A Royal Pain

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 8 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

The Queen of England has concocted a plan in which penniless aristocrat Lady 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 take money into account. Georgie has very little, which is why she moonlights as a maid-in-disguise. She must draw up plans: clean house to make it look like a palace; have Granddad and her neighbor pretend to be the domestic staff; un-teach Princess Hanni the English she's culled from American gangster movies; cure said princess of her embarrassing shoplifting habit; and keep an eye on her at parties.

Then there's the worrying matter of the body in the bookshop and Hannis' unwitting involvement with the Communist Party. It's enough to drive a girl crazy.

Listen to more Royal Spyness mysteries.

©2008 Janet Quin-Harkin (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

• Macavity Award, Historical Mystery, 2009

"All the characters from the first book in this rollicking series are present here - Georgie's much-married actress mother, her kind-hearted and resourceful Cockney grandfather, her sophisticated friend Belinda and the enigmatic Darcy O'Mara, a penniless Irish peer to whom Georgie finds herself attracted. There are also fleeting references to the war clouds that are gathering in Europe and the rise of fascism at home and abroad, both of which are neatly tied in with the murders and their solution. It works - both as a grand period piece and a lighthearted and completely diverting mystery." (The Denver Post)

wow!!!

What did you love best about A Royal Pain?

The story was fun!! The narrator was fabulous!!!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot was really good, and I didn't want to stop hearing it. She just continued to get into trouble, kind of like when you have options she seemed to pick the worst ones,

Have you listened to any of Katherine Kellgren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to her performances, and she is good, even when she is thinking she makes you think you are actually hearing her thoughts, and I loved her interpretation of fig and the baroness so good

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I don't know, I am not good at that.

Any additional comments?

I just think the narrator really makes this book and boy is she good

Great brain candy

I am addicted to this series. The 30's, a royal, two very different worlds and a fun story. This book and this series are a highly recommended easy listen that doesn't offend and moves along.

Most entertaining ... has a bit of everything

Would you listen to A Royal Pain again? Why?

Absolutely, have read three and now want to read more. To see what Georgie gets up to next.

What did you like best about this story?

Easy to listen to, a mystery, some humor, family connections and a hint of romance

Which scene was your favorite?

Georgies grandfather as butler

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Oh yes

Any additional comments?

Looking forward to reading #4

A fun, well done followup to a good start

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, and I have. Several times. Not this book specifically, but the series.

Who was your favorite character and why?

"Hanny" because she had a fire and spunk that was as infectious as it was aggravating.

Which scene was your favorite?

None really stand out as a favorite. The entire thing was solid and well done.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed in a few places. The interactions with Hanny were just too good.

Any additional comments?

Like the first one, this is a true mystery and was easy enough to solve by simply thinking about the crime. Solving it wasn't the end, however.The very end felt a little contrived, but not so much that it detracted from the rest of the book.

Funny and entertaining!

So far two books down in this series and looking forward to the next. I can't wait to see what crazy mystery befalls our Lady.

The novelty starts wearing off

The book is nice enough to listen to while crocheting, but I saw some of the development coming very early on, and I didn't really buy into the explanation. Still, it had its moments and was entertaining enough for me to buy the sequel. However, the narrator's way to do the various characters is not for me, it starts to grate.

Great series

I just love this fun and exhilarating story. I am really enjoying diving into these series.

Fun light mystery series!

I highly recommend this series as the first 2 books have been great! Reader was great-she sounded like Julie Andrews! I am so looking forward to listening to them all!

What a fun listen

What did you love best about A Royal Pain?

I loved the tongue in cheek humor and the trouble the heroine finds herself getting into.

What other book might you compare A Royal Pain to and why?

I have been reading the Nancy Mitford books and the irreverence and fun in both seem to strike a chord with me.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator's use of accents is remarkable. She adds so much depth to the story with her inflections.

So good I ended up getting the whole series!

If you could sum up A Royal Pain in three words, what would they be?

Rhys wrote a keen book blending humor, romance, history and mystery!! Kellgren (and John Erickson) are my favorite voice actors. Kellgren has a delightful voice that never grates and she has a different voice and accent for all the characters. I utterly loved this book and proceeded to get the rest in the series, which were all delightful.