Royal Spyness #19
February 1937. King Edward VIII has abdicated the British throne to be with his beloved Mrs. Simpson in Paris, his brother George VI awaits his coronation, and Lady Georgie is busy enjoying being a new mother and running the country house of her godfather, Sir Hubert. Alas, her peaceful home life is soon destroyed by the arrival of the horrible Nanny Hardbottle, sent by her dreadful sister-in-law Fig to bring Georgie’s life up to Fig’s cold worst-of-British childrearing standards. As if the anti-Mary Poppins isn’t bad enough, Fig herself soon arrives and settles into Georgie’s comfortable house to avoid the worst of the Scottish winter and shows no sign of leaving.
With Nanny criticizing every aspect of Georgie’s affection for her son and Fig criticizing everything from Georgie’s servants to the way she runs her house, it’s no wonder Georgie runs to London to seek the support of her friend Zou Zou and to search for an acceptable nanny. But Zou Zou is about to head north for the funeral of a friend’s son, a young man who died in a tragic auto accident. Seeking someone else to help, Georgie is delighted to find her bubbly friend Belinda back from Paris and ready to help in her quest for a nanny when they discover that several other young men in their social circle have also died in tragic circumstances.
All the young men are sons of aristocrats or the landed gentry, heirs, and all died young. They don’t seem to know each other but Zou Zou soon convinces Georgie the deaths can’t be a coincidence. Georgie quickly realizes that all the young men were each the only son and heir to their family estates – just like Darcy. Fearing there really could be a connection and that Darcy might be in danger, Georgie and Belinda start to investigate.
The investigate ranges from northern England to Wales and eventually Darcy gets involved. It’s fun to watch Georgie travelling by train, a hallmark of the Golden Age of mysteries. (Seriously, I love those old mysteries with maps and train tables!) At one point someone even compares her to Miss Marple and Georgie humbly demurs, having met Agatha Christie in a previous book.
Needless to say, Georgie eventually discovers the connection among the murders and solves the case but the best part of the book is watching her deal with Nanny, Fig, and the disastrous Queenie. Some readers hate Queenie but I love her because she provides hilarious comedy relief. She is truly the world’s worst servant — not the one you want serving tea to your guests. Readers who love to hate Fig will especially enjoy this book and the addition of the horrible Nanny Hardbottle.
Now that King Edward has abdicated, will Her Royal Spyness be needed to keep an eye on him? Afterall, we already know he and Mrs. Simpson are Nazi sympathizers and war is brewing with Hitler’s rise to power in Nazi Germany. And what about Georgie’s mother, enamored of a rich German and charmed by Hitler and those in his circle? Will she escape Germany while there is still time? We know Darcy does something mysterious for the Home Office and I suspect the new King and Queen may find work for Georgie in the near future as well. I’m already looking forward to the next book! — Cathy Akers-Jordan