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I've given the other Rhys Bowen series a try but I can't get into them as much (I think they're more "cozy" in genre than this one?). These are from her "Her Royal Spyness" Series, which is so amusing for me as I'm not a monarchist and they are cozy. Cozy mysteries are not my jam. I get so utterly frustrated with them for silly reasons. During Covid, I gave some of the cozy books in my TBR pile a go and it seemed to work out better (well, I only hated most of them). This was a poor introduction, but anyways. The next two books in the series don't take place in the UK as much. Instead, they take place on the European continent. Many of our favorite characters make appearances. This is also the first appearance of Rhys Bowen taking themes from classic literature. I enjoy retellings or hints to the classics for the most part, so I enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm going to try and give them both good reviews (as in, me writing the review well) as I have a migraine starting and it's rudely not getting better even though I took medicine. This weather is going to be the death of me.
Rhys Bowen's Royal Blood (#4 in the Her Royal Spyness Mysteries)
Royal Blood begins with a royal summons to Buckingham Palace by Queen Mary. I actually don't know that much about British history compared to French or Chinese (or Indian or Egyptian or German....) as it wasn't offered as a history course in college. Everything I've picked up has been in books, random tours, and against my will from my friend-the-Anglophile. Mary gets a lot of things named after her it seems like, especially famous ships. Her son is the one that abdicated (he often makes appearances in the books with Wallis). Right, around the same time, Georgie also gets a letter from her sister-in-law Fig asking (really "ordering") her to ready the house for the arrival of Fig and Binky. Georgie leaves Rannoch House and runs into Darcy, her beaux. Darcy takes her to dinner and she gets quite drunk. This scene is really how Darcy is introduced to her family as Darcy brings her back to Rannoch House and tucks her in and when he's leaving, he runs into the early arrival of Fig and Binky (the Duke and Duchess of Rannoch). Fig does not approve, of course.
Georgie and Queenie meet Queen Mary's companion at the train station. The companion is named Lady Middlesex, whose husband is in Baghdad as a British attaché. Lady Middlesex has her own companion, Miss Deer Harte. I have to be honest, Lady Middlesex cracked me up, not because she's intentionally funny, but she's the trope of the "British Empire can do no wrong" as that character wrecks havoc. Which doesn't sound funny...but for some reason it made me snort because you know that any other potential non-Brit finds her annoying as hell. I noted one scene were she bemoans the lack of a proper hunt in her travels abroad, "But I have to say that living abroad is a sacrifice I make for m husband. haven't had a decent hunt in years. We rode the hunt in Shang-hai, but it was over the peasant's fields and that's not as jolly as good open countryside is it? And all those silly little people shouting at us and waving their fists and scaring the horses." Then there was another where she counters Miss Deer Harte's assertation that they often come into danger on their travels with, "Just a few Masai waving spears at us." You know she's that type that roams the world aggravating all native populace. Eventually, the party arrives at the castle in Transylvania and meet Prince Nicolas and Count Dragomir (the Steward of Bran castle), Field Marshal Pirin (the head of the Bulgarian armed forces), Princess Maria (aka Matty), Anton (Nicholas' brother) and are reintroduced to Prince Siegfried (who is Matty's brother). Obviously, with the location in Transylvania and the castle name of Bran, the reader can note the nods to Dracula by Bram Stoker. Belinda, Georgie's school-hood chum, also turns up with "car trouble" but on the hunt for a good time. At dinner that night, Georgie also meets other participants for the wedding, including Nicholas' godfather, Max von Strohheim. Max is the lover of Georgie's mother, who is also at the castle. Odd events begin to happen, Georgie awakes to a strange man leaning over her bed never to be seen again, and Matty hiding while a red substance runs down her chin. Georgie is perturbed and is grateful when Darcy arrives the next night for dinner. Darcy is rumored (well, Georgie understands it to be) to work for the British secret service/governmental body in some capacity. When one of the guests falls over dead at dinner, all the house guests are suspects. This is worrying as the political tension in the Bulgarian area can quickly flame with a possible assassination. When the parents (the Kings/Queens respectively) arrive at the castle, they call for the head of the Romanian secret police. His name is Patrascue and he's a malevolent presence for everyone at the party. The first death is only the beginning, more people die or disappear, including Queenie. Georgie has been investigating throughout all this, but the disappearance of Queenie causes her to go into overdrive to solve the case. Since we are in a castle, an oubliette serves as a literal deus ex machine (not the plot device). I actually really enjoyed this as I got to see one on a castle tour. I had not heard of such a thing until that time, so I was excited to see it in literary form as well. Look, we don't really have old castles in America...I'm over-wowed by old stuff.
