to the home stuff, but he redeemed himself at the end. Is Derbyshire really that more frigid in March compared to Sussex? And I know the real Mrs. Simpson was in France at the time, but she brings some “love to hate her” humor that was lacking here and not replaced by anyone else.
Hopefully, Queen Mary will have a mystery for Georgie when they go to the coronation.
I received an arc from NetGalley
Fans who have loved Georgie since she came to London broke and hired Queenie will enjoy it, although I doubt the mystery will appeal to new readers. I thought an obvious question about the victims would get to the resolution faster. Belinda’s subplot was painfully obvious and the excuse that no one could call Scotland Yard on a Friday night was a far fetched.
What six month old is pulling himself to standing and saying up, mama, dada, and no? Darcy had a few out of character moments where he was more like Molly Murphy’s charmless Daniel in wanting Georgiana to stick to the home stuff, but he redeemed himself at the end. Is Derbyshire really that more frigid in March compared to Sussex? And I know the real Mrs. Simpson was in France at the time, but she brings some “love to hate her” humor that was lacking here and not replaced by anyone else.
Hopefully, Queen Mary will have a mystery for Georgie when they go to the coronation.
I received an arc from NetGalley
December 3, 2025
While I miss the days of Georgie desperately trying to find employment and enough money to keep her going, she has definitely come into her own and I love how things have turned out for her. This one was particularly satisfying as she has finally put a few people in their place. The mystery was threadbare to start, but then once everything fell into place, thanks to Georgie, it moved along at a good pace and a satisfying ending. I look forward to more in the series.
November 25, 2025
Golly, I love this series!
If you “get” that, it means you’re well acquainted with the delightful antics of Lady Georgiana Rannoch – just as I have been for quite some time now (this is the 19th in the “Royal Spyness” series). If you don’t, I suggest you waste no time learning about it for yourself, especially if you like historical fiction with a mystery twist and a cozy flavor (just a titch; Georgie is not your typical cozy mystery heroine, but like most cozies, the blood and gore of other mysteries is noticeably absent).
At this point, Georgie is married to an heir to Irish royalty – Darcy O’Mara, and they have a not-yet-year-old son James and live in a good-sized mansion courtesy of an elderly relative who’s happy to share (and lives elsewhere, even though he’s welcome to live with them). Darcy is some kind of agent with Scotland Yard, often disappearing for days at a time on an assignment he can’t share with his wife. Georgie’s mother, a rather flighty character, lives the good life in Germany. That shouldn’t be much of an issue, except it’s the late 1930s, when Hitler was just getting revved up. Despite warnings from Georgie and her husband, she refuses to leave; Hitler, she says, is a friend who admires her (Georgie and Darcy, though, have very different opinion of the guy).
Such is the setting at the start of this installment; Georgie, who is a bit of a detective (both unwittingly and willingly), is for the most part a stay-at-home mom. Bucking most of the “rules” for aristocracy at the time, she’s loves interacting with her son as often as possible. While they’re far from wealthy, both she and Darcy will one day inherit tidy sums; for now, they’ve got servants courtesy of the homeowner so Georgie doesn’t need to do dishes, laundry or cook. When she goes to visit a couple of old friends (who will be familiar to regular readers). In part, Georgie was happy to escape the uber-rigid nanny her very annoying sister-in-law hired without her knowledge to underscore Georgie’s lack of all things regal – and one of those friends asks for help with the suspicious death of her friend’s son. Despite Georgie’s begging when she gets back home, given the official declaration that the death was an accident, Darcy hesitates to get involved.
Not long thereafter, other suspicious deaths come to light; Georgie once again escapes her awful nanny (as well as Fig, the uppity sister-in-law who invited herself to occupy a room at Georgie’s home and takes great pleasure in ordering the servants around) to do more sleuthing in hopes of finding some kind of connection among all the deaths. That, she reasons, will force Darcy to take notice.
Over the course of the book, readers will follow Georgie as she tries to solve what she’s sure are murders, find a nanny who’s willing to share James with his mother and father and give Fig the boot – the latter hopefully for good. Sprinkled in between are details that make this series so interesting, such as the abdication of King Edward VII when he opted to marry divorced commoner Wallis Simpson. As a relative of Edward’s who has met “Mrs. Simpson” several times, Georgie has no shortage of opinions on that subject, by golly.
The ending, of course, ties up almost all the loose ends, leaving a bit of a teaser for the next installment. If I have a concern, it’s that Darcy, usually extremely supportive of his wife’s interests and opinions when they differ from what’s expected of “upper class” society folks, was a bit more critical than usual. And I’m still wondering how Georgie, a nursing mother, was able to leave her child for days at a time without being super-uncomfortable (to say the least). All told, though, it’s rousing good fun once again, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
If you “get” that, it means you’re well acquainted with the delightful antics of Lady Georgiana Rannoch – just as I have been for quite some time now (this is the 19th in the “Royal Spyness” series). If you don’t, I suggest you waste no time learning about it for yourself, especially if you like historical fiction with a mystery twist and a cozy flavor (just a titch; Georgie is not your typical cozy mystery heroine, but like most cozies, the blood and gore of other mysteries is noticeably absent).
At this point, Georgie is married to an heir to Irish royalty – Darcy O’Mara, and they have a not-yet-year-old son James and live in a good-sized mansion courtesy of an elderly relative who’s happy to share (and lives elsewhere, even though he’s welcome to live with them). Darcy is some kind of agent with Scotland Yard, often disappearing for days at a time on an assignment he can’t share with his wife. Georgie’s mother, a rather flighty character, lives the good life in Germany. That shouldn’t be much of an issue, except it’s the late 1930s, when Hitler was just getting revved up. Despite warnings from Georgie and her husband, she refuses to leave; Hitler, she says, is a friend who admires her (Georgie and Darcy, though, have very different opinion of the guy).
Such is the setting at the start of this installment; Georgie, who is a bit of a detective (both unwittingly and willingly), is for the most part a stay-at-home mom. Bucking most of the “rules” for aristocracy at the time, she’s loves interacting with her son as often as possible. While they’re far from wealthy, both she and Darcy will one day inherit tidy sums; for now, they’ve got servants courtesy of the homeowner so Georgie doesn’t need to do dishes, laundry or cook. When she goes to visit a couple of old friends (who will be familiar to regular readers). In part, Georgie was happy to escape the uber-rigid nanny her very annoying sister-in-law hired without her knowledge to underscore Georgie’s lack of all things regal – and one of those friends asks for help with the suspicious death of her friend’s son. Despite Georgie’s begging when she gets back home, given the official declaration that the death was an accident, Darcy hesitates to get involved.
Not long thereafter, other suspicious deaths come to light; Georgie once again escapes her awful nanny (as well as Fig, the uppity sister-in-law who invited herself to occupy a room at Georgie’s home and takes great pleasure in ordering the servants around) to do more sleuthing in hopes of finding some kind of connection among all the deaths. That, she reasons, will force Darcy to take notice.
Over the course of the book, readers will follow Georgie as she tries to solve what she’s sure are murders, find a nanny who’s willing to share James with his mother and father and give Fig the boot – the latter hopefully for good. Sprinkled in between are details that make this series so interesting, such as the abdication of King Edward VII when he opted to marry divorced commoner Wallis Simpson. As a relative of Edward’s who has met “Mrs. Simpson” several times, Georgie has no shortage of opinions on that subject, by golly.
The ending, of course, ties up almost all the loose ends, leaving a bit of a teaser for the next installment. If I have a concern, it’s that Darcy, usually extremely supportive of his wife’s interests and opinions when they differ from what’s expected of “upper class” society folks, was a bit more critical than usual. And I’m still wondering how Georgie, a nursing mother, was able to leave her child for days at a time without being super-uncomfortable (to say the least). All told, though, it’s rousing good fun once again, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.
December 5, 2025
Meh.
Is it me, or have all my favorite series authors dropped the ball with their newest releases? Maybe I’m more critical than I used to be or maybe I’m more discerning. Who knows? In any event, this one was fine. It felt contrived, and the mystery/resolution was just okay. If this was an author/series I had never read before, the rating would be more like 2 stars, or even 1 1/2. I gave credit for my love of the characters and hope this series will be back on track with the next installment.
Also, I listen to this series on Audible, and it’s usually an auto buy on the day it drops. Sometimes it’s even a preorder. I love the authentic British/Irish/continental accents previous narrators have brought to the series. After the original narrator passed away, Jasmine Blackborrow took over narration duties. She took a little getting used to, but I came around. Gemma Dawson narrated this one, and I have to say, I was very disappointed and that may have affected my perception of the story. Darcy sounded more like a pompous old English aristocrat than the cheeky, charming Irish lad that he is. Zuzu and Belinda also sounded like titled English matrons, and not the exotic and sexy vamps we’ve come to know and love. Maybe she will improve or maybe I’ll get used to her.
It has be me.
Is it me, or have all my favorite series authors dropped the ball with their newest releases? Maybe I’m more critical than I used to be or maybe I’m more discerning. Who knows? In any event, this one was fine. It felt contrived, and the mystery/resolution was just okay. If this was an author/series I had never read before, the rating would be more like 2 stars, or even 1 1/2. I gave credit for my love of the characters and hope this series will be back on track with the next installment.
Also, I listen to this series on Audible, and it’s usually an auto buy on the day it drops. Sometimes it’s even a preorder. I love the authentic British/Irish/continental accents previous narrators have brought to the series. After the original narrator passed away, Jasmine Blackborrow took over narration duties. She took a little getting used to, but I came around. Gemma Dawson narrated this one, and I have to say, I was very disappointed and that may have affected my perception of the story. Darcy sounded more like a pompous old English aristocrat than the cheeky, charming Irish lad that he is. Zuzu and Belinda also sounded like titled English matrons, and not the exotic and sexy vamps we’ve come to know and love. Maybe she will improve or maybe I’ll get used to her.
It has be me.
November 30, 2025
Disappointing.
I felt like the editor kind of phoned this one in; there were some jarring linguistic anachronisms and Georgie breaks the fourth wall (she’s supposed to be writing in her diary).
Add to that a mediocre audio narrator who could not do an Irish accent and made Darcy sound like an overbearing and judgemental arse, and my enjoyment of this series instalment was significantly affected for the worse.
Fingers crossed for better editing and better narration next time. 🤞
I felt like the editor kind of phoned this one in; there were some jarring linguistic anachronisms and Georgie breaks the fourth wall (she’s supposed to be writing in her diary).
Add to that a mediocre audio narrator who could not do an Irish accent and made Darcy sound like an overbearing and judgemental arse, and my enjoyment of this series instalment was significantly affected for the worse.
Fingers crossed for better editing and better narration next time. 🤞
November 21, 2025
If you are this far in the series, well you just love Lady Georgiana! Nothing less than 5 Stars will do!
December 1, 2025
Another lively edition to the series
February 22, 2026
Georgie has happily settled into domesticity, caring for her infant son and running a large household. She enjoys visits from Granddad and the moments when Darcy returns home from some mysterious mission she knows is probably dangerous. Granddad has returned to London and baby James is getting bigger. Georgie knows she'll have to find him a nanny sooner or later in order to raise him up as a member of "our class." She is totally unprepared, however, when a stern looking woman shows up on the doorstep claiming to be the new nanny Georgie's sister-in-law, Fig, has hired. GASP! Nanny Hardbottle is exactly like Fig and she means to wrest little James away from Georgie's loving arms and raise him up to enter a military academy and become a future empire builder. Georgie is totally bowled over and cowed by the older woman. Darcy suggests Georgie find herself a new nanny and tell this woman her services will no longer be needed. To make matters worse, Fig arrives uninvited (again) and announces she's staying until the nanny has settled in (i.e. whipped Georgie and baby James into shape) and will be paying the nanny's salary for 6 months. Golly! When Georgie heads up to London to inquire of her friend Zou Zou if she knows anyone who had a recommendation for a nanny, she finds Zou Zou distracted and on her way north to Derbyshire to a funeral of an old family friend's son. The young man was killed when his car went over the side of a cliff. Georgie next calls on Belinda who has returned to London and in need of a new maid. While dining out at an expensive restaurant, they run into an old friend of Georgie's from her deb days. He informs her of the death of an old school mate of his. Then Belinda has to leave London for a funeral of a cousin she barely knew, another young man who died in an accident. Next, Darcy's father informs Darcy of the death of an old school mate! Georgie has a hunch the deaths were not accidents and are somehow connected. She worries Darcy will be next! Scotland Yard doesn't believe in hunches and it's up to Georgie to find the connection and bring the murderer to justice. All while dealing with staffing issues and Belinda's incompetent Austrian maid.
This is another dud from normally stellar Rhys Bowen. The mystery doesn't get interesting until 2/3 of the way through it. I was bored until then. The connection between the deaths of the young man seems tenuous at best. At first it seemed like there might be a connection to another part of the plot but that theory didn't hold up. Georgie and friends go around asking a lot of nosy questions and enter into dangerous situations all alone. The murderer's motive was sad but unoriginal. WAY too much of the plot is taken up with baby and Nanny drama and Fig. The chaos caused by Fig's arrival is too much. I had a feeling this one would be too much baby for me.
At first I was hoping Nanny Hardbottle would be murdered. I thought that was supposed to be the plot and certainly would have seemed justified if someone snapped and killed her, but she stays home with baby James. Nanny Hardbottle is dreadful. There's not one drop of kindness in her. She's incredibly snobby, rude to her employer (Georgie) when they first meet and took over running the baby's life. However, I did end up agreeing with Nanny Hardbottle on some points but also Georgie on others. I have read Rhys's stories about her husband being sent off to boarding school at age 7 and how it is tough for him to express his emotions and he wasn't involved in the kids' lives much when they were growing up. This is the type of person Nanny Hardbottle wants to raise. While John, Rhys's husband, seems like a lovely man, Nanny Hardbottle isn't interested in raising a lovely man. She's interested in raising a narrow-minded, snobbish, bigoted empire builder. And she wants to potty train the baby - at 7 months to a year! How? Through Georgie's investigation we see the type of person Nanny H wants James to become. It's not what Georgie wants for her son and I kept willing her to grow a backbone and tell Nanny what SHE expects out of a nanny and if that doesn't suit, then Nanny Hardbottle can leave and retire to her begonias.
