On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service (Her Royal Spyness #11) by Rhys Bowen

Rating:  Good

Source: Publisher

Description:  When royal sleuth Georgie Rannoch receives a letter from her dearest friend Belinda, who’s in an Italian villa awaiting the birth of her illegitimate baby, she yearns to run to her side. If only she could find a way to get there! But then opportunity presents itself in a most unexpected way—her cousin the queen asks her to attend a house party in the Italian Lake Country. The Prince of Wales AND the dreadful Mrs. Simpson have been invited, and Her Majesty is anxious to thwart a possible secret wedding.

What luck! A chance to see Belinda, even if it is under the guise of stopping unwanted nuptials. Only that’s as far as Georgie’s fortune takes her. She soon discovers that she attended finishing school with the hostess of the party—and the hatred they had for each other then has barely dimmed. Plus, she needs to hide Belinda’s delicate condition from the other guests. And her dashing beau, Darcy is (naturally) working undercover on a dangerous mission. Then her actress mother shows up, with a not-so-little task to perform. With all this subterfuge, it seems something is bound to go horribly wrong—and Georgie will no doubt be left to pick up the pieces when it does.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed the first few books in this series and while I've missed several I wanted to catch up with Georgie and Darcy.  

My Impression:  This series has always been a bit of a fun romp of a cozy and this entry was no exception.  It starts off with Georgie in Ireland feeling somewhat at loose ends as Darcy has been called away and there's not much she can do but sit around and wait.  But Georgie doesn't have as much time to sit around as she expected and is soon called back to England by none other than the Queen of England herself.  Georgie has tea with the Queen in just about every book and it always adds a bit of fun to the book.  Poor Georgie is often starving and I can imagine seeing all those delicious sounding pastries go to waste has to be maddening!

The mystery was intriguing.  Not only are there the regular motives and emotions for murder floating around but there's a hefty dose of pollical intrigue and royal scandals which makes this extra fun.  While there is a lot going on with everyone having a different angle it was a lot of fun unraveling all the different threads.  I had a pretty good clue as to the who which isn't unusual for most mysteries but the reading experience was enjoyable enough that I was still able to enjoy the read.

I love the 1930s setting and the juggling that Georgie has to do to keep up appearances when she's basically flat broke is simultaneously entertaining and exhausting.  I was pleased to discover that Georgie has grown up a bit in the last few books.  She still has her sense of humor and her sparkle but she isn't quite as silly as she sometimes was in previous books.  This was a fun book that really felt like catching up with old friends!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  I'm looking forward to reading the next book already.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're looking for a light historical mystery this series is a good choice.  While I don't think the series necessarily has to be read in order I think it might be best to read a few books from earlier in the series first to get an idea of who everyone is and how they're connected.

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books with Sensory Reading Memories

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from That Artsy Reader Girl is Books with Sensory Reading Memories.  I'm focusing on books that I vividly remember reading.  I usually remember the plot of a book that I've read but not so much the experience or where I was and these books were the exception.  I'm trying to stick with books I've read at least 2 years ago to be sure the memory is especially vivid.

1.  My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - I listened to the end of this book while sitting in the car at my son's school waiting to pick him up.  It was pouring down rain and the simple yet emotionally complex story really fit the weather perfectly.

2.  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - This was the first book I read for a book club and I remember curling up in a chair in the living room and blocking everything out while I tried to figure out just what was going on with the characters.

3.  In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware - This was not only my first book by Ruth Ware but it was my first book narrated by Imogen Church and it seriously hooked me.  I ended up deep cleaning my kitchen just so I could listen longer and when the climax was approaching I was standing absolutely still just waiting to find out what was going to happen!

4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - I resisted reading this book because I heard it was ugly cry inducing and I'm not a fan of the ugly cry.  But I gave in and I ended up finishing this in the car while we were heading to vacation.  I warned my husband that I was going to cry and I absolutely did.

5.  Marley and Me by John Grogan - I read this book in one sitting and finished it at like 2 or 3 am and was sobbing so hard that I woke up my husband and he refused to believe that I was crying that hard over a book.

6.  Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden - I read most of this sitting outside on the deck.  I live in Alabama and there are approximately 4 days out of the year where the temperature is right, the humidity is low, and the mosquitos haven't come out yet that are absolutely perfect for outdoor reading and I was reading this when one of those days arrived.  The fact that I really enjoyed it but didn't expect to made this extra memorable.

7.  The Collector by Nora Roberts - I read this one at the beach.  I honestly don't remember all that much about the book itself but I do vividly remember sitting on the balcony of the condo after getting crazy sunburned and enjoying this read.

8.  Looking for Anne of Green Gables by Irene Gammel - I remember sitting up late struggling through this biography of L.M. Montgomery because I really really disliked it.  By the end I disliked both the author and the subject and it took awhile before I could read anything else by Montgomery!

