Her Royal Spyness is a Cozy Mystery novel series written by Janet Quin-Harkin, under the pseudonym Rhys Bowen. It currently consists of 16 books and one short story.
Narrator Lady Victoria Georgiana "Georgie" Charlotte Eugenie, cousin of King George V of England, is penniless, trying to survive on her own in London in 1932, and has been asked to spy and solve mysteries for Her Majesty the Queen.
Works
The series includes the following books:
- #0.5: Masked Ball at Broxley Manor (2012)
- #1: Her Royal Spyness (2007)
- #2: A Royal Pain (2008)
- #3: Royal Flush (2009)
- #4: Royal Blood (2010)
- #5: Naughty in Nice (2011)
- #6: The Twelve Clues of Christmas (2012)
- #7: Heirs and Graces (2013)
- #8: Queen of Hearts (2014)
- #9: Malice at the Palace (2015)
- #10: Crowned and Dangerous (2016)
- #11: On Her Majesty’s Frightfully Secret Service (2017)
- #12: Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding (2018)
- #13: Love and Death Among the Cheetahs (2019)
- #14: The Last Mrs. Summers (2020)
- #15: God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (2021)
- #16: Peril in Paris (2022)
- #17: The Proof of the Pudding (expected 2023)
Tropes:
- Chekhov's Boomerang: A beautiful chiming clock in Heirs and Graces is first significant because it runs slow. Then at the climax, Georgiana is saved when another character throws it at a would-be murderer.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The first two books have Georgie secretly do some light housekeeping to make a little money for herself. This is dropped by the third book, with the explanation that all her clients are away for the summer.
- Henpecked Husband: Georgie's brother, Binky (full name Hamish Albert Henry Rannoch, Duke of Glen Garry and Rannoch), is this to his wife, Fig, who convinces him to cut off Georgie's allowance and pressure her to marry a prince she doesn't like (among other things).
- Historical Domain Character: The entire House of Windsor. Queen Mary, in particular, makes at least one appearance per book.
- Charlie Chaplin is a murder suspect in Queen of Hearts . He didn't do it.
- Coco Chanel hosts a fashion show in both Naughty in Nice and Peril in Paris, and persuades Georgie to model, with disastrous results.
- Mystery Magnet: Whether she's invited to a party or doing a favor for The Queen, "Georgie" will end up entangled in mystery, usually with a dead body or two.
- Pet the Dog: Wallis Simpson, of all people, comes to Georgie's aid after she is accused of murder by a relentless detective in Peril in Paris, threatening to get King Edward VIII (her fiancée and Georgie's cousin) involved and bringing the British ambassador himself to the police station to get Georgie out of interrogation. (Georgie suspects this has more to do with Simpson's annoyance with the detective than any affection towards her, but she appreciates it nonetheless.)
- Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Georgie has one in Wallis Simpson
, who never misses an opportunity to make jabs at Georgie's lack of money and single status. Georgie at least takes comfort in Simpson's lack of popularity with both the Royal Family and the British public. - Shout-Out: A large part of The Last Mrs. Summers references Rebecca.
