Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

2007/324 pgs.

About the Book: Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie is 34th in line for the throne and flat broke. Her brother the duke is economizing and Georgie has been cut off. When the queen tries to set her up with the horrible Prince Siegfried (aka fishface) Georgie runs from her Scotland castle to her family's London house under the pretense of helping a friend with a wedding. Georgie is hoping to make a new life for herself. She moonlights as a maid (the horror!) and befriends the handsome but also penniless Darcy O'Mara. When a blackmailing Frenchman winds up dead in her bathtub, Georgie has a new job-discover the killer.

Sarah Teenlibrarian Says: Her Royal Spyness is a fun lighthearted cozy mystery set in 1930's London. This is the start to a series, so there's a lot of character development and introduction before we get to the actual mystery.

It's a historical, but there were times I forgot it was set in the 1930's as it felt a bit like modern chick-lit. Georgie in someways reminded me of Bridget Jones. Her adventures are often hilarious and although she's been brought up as a member of the royal family, she never comes across as too pretentious. She's a very likable character and an interesting narrator.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of and at time there seemed to be a bit too much going on. We're introduced to Binky, Georgie's Duke brother who is accused of murder, his wife Fig, several of Georgie's friends and former classmates, and her eccentric actress mother. They all add for many comic scenes throughout the novel and once you get used to the large cast, it's easy to keep everyone straight.

The mystery doesn't really get going until the last third of the book. Although it's somewhat predictable it's still fun and I have hopes for the rest of the series.

The book is a fun and quick read and I think holds appeal not only for mystery fans but for readers of contemporary chick lit.