9.  Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn - I read this one when I was about ten and I vividly remember sitting out on a swing in the backyard wide eyed and flying through this one.  The swing was somewhat hidden from the backdoor so there's the very real possibility that I was hiding from my mother so that I could finish it!

10. Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls by Ann M. Martin - I loved the Babysitter's Club series so much and I loved the mysteries especially I remember being absolutely delighted and spooked by this one.  I read this one sitting on the floor of a bookstore while mother talked to a friend!

What books do you remember reading?

What I've DNF'd So Far This Year

I'm not really much of a DNFer.  Normally I will stick with a book even if I'm hating every second of reading it.  Lately I've realized that's not really the most logical position.  I have thousands and thousands of books that are waiting for me to read them and I will most likely love most of them.  So why am I wasting my too scarce reading time on a book that I just don't like?  This is probably more DNFs than I've ever had but I am glad that I'm getting better about recognizing that a book just isn't for me.

Astor Place Vintage by Stephanie Lehman - I really wanted to love this.  I love dual timelines, I love vintage clothes, and I actually own a piece of china that my great-grandparents bought at the Wannamakers in Manhattan in the early 1900s which overlaps with on of the timelines in this book so there was even an extra bit of personal connection.  However, I just couldn't get into it.  Both present and past voices were exactly the same and both unlikable.  I could never connect with the characters or get into the plot which felt a bit like reading a deposition.

An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler - This is another one I really wanted to love.  I love foodie books and I love the idea of cooking with what's on hand and to suit your mood neither of which I'm particularly great at doing.  She does a lot of contemplating of vegetables or other simple ingredients which for a chapter or two is interesting and even at times inspiring but after two chapters turns into three and then more it kind of became redundant.  I am intrigued by the parsley oil and there are a number of very simple dishes that she makes that sound tasty.   However, after investing 120 pages of time into it I just simply couldn't make myself pick the book up again.  Honestly I was just bored with it.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare - This was one of my favorite books as a child so I was really excited to listen to it.  I'm not disputing that this is well written and well executed but I just couldn't get into it.  I felt so sorry for Kit who was clearly out of her element and completely blindsided by the difference in the new community she lands in after a fairly carefree life in Barbados that it became unpleasant to listen to.  I think my issue is that this isn't what I want out of a Middle Grade fiction right now.  I don't mind more serious tone but I am looking for an adventure theme and this just felt grueling and cheerless.  I do believe this is a case of "It's not you, it's me" but I'm trying to get better at ditching books that I'm really not enjoying and this was definitely the case here.

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs - I really enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children.  It had such a delightful weirdness and was such a fun short little story with some creepiness and a selection of truly bizarre vintage photos thrown in for good measure.  I expect to love this one just as much but right from the start it fell flat for me.  It was missing the quirkiness that I had so enjoyed in the first book and just felt too long and cumbersome.  It wasn't awful but when I was able to put it down for a week and had zero interest in picking it back up I figured it was time to let it go.

The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl - I really wanted to love this.  I've been enjoying thrillers lately and the fact that this is one set in Norway really intrigued me.   I feel like I could have dealt with the fact that the main character was so incredibly unlikable but I just couldn't get past that the premise was so unlikely.  I live in a community similar to what she described (though in the States) and there is no way that the people at the swimming pool would have released the child they didn't know into the custody of an adult who was a stranger to the child and Cecilia's actions following this were equally unbelievable.  Coupled with the fact I felt the writing was a bit clunky and the fact that Cecilia is just the worst I decided this one just wasn't for me.  I do think my experience did hamper my enjoyment of the book somewhat as I just couldn't get past what to me felt too absurd.

What have you DNF'd this year?

This Week in Readng - July 22

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Another quiet week but I did pick up one book. 

Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien - Lana Lee ends up running her parents' Chinese restaurant, dealing with the murder of the couple who owns the shop next door, and figuring out just what her relationship with the police detective is.  This isn't the first in the series but it sounds like such fun that I couldn't resist picking this one up!  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  Who Moved My Goat Cheese by Lynn Cahoon and finishing up No River to Wide by Emilie Richards.

Listening:  I'm still listening to Because of Miss Bridgerton but I haven't actually listened to much this week.

Watching:  We're still watching Longmire and are really enjoying.  I'm not great at binging shows though and can only make it through 2 or 3 before I need a break so it's going to take awhile.

Off the Blog:

We spent most of this week in south Mississippi.  It was a fun visit but it was crazy hot so we didn't spend too much time outside.  This is the Tornado's last full week of summer and we're planning on being extra lazy.  I don't love how early school starts back but it's really too hot to do much outside and we do get out mid-May and have a few decent length breaks in between so it does work out.  