Fig is super extra awful without Binky around. She's abusive to him but thinks she's showing kindness to Georgie and mentoring Georgie on how to behave like a Duchess. Fig invited herself to escape the dreary cold of Scotland in winter which is bad enough but hiring a nanny without being asked or setting up an interview is outside of enough! I'd tell Fig she can take her nanny, take her title and shove it because in this house we're plain old Mr. and Mrs. O'Mara and Master James O'Mara thank you very much. And MY house MY rules. Then Fig has the audacity to interfere with Georgie's staff, namely Queenie. I don't like how Georgie treats Queenie but Georgie does feel some loyalty to the maid and Queenie is a good cook. Darcy is even more snobby than Georgie! He's really settled into being lord of the manor.
If I recall, Queenie is good with children. She may be big and clumsy but I KNOW she would NEVER let anything happen to James and she'd be good to him. However, she's not respectful and not "one of us". Maisie is sweet and loves the baby but she also is a village girl and can't raise the boy to know how to be an aristocrat. Um here's a thought- do it yourself! Raise your kid to be who you want him to be and not who society expects him to be and be glad he's a baby and not a young man about to march off to war in a few years. Granddad has a brief cameo to help Georgie with the investigation. He doesn't have much to say except trust your instincts.
Yes they know war is coming. Darcy pops in and out and Georgie suspects he's being sent to Germany on a potentially dangerous mission. They discuss it and he thinks yes, Germany is a threat. Mummy won't leave and Georgie is very worried. Claire is a narcissist and as long as she's in favor with Hitler and the Nazis, she'll stay. I suspect the catalyst that may send her back to England is THAT WOMAN! There's some discussion about the new king and queen and whether King Edward will ever be happy with That Woman. Georgie thinks no but whatever her faults, she did stay with him until his death. Georgie hopes they're happy at any rate.
Belinda is unhappy. She tired of Paris and since Coco Chanel has gone away, Belinda doesn't wish to become an unpaid flunky running the company in Coco's absence. She has pots of money now and doesn't need to work. She still enjoys fashion and creating new fashion but now she regrets not finding the right man to settle down with. She let Jago go and hasn't heard from him since. Belinda has done a total 180 and now wants what Georgie has. I don't think Belinda is cut out for domesticity. She's still selfish and hopeless about "doing" for herself. She thinks she might want to be a spy but I don't think she's cut out for that either. Still, Belinda is compassionate though and even if she doesn't get along with her father, she does feel a strong sense of family and attends the funeral of the son of a cousin and feels upset at the death of a young man in the prime of his life.
Zou Zou and Belinda are a lot alike but Zou Zou is older and less selfish. She feels very emotional at the death of the son of an old friend. She knew the son but hadn't seen him in a long time and seems to feel guilty about it. It's this death that prompts the investigation.
Sebastian was an auto enthusiast and race car driver. He was driving home to the family residence when his car flipped over the side of a cliff and caught on fire. Zou Zou and Georgie head up to Derbyshire to meet with the family and the villagers. Zou Zou's friend, Lady Inchcliffe, is so kind and welcoming but so very sad. She's just lost her only son and can barely function under the weight of grief. Her husband seems like a country squire but he's a city man who inherited from his cousin. He has taken to country life but Sebastian did not and wanted nothing to do with the estate. Sebastian's cousin Nigel is the next heir and he does enjoy the life of a country squire. He's young but wished he were the heir. If he killed his cousin, he had motive for only that one death. What of the others? The eyewitness accounts of the villagers don't jive with the clues pointing to accident. There's even a scruffy motorcyclist who was seen near the scene of the accident. A-ha! Who is he? Some sort of anarchist? Communist? Find the man, find the motive. But were the deaths connected?
Next Georgie investigates the death of Belinda's cousin in a climbing accident in North Wales. This one hit too close to home for me and was the worst of the deaths. Rupert was said to be an expert mountaineer and always checked his equipment. His death was a shock to his fellow climbers. The equipment is at the top of a mountain so there's no way to know if his rope had been cut and even if they could examine it, it would take an expert to figure it out. Then there's the mysterious death of Leonard "Shrimpy" Smithers, an old school friend of Darcy's. He was one of the most studious lads in his year, an asthmatic, not athletic, the man married and became overweight, triggering asthma attacks. His doctor suggested he lose weight and the asthma attacks would be less frequent. Leonard took up swimming and was practicing open water swimming when he died, his inhaler malfunctioning. Or did it? His death is so tragic. His French born wife died a few years earlier and they had young children who are now orphans. Somehow Georgie realizes something that no one thought of about the wife's death. Leonard's death is impossible to investigate, much like Rupert's.
Gussie Gormsley is not the brightest bulb in the box of eligible bachelors but he's earnest. He wants to settle down but he's not Belinda's type. Gussie provides insight into the life of another tragic death. Algie Beauchamps, another young man who died doing what he loved - the dangerous sport of motor boat racing. Gussie helps provide the vital clue that links the men together. The link is tenuous at best but Georgie fears there may soon be another victim if they don't act soon!
This story was a dud. I haven't loved any of the stories since Georgie and Darcy were married. This one could have been a series ender but it's not. The next one is about the Coronation and that should be fun. I do enjoy visits with the royal relatives. Will we see Princess Lilibet and her little sister?
This is another dud from normally stellar Rhys Bowen. The mystery doesn't get interesting until 2/3 of the way through it. I was bored until then. The connection between the deaths of the young man seems tenuous at best. At first it seemed like there might be a connection to another part of the plot but that theory didn't hold up. Georgie and friends go around asking a lot of nosy questions and enter into dangerous situations all alone. The murderer's motive was sad but unoriginal. WAY too much of the plot is taken up with baby and Nanny drama and Fig. The chaos caused by Fig's arrival is too much. I had a feeling this one would be too much baby for me.
At first I was hoping Nanny Hardbottle would be murdered. I thought that was supposed to be the plot and certainly would have seemed justified if someone snapped and killed her, but she stays home with baby James. Nanny Hardbottle is dreadful. There's not one drop of kindness in her. She's incredibly snobby, rude to her employer (Georgie) when they first meet and took over running the baby's life. However, I did end up agreeing with Nanny Hardbottle on some points but also Georgie on others. I have read Rhys's stories about her husband being sent off to boarding school at age 7 and how it is tough for him to express his emotions and he wasn't involved in the kids' lives much when they were growing up. This is the type of person Nanny Hardbottle wants to raise. While John, Rhys's husband, seems like a lovely man, Nanny Hardbottle isn't interested in raising a lovely man. She's interested in raising a narrow-minded, snobbish, bigoted empire builder. And she wants to potty train the baby - at 7 months to a year! How? Through Georgie's investigation we see the type of person Nanny H wants James to become. It's not what Georgie wants for her son and I kept willing her to grow a backbone and tell Nanny what SHE expects out of a nanny and if that doesn't suit, then Nanny Hardbottle can leave and retire to her begonias.
