Royal Blood

Royal Blood is a hoot and a send up to the ubiquitous vampires appearing lately in literature, TV and the screen. When Georgie must be in a royal wedding in Transylvania and stay in an eerie castle that once belonged to Vlad the Impaler, odd things begin to happen. Not only does she have the worst maid in the world, but she is convinced there are vampires roaming around the castle, one of whom could be her old school friend and bride to be! There are lots of funny moments amidst the dead bodies. Best friend, Belinda and Georgie's mother are on hand to add to the humor, and Darcy is around for romantic interest. These two are getting warmer and warmer and I must admit, I'm growing very fond of the Irish devil, but they're not all the way show more there yet. I'd love to know what his real story is. I am loving this series and on audio it is delightful, narrated by Katherine Kellgren who makes listening to it a real treat! show less

The "Her Royal Spyness" series has become one of my go-to comfort reads when I need something light but not fluffy that I know will have enough of a mystery to keep me curious and more than a few scenes that will make me laugh.

I've also grown attached to all the characters, and yes, it is a stretch that Darcy, Belinda and Georgie's mother always turn up at some point but after a few mock groans, as the plot is twisted to accommodate them, I find myself smiling because I'm glad to have them there. Part of the appeal is the excellent narration from Katherine Kelligran who has given such distinctive voices to the main characters that I recognise them as soon as they speak.

"Royal Blood" livens things up by sending Georgiana as the Queen's show more representative to a Royal Wedding in Romania. The Queen claims that this is at the request of the bride, who was at school with Georgie, but that doesn't mean she is without an ulterior motive.

We have great fun with a spooky castle, the possibility of vampires, the reality of assassination, a bride who used to be unremarkable and now isn't, the Romanian Secret Police and a chaperone for Georgie who makes Lady Bracknell seem cuddly.
The mystery here is very satisfying, not so easy to work out, lots of credible possible killers and a rising body count.

I liked that we finally get to see Georgiana getting a but more physical this time. She's strong and determined and even when thrown in an oubliette, doesn't wait on someone else to come and rescue her.

Now if only she'd be a little more determined with Darcy things might get even more interesting. Still, maybe that will happen in the next book. Or the one after that? Or the one after that? It's all part of the fun. show less

Lady Georgiana, a relation to the queen, is requested to represent the throne at a royal wedding in a creepy Transylvania castle. Fortunately, her sometime love interest Darcy O’Mara shows up when things start going downhill, like a wedding guest being murdered. Could vampires be involved? Or worse, was the target a mistake and the groom the intended victim? Nationalist politics comes into play as this strategic marriage looms closer. Can Georgiana unmask the killer before the nuptials are derailed? Royal Blood is another delightful installment in the Royal Spyness series.

This fourth book in the Royal Spyness series is just as much of a delight as the first three. I can rely on Rhys Bowen to present me with a perfectly rendered setting and make me laugh while I'm learning about the lives of royals in the 1930s. In many ways this is my favorite historical mystery series simply because both author and reader have so darned much fun at their appointed tasks.

In Royal Blood, we have Georgiana in a Dracula-inspired set of a castle in remote Transylvania that's filled with secret stairs, secret cubbyholes, secret rooms-- some which are known and others which seem to have been completely forgotten. Beastly weather. Some absolutely beastly guests. Add to this mix a reluctant Georgie, her new (and untrained) maid show more Queenie, Mum the Bolter, Belinda the gate crasher, and otherworldly people who seem to be able to climb up and down the sheer walls of the castle, and you have the recipe for a lot of fun.

I've already told you that the setting, humor, and characters all sparkle, but what about the mystery itself? Bowen really had me scratching my head until the identity of the intended victim is made clear, and then the light bulb went off above my head. Did the knowledge of whodunit spoil anything for me? Absolutely not!

