It was already April, Lady Georgiana Rannoch -- Georgie --
was planning a summer wedding to Darcy O'Mara, but the
latter must dash to another secret assignment for the
British secret service, perhaps? Georgie is bored, and
when her friend Belinda asks her to visit in Italy,
Georgie jumps at the chance. There is also that pesky
matter of asking Queen Mary to allow Georgie to renounce
her claim to the Throne, Darcy being Catholic. But when
she sits down to tea with Her Majesty, Georgie mentions
that she will be staying near Stresa, the Queen asks her
to attend a house party to eavesdrop on the Prince of
Wales and if he is planning a secret wedding to "that
American woman". The whole affair didn't look too
complicated, until someone turns up dead.
ON HER MAJESTY'S FRIGHTFULLY SECRET SERVICE is a
frightfully delectable book! Even though it is the
eleventh book in the Royal
Spyness series, it was a
piece of cake to jump right in, although I will have to go
back to see how Darcy and Georgie met; darlings, I must
know because those two are such a wonderful couple! The
story is set in 1935, and I found astonishing how
historically accurate everything was. Ms. Bowen weaves
historical facts and fiction effortlessly into a
compelling story over a background of the mounting threat
of fascism in Europe, and it flows so smoothly that the
book is over before you know it. I loved that the author
didn't stoop to revisionism, and that Belinda's out-of-
wedlock pregnancy is dealt with realistically. Every
character is scrupulously depicted, and yes dear readers,
I did picture Darcy as that other Mr. Darcy! Ms. Bowen
captures the essence of the German, Italian and British
people, as well as the precarious political climate, as
well as Mrs. Simpson.
The dialogues are stellar, the vocabulary perfect and
faithful to the era. The German General's lack of
understanding of English idioms elicited a few chuckles,
and another secondary character, the Italian policeman
Stratiacelli, was especially entertaining. As for the
murder mystery, for those of us who grew up on Agatha
Christie, it is a sheer delight; ON HER MAJESTY'S
FRIGHTFULLY SECRET SERVICE reminds of Dame Agatha, but
with a more humorous touch and a believable romance
between two lovely characters. ON HER MAJESTY'S
FRIGHTFULLY SECRET SERVICE was exactly the book I needed!
In the new Royal Spyness Mystery from the New York
Times bestselling author of Crowned and
Dangerous, Lady Georgiana Rannoch juggles secret
missions from the Queen, Darcy, and her mother. But it’s all
in a day’s work when you’re thirty-fifth in line to the
British Crown.
When Darcy runs off on another secret assignment, I am left
to figure out how to travel to Italy sans maid and chaperone
to help my dear friend Belinda, as she awaits the birth of
her baby alone. An opportunity presents itself in a most
unexpected way—my cousin the queen is in need of a spy to
attend a house party in the Italian lake country. The Prince
of Wales and the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited,
and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding.
What luck! A chance to see Belinda and please the queen as I
seek her permission to relinquish my claim to the throne so
I can marry Darcy. Only that’s as far as my good fortune
takes me. I soon discover that Mummy is attending the villa
party and she has her own secret task for me. Then, Darcy
shows up and tells me that the fate of a world on the brink
of war could very well depend on what I overhear at dinner!
I shouldn’t be all that surprised when one of my fellow
guests is murdered and my Italian holiday becomes a nightmare...
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