Editorial Content for Peril in Paris: A Royal Spyness Mystery
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Set in the 1930s, Rhys Bowen’s long-running Royal Spyness series has been treading a difficult line for several books now. Our heroine, Lady Georgiana “Georgie” Rannoch, aptly foreshadows the coming of World War II with ample references to political turmoil in Germany. And the latest volume is no exception.
PERIL IN PARIS finds a pregnant Georgie and her husband, Darcy, on a sort of babymoon in Paris. Of course, Darcy --- whose covert work for the British security services peppers the series --- is whisked off on assignment, and Georgie is left to fend for herself.
"The familiar cast of secondary characters...helps make this story a successful one."
Thankfully, Georgie’s best friend, the ever-fabulous Belinda Warburton-Stoke, is living in Paris and working at Chanel. Add in a politically polarizing coterie of German officials and their significant others, and this is sure to be one French odyssey that Georgie will never forget. Especially once accusations of murder fly her way!
The familiar cast of secondary characters (the delightful Belinda, Georgie’s exasperating and occasionally redeemed social-climbing mother, the scheming Wallis Simpson, who here gets a second chance in the audience’s eyes) helps make this story a successful one.
Where it comes up short, though, is in the execution of the tale’s evocative backdrop. Bowen has not yet fully addressed or come to terms with the fact that these characters are operating in a polarizing world. It’s frustrating to watch Georgie muck about on silly adventures when the stage is being set for the Holocaust and global devastation.
To be sure, few would have been aware of the exact nature of the impending horrors, but it’s hard to sympathize when we see Georgie continually utter “Oh, golly!” about world affairs or empathize when her mother gallivants off with her German industrialist fiancé once again. We know what’s coming, and the bubble in which these characters live --- even if contemporary attitudes might have been somewhat analogous in these times --- makes for a trying read.
Teaser
When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel’s fall collection. Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco’s show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind.
Promo
When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel’s fall collection. Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco’s show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind.
About the Book
Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her dashing husband, Darcy, are awaiting a bundle of joy, but an unexpected trip to Paris will thrust them straight into a tangled web of international intrigue in this all-new mystery in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen.
What a delight it is to finally be able to enjoy a simple meal again! I have been in the throes of morning sickness for the last few months as Darcy and I prepare to welcome a brand-new addition to our little family. Now that I am feeling better, I have realized I am dreadfully bored! It seems that all my nearest and dearest are off leading their own busy lives while I sit at home and attempt to train our two adorably naughty puppies. Fun as it may be, it is hard not to long for a little adventure, a change of pace, before my true confinement begins when the baby comes.
Happily, it seems that Darcy has read my mind. When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel’s fall collection. I happen to know Coco from a disastrous encounter in Nice years ago, and I am hoping this visit will go much more smoothly. But I soon learn that nothing about my time in Paris is going to be simple...or safe for that matter.
Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco’s show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind. But I have no plans to deliver my darling little one in a prison cell, and so I will muster every ounce of my courage to save the day...and, quite possibly, the world!
Audiobook available, read by Jasmine Blackborow
