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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Probably my least favorite spyness book so far. Taking it out of England and away from the normal characters just didn’t work for me. I missed Queenie, the grandfather, Belinda, and others. Frankly, Darcy might be dishy, but he is far less interesting as a main character than in previous books where his action took place largely off stage.
PopSugar Challenge 2020: A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
PopSugar Challenge 2020: A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In this latest entry in the Royal Spyness series, Georgie and Darcy finally are married and they set off for Kenya on the second stage of their honeymoon. Only Georgie quickly discerns that the trip is part of an assignment from the Foreign Office for Darcy, and soon they are embroiled in possible robbery, treason, and a very definite murder.
While the Kenyan locale was interesting, I found this story less engrossing than most of the previous ones in the series. For someone who had been involved in solving multiple previous murders and mysteries, Georgie seemed unrealistically naive and clumsy in her approach both to the debauchery around her and to the murder. At one point, she almost blabbed to relative strangers about Darcy’s secret vocation, and her wide-eyed “golly” response to much of what she saw got to be a bit annoying.
Furthermore, aspects of the mystery were left to inference and a couple other plotlines were wrapped up hastily at the end by other people, making for an unsatisfying conclusion to the couple’s adventure.
This was not a particularly strong addition to the series, but I’m hoping for better in Georgie and Darcy’s next outing.
While the Kenyan locale was interesting, I found this story less engrossing than most of the previous ones in the series. For someone who had been involved in solving multiple previous murders and mysteries, Georgie seemed unrealistically naive and clumsy in her approach both to the debauchery around her and to the murder. At one point, she almost blabbed to relative strangers about Darcy’s secret vocation, and her wide-eyed “golly” response to much of what she saw got to be a bit annoying.
Furthermore, aspects of the mystery were left to inference
Spoiler
like who exactly had been trying to kill them and whySpoiler
including the supposedly stolen diamond and the mystery of who Jocelyn really was and what he was doingThis was not a particularly strong addition to the series, but I’m hoping for better in Georgie and Darcy’s next outing.
A fun read while also offering a peek inside the ills of colonization.
The mystery was interesting and my guesses kept shifting.
The mystery was interesting and my guesses kept shifting.
4 stars - I love this series, but this time I felt the plot was a little less powerful than previous instalments and I missed having the great secondary ensemble of Queenie, Belinda and Georgie's mum and granddad around.
However historically accurate this may have been, it was not enjoyable to read about a group of privileged twits insulting everything they could about Kenya while still complaining about whatever they were unable to forcefully covert to traditional British conditions. Too many wild animals! The shopping here is horrible! These gardens don't look English enough, let's bring in non-native plants! How boring, the only activities here are polo, bed-hopping and shooting animals! Why don't the 'natives' cook traditional French/British food?
Queenie and Georgie's mother were hardly in the story, and Belinda not at all, so the only familiar characters besides Georgie and Darcy were Wallis Simpson and 'cousin David.'
And Georgie, after everything that she has been through, you would have thought that she would grow and change as a result. How can she still be the same clueless naif? No wonder Darcy doesn't tell her what he really does for the government - she tries to blow his cover when she introduces him. I thought that she was growing more backbone and common sense. Golly! Why are there mirrors on the ceiling in a house where the hostess greets us while nude in her bathtub?
And the mystery!
This is a review of an e-arc, and perhaps the editors will take another look at how this book reads and consider whether they really want to portray people in Kenya so disrespectfully, and the British as so pompous and callous. No joke, at one point while Georgie and other Brits are on safari, a group of Maasai warriors pass, and were described in terms very similar to how all of the other animals were described.
A much better title would have been: Drug-running, partner-swapping, and colonial exploitation in 1930s Kenya.
*eARC Netgalley
Queenie and Georgie's mother were hardly in the story, and Belinda not at all, so the only familiar characters besides Georgie and Darcy were Wallis Simpson and 'cousin David.'
