God Rest Ye, Royal Gentleman - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: God Rest Ye, Royal Gentleman (Royal Spyness #15) by Rhys Bowen

Rating: Really Liked It
Source:   Publisher

Description: Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans. She has moved to a house on the edge of the Sandringham estate, near the royal family, and wants to invite Darcy and his new bride for Christmas. Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests: Mummy, Grandad, Fig, and Binky all head to Sandringham.

Georgie soon learns that the notorious Mrs. Simpson, mistress to the Prince of Wales, will also be in attendance. It is now crystal clear to Georgie that the Queen expects her to do a bit of spying. There is tension in the air from the get-go, and when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt. Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:   I've enjoyed the most recent books in this series and couldn't resist this one!

My Impression:  One of the things I missed in the last book was Darcy playing more then a cameo role.  I was thrilled that in this book he had page time from the beginning to the last page.  Georgie is still figuring out her new role as wife and lady of the manor and decides she should plan a house party for Christmas.  But just as she begins planning they receive a dual summons - one from the Queen to Georgie and the other from Darcy's aunt.  Suddenly Georgie, Darcy and their house party are on their way to the royal estate of Sandringham.  

I loved seeing more of Georgie's mother and brother, Binky.  Binky's wife Fig is still rather awful but I found myself quite liking Binky and Georgie's mother always managed to make me laugh - especially when she sparred with Wallis Simpson.  I was a bit sad that Georgie's grandfather did not make the trip but it made sense and I'm hoping we see more from him in future books.       

The mystery was one that kept me guessing and had a surprising ending.  There were so many ways that it could have unraveled and I really enjoyed seeing how it did.  The pacing at the beginning was a bit slow but still enjoyable and once the story got moving it was a fast read.  This is a fun mystery with lots of holiday cheer and even some historical royal gossip.                    

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  This is a series I'm looking forward to going back and reading the books I've missed and one I'll always be looking for new books from.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy historical cozies that are on the lighter side this is a fun series.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *