Could this coming Christmas of 1933 be more dismal?
Jobless and isolated from her friends, Lady Georgiana
Rannoch is now made to feel unwelcome in her own family
ancestral home in Castle Rannoch on the cold windy moors of
Scotland. After her father had lost his fortune in the
crash of 1929, things have been tough, but while her
beloved brother, Binky, may be a Duke, his mean-spirited
wife Hilda, commonly called Fig, rules the roost and the
castle and she is out to make life a misery.
The weather is dreary and she hasn't even gotten a
postcard from Darcy O'Mara who is supposedly off in South
America. Was their relationship going anywhere or not?
Finding out he is Catholic presents even more of a dilemma.
Despite now being bumped to being 35th in line to the
throne, he would not be eligible for her to marry. Dare
she still love him when there is no future? What can she
do?
Meanwhile, Georgie tries to find a way to get away from
Fig; however, her small list of options do not pan out. She
couldn't even visit her flighty mother as she is not
going to spend Christmas in London, but is going to be
holed up in some small village called Tiddleton-under-Lovey
with the playwright Noel Coward working on a new play for
her comeback as an actress. With her life as dreary as the
weather, Georgie is flummoxed until an advertisement in The
Lady magazine sets her on a whole new path.
For her part, Lady Hawse-Gorzley is totally thrilled to get
such a high level Royal to be a social hostess at her
traditional English house party! She has a number of guests
coming over the holidays from different parts of the world
and wants to make sure they have a good time. Times have
been very tough and even the titled are feeling the pinch,
so Lady Hawse-Gorzley and her daughter, Bunty, are trying
out a new way to cope with their change in circumstances.
For her part, Georgie didn't care as Christmas in this
small village is definitely a huge improvement over the
coldness of Castle Rannoch, despite learning about some
escaped convicts nearby and a number of deadly accidents
that unexpectedly happen to the local villagers. Life becomes
even more interesting especially when Bunty's cousin
arrives. But, as the accidents start to look more like
murders, what can she do to help to stop this killing spree?
Winner of numerous mystery awards, Rhys Bowen sets her
titled heroine and amateur sleuth into action in a totally
delightful olde English village complete with all the usual
eccentric English characters. The sixth book in Bowen's
Royal Spyness Mystery series, THE TWELVE CLUES OF
CHRISTMAS
is definitely a suspenseful treat for the season,
especially as its title gives a not too subtle clue to the
mystery involved.
The story is also intriguing as a stand-alone as Bowen has
a deft hand at developing her characters and the reader is
quickly immersed and captivated by this mirthful mystery.
Aside from the suspenseful happenings, I was particularly
intrigued by the insights into how those with ancient
titles, but living in genteel poverty found interesting
ways to keep up with their class values despite the
strained circumstances they were in during the Great
Depression. I also enjoyed reading about the historical
Christmas related activities and events happening in the
large country home of the Hawse-Gorzleys as well as in the
village. Bowen has thoughtfully shared recipes and
instructions for the traditionally played games and
activities in an appendix, which I am sure will be helpful
to those both familiar and not overly familiar with
British traditions.
This is a fun book to curl up with and figure out THE
TWELVE CLUES OF CHRISTMAS or it would be a great gift for
those mystery fans in your life! Enjoy!
She may be thirty-fifth in line for the throne, but Lady
Georgiana Rannoch cannot wait to ring in the new year—before
a Christmas killer wrings another neck…
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me—well,
actually, my true love, Darcy O’Mara, is spending a
feliz navidad tramping around South America.
Meanwhile, Mummy is holed up in a tiny village called
Tiddleton-under-Lovey with that droll Noel Coward! And I’m
snowed in at Castle Rannoch with my bumbling brother, Binky,
and sourpuss sister-in-law, Fig.
So it’s a miracle when I contrive to land a position as
hostess to a posh holiday party in Tiddleton. The village is
like something out of A Christmas Carol! But no
sooner have I arrived than a neighborhood nuisance, a fellow
named Freddie falls out of a tree, dead…. Dickensian, indeed.
Freddie’s merely a stocking stuffer. On my second day in
town, another so-called accident turns up another mincemeat
pie—and yet another on my third. The village is buzzing that
a recent prison break could have something to do with it…
that, or a long-standing witch’s curse. I’m not so sure. But
after Darcy shows up beneath the mistletoe, anything could
be possible in this wicked wonderland.
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