Death at Sandringham!

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God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (Her Royal Spyness #15) by Rhys Bowen            

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️



Newly married Lady Georgina (Georgie) suddenly realised she had Christmas type responsibilities and started off planning a family Christmas. This evolved further into Georgie, her husband Darcy O’Mara (something to do with the Foreign Office) and their guests bounding off to Sandringham to stay with Darcy’s rather eccentric aunt Lady Ermintrude Aysgarth. She paints rather weird works. Turns out this sudden House Party is a cover for Georgie’s cousin, David the Prince of Wales, to park his friend Wallis Simpson nearby for the holiday season. Let’s just say Wallis is not impressed!
The sudden death of the the Prince of Wale’s equerry whilst hunting the last year had set tongues wagging. People keep muttering about “the curse!” Especially after an accident at Wymondham Hall. Apparently the curse came about when the property, which is near to Sandringham, was purchased during Queen Victoria’s time. “The royals drove out those who were living hereabouts and had their cottages pulled down… one of them was a witch, they say and she cursed them. And she said bad things would happen for a hundred years.”
Georgie is out riding in the mist with Captain Dickie Altrungham reputed to be a bit of a playboy. He’s on the Prince’s horse Sultan and has raced ahead. When Georgie next sees him he’s been downed and  …Well! All very mysterious. Especially as Dickie is a top notch horseman. Queen Mary asks Georgie to help solve Altrungham’s death. The Queen is suspicious. The thing is who was the intended victim, Dickie or the prince?
On another front, I must say I raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement at Georgie’s reflections about dust. “… feather dusters. All they seem to do is to make the dust fly off one surface to land on another nearby.” One that I heartily agree with. (I had just been considering the dust in my own house prior to this.)
BTW I ignored the dust and continued reading! 😊 A Royal cosy mystery with a Christmas twist, leavened with amusing mishaps, and binding historical aspects of the time (1935) into a puzzling, rather grim and testy tale. For the reader friendships are renewed. Bowen has a super ability to bring the times alive, adding to a, ‘curl up with a hot drink’ in front of the fire, diverting read.

A Berkley PenguinRandomHouse ARC via NetGalley 
Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

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