Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (A Royal Spyness Mystery)

By far the best in the series, the Royal Spyness Mysteries. I love this series. In Four Funerals…. there was not a single misstep by its author. The story weaves faultlessly to the final pages. Ended by a deep sigh of satisfaction from this reader.

All the elements were there historically. Queen Elizabeth as a child, Prince Edward and the notorious Wallis Simpson. Even Hitler as a black cloud on the horizon. But we pick up with Lady Georgiana (Georgie) preparing for her wedding and worrying about where she and Darcy will live on their meager combined income. It appears to be hopeless. Fig and Binky, Georgie’s granddad and a band of slap-dash servants. And my favorite character, Queenie (the maid) is back in full force. The whole story is delightful from the first page to the last.This is a must read for fans of Rhys Bowen.I highly recommend it.

Lady Georgiana Rannoch is preparing for her wedding to the handsome and mysterious Darcy O’Malley when she receives a message from one of her mother’s former husbands. He’s always had a fondness for Georgie and wants her to make his estate her home. He’s away on a mountain-climbing expedition but feels something isn’t right in the manor house. Georgie is delighted to take charge of the household and get it ready for when she and Darcy are married. But things are definitely awry when she meets the surly staff. They’ve all been recently employed and strange goings-on make Georgie fearful for her life. I loved this suspenseful tale that kept me rapidly turning pages. The mystery plot unfolds amidst wedding preparations and dress fittings. If you’re a fan of the series, it’s a delight to finally see Georgie and Darcy come together. But can they foil the dangerous schemes underfoot and emerge unscathed? One of the best in this series yet.

This is the first novel that I have read by Rhys Bowen. It was such a pleasure. The heroine was portrayed very well with just the right amount of initiative for a woman of that era, with enough feminism to keep the readers of today happy. The action was suspenseful , well described, and the characters were written convincingly. There was enough suspense and action to keep the book going. , the writing was very good, and the entire novel was such a pleasure to read. I shall buy some more of this author's books.

I really enjoy the royal mystery series by Rhys Bowen. Ms Bowen’s writing style is engaging and excellent. The heroine Georgianna and her assortment of family and friends make the stories rich and fulfilling. For one reason or another a murder occurs whenever Georgianna is around and she feels compelled to solve the mystery. It is also nice to have some historical tidbits intertwined with the story.

This book in particular reveals a definite mystery resulting in many murders that requires Georgianna to use all her wits and observation skills to solve. Needless to say, she is definitely up to the task, and has the task of planning her wedding as well. I wish there was more interaction with her fiancé but she does have her usual sidekicks to help her. Some of her detective escapades border on being reckless that she should know better to pursue since it repeats an earlier storyline but overall the book is still interesting. There are still many open storylines that need finishing so I hope that the next book in the series take up where this one left off. It is too bad that I read this book in two days and now have to wait a year for the next installment. I can’t wait for the next book!

Ordinary Americans probably will never be invited to an event such as this one, but take heart! And take Rhy's hand. She will lead you through a wedding that will knock your socks off. And maybe one of your shoes as well if it isn't lost in the hurrying and scurrying of a wedding. You'll be glad you came along for the ride. The first few minutes of the riverboat honeymoon are not bad either.

Having read and enjoyed three of Rhys Bowen’s novels: In Farleigh Field”; “The Victory Garden”; and “The Tuscan Child” I decided to try “Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding” which is the 12th book in A Royal Spyness Mystery series, in spite of the fact I’m not a huge fan of the mystery genre. Well, now I know to stick to my preferred tastes which run more toward thrillers, espionage, and fast-paced action novels with good general fiction and romance thrown in for good measure.

This mystery is set in England in the 1930’s and until about a third of the way into it I couldn’t decide if it was meant to be farcical. The protagonist is Lady Georgiana who is supposedly well down the line in British royalty and she’s headed to what will be her inherited estate in the English countryside as she prepares for her upcoming nuptials. Only her fiancé is off who know where doing who knows what so she’s left to manage this huge estate that seems to be staffed with a small handful of miscreants who know nothing about being in service to royalty or even to commoners for that matter. The goings on run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous and Georgiana is very good at putting on a good front as the lady of the manor house. Only she’s beset with all kinds of self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy. So much so that she tired me out! Even when attempts are made on her life she keeps up her front and gets into all kinds of mischief trying to figure out who’s up to what kind of skullduggery.

In fairness to author Bowen, I’m simply not a mystery fan and I know it. So lesson learned. It’s okay to try something new but if you know you don’t really like mysteries, then don’t be surprised when you’re disappointed. Bowen’s writing style and prose is still excellent even when the content isn’t to my liking. Three and a half stars. Maybe that’s unfair but as the umpire says; I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em.