I didn't get much blog visiting done in the last week or two but I'm hoping to make up for that in the next week.  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  Scandal Above Stairs - Historical Mystery Review

Tuesday:  Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading in 2018 Pt 2

Wednesday:  Shelved Under Murder - Cozy Mystery Review

Thursday:  Books from the Backlog - Crime and Poetry

Friday:  Friday Linkups: On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service

Saturday:  Poisoned Pages - Cozy Mystery Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday: What I've DNF'd So Far This Year
Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books with Sensory Reading Memories
Wednesday:  On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service - Cozy Mystery Review
Thursday:  Books from the Backlog
Friday:  Friday Linkups with Current Book
Saturday:  Who Moved My Goat Cheese + Killer Green Tomatoes - Cozy Mystery Reviews

Have a great week and happy reading!

Poisoned Pages - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Poisoned Pages (Booktown Mysteries #12) by Lorna Barrett

Rating:  Good

Source: Publisher

Description:  Tricia Miles, mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth, throws a housewarming cocktail party in her new apartment and has cooked all the food by herself--quite a feat for someone who previously couldn't boil water. Then one of her guests is poisoned and dies. Tricia's left to wonder if her cooking is to blame or if there's something much more sinister at play. Either way, Tricia's once again in hot water with her ex-lover, Chief Baker.

Meanwhile the charming town of Stoneham is being disrupted by a vandalism crime wave. It's the hot topic in the race for Chamber of Commerce president which sees Tricia pitted against two bitter rivals. With all that's going on can she find the killer before she's the next item on the menu? 

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This was one of the first cozy mystery series I ever read and I love the idea of a town full of bookstores!

My Impression:  This series always makes me yearn for a bookstore that specializes in mysteries to exist me.  Or really any good locally owned bookstore featuring a cat to exist near me.  I love the town and the community feel of the bookstore.  Mr. Everett and Pixie are such opposites and it is fun to see the really genuine bond between them.  As well Angelica has become a character I really like.  She can be a bit high handed but her heart is always in the right place and she normally knows just the right thing to do.  Seeing her in a bit of trouble was a little different and I felt like it added a touch of vulnerability.

There’s quite a lot going on in the little village of Stoneham with the mysterious death, the vandalism and the Chamber of Commerce election as well as what is going on with Angelica but it all fits together very nicely.  The pacing is very good and this whole series is incredibly readable from start to finish.  What keeps the series from really being a winner for me is that I don’t like Tricia very much.  While she thankfully never drifts into TSTL actions she can come off as a bit judgmental and harsh which puts my back up. 

This is an entertaining and well paced series with a solid mystery.  While I do have some issues with Tricia I always enjoy the mysteries in this series.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Yes though since I’ve read a couple pretty close together I’ll probably get a few books in before I come back to this series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy a cozy this is a solid series though I recommend starting with some of the earlier books.

Friday Linkups - On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
What's your proudest blogging milestone or achievement?

My Answer:
Oh this is a hard one!  I remember being so excited when I first got comments or when I actually had subscribers.  I also still get excited when I get review requests from major publishers - especially Berkley.  I guess when it really comes down to it my absolute favorite achievement is getting to be part of this amazing community.

This week's book is On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service by Rhys Bowen.  I love a good pun-ny cozy title but this one gives me extra joy because it's a play on the title of a James Bond book which is another of my favorite things.  This is a book in the Royal Spyness series set in the 1930s and I've really enjoyed the first few books.  I've missed a few between those and this one but so far it hasn't been an issue.

The Beginning:
I should have known it was too good to last.

My Thoughts:
I do love a smidge of pessimism in a cozy heroine!

The 56:
"Do you not know how easy it is to bribe a train concierge, especially if one is a regular customer and generous with tips?  I merely asked him to turn the other way while I borrowed the passkey."

My Thoughts:
Well that's not unsettling at all!

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

Books from the Backlog - Crime and Poetry

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!  Today's book is Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower

Blurb:  Rushing home to sit by her ailing grandmother’s bedside, Violet Waverly is shocked to find Grandma Daisy the picture of perfect health. Violet doesn’t need to read between the lines: her grandma wants Violet back home and working in her magical store, Charming Books. It’s where the perfect book tends to fly off the shelf and pick you...

Violet has every intention to hightail it back to Chicago, but then a dead man is discovered clutching a volume of Emily Dickinson’s poems from Grandma Daisy’s shop. The victim is Benedict Raisin, who recently put Grandma Daisy in his will, making her a prime suspect. Now, with the help of a tuxedo cat named Emerson, Violet will have to find a killer to keep Grandma from getting booked for good...

How long has it been on the shelf: Actually not that long relatively speaking - only since the summer of 2016.

Why I want to read it: There's a magical bookstore!  I need a book with a magical bookstore! Plus I love a book with some bookish related crime.

What book from the backlog is calling you?