 Title: Naughty in Nice Author: Rhys Bowen Page Number: 3385 pages Genre: mystery, cozy mystery, romance, historical fiction, fiction Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group (Penguin/Random House) Year: 2011 Lady Georgiana Rannoch has once again been called into service by Her Majesty the Queen. This time she's sent to Nice on a secret assignment that's nothing to sneeze at-recover the Queen's stolen snuff box. As much of an honor as it is to be trusted by Her Majesty, an even greater honor awaits Georgie in Nice-as Coco Chanel herself asks Georgie to model her latest fashion. But when a necklace belonging to the Queen is stolen on the catwalk, Georgie has to find two priceless items-and solve a murder. How's a girl to find any time to go to the casino? This book begins almost the same way the other one does, with a summon from Queen Mary. Georgiana is staying at her brother's house (Rannoch House) in London, with Queenie. They're doing a bit better financially with Georgie's small influx of cash, but nowhere near luxury like the Queen. At Buckingham Palace, Queen Mary tells Georgie a tale of woe. One of her snuff-boxes has been stolen and the Queen would like Georgie to nick it back. She has an idea of who and where he is (Nice, France). Queen Mary had a lot of control over the royal collection (she might have grown it significantly or curated it a certain way that still holds sway, I can't remember). I think there are also allusions to her being a bit light fingered, but more so in a pointing-out-things-she-wanted-in-other's-collections-and-receiving-them-as-a gift way. No idea how true that is. Anyways, Binky and Fig are staying with her sister in Nice and that's where Georgie is meant to stay. Not a great start but it does mean that Georgie is headed to French Riviera. Which is also my favorite ABH eyeshadow palette, but that's because I love the colors. So fun! Not important to this post! On the train ride there she meets all sorts of people, including the famed Coco Chanel. Chanel recruits her to walk down the runway in the Queen's necklace. Coco is most prominent in this book and it's before her whole Nazi connection and struggle for control of the House of Chanel after WWII. During this time, Chanel was thick with several British aristocrats, which gave her big connections (Churchill and the Duke of Westminster. The Westminster dude was known to be anti-Semitic so...we probably don't have time to discuss the fascist leanings in some aristocratic groups). The Chanel perfume business and the clothing business were at odds during WWII because the perfumery was mostly owned by the Jewish Wertheimer family, Chanel tried to wrestle control back during the war but gave up afterwards. Both the Parfumes Chanel and the fashion house is now owned by the Wertheimer family. So, she did that to herself with the Nazi thing. Hang with better people Coco. Anyway, Georgie discovers her mother (sans the German boyfriend) is staying with Coco at Coco's villa (in real life, bought by the Duke of Westminster for Coco). She is invited to stay there. This works out well, as the man (Sir Toby Groper) who purportedly stole the snuff box lives next door to Coco. This also gives Georgie time to practice her runway walk. Disaster strikes at the fashion show as the Queen's necklace is stolen during a moment of chaos. The French police are called into the room in order to investigate.
This was fast paced, quick, with lots of intrigue. Yet it was still light hearted (until the end with some bombshells). We get a lot of fashion information with Coco Chanel (but not as much Nazi or anti-Semitic stuff thank god) and her menswear inspired women's line with the introduction of suits for women.
Darcy and Georgie have it out a bit because Georgie is upset with his disappearing act, the rumors about him, and how she constantly doubts him (to be fair, he doesn't tell her much which leads to her always assuming he's with other women). This is constant for a lot of the books and it is so annoying and drives me crazy. It gets cleared up every time but it is annoying. There are also moments of almost sexual assault with Sir Toby, which can be distressing but Georgie handles it well. The big family secret, or at least, Georgie learning more about her father, happens in the end of this book. We don't know much about the previous Duke, other than he lost most of his money in the crash and completed suicide in response. So learning more about his carefree days and what he's been up to in France was interesting. It doesn't add so much to the book other than explain what men could get up to in the Riviera, show a foil for Darcy, and explain Binky's character (he's also the anti-previous Duke in a way). Some of the action takes place on the historic Le Train Bleu (or Blue Train), locations around Nice, the French Riviera, and Coco Chanel's house (named ). I was quite excited about the train to be honest, as it's makes an appearance with Agatha Christie. The train has been shuttered for a bit, but they might bring it back. There is a restaurant at the Gare de Lyon with the same name that looks fancy. They seem to be known for the Rum Baba, which looks really good.
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