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.

A Fun Mystery

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny, not too stressful, and had a nice satisfying ending. Katherine Kellgren is amongst the best narrators I have ever listened to. She has a truly distinct, perfectly accented voice for each character. She definitely made it!

Awesome narration!!!

Loved the book...interesting heroine. I would have enjoyed the book if I had read it but not the way I did the audiobook . The narrator just took it to another level. It brought back memories of listening to a radio play... Can't wait to start the next one!!!!

Surprisingly Delightful

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but the art style of Queen of Hearts intrigued me, then the synopses of Her Royal Spyness caught me, so I decided to give it a shot. I was thoroughly pleased. I smiled a lot while listening to this book. It's light, fun, and maybe a little silly, but it's also full of an innocence and place in history that is both interesting and much glossed over in my own experience.

Not usually the type of book I read, I am nonetheless very happy I chose it. I loved it, and especially I loved the Ms. Kellgren's voice work.

The story moves at a nice clip, the characters act in sensible ways, or at least as sensible as my prejudices suggest. But beyond that, I love the placement in history. World War II is looming on the horizon, but no one wants to believe it, and yet the impression of that world, recovering from the Great Depression, is plain and direct, and it feels like you're there.

Fun Story

True to the period in word and deed. Wonderfully read! Refreshing in its structure. I look forward to more adventures.

Enjoyed the book

Enjoyed the book. Can't wait to get the next book in the series. The narrator was very good with the different voices.

Fun Cozy Mystery

Any additional comments?

Lady Georgiana is a minor royal (34th in line for the throne) whose family has cut off her allowance. She is over the age where she should have been married off and leaves the family castle to stay in their home in London by herself. She has to learn to take care of herself building fires and light housekeeping, but decides she needs some way to earn money and starts her own cleaning service - as long as the Queen doesn't get wind of it.

The Queen also has a "job" for her, spying on the Prince and his latest paramour. In the midst of all this, she finds an unpleasant man dead in her bathtub and has to go about proving her brothers innocence while finding the actual killer. Georgie has a knack for finding trouble and while she is lovely and charming, she is unfortunately maladroit.

Overall a fun story and good performance. It was excellent at keeping me entertained while driving and doing housework.

Chuckle and Smile

If you like this genre, Rhys Bowen is very good. I like this genre and find them good fun. Well-written and very well-performed. Will buy them all. Wish I could say that about other authors' series.

For any mystery lover or Anglophile

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

I would recommend this book to a friend because it is a light-hearted and fun mystery. Though while fictional, it has an historical accuracy concerning some of the real life characters (i.e. Mary of Teck and Wallis Simpson) which were nice little touches to make the setting.

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

I wouldn't say that it was a pot-boiler, but it was intriguing enough to keep my interest and cause me to finish it faster than I normally finish audiobooks. I did pick out the culprit pretty early on, but there was enough doubt and believable red herrings to make me question myself, which as a mystery lover, is paramount. I am anxious to see if the second book of the series does the same, I have already downloaded and started it.

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

I have not. I felt before responding to this section I should learn more about Katherine Kellgren so I read a post about her on the Voices blog.

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

Lady Georgiana by George!

Any additional comments?

I seldom read mystery series novels (since being a teenager), but this book has awakened a new interest in the genre for me, and I am thankful I did. I would like to thank the other users who wrote reviews.

Fun "who done it" but ...

I enjoyed the reader, I think she did a great job with all the voices! I was considering getting the next one just because I enjoyed her performance so much. The story was fun & it kept me guessing until almost the end. What I didn't like was how it got so racy. I'm not a prude but I do not want to listen to women trying to get rid of the "burden" of her virginity as if it is some disease. Not my cup of tea.

Love this series!

I have not read/listened to them in order but it would have been smart to fill in some of the wholes to start with this one. I enjoyed the stories and the narrator, nonetheless!