A Royal Pain

May 12, 2008
To make ends meet, slightly impoverished but well-connected Lady Georgiana Rannoch takes on house-cleaning jobs in disguise in Agatha-winner Bowen's enchanting second mystery set in 1930s England (after 2007's Her Royal Spyness
). A tea invitation from the queen, however, sets her on a new mission. Georgiana must house and chaperone a young Bavarian princess the queen hopes to set up with the prince of Wales, thus diverting his attention from his current American love interest. The princess proves to be quite a handful, naïve and addicted to slang. Invitations to the palace, country house weekends and swinging parties are provided for her amusement. When a series of unfortunate deaths arouses Georgiana's suspicions, she launches an investigation that culminates in a startlingly bloody conclusion. Fans will welcome the return of this spunky heroine, 34th in line to the British throne.

July 1, 2008
Readers first met impoverished Lady Georgiana when she cleared her brother of a murder charge in Her Royal Spyness (2007), set in 1930s London.Georgiana is now summonedto the palace of her distant relation, the Queen of England, who wants Georgiana to play hostess to a visiting German princess, Hannelore, whom she hopes will catch the eye of the Prince of Wales and distract him from his dalliance with Mrs. Simpson. Georgiana reluctantly agrees, getting her grandfather and his neighbor to impersonate servants. When Hannelore arrives, she proves a handful, spoutingphrases from American gangster moviesand setting her sights on Darcy OMara, the one man who makes Georgianas heartleap. To make matters worse, Hannelore expresses interest in the Communist Party and arranges to meet one of the members in a bookshop. Georgiana accompanies Hannelore on the assignation only to have the princess discover the young mans corpse. A delectable mystery with vibrant characters and a bit of romance, Bowens latest isa rollicking good read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)