Thirty-fifth in line for the British throne, Lady Georgiana Rannoch becomes embroiled in royal wrongdoing in the ninth mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Crowned and Dangerous.Caught between her high birth and empty purse, Georgie is relieved to receive a new assignment from the Queen. The King’s youngest son, George, is to wed Princess Marina of Greece, and the Queen wants … Greece, and the Queen wants Georgie to be her companion: showing her the best of London—and dispelling any rumors about George’s libertine history.
The prince is known for his many affairs with women as well as men—including the great songwriter Noel Coward. But things truly get complicated when one of his supposed mistresses is murdered.
The Queen wants the whole matter hushed. But as the case unfolds—and Georgie’s beau Darcy, as always, turns up in the most unlikely of places—their investigation brings them precariously close to the prince himself.
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I love Rhys Bowen’s books. The Royal Spyness series is funny and captures a slice of delightful history. Feeling low? Restore yourself with Malice at the Palace. You can’t help but feel good while reading this book.
great story, enjoyable at every page
love this series!!!
I like all the books in this series. They are often laugh-out-loud funny and are especially enjoyable in the audiobook version. The narrator has a special talent of bringing the various characters to life. Each book is an enjoyable, light-hearted read that leaves me anxious to read the next one.
I love the whole series.
‘Lady Georgiana Rannoch won’t deny that being thirty-fifth in line for the British throne has its advantages. Unfortunately, money isn’t one of them. And sometimes making ends meet requires her to investigate a little royal wrongdoing.
While my beau Darcy is off on a mysterious mission, I am once again caught between my high birth and empty purse. I am therefore relieved to receive a new assignment from the Queen—especially one that includes lodging. The King’s youngest son, George, is to wed Princess Marina of Greece, and I shall be her companion at the supposedly haunted Kensington Palace.
My duties are simple: help Marina acclimate to English life, show her the best of London and, above all, dispel any rumors about George’s libertine history. Perhaps that last bit isn’t so simple.
George is known for his many affairs with women as well as men—including the great songwriter Noel Coward. But things truly get complicated when I search the Palace for a supposed ghost only to encounter an actual dead person: a society beauty said to have been one of Prince George’s mistresses.
Nothing spoils a royal wedding more than murder, and the Queen wants the whole matter hushed. But as the investigation unfolds—and Darcy, as always, turns up in the most unlikely of places—the investigation brings us precariously close to the prince himself.’
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4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 stars.
Malice at the Palace is the ninth book in Rhys Bowen’s Royal Spyness series which is a cozy mystery series set in 1930s England following 35th in line for the throne, Georgiana Rannoch.
After finding the previous two books in the seires a bit disappointing, I really enjoyed Malice at the Palace. Now granted, I’m a sucker for paranormal aspects popping up in a histroical mystery and so that may being coloring my opinion a bit, but I’m unrepentant.
Georgie has been tasked by the queen to look after another visiting princess, but this princess is far less of a burden and this assignment is actually being aided financially and so Georgie is treated to more glamour and comfort in this book, more to the stye that someone of her station would expect.
It had felt over the last few books that the characters lives were getting fairly static; there were small changes but overall it was basically the same thing for them in each book. But there is some serious forward momentum in this book, things are moving forward for these characters and I’m excited to see where these changes will lead and how the dynamics between characters may shift over the next books.
I will admit the resolution to the mystery was handled very quickly, but I enjoyed it. I felt that this one wasn’t as transparent as others previous in the series have been. I was able to guess the guilty party before the reveal, but still enjoyed how it played out.
Part of the very popular A Royal Spyness Mysteries, Malice at the Palace takes place in the 1930s where Lady Georgiana Rannoch, thirty-fifth in line to the British royal throne, though not as wealthy as her royal relations, once again makes ends meet by taking on a secret assignment from the Queen.
Her mission? To provide companionship to Princess Marina of Greece, the future bride of the Queen’s youngest son, Prince George, a roguish playboy whose numerous dalliances with both men and women have earned him a reputation.
It all sounds simple enough to Georgiana, but when a dead body is found in the grounds of Kensington Palace only weeks before the wedding, she must get to the bottom of it-and quickly- before a scandal threatens to destroy the young pair’s nuptials, and the Royal family itself.
If you love your cozy mysteries well-written, fast-paced and with a liberal dash of humor, Malice at the Palace is a real page-turner, and a great bit of light-hearted fun!
A great series. Georgie is always entertaining.
Loved the series.
All of the works in Rhys Bowen’s Georgie series are a delight. Always look forward to the next one.
Light, but entertaining.
Have read the whole series.
Love this whole series. Hope she continues to write it.
Enjoy this series
Another fun read about the 36th in line for the throne!
Cute, but a little juvenile for me
There is going to be a royal wedding, and the Queen has asked Georgie to help the bride-to-be acclimate to her new home in England. However, when Georgie discovers a body just outside the palace, she has to work to uncover the killer while everyone keeps the murder a secret to avoid a royal scandal.
It’s always a treat to revisit Georgie, and this book is no exception. We are transported back to 1934 London and given a bit of history as the fictional plot is based on some real people and events. The characters are a delight as always, and the story comes to a logical ending. Unfortunately, one aspect of that ending was a bit weak, and a recycled sub-plot involving Georgie’s love life kept the book from being the author’s best work.
Lady Georgiana is always funny and her maid Queenie often makes me laugh out loud. This story was very interesting and is a good look at how the royal family probably has to handle awkward things sometimes.
The Audible copy is worth listening to as the voice artist – Katherine Kellgren – does a splendid job of bringing the different characters alive. She is definitely the most talented voice artist I have encountered so far.
I have enjoyed every book in this series and look forward to future additions