Her Royal Spyness

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Agatha Award-winning author Rhys Bowen’s charming combination of intrigue and romance blended with a touch of humor shines when performed by Audible Hall of Fame narrator Katherine Kellgren, whose deft range and impeccable accent work make it hard to believe this isn’t a multicast performance.

In this irresistible cozy set in 1930s London, Rhys Bowen introduces the lively Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie—or "Georgie" for short. Despite standing 34th in line for the throne and occasionally having tea with (…and spying for!) Her Majesty the Queen, Georgie is penniless and down-on-her-luck. And just when it seems things might be looking up, she finds a body in her bathtub.

Listeners are sure to be hooked on this royally enjoyable series—and luckily for them, the collaboration between author and narrator only gets richer over the course of 12 books.

©2007 Janet Quin-Harkin (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Both a Light Read & a Good Mystery

This is a charming book. Both a light read & a good mystery. I didn't guess the identity of the fiend until the end & that's always a good thing. The story is set in 1930's London which is a plus to me as I'm a sucker for an English mystery. I really enjoyed Kellren's narration.

You gotta love it

This is a clever comic approach to historical fiction. It is light hearted and entertaining. Yes there is a little mystery and a little romance, but the humor really carries the novel. The narrator makes the characters live and shine,

Wonderful Listen! Funny, well read, good fun

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

I would highly recommend it, but it's not really a mystery as it's been advertised. It's more of an amusing comedy of the life of a minor royal in 1930s London - a single woman trying to distract her family (including the Queen) who's trying to marry her off while she tries to figure out what she's going to do with her life on her own in the big city. It is wonderfully read by a woman with great talent in not only reading dialogue, but creating credible voices for the characters.

It's more of a comedy with some amateur detective work, rather than a mystery with some amusing situations popping up occasionally.

Really enjoyable

If you could sum up Her Royal Spyness in three words, what would they be?

A "Feel Good" book

If you’ve listened to books by Rhys Bowen before, how does this one compare?

N/a

Which character – as performed by Katherine Kellgren – was your favorite?

The heroine

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

Not an extreme reaction, but it did make me smile throughout the story

Any additional comments?

Katherine Kellgreens narration is exceptionally good, with a wonderful mastery of accents and timing. Her voice is pleasant, lovely to listen to.
It's not the worlds best detective story, but the humour, the writing style, the interesting time period all combine to make this book a really enjoyable and diverting experience. I loved it.

PG Wodehouse fans rejoice!

This book is marketed as a mystery novel but to me, the mystery was only secondary. The story revolves more around the young Lady Georgiana: her attempts to become independent and make ends meet in the big city, her unique family, friends, acquaintances, love interests etc. The mystery in itself is pretty basic but still entertaining enough to keep you interested.
The style stroke me as very reminiscent of PG Wodehouse's because of the flamboyant characters and the humour that is ever present all throughout the novel. The narrator does an excellent job; listening to her was a real pleasure. Highly recommended.

Love this series!

What did you love best about Her Royal Spyness?

I enjoy the humor in these well paced mysteries.

What about Katherine Kellgren’s performance did you like?

The narrator is so gifted that you really feel like you're listening to many different narrators. She gets the accents beautifully.

Unexpectedly fun!

It actually took a while for me to get into this book. Several chapters in I was thinking boring... then the pace started to pick up and stuff began happening and I loved the reactions from everyone. It was hard to remember that this was about a royal with everthing that was going on behind the sceens and she was so practical about her situation. I loved it and by the end I was ready to look for more. I guess this is why I stick with a book that doesn't seem to be going anywhere. sometimes it never does pick up and you end up wasting a bit of time with a stinker but then there are the times when you stick it out and discover that the prize for your persistence is a hidden treasure.

Liked it a lot!

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

I would indeed recommend it! I like fiction like this which is set in a different era (1930s) and which combines actual history with fiction (uhm, I guess what I like to say is that I like historical fiction mysteries).

Who was your favorite character and why?

Georgie and her grandfather.

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

Her performance is amazing and really brings the characters to life.

A Great Beginning

I decided to try this because it looked like an interesting premise. I liked the story - it is set in the 30's which is before the reign of George VI, the current Queen's father. In fact the Queen Mary mentioned is supposed to be his mother. So of course the author has come up with "David" to replace "Edward" and the scandalous relationship with the married American woman is the relationship that Georgiana has to spy on. This is an interesting look into pseudo-history and an enjoyable story with bits of mystery, suspense and has a little romance thrown in for good measure. The reader is superb and the characters are given life with her changing accents and voices making this a lovely listen.

Wonderful cozy mystery

I adore the Royal Spyness novels & this first book is a great intro to all the characters. Highly recommend it for a good cozy listen