Fig is super extra awful without Binky around. She's abusive to him but thinks she's showing kindness to Georgie and mentoring Georgie on how to behave like a Duchess. Fig invited herself to escape the dreary cold of Scotland in winter which is bad enough but hiring a nanny without being asked or setting up an interview is outside of enough! I'd tell Fig she can take her nanny, take her title and shove it because in this house we're plain old Mr. and Mrs. O'Mara and Master James O'Mara thank you very much. And MY house MY rules. Then Fig has the audacity to interfere with Georgie's staff, namely Queenie. I don't like how Georgie treats Queenie but Georgie does feel some loyalty to the maid and Queenie is a good cook. Darcy is even more snobby than Georgie! He's really settled into being lord of the manor.
If I recall, Queenie is good with children. She may be big and clumsy but I KNOW she would NEVER let anything happen to James and she'd be good to him. However, she's not respectful and not "one of us". Maisie is sweet and loves the baby but she also is a village girl and can't raise the boy to know how to be an aristocrat. Um here's a thought- do it yourself! Raise your kid to be who you want him to be and not who society expects him to be and be glad he's a baby and not a young man about to march off to war in a few years. Granddad has a brief cameo to help Georgie with the investigation. He doesn't have much to say except trust your instincts.
Yes they know war is coming. Darcy pops in and out and Georgie suspects he's being sent to Germany on a potentially dangerous mission. They discuss it and he thinks yes, Germany is a threat. Mummy won't leave and Georgie is very worried. Claire is a narcissist and as long as she's in favor with Hitler and the Nazis, she'll stay. I suspect the catalyst that may send her back to England is THAT WOMAN! There's some discussion about the new king and queen and whether King Edward will ever be happy with That Woman. Georgie thinks no but whatever her faults, she did stay with him until his death. Georgie hopes they're happy at any rate.
Belinda is unhappy. She tired of Paris and since Coco Chanel has gone away, Belinda doesn't wish to become an unpaid flunky running the company in Coco's absence. She has pots of money now and doesn't need to work. She still enjoys fashion and creating new fashion but now she regrets not finding the right man to settle down with. She let Jago go and hasn't heard from him since. Belinda has done a total 180 and now wants what Georgie has. I don't think Belinda is cut out for domesticity. She's still selfish and hopeless about "doing" for herself. She thinks she might want to be a spy but I don't think she's cut out for that either. Still, Belinda is compassionate though and even if she doesn't get along with her father, she does feel a strong sense of family and attends the funeral of the son of a cousin and feels upset at the death of a young man in the prime of his life.
Zou Zou and Belinda are a lot alike but Zou Zou is older and less selfish. She feels very emotional at the death of the son of an old friend. She knew the son but hadn't seen him in a long time and seems to feel guilty about it. It's this death that prompts the investigation.
Sebastian was an auto enthusiast and race car driver. He was driving home to the family residence when his car flipped over the side of a cliff and caught on fire. Zou Zou and Georgie head up to Derbyshire to meet with the family and the villagers. Zou Zou's friend, Lady Inchcliffe, is so kind and welcoming but so very sad. She's just lost her only son and can barely function under the weight of grief. Her husband seems like a country squire but he's a city man who inherited from his cousin. He has taken to country life but Sebastian did not and wanted nothing to do with the estate. Sebastian's cousin Nigel is the next heir and he does enjoy the life of a country squire. He's young but wished he were the heir. If he killed his cousin, he had motive for only that one death. What of the others? The eyewitness accounts of the villagers don't jive with the clues pointing to accident. There's even a scruffy motorcyclist who was seen near the scene of the accident. A-ha! Who is he? Some sort of anarchist? Communist? Find the man, find the motive. But were the deaths connected?
Next Georgie investigates the death of Belinda's cousin in a climbing accident in North Wales. This one hit too close to home for me and was the worst of the deaths. Rupert was said to be an expert mountaineer and always checked his equipment. His death was a shock to his fellow climbers. The equipment is at the top of a mountain so there's no way to know if his rope had been cut and even if they could examine it, it would take an expert to figure it out. Then there's the mysterious death of Leonard "Shrimpy" Smithers, an old school friend of Darcy's. He was one of the most studious lads in his year, an asthmatic, not athletic, the man married and became overweight, triggering asthma attacks. His doctor suggested he lose weight and the asthma attacks would be less frequent. Leonard took up swimming and was practicing open water swimming when he died, his inhaler malfunctioning. Or did it? His death is so tragic. His French born wife died a few years earlier and they had young children who are now orphans. Somehow Georgie realizes something that no one thought of about the wife's death. Leonard's death is impossible to investigate, much like Rupert's.
Gussie Gormsley is not the brightest bulb in the box of eligible bachelors but he's earnest. He wants to settle down but he's not Belinda's type. Gussie provides insight into the life of another tragic death. Algie Beauchamps, another young man who died doing what he loved - the dangerous sport of motor boat racing. Gussie helps provide the vital clue that links the men together. The link is tenuous at best but Georgie fears there may soon be another victim if they don't act soon!
This story was a dud. I haven't loved any of the stories since Georgie and Darcy were married. This one could have been a series ender but it's not. The next one is about the Coronation and that should be fun. I do enjoy visits with the royal relatives. Will we see Princess Lilibet and her little sister?
January 16, 2026
What a great mystery as usual. Georgianna and Darcy are back again , with their little baby James. This one was exciting, and funny S many of her usual friends are on board. One would think by now people would believe Georgie from the start, when she announces that murders have taken place, not accidents. She’ll just have to show them how it was done. Jolly Good. 5 stars.
February 12, 2026
I always enjoy this series. It's written in a light & charming tone, but Georgie ends up dealing with some serious stuff, while also trying to take care of her family & interesting servants. When four seemingly unrelated accidental deaths touch her friends, she becomes suspicious that there is something sinister behind them. As she looks into the deaths, things become darker; all while trying to solve the nanny problem at home.
December 18, 2025
This mystery in the Royal Spyness series was a departure from all the ones in the past. Lady Georgiana always is present on the setting when past murders have occurred. In this one, she must use her sleuthing skills to tie past murders together and hopefully prevent a new one. It was an interesting and refreshing change and I greatly enjoyed sleuthing along with her as a reader.
I always enjoy the historical aspects of these mysteries. It was interesting to see the concern of people around German’s growing power before WWII and the comments made about Wallace Simpson and the abdication of the king. In the next book, she and her husband will he attending the coronation of King George, so that will be a unique perspective.
I always enjoy the historical aspects of these mysteries. It was interesting to see the concern of people around German’s growing power before WWII and the comments made about Wallace Simpson and the abdication of the king. In the next book, she and her husband will he attending the coronation of King George, so that will be a unique perspective.
