Still good fun!

Would you listen to On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service again? Why?

Yes I would. I do adore the series and its good easy listening. I love the characters and that is why I keep coming back. The stories are not challenging but they are funny and charming and worth my money.

Any additional comments?

There are some annoyances for me in this series as it gets on. The repetitive fillers used in each book are getting a bit much - we all know the characters so I feel its a bit much to reintroduce again and again.
I get a bit annoyed with the continuity errors. And they start right in the beginning of the story when Georgie's brother details their villa in Nice - the very same villa she visited in Naughty in Nice. I can list many things like this - why is Georgie's wardrobe so limited when she acquired lots of clothing from Coco Chanel or her trip to America. Why is it that she has won loads of money at gambling clubs in the other books but she is forever poor. Progress is not a bad thing - she does not always have to be poor and down on her luck.
I just feel the author needs to accept a shorter book full of fresh work and not reuse so much. I really want more stories in the series - I don't want them to end. Just a bit more effort.
Lastly for some reason Katherine Kellgren sounded a little tired with her narration - everyone sounded a little older and slower. And it does annoy me when I like my continuity.
I have never had anything bad to say about the series but this book, as fun as it is, just isn't 5 star worthy :(

81 people found this helpful

Katherine Kellgren is simply the best narrator!

Listening to a Rhys Bowen Royal Spyness Mystery narrated Katherine Kellgren is like a fantastic dessert after a wonderful dinner. This is book 11 in the series which does not have to be read in order but is best read in order. In this novel Georgie is in Italy where she runs into her fiance Darcy O'Mara as well as her actress mother and mom's German paramour. While there the queen asks her to check on the status of the Prince of Wales' marriage plans with that awful American woman Mrs. Simpson. Georgie's friend Belinda is there awaiting the birth of her baby. Of course there is a murder which Georgie must solve. There is really a lot going on, but Georgie's maid Queenie is left in Ireland, so one fun character is missing. Oh, and Georgie and Darcy are trying to get permission to marry (he is Catholic), because she is 35th in like for the British throne. To her great consternation 24 year old Georgie maintains her virginity. The novel is set in the 1930's before the start of WWII..

The performance by US born and London trained actress Katherine Kellgren is vocal art of which no other narrator I'm aware of, female or male, is capable. Every character has his/her own voice and accent representing where he/she is from.

The sad part is author Rhys Bowen, nom de plume of Janet Quin-Harkin, will likely not release the next novel is the series until next summer.

23 people found this helpful

Georgie is at it again

As usual, Rhys Bowen has given us another delightful Georgie story. Sure, it's not great literature but it is an enjoyable romp in the Italian Lake District with the "posh set" and Nazis. What more could we want?

Some of the situations are repetitive from previous adventures of Georgie and friends. The usual suspects are there - Georgie's mother and Max, the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson (she's still annoying), Belinda, and, of course, the dishy Darcy.

This time Georgie encounters early Nazis and their attempt to influence the future King. History tells us how that turns out. Add in some blackmail and a murder (naturally) and we have Rhys' latest. And very little Queenie. Thank you! The mystery wasn't that hard to figure out but the telling was good. The ending with Paolo and Camilla was just a tad too convenient for me though.

There were some great lines in the book. Calling Camilla horse-faced made me laugh. Couldn't possibly be a dig at the Duchess of Cornwall could it? 😉 And someone saying Hitler wanted to make Germany great again reminded me of something.

As usual, Katherine Kellgren's narration was perfect. She does such a good job with this series.

Now begins the wait for the next book. It will certainly contain a wedding, right?

10 people found this helpful

Little Queenie

It was a good but predictable book. The good part was very little Queenie was in it! I figured out early on who the killer was but it didn't take away from the story.

10 people found this helpful

Much the same as the rest of the series

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not really. I enjoyed the previous listens much more than this one. The new characters seemed forced to be too oddball and too eccentric. Not that humorous. The plot was much like another in the series. What really detracted was the performance. I felt that Katheryn Kellgren was yelling at me and I really wanted to slow the speed down so she would just lighten up some.

What could Rhys Bowen have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

More action for Georgie and fewer descriptions of insignificant characteristics of minor characters that were meant to be humorous.

How could the performance have been better?

Give it a rest.

Could you see On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Maybe not this one but earlier books for the series that show Georgie as more of an innocent. Carey Mulligan or Kiera Knightly would play the role well.

8 people found this helpful

Another Grand Adventure

Another great Georgie adventure. But this time she really does do some actual spying and puts herself in perilous situations. The Queen sends Georgie to a house party in Italy to monitor the relationship between the Prince of Wakes and "that woman ". What Georgie finds when she gets there is a house full of Nazi's , and a murdered spy!
Thankfully her beloved Darcy is there undercover, posing as a gardener, to help catch the evil villains and thwart their dastardly plot.

Is the plot oversimplified? Of course it is.

Yes, we are at another house party.
Yes, we're dealing with all the usual suspects.. basically all the same characters as in previous books with their same problems.
Yes, time is progressing at a snails pace. I really hope the next book includes the wedding.
And I'd like to see some character growth in Belinda, and in Georgie's brother the Duke.

But with all that being said
I REALLY ENJOYED this book! It was just fun to read.

So just enjoy yourself and jump back into 1935 England with Georgie and Darcy. You'll have fun!

7 people found this helpful

Love this series!

I love this series! I've listened to it many times over! The narrator has a wonderful voice. Spoiler alert: I was really ready for them to get married in this book. And disappointed that it hasn't happened yet. But surely it will happen in the next one. I'm kind of tired of waiting, but I still love this series. And some of the content did feel a bit repetitious of previous situations she has been in, but again, I still like it. It's a delightful listen while I work. A little adventure, mystery, romance and comedy. That's why I love her!

7 people found this helpful

One of My Favorites

I have enjoyed this series very much. Just good, entertaining fun with characters brought to life so well by Katherine Kellgren. This story had some serious issues with the Nazi's and Belinda's situation. I think I got into it more for that reason. I listened to this book knowing it would be the last read by Katherine Kellgren and it was bittersweet for sure. I cried at the end for the loss of this talented woman, gone too soon and who will be missed by so many.

6 people found this helpful

Will miss the voice of Katherine Kellgren :(

Katherine Kellgren will always be the voice of Lady Georgiana for me. She will be sorely missed.

But what a wonderful story, as only Rhys Bowen can tell.

Can't wait for Darcy and Georgiana to finally tie the knot!

6 people found this helpful

Another great story!

I have enjoyed each and every story in this series. Rhys Bowen's story telling is consistent, always fun and interesting.
Georgiana, she's sort of a bit of Calamity Jane but somehow it all works out. Her Mr. Darcy is dashing as ever and so in love with her, I can hardly wait for when their wedding finally takes place. It's wonderful to see how Georgie always supports Belinda regardless of how big or small her messy life can be. Big, strong Darcy, turns tail at the end but in a funny way.
Katherine Kellgren, she's just incredible. Her vocal talent surpasses or equals my favorite readers. There's no, "she/he said, each character voice is distinct and clear. I'm never confused with who's talking at any time.
Thank you both for sharing your amazing talent.
If you have enjoyed the previous books in this series, you won't be disappointed.

6 people found this helpful