Heirs and Graces

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Finalist, Mystery, 2014

As 35th in line for the throne, Lady Georgiana Rannoch may not be the most sophisticated young woman, but she knows her table manners. It's forks on the left, knives on the right - not in His Majesty's back….

"Here I am thinking the education I received at my posh Swiss finishing school would never come in handy. And while it hasn't landed me a job, or a husband, it has convinced Her Majesty the Queen and the Dowager Duchess to enlist my help. I have been entrusted with grooming Jack Altringham - the Duke's newly discovered heir fresh from the Outback of Australia - for high society. The upside is I am to live in luxury at one of England's most gorgeous stately homes. But upon arrival at Kingsdowne Place, my dearest Darcy has been sent to fetch Jack, leaving me stuck in a manor full of miscreants…none of whom are too pleased with the discovery of my new ward. And no sooner has the lad been retrieved than the Duke announces he wants to choose his own heir. With the house in a hubbub over the news, Jack's hunting knife somehow finds its way into the Duke's back. Eyes fall, backs turn, and fingers point to the young heir. As if the rascal wasn't enough of a handful, now he's suspected of murder. Jack may be wild, but I'd bet the crown jewels it wasn't he who killed the Duke…."

©2013 Janet Quin-Harkin (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

So sad to see the book end

I am addicted to these cozy mysteries by Rhys Bowen and narrated by Katherine Kellgren. I don't know what I like better, the mysteries themselves or the narration. Katherine Kellgren is brilliant. Her narration sounds more like a fully dramatized script rather than a one woman narration. She makes these books come alive. The books themselves are simple mysteries. Nothing complex here. They are good books to curl up with on a rainy day to enjoy the foibles of the British aristocracy while Georgie follows the leads to wrap up a good mystery. I will admit that a good reason of why I read these is to see what will develop between Georgie and her possible beau Darcy. In this recent book, Heirs and Graces, their relationship has seemed to finally hit it's stride since they have a "understanding". I can't say that the mystery in this book was very robust but I don't really expect it to be. I liked the previous book, The Twelves Clues of Christmas, much better as a mystery than this one. However, the characters are compelling and well developed and I listened to it quickly, though I did try to savor it a bit, knowing I would be Georgie and Darcy -less for the next year while I wait for Rhys Bowen to pump out another book. For those who like light mysteries without all the dark violence and sex that so often seems to be a requirement to get books published these days, this is the series for you. This is a series I would probably let my 13 year old listen to, (with some light editing on Georgie's mother and Belinda, Georgie's best friend) and that is saying something. Thank you Rhys Bowen and Katherine Kellgren for another entertaining book. I will now go into withdrawals.

Guilty Pleasure listening to this book!

Enjoy the series, light frothy entertainment wrapped around a mystery. Self depricating 34th in line to the throne....what a heroine!!! The books are great fun. The author writes such a good story that I have now purchase all in the series and am looking into her other books. The miles just fly by when listening. The narrator has such a complete and total lock on the character creating just the right nuances to make the author's story line flow.

A masterful ‘who dunnit’!

As usual, Katherine Kellgren captures the characters masterfully with accent, inflection, dialect and detail of Rhys Bowen’s written word. From the aristocratic commanding timbre of her grace,the duchess, to the dignified calm of the butler, each character comes alive in a gripping story. On to the next in the series!

Great story and narrator

I've read most of the Royal Spyness series, and this one is one of my favorites.

A review of Heirs and Graces

What did you love best about Heirs and Graces?

Heirs and Graces was an enjoyable mystery with familiar characters. Murder follows Georgie wherever she goes and in this installment she is at a Duke's estate. The Duke was not well liked so there were plenty of suspects who wanted him dead. I did not expect the twist in the end.

What other book might you compare Heirs and Graces to and why?

This book is similar to Marion Chesney's Edwardian Murder series.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scenes with the elderly aunts. They were so quirky and entertaining.

Any additional comments?

I had to get used to the narrator's voice as the different accents were difficult to understand. Some accents were very British. Don't give up, listening gets easier.

Lovely!

Like all the others before, a light lovely cozy mystery. Kellgren is an amazing narrator through the whole series

The Butler didn’t do it.

This story was like a game of clue so many characters, and each of them had a motive to kill Sedrick. As Rhys is so clever, you never guess who the murderer is.

Love it

As usual a terrific tale. Well thought out. Can’t wait to hear the next adventure.

Delightful Series

This isn't the series to go to if you want to expand your mind. But, if you'd like a well-crafted light (and I do mean light) mystery with an easy-to-listen-to narrator, this is the one. Start at the beginning and just go through them. Once in a while this kind of book is a nice break. Be warned. It's a cupcake, not a meal.

By the way ... this is a series you can share with your mom, grandma and great aunt. It's all just good, clean fun.

The narrator, Katherine Kellgren, really needs a shout out. Her work is terrific. She makes Georgie come to life.

My go-to series when I'm stressed or feeling dumpy

STORY (mystery) - If you want something light and cheerful but with enough mystery to keep you guessing, this is your series. I can always count on it to cheer me up or for just a light, easy listen. In this book Georgie and the main characters must figure who killed a wealthy landowner when all of his potential heirs stand to gain from his death.

There is a short foxhunt in this book but, contrary to the cover art, horseback riding is not a major part of the story.

PERFORMANCE - Love Katherine Kellgren. Some reviewers criticize her performance as overdone, but I think it enhances this series. Since these are light mysteries and somewhat comical, most of the characters themselves are overdone. They are pompous British royalty, always concerned about status and their appearance. IMHO, Katherine's performance might be overdone if the story was more serious, but in this case I think it was spot on. Listen for yourself if you are concerned. She is, indeed, a master of accents and voices!

OVERALL - There are extremely mild references to sexual rendezvous, and there is no bad language in this book. It is a murder mystery but, as such, it is handled very lightly without gory detail. This story stands alone, though the romance between Georgie and Darcy O'Mara is a continuing thread throughout the series. Recommended for all female listeners.