November 27, 2025
3.5
Disappointing. I felt a little rushed, and the story had big holes. It wasn't believable that the villain could have possibly killed 5 people he had never met in different locations in different ways and made them all look like accidents. it would take way too much knowledge about the people, their habits, and the various actions and locations. The villain would also have to have mad skills, which doesn't follow with his background as a poor boy raised in an orphanage.
Also, Fig paying a nanny's salary for 6 months? That isn't Fig.
The dialog was weak, and story wasn't quite there, and it all wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end. Not terrible for a fun read, but certainly not up to par.
Disappointing. I felt a little rushed, and the story had big holes. It wasn't believable that the villain could have possibly killed 5 people he had never met in different locations in different ways and made them all look like accidents. it would take way too much knowledge about the people, their habits, and the various actions and locations. The villain would also have to have mad skills, which doesn't follow with his background as a poor boy raised in an orphanage.
Also, Fig paying a nanny's salary for 6 months? That isn't Fig.
The dialog was weak, and story wasn't quite there, and it all wrapped up in a pretty bow at the end. Not terrible for a fun read, but certainly not up to par.
November 26, 2025
Entertaining and comforting in that way of revisiting old friends. But there really isn’t much happening but a lot of travel to and fro and back again. The mystery, such as it is, is so far removed from Georgiana and has no suspense or thrill to it. The best parts of the book were Georgie’s interactions with Fig and household staff.
Mildly amusing overall but not memorable in the least.
Mildly amusing overall but not memorable in the least.
February 7, 2026
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I like seeing Georgie get out and around again. I love that Belinda is back. I'm taking points away for Queenie. Always Queenie. It's not cute any more. Georgie went off on Fig (finally) so why can't we stand up to Queenie and her behavior? The "told you so" attitude she brought? Nope. Not here for it.
This novel seemed a little more rushed than some of the previous ones. It feels like we are starting to run out of steam. I am guessing Bowen wants to get Georgie and gang WWII. If so, then she needs to hurry up and get there. However, I'm not how much I want to see Georgie involved in all the politics. It actually seems like the set up is to pair up Georgie and Darcy in some international affairs. I don't see it working on paper. Georgie still remains just a little too naive for that level of intrigue.
I like seeing Georgie get out and around again. I love that Belinda is back. I'm taking points away for Queenie. Always Queenie. It's not cute any more. Georgie went off on Fig (finally) so why can't we stand up to Queenie and her behavior? The "told you so" attitude she brought? Nope. Not here for it.
This novel seemed a little more rushed than some of the previous ones. It feels like we are starting to run out of steam. I am guessing Bowen wants to get Georgie and gang WWII. If so, then she needs to hurry up and get there. However, I'm not how much I want to see Georgie involved in all the politics. It actually seems like the set up is to pair up Georgie and Darcy in some international affairs. I don't see it working on paper. Georgie still remains just a little too naive for that level of intrigue.
November 20, 2025
I gave this entry in the Royal Spyness series 4 stars mainly because Georgie finally tells off her awful sister-in-law, Fig. Fig has been a thorn in her side - and mine - from the beginning. This time she crosses the line when she insults Georgie's mother and grandfather. Good riddance.
The plot is far-fetched, but the writing is good, and the characters are entertaining. An easy light read.
The plot is far-fetched, but the writing is good, and the characters are entertaining. An easy light read.
October 27, 2025
Another rousing Lady Georgianna 30s mystery. I have followed her from the beginning and can't say if it would all make sense if you started the series here. But they are highly entertaining, so why not begin at #1?
Georgie is married to the dashing Darcy now, and he is working for the British government while they both settle into marriage, domesticity and parenthood -- their son Jamie is less than a year old. Georgie is rebelling against the British upper class system of not seeing your children except for once a day when they are trotted out by the nanny. She wants to be a warm, nurturing, hands on mother. Her plans appear to be thwarted when her truly awful sister in law Fig high handedly hires a stern drill sergeant of a nanny and then appears herself to oversee. It takes Georgie longer than it should to finally get rid of them both.
In the meantime, she realizes that she is hearing about a disturbing number of deaths among young aristocrats, too many to be a coincidence, she thinks. Her intuition is doubted by the police and most others, but Georgie is dogged and is eventually proved right as she investigates whether someone is bumping off young toffs and why.
These books are great fun, even with the specter of Hitler looming in the background. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Georgie is married to the dashing Darcy now, and he is working for the British government while they both settle into marriage, domesticity and parenthood -- their son Jamie is less than a year old. Georgie is rebelling against the British upper class system of not seeing your children except for once a day when they are trotted out by the nanny. She wants to be a warm, nurturing, hands on mother. Her plans appear to be thwarted when her truly awful sister in law Fig high handedly hires a stern drill sergeant of a nanny and then appears herself to oversee. It takes Georgie longer than it should to finally get rid of them both.
In the meantime, she realizes that she is hearing about a disturbing number of deaths among young aristocrats, too many to be a coincidence, she thinks. Her intuition is doubted by the police and most others, but Georgie is dogged and is eventually proved right as she investigates whether someone is bumping off young toffs and why.
These books are great fun, even with the specter of Hitler looming in the background. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 23, 2026
I always enjoy this series!
February 22, 2026
Love this series, and this is another solid entry. All the familiar characters make an appearance, and the mystery is a good one. I like seeing Georgie grow as a person as well as solving crimes. I'll read every one of these!
March 1, 2026
Listen at least George finally told Fig to fuck off.
December 28, 2025
At this point in the series, this is as cozy as it gets. The story hums along quite well with Lady Georgina finally off Fig and putting her in her place. It was quite satisfying. Hopefully, the succeeding books will address this fall out. Less satisfying for me was Queenie’s storyline. I hope she gets a chance to help Lady Georgina on another murder plot and perhaps move her love life along as well—whoever the lucky guy maybe.
I love that Belinda and Zou Zou has more prominent roles in this book.
To some, the murder plot maybe farfetched, but to me, this was a perfect plot for Lady Georgina. On a side note, I usually get tired of reading cozy mystery novels where the place happens in a small town and throughout the series the murders take place in that small town. That stretches believability more than the plot here. End of side.
Now, why do I say this is a perfect murder plot for Lady Georgina? Because only her status and circle would allow her to make the connections—and it’s great that the murders didn’t happen close by. Instead, it sent Lady Georgina to other places. The plot also means that it explains why Scotland Yard cannot help since the connections were barely there. Only someone like Lady Georgina would be suspicious about the seemingly disconnected accidents.
Overall, this was a perfect cozy read for me. Hope the series continues for a long time.
I love that Belinda and Zou Zou has more prominent roles in this book.
To some, the murder plot maybe farfetched, but to me, this was a perfect plot for Lady Georgina. On a side note, I usually get tired of reading cozy mystery novels where the place happens in a small town and throughout the series the murders take place in that small town. That stretches believability more than the plot here. End of side.
