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.

Narrator’s performance grated on my nerves

The story was fairly simple and the narrator’s performance grated on my nerves to the point where I could not wait for the audio book to be over.

Cozy and fun

This was a very fun listen and made me smile. Hope to read more by this author.

"Enchanting Intrigue"

"Her Royal Spyness," the first installment of the captivating mystery series by Rhys Bowen, is a delightful audiobook that transported me to a bygone era of British nobility and intrigue. Narrated with charm and precision, it introduces us to Lady Georgiana Rannoch, a penniless royal relative with a knack for stumbling upon mysteries. The audiobook captures the essence of 1930s England, painting a vivid picture of high society, aristocratic quirks, and the challenges faced by our endearing protagonist. Georgie's character is brought to life with wit and humor, and her forays into amateur sleuthing keep listeners thoroughly engaged. Whether you're a historical mystery fan or just searching for an enchanting escape, "Her Royal Spyness" is a must-listen that will leave you eagerly reaching for the next book in the series.

Charming woman characters.

I enjoyed the story line and the fast pace of action. The characters were interesting and strong.

The story is interesting and not slow at all!

My favorite series ever. I would love to see it made into a television series. Her Royal Spyness keeps me going while in the road love the narrator’s. I’m waiting not so patiently for the next book!

Joy, Joy, Joy!

This is the first novel in Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series and it is a jewel. Katherine Kellgren brings the characters to life and will have you laughing out loud. Not that there isn't suspense in plenty and some romantic interest as well. Audible has all of this series on the site now and if you haven't heard them, you are in for a major treat!

If you like Miss Marple and Mrs. Pollifax

I' m sure this kind of book isn't for everyone, but if you like Jane Marple or Emily Pollifax, you'll like Georgie. An amusing cozy mystery/adventure in which a young royal (35th in line for the throne) adjusts to having no money, no household help and tries to survive by doing menial work and special investigations for the queen.

The narrator does an excellent job.

A Box of Bonbons

What perfect timing for me...like flopping onto the couch with a box of bonbons, painting your toenails bright pink, smearing deep conditioner on your hair, and forgetting the day has any plans for you whatsoever. Ahhhhhh.

I've seen these titles go by and shown no interest, until the new *7th in the series* piqued my hyper-curiosity -- 7th? that's an investment from a publisher. Going to the source, reviewers I trust admitted these aren't the best pieces of literature they've read -- but it was clear they had a great time doing so. (I've given real literary gems this many stars, but using very different criteria.) I decided to give Her Royal Spyness a try, beginning with number 1 in the series.

This was just the right light hearted fun I needed for coming off a deep read that wouldn't get out of my head -- like a pint of Haagen daz for the brain. I picked up the second in the series (Royal Pain) and it seems the magic had already worn off. I'm sure I'll eventually find myself plopped back on the couch with Her Royal Spyness in the future, 'cause there's no shame in girls just wanting, and needing, to have fun (and bonbons and pedicures).

*About the narrator: I owe this to Kellgren, whom I have b-l-l-l-lasted in the past! Loathed is a strong word, but I would actually avoid books if she was doing the narrating. I purchased this without looking, and to my surprise, thought Kellgren as equal to my enjoying this book, as the story; she was a blast.

What A Find!!

I love to read reviews—that is how I found this little gem. Rhys Bowen’s newest book was instantly getting excellent reviews, so I decided to go back and look at the beginning of the series—glowing reviews there too (and lots of them!!). And now I am hooked on another series!

This is definitely an entertaining listen. It is a light mystery, and written with typical British humor—very low-key, but at times, laugh-out-loud funny! And the narrator, Katherine Kellgren is fabulous!! She defines and reads every character flawlessly—males and females, from Cockney accents to aristocratic haughtiness. There is a character that cannot pronounce his “r”s, and she is brilliantly funny replacing all the “r”s with “w”s every time he has dialogue!! I was thrilled to find that the narrator is the same for the whole series—

I’m very excited to have discovered this series, and can’t wait to listen to more. Many thanks to all reviewers—pro and con. I love pouring through reviews, and especially love it when I thoroughly enjoy books that I would not have found otherwise!

Great start to the series

enjoyed this one. This was the first in the series and I will definitely try another one. The narrator was very good, and I liked the spunkiness of the heroine. There is something about a minor Royal in that era who spurns conventions that is irrestible to me. There were many times I found myself laughing when she got in certain scrapes and had to summon all of her inner "royalness" to get by. I liked Lady Georgiana and the other assorted cast of characters and I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.