THE LAST MRS. SUMMERS is the latest entry in Rhys Bowen’s long-running mystery series, Royal Spyness, which focuses on the 1930s aristocrat-cum-amateur sleuth Lady Georgiana Rannoch. Following last year’s problematic (see: main characters’ attitudes on racism and imperialism) and poorly constructed LOVE AND DEATH AMONG THE CHEETAHS, Bowen returns to good form here.

As the book opens, Georgie is still settling into her own happily-ever-after. But her globe-trotting spy husband, Darcy O’Mara, is off again for work, so a lonely Georgie casts about for a friend to keep her company. She lands on her longtime pal Belinda, who recently has inherited a small piece of property in rural Cornwall. Eager to check out her new summer home, Belinda invites Georgie along for a road trip…but little do the friends expect what’s awaiting them.

"[T]his is a romp of a mystery and another good entry in a long-running series."

Not only is Belinda’s new “house” little more than a shack, she and Georgie are invited to stay with Belinda’s former flame and his new wife. When one of their hosts is murdered and Belinda is fingered for the crime, Georgie must pull out all the stops and dig up past secrets to save one of her nearest and dearest.

In her author’s note, Bowen tells readers that she drew inspiration for the book’s windswept setting and gothic ambiance from REBECCA. She does a nice job of channeling Daphne du Maurier’s novel without lifting its themes and characters wholesale; this classic influenced, but does not overwhelm, THE LAST MRS. SUMMERS. And fans finally will get a deep dive into Belinda’s surprising backstory, which reveals more about Georgie’s sidekick than we’ve seen in previous installments.

All in all, this is a romp of a mystery and another good entry in a long-running series. There’s nothing terribly groundbreaking in terms of plot or character development, but longtime fans will be pleased.