Now, why do I say this is a perfect murder plot for Lady Georgina? Because only her status and circle would allow her to make the connections—and it’s great that the murders didn’t happen close by. Instead, it sent Lady Georgina to other places. The plot also means that it explains why Scotland Yard cannot help since the connections were barely there. Only someone like Lady Georgina would be suspicious about the seemingly disconnected accidents.
Overall, this was a perfect cozy read for me. Hope the series continues for a long time.
December 11, 2025
I've been reading this series for so long now that the characters feel like old friends. But in this outing, they felt like strangers - they were very different, especially Darcy; though I am glad Georgie finally stood up to Fig. I also missed the interaction between Georgie and her mom and Miss Simpson. If those characters are gone, maybe we can get similar character foils for Georgie? I think their selfishness and self-centeredness was what always made Georgie seem like a good person but that was missing from this book. And Darcy needs more to do than doubt Georgie and then take her into dangerous situations (which in the past she accidentally ended up there but this time she kept choosing it even though she has a baby at home.) And what is up with Belinda's maid? Why did that storyline just kind of end?
All in all, not satisfied with this book but will read the next one because I have always loved Royal Spyness and I'm not ready to give it up yet.
All in all, not satisfied with this book but will read the next one because I have always loved Royal Spyness and I'm not ready to give it up yet.
December 15, 2025
I waited until I got this book from the Library, thus was not given it for free as an incentive to write a (hopefully, and generally positive) review. So what I honestly think is what I write. What I write below is just my own personal opinion.
Well done, from cover to cover!!! I had been almost ready to give up on the series when it started to go off the rails with a couple of "inspired by famous books" stories a few years back. The (to me) ghastly "Love and Death among the Cheetahs" (inspired by White Mischief), and, also in my opinion the melodramatic and rather tiresomely Gothic "The Last Mrs. Summers" (which was inspired by Rebecca) were in my opinion, the least interesting of the bunch; particularly the dreary and unbelievable sex crazed African honeymoon one. One trouble of "tribute" books is that if you have already read the originals, you kind of know much of the story-line before you start.
But we are solidly back on track and (equally importantly) back in Britain, which is always the best place for the setting of a British "Cosy" mystery. Maybe less exotic research trips required, but an English cosy is an English cosy, after all.
Some of the great old characters are missing; Georgie's mother Claire and her arch-enemy Wallis Simpson for example, but we have a heapin' helpin' of Queenie, who is one of my favourites! A small amount of Granddad which was lovely, but I could have handled more; he's not going to be around forever.
As much as we all hate Fig, she is a very strong character, and we see plenty of her this time. However, she pushed things wayyy too far (which I found even Fig would not dare to), and encountered the wrath of our Georgie. An excellent and most gratifying encounter ensues whereby Georgie reads the Riot Act to her. As delicious as it was, Lady Georgiana is FAR too well-bred to ever dream of haggling like fishwives and calling her sister-in-law a "cow" to her hard face. A small detail, but details are important. Queenie calls Duchesses "a cow" but Georgie would be incapable of hurling such a deliciously vulgar insult... and then rather proudly gossiping to others about it. In fact, Georgie gossips with some of the household staff in a most unrealistic manner for a Lady of her generation as well as bad-mouthing the wife of her cousin David's American Divorcee wife to complete strangers. One doesn't gossip in public about one's family especially when it is the Royal Family.
This book is a no-show for Binkie (who seems to have been sidelined of late).... not a sausage. I expect that Fig will in the future be chastened, and perhaps the incident will spur the lovable but spineless Binkie into finally putting his foot down with the incorrigible Fig.
The one character that doesn't ring true to me (or maybe I just can't relate to it) is Princess Zou Zou. The very name conjures up images for me of ordinary women I knew in the 90s who rather improbably adopted this exotic nickname of Zou Zou, only to lose it a decade later when the novelty wore off, but it is worth pointing out the that first reference I can find online of the nickname Zou Zou for anyone was the French model Zouzou (Danièle Ciarlet) who wasn't born until a decade after the period this book is set in. A minor point, but small details are important when writing a period piece "Cosy".
I find Zou Zou's character a bit one dimensional; a wealthy and exotic foreign Princess Fairy Godmother who flits in and out of Georgie and Darcy's lives, sprinkling expensive treats and stardust along the way... but we never really get to know anything about her character because she is busy improbably flying around the world in her little plane. And, call me sceptical, but I cannot envision Georgie chumming with a woman that she pretty much knows used to sleep with her husband Darcy. It's just not ringing true.
In this case Zou Zou becomes slightly more 3 dimensional by contributing to the beginning of the investigation; she shared concern and even fear with Georgie that some young aristocrats may have been murdered, and not just dying of natural causes. These are strong emotions for the usually impenetrable Zou Zou. However... true to form she plays no part in the solution and doesn't even keep in contact to find out results, but rather just flits off in her plane, never to be heard of for the rest of the book.
However, these small points aside, I liked this book possibly the best of the last seven. Georgie is not wholly consumed by her son James, and she is given a few days away on her own from the family. I'm glad to see Georgie on her own a bit; her new instant family and the problems of running a country estate can be a bit claustrophobic at times
Good show! Now we have to wait a very long full year for the next instalment.
Well done, from cover to cover!!! I had been almost ready to give up on the series when it started to go off the rails with a couple of "inspired by famous books" stories a few years back. The (to me) ghastly "Love and Death among the Cheetahs" (inspired by White Mischief), and, also in my opinion the melodramatic and rather tiresomely Gothic "The Last Mrs. Summers" (which was inspired by Rebecca) were in my opinion, the least interesting of the bunch; particularly the dreary and unbelievable sex crazed African honeymoon one. One trouble of "tribute" books is that if you have already read the originals, you kind of know much of the story-line before you start.
But we are solidly back on track and (equally importantly) back in Britain, which is always the best place for the setting of a British "Cosy" mystery. Maybe less exotic research trips required, but an English cosy is an English cosy, after all.
Some of the great old characters are missing; Georgie's mother Claire and her arch-enemy Wallis Simpson for example, but we have a heapin' helpin' of Queenie, who is one of my favourites! A small amount of Granddad which was lovely, but I could have handled more; he's not going to be around forever.
As much as we all hate Fig, she is a very strong character, and we see plenty of her this time. However, she pushed things wayyy too far (which I found even Fig would not dare to), and encountered the wrath of our Georgie. An excellent and most gratifying encounter ensues whereby Georgie reads the Riot Act to her. As delicious as it was, Lady Georgiana is FAR too well-bred to ever dream of haggling like fishwives and calling her sister-in-law a "cow" to her hard face. A small detail, but details are important. Queenie calls Duchesses "a cow" but Georgie would be incapable of hurling such a deliciously vulgar insult... and then rather proudly gossiping to others about it. In fact, Georgie gossips with some of the household staff in a most unrealistic manner for a Lady of her generation as well as bad-mouthing the wife of her cousin David's American Divorcee wife to complete strangers. One doesn't gossip in public about one's family especially when it is the Royal Family.