Once I'd read the first book in the series (Her Royal Spyness) I was hooked, and I busily gathered up all the rest. It would be very easy for me to gorge on one book after another, but I don't let myself. Of course that rule could be subject to change! If you enjoy light-hearted historical mysteries as much as I do, indulge yourself with the antics of Lady Georgie-- and please start at the very beginning so changing relationships and growing characters will make sense right from the get go. show less

(4th in a series) As Georgie’s brother and his wife come to London and are appalled at how Georgie lives, Georgie is asked by the queen to represent the royal family at a royal wedding in Romania. But Georgie is expected to bring her (nonexistent!) maid. At the last minute, Georgie finds someone willing to come, despite the perceived dangers of travelling abroad. Unfortunately, Queenie is a disaster as a maid! Even worse, when they arrive at the isolated castle where the wedding will take place – none other than Vlad the Impaler’s castle! – they are snowed in. Georgie is certain she is seeing vampires around the castle. Then at supper one night, a guest – hated by most of the others – suddenly dies, an apparent poisoning. show more

There is to be a lot going on in this one, but I loved the setting at the castle in Transylvania and the slightly gothic atmosphere of it. I really enjoyed some of the secondary characters (and I do like Georgie, too), but what a hopeless case Queenie is! In addition to the gothic atmosphere, there was humour scattered throughout the book. I was thinking I might like this best of the series so far, but it looks like I also rated the 2nd book the 4 stars. show less

Book number four in the delightful Lady Georgiana Ranoch series of cozy mysteries takes us out of London and to a remote castle in the mountains of Romania for a royal wedding.

I like this series. Georgie manages to get herself caught up in all sorts of intrigues, while struggling to make it on her own without much money. When the queen asks her to represent the royal family at the marriage of Maria Theresa, princess of Romania, to Nicholas, prince of Bulgaria, of course she must go. But she has an uneasy feeling that she is being watched. And her companion / chaperone sees “death lurking.”

This episode in Georgie’s life was a little over-the-top, what with the castle having once been the family estate of Vlad the Impaler (i.e. show more Dracula). There are plenty of suspects, including an imperious head butler, Dragomir, who skulks around. Hard not to let one’s imagination run away in such a setting. Georgie, of course, keeps her head and manages to help solve the case. She’s certainly resourceful!

An entertaining quick read for either a snowy day indoors, or a comfortable lounge chair on the beach. show less

The last thing her Ladyship expected to see while peering into the dark, Transylvanian night was some "thing" or some "one" climbing up Bran Castle wall.

Such are the things that tend to happen to poor Lady Georgiana Rannoch. She’s twenty-two, “depressedly” single, and thirty-fourth in line to the British throne. The King is her second cousin, and his wife, Her Majesty Queen Mary, loves to give Georgie little tasks. Most recently, she dispatched Georgie to keep tabs on the Prince of Wales’ new American lady friend. Prior to that, Her Majesty put Georgie in charge of a visiting German princess with a fondness for shoplifting and American gangster slang.

This time Queen Mary appointed Lady Georgiana to represent the Royal family show more at the wedding of Georgie’s old school mate, Princess Maria Theresa of Romania, to Prince Nicholas of Bulgaria. Adding to the atmosphere of the royal wedding is its location, the dark and dreary Castle Bran, Transylvania, purported home to vampires and werewolves. And then there’s Prince Seigfried, whom Georgiana unceremoniously dumped earlier in the year, ensconced in the bedroom right next to hers.

In Royal Blood, the highly anticipated fourth book in author Rhys Bowen’s “Royal Spyness” series, we find Lady Georgiana in the middle of another murder, and this time a mysterious vial is found in her room. Everyone is snowed in, the pass is closed, and there are no tracks leading from the castle. Just who is trying to frame Lady Georgiana and why?

Among the supporting cast of players in Royal Blood are many familiar faces in this series: Georgie’s trusty bed-hopping best friend, Belinda Warburton-Stokes, Georgie’s brother Binky, the current duke, and his tiresome, penny pinching wife Fig. As always, the mysterious and handsome Darcy O’Mara pops up at just the right moment! New additions to the mix are: Georgie's royal traveling companion Lady Middlesex, Queenie Hepplewhite her bumbling new maid, and a mysteriously dark butler named Dragomir.

Let me be honest, I love this series and was somewhat apprehensive about reviewing Royal Blood. Often times, at this point in a series, the plot and characters can become flat and repetitive. Not so in Rhys Bowen’s latest! Quite the opposite, the characters remain fresh and interesting. The plot is crisp, and the turns are sharp and deadly. Ms. Bowen wisely gives the reader just enough information about the history of the players to allow a first time reader to feel right at home in Castle Bran. Rhys Bowen has written another brilliant, not-to-be-missed addition to this well loved series.

Source: This book was provided to me by the publisher at my request and in no way affected by review. show less