And Georgie, after everything that she has been through, you would have thought that she would grow and change as a result. How can she still be the same clueless naif? No wonder Darcy doesn't tell her what he really does for the government - she tries to blow his cover when she introduces him. I thought that she was growing more backbone and common sense. Golly! Why are there mirrors on the ceiling in a house where the hostess greets us while nude in her bathtub?
And the mystery!
Spoiler
One of the mysteries turns out to have never existed (jewel thief), another has no satisfactory result (drug running) and a third is never resolved (who is trying to kill Georgie and Darcy). The main mystery, the 'murder,' is pinned on the only Kenyan who is given any type of character development, at the very last moment, with the only indicators to the reader that he is even a suspect being the fact that he is so present in the story.This is a review of an e-arc, and perhaps the editors will take another look at how this book reads and consider whether they really want to portray people in Kenya so disrespectfully, and the British as so pompous and callous. No joke, at one point while Georgie and other Brits are on safari, a group of Maasai warriors pass, and were described in terms very similar to how all of the other animals were described.
A much better title would have been: Drug-running, partner-swapping, and colonial exploitation in 1930s Kenya.
*eARC Netgalley
You don't read this for the murder mystery or espionage or even Her Royal Spyness, although those are fun and entertaining. You read it for the historical period, personages and even the murder that were adapted with great skill into this exotic cozy.
It is 1935 and Georgie and Darcy head to Kenya on their honeymoon, though both have secret assignments. They have been invited to stay with the colonial British aristocrats in the Happy Valley, which at that time was a hotbed of degenerate behavior. Georgie was tasked by Queen Mary to keep an eye on the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson so no elopement woukd occur. Darcy was tasked with tracing a jewel thief and checking on those Happy Valley denizens with political aspirations and friendships with Hitler. In the middle of it all, a murder occurs.
To me the murder solution and motive were obvious from the body bring found. I did not care how obvious both the solution and red herrings were; I was just enjoying the whole interplay of historical and fictional, as well as this glimpse of Colonial Kenya and tge world of Happy Valley I first encountered in [b:Circling the Sun|23995231|Circling the Sun|Paula McLain|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1426531608l/23995231._SX50_.jpg|43446210], [a:Paula McLain|290189|Paula McLain|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1521037060p2/290189.jpg]'s novel about Beryl Markham.
I had such a good time reading it, I bumped it up from 3.5 stars.
It is 1935 and Georgie and Darcy head to Kenya on their honeymoon, though both have secret assignments. They have been invited to stay with the colonial British aristocrats in the Happy Valley, which at that time was a hotbed of degenerate behavior. Georgie was tasked by Queen Mary to keep an eye on the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Simpson so no elopement woukd occur. Darcy was tasked with tracing a jewel thief and checking on those Happy Valley denizens with political aspirations and friendships with Hitler. In the middle of it all, a murder occurs.
To me the murder solution and motive were obvious from the body bring found. I did not care how obvious both the solution and red herrings were; I was just enjoying the whole interplay of historical and fictional, as well as this glimpse of Colonial Kenya and tge world of Happy Valley I first encountered in [b:Circling the Sun|23995231|Circling the Sun|Paula McLain|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1426531608l/23995231._SX50_.jpg|43446210], [a:Paula McLain|290189|Paula McLain|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1521037060p2/290189.jpg]'s novel about Beryl Markham.
I had such a good time reading it, I bumped it up from 3.5 stars.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Georgie and Darcy are finally married - and they’re off for an exotic honeymoon in Kenya. But something is rotten in happy valley and they are soon involved in a murder investigation. Actually the murder isn’t really the main think here - it’s seeing Georgie and Darcy settle in to life together and see them meet the Happy Valley set. And what a set it is. I’ve read a few books about this crowd and I think Bowen did a really good job of capturing what this lot were up to whilst staying in the spirit of her series - and that’s a bit of a tightrope to be honest. An entertaining read.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No