This book is a no-show for Binkie (who seems to have been sidelined of late).... not a sausage. I expect that Fig will in the future be chastened, and perhaps the incident will spur the lovable but spineless Binkie into finally putting his foot down with the incorrigible Fig.
The one character that doesn't ring true to me (or maybe I just can't relate to it) is Princess Zou Zou. The very name conjures up images for me of ordinary women I knew in the 90s who rather improbably adopted this exotic nickname of Zou Zou, only to lose it a decade later when the novelty wore off, but it is worth pointing out the that first reference I can find online of the nickname Zou Zou for anyone was the French model Zouzou (Danièle Ciarlet) who wasn't born until a decade after the period this book is set in. A minor point, but small details are important when writing a period piece "Cosy".
I find Zou Zou's character a bit one dimensional; a wealthy and exotic foreign Princess Fairy Godmother who flits in and out of Georgie and Darcy's lives, sprinkling expensive treats and stardust along the way... but we never really get to know anything about her character because she is busy improbably flying around the world in her little plane. And, call me sceptical, but I cannot envision Georgie chumming with a woman that she pretty much knows used to sleep with her husband Darcy. It's just not ringing true.
In this case Zou Zou becomes slightly more 3 dimensional by contributing to the beginning of the investigation; she shared concern and even fear with Georgie that some young aristocrats may have been murdered, and not just dying of natural causes. These are strong emotions for the usually impenetrable Zou Zou. However... true to form she plays no part in the solution and doesn't even keep in contact to find out results, but rather just flits off in her plane, never to be heard of for the rest of the book.
However, these small points aside, I liked this book possibly the best of the last seven. Georgie is not wholly consumed by her son James, and she is given a few days away on her own from the family. I'm glad to see Georgie on her own a bit; her new instant family and the problems of running a country estate can be a bit claustrophobic at times
Good show! Now we have to wait a very long full year for the next instalment.
January 20, 2026
From Cradle to Grave by Rhys Bowen is book 19 of 19 in Her Royal Spyness mystery series. I’ve read 3 other books by Rhys Bowen: The Victory Garden, The Proof of the Pudding, and We Three Queens, the last two #17 and #18 in her Spyness series. The Cradle to Grave is a slow start out of the gate, and it isn’t until page 67 friend Zoe Zoe and the indomitable Lady Georgiana "Georgie" Rannoch are discussing concerns about a recent death of a friend’s young son, “But the point is that he was an expert driver. He prided himself on his driving skills, in fact he had actually done some motor racing. He came third at Brooklands once. Not bad. And he'd taken that corner so many times. So what went wrong that particular time nobody can tell." "Might his brakes have failed?" She sighed. "We'll never know. The car fell onto the rocks at the bottom of the ravine and caught fire.” Her friend fears it might be an intentional death, which Georgie immediately thought might mean murder, and Zoe Zoe replied, "Oh no. Not that. What I meant was whether he took his own life.”
By page 77, a young passionate climber has an “accident” while “training in Snowdonia in preparation for going on an expedition to the Himalayas when his rope broke and he fell hundreds of feet." By this time Georgie begins to think coincidences of deaths might be intentional, and not in the “self harm” category. At this point the seed of criminality is firmly planted in her head, the narrative’s momentum picks up, and additional deaths are discovered, culminating in an exciting finish, while previously she’s been dealing with the joys of her infant son, her marriage with Darcy, and the less joyful intolerable sister in law who foists a regimented, harsh nanny upon her and decamps to Georgie’s own household to ensure her hire is firmly ensconced.
The best thing about this book is watching how Georgie builds her own case for deaths by “mischief,” vs accidental, a tough sell for a woman in the midst of Britain’s turmoil as Edward abdicates his throne for the woman he loves (while the populace holds far less ardor for her), and the world anticipates “Bertie’s” coronation. For Georgie it soon gets very personal, “The one thing all those men had in common was their age and their class. Sons of peers or gentry. I froze, staring unseeing out the window as the scenery flashed past...What if someone with a chip on his shoulder, a fervent communist maybe, was targeting the sons of peers? And sons of peers also included Darcy.” She focuses her intellect upon ending the string of murders, and the cases soon go from “If you told Scotland Yard, they’d laugh at you,” to “There will be plainclothes police stationed along the route today,” Darcy said, “and as for me, I usually work with the Home Office and bigger fry than this, but we have a personal connection to these men and inside knowledge that the police don’t have.” If Georgie’s past is prologue, readers hope all’s well that ends well” will soon rule the day!
By page 77, a young passionate climber has an “accident” while “training in Snowdonia in preparation for going on an expedition to the Himalayas when his rope broke and he fell hundreds of feet." By this time Georgie begins to think coincidences of deaths might be intentional, and not in the “self harm” category. At this point the seed of criminality is firmly planted in her head, the narrative’s momentum picks up, and additional deaths are discovered, culminating in an exciting finish, while previously she’s been dealing with the joys of her infant son, her marriage with Darcy, and the less joyful intolerable sister in law who foists a regimented, harsh nanny upon her and decamps to Georgie’s own household to ensure her hire is firmly ensconced.
The best thing about this book is watching how Georgie builds her own case for deaths by “mischief,” vs accidental, a tough sell for a woman in the midst of Britain’s turmoil as Edward abdicates his throne for the woman he loves (while the populace holds far less ardor for her), and the world anticipates “Bertie’s” coronation. For Georgie it soon gets very personal, “The one thing all those men had in common was their age and their class. Sons of peers or gentry. I froze, staring unseeing out the window as the scenery flashed past...What if someone with a chip on his shoulder, a fervent communist maybe, was targeting the sons of peers? And sons of peers also included Darcy.” She focuses her intellect upon ending the string of murders, and the cases soon go from “If you told Scotland Yard, they’d laugh at you,” to “There will be plainclothes police stationed along the route today,” Darcy said, “and as for me, I usually work with the Home Office and bigger fry than this, but we have a personal connection to these men and inside knowledge that the police don’t have.” If Georgie’s past is prologue, readers hope all’s well that ends well” will soon rule the day!
November 11, 2025
Thank you Berkley Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2025/1...
This is a fine Royal Spyness mystery. I think, however, after 19 outings, that perhaps I've grown tired of Georgie's shtick. She's always flustered, always wanting to say something, but "good breeding" won't let her (something that those who are belittling her seem to have no problem with) and now she's struggling with the age-old question - can a woman really have it all? Which, I mean, she's a relation to the King, who doesn't have to have a job, lives on a borrowed estate, and one of the main conflicts in this story is whether or not the Nanny who will bring up her boy to be a leader of men is nice enough.
Her sister-in-law is a snobby menace, who sends a frightful nanny to Georgie and even though EVERYONE says, just send her away, Georgie dithers until the problem solves itself. Similarly, SIL Fig comes to stay to "manage" the Nanny since Georgie couldn't possibly know how and even though everyone agrees that she's a menace, she remains. And when they might finally be rid of Queenie after an incident while Georgie's away, that doesn't last either, even though Georgie's sure it'll be different this time. LOL.
There's a bit of a mystery as well, but it takes so long to get to it and so long to even determine that it IS a mystery that by the time we're getting to the good stuff, there's only about 10% of the book left. She's a little more tetchy about getting credit for her mystery-solving this time, which is a little wild when she's also saying stuff like she needs to defer to her husband in important matters. If Georgie's involved, then the deaths are probably murders and she'll probably solve it while everyone doubts her, but it was cutting it fine this time.
She's no longer the Bright Young Thing, living by her wits and doing favors for the Queen, but a married, mother who lives on a country estate, whose big accomplishments for the day is taking her son for a pram ride around the farm. Alright for some, but I think I've reached the end of the road for this one.
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2025/1...
This is a fine Royal Spyness mystery. I think, however, after 19 outings, that perhaps I've grown tired of Georgie's shtick. She's always flustered, always wanting to say something, but "good breeding" won't let her (something that those who are belittling her seem to have no problem with) and now she's struggling with the age-old question - can a woman really have it all? Which, I mean, she's a relation to the King, who doesn't have to have a job, lives on a borrowed estate, and one of the main conflicts in this story is whether or not the Nanny who will bring up her boy to be a leader of men is nice enough.
Her sister-in-law is a snobby menace, who sends a frightful nanny to Georgie and even though EVERYONE says, just send her away, Georgie dithers until the problem solves itself. Similarly, SIL Fig comes to stay to "manage" the Nanny since Georgie couldn't possibly know how and even though everyone agrees that she's a menace, she remains. And when they might finally be rid of Queenie after an incident while Georgie's away, that doesn't last either, even though Georgie's sure it'll be different this time. LOL.
There's a bit of a mystery as well, but it takes so long to get to it and so long to even determine that it IS a mystery that by the time we're getting to the good stuff, there's only about 10% of the book left. She's a little more tetchy about getting credit for her mystery-solving this time, which is a little wild when she's also saying stuff like she needs to defer to her husband in important matters. If Georgie's involved, then the deaths are probably murders and she'll probably solve it while everyone doubts her, but it was cutting it fine this time.
She's no longer the Bright Young Thing, living by her wits and doing favors for the Queen, but a married, mother who lives on a country estate, whose big accomplishments for the day is taking her son for a pram ride around the farm. Alright for some, but I think I've reached the end of the road for this one.
February 28, 2026
An easy and still exciting read. Fig, Georgie's obnoxious Duchess meddling sister~in~law took it upon herself to hire a Nanny for 18~month~old James. I am glad to say that after 19 books of Georgie always being meek and a push~over when confronted with strong, belligerent and noisy personalities like Fig finally found her backbone. A starchy martinet of a Nanny suddenly appeared at Eynsleigh and took over the nursery, James and scheduled Georgie's time with her son. Nothing to do but find a replacement, first she tried Zou Zou but the Princess is off to a Funeral in Cornwall. It so happened that Belinda was also home for good having had enough of Paris, Coco Chanel and foreign men plus she was also in need of a lady's maid. So both ladies did the rounds on employment agencies until Belinda was matched with an Austrian lady's maid. Georgie had no luck and so she advertised on The Lady, a magazine. Amid all this, aside from the funeral that Zou Zou went to... Belinda also went to another funeral, that of her thirty~something cousin same age as the one Zou Zou went to. Then they came to know that two more young men seemingly died accidentally. Three were daredevils, so given their hobbies and interests... their lives were always in the balance, but the fourth one was an asthmatic scholar who took up swimming to trim down his body weight that was aggravating his asthma, he died using his inhaler on a break in the middle of a swim. Given Darcy's age, Georgie thought he could be next, given that aside from his age he is almost like a peer. Georgie finally found out what the young men had in common and Belinda found her a motherly and loving Irish Nanny for James. Also, during this timeline, Georgie's cousin Edward abdicated England's throne and ran away with Wallis Simpson to Paris. According to Belinda, the woman who would never be Queen, bought not the best of Chanel's Collection and Belinda did not like her.
January 26, 2026
King Edward finally abdicated the throne and has joined Mrs. Simpson in France. She had wanted to be queen, so this isn't the way she wanted the relationship to go.
Sir Hubert Anstruther, Georgie's godfather and former husband of her mother, the actress, left the manor after the movie crew from Hollywood went back home, so Enysleigh is quiet again. Georgie is enjoying raising her little boy and Darcy is mostly in London. Granddad has gone home to Essex.
Until a stern, haughty woman shows up at the door, sent by Georgie's sister in law Fig. Apparently, Georgie was breaking all of the rules for an upper class establishment, and Nanny Harbottle was there to show her how to set it right. James was being raised to be a future leader of the empire so he was expected to have a proper nanny. Georgie and her maid Maisie were enjoying caring for the baby, so she had delayed hiring a woman.
The Honorable Darcy O'Mara, heir to Lord Kilhenny of Ireland and the great grandchild of Queen Victoria, Lady Georgina Rannoch were worthy of a highly qualified nanny such as Nanny Harbottle.
I just reread The Last Mrs Summers, so I was pleased to read references about Belinda returning to Cornwall to renovate her inherited house from her grandmother. She also had a short affair with Jago who was in the secret service with Darcy.
I have to say that I couldn't rate this book with five stars because the whole premise of the mystery was really unbelievable. Four deaths of high risk takers gentry in a row made a mystery?
I did enjoy Georgie having adventures with her good friends, Zou Zou and Belinda driving around the UK. Finally telling the truth to Fig about her uppity attitude was long awaited, and declaring to the Nanny that she didn't want her values imposed on Georgie's child was brave for a non-confrontational person .
Sir Hubert Anstruther, Georgie's godfather and former husband of her mother, the actress, left the manor after the movie crew from Hollywood went back home, so Enysleigh is quiet again. Georgie is enjoying raising her little boy and Darcy is mostly in London. Granddad has gone home to Essex.
Until a stern, haughty woman shows up at the door, sent by Georgie's sister in law Fig. Apparently, Georgie was breaking all of the rules for an upper class establishment, and Nanny Harbottle was there to show her how to set it right. James was being raised to be a future leader of the empire so he was expected to have a proper nanny. Georgie and her maid Maisie were enjoying caring for the baby, so she had delayed hiring a woman.
The Honorable Darcy O'Mara, heir to Lord Kilhenny of Ireland and the great grandchild of Queen Victoria, Lady Georgina Rannoch were worthy of a highly qualified nanny such as Nanny Harbottle.
I just reread The Last Mrs Summers, so I was pleased to read references about Belinda returning to Cornwall to renovate her inherited house from her grandmother. She also had a short affair with Jago who was in the secret service with Darcy.
I have to say that I couldn't rate this book with five stars because the whole premise of the mystery was really unbelievable. Four deaths of high risk takers gentry in a row made a mystery?
I did enjoy Georgie having adventures with her good friends, Zou Zou and Belinda driving around the UK. Finally telling the truth to Fig about her uppity attitude was long awaited, and declaring to the Nanny that she didn't want her values imposed on Georgie's child was brave for a non-confrontational person .
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