Book Review: Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen (Royal Spyness #8)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great plot, fun diverse cast, great use of setting

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Trip to Hollywood

With jewel thieves and murder

Keeps Georgie hopping

Lady Georgiana Goes Hollywood

There have been several books over the years I've been interested in reading because they were set in old Hollywood.  I've never managed to actually read them.  However, since Queen of Hearts is the latest adventure starring minor royal Lady Georgiana, a series I already love, it jumped straight to the top of my to be read pile.  I enjoyed every page of this visit to the Hollywood (and world) of the 1930's.

Lady Georgiana is surprised when her mother, the actress Claire Daniels, sweeps back into her life offering a trip to America.  It seems that Claire’s boyfriend Max wants to marry her, and to do that, Claire needs to head to Reno, Nevada, to get a quickie divorce.  She’s looking for company on the long boat and train ride, and wants Georgie to join her.  Since Georgie has never had the opportunity to go, she readily agrees.

However, danger starts on the ship crossing the Atlantic.  Georgie thinks she sees someone fall overboard.  Then a jewel is stolen.  However, Claire is offered a part in a movie, so the duo head from Reno to Hollywood only to find the intrigue has followed them.  Can Georgie make sense of what is happening?

Sometimes when characters go on a cross country (or around the world) trip like this, it can make the pacing of the plot uneven.  I'm glad to say that wasn't the case at all here.  There was a bit of set up at the beginning, but once we got on the ship, the intrigue started.  Even though the plot spanned the ship to Hollywood, it was a logical progression and made perfect sense in the end.

We even got to see some of the usual supporting characters, a fact that thrilled me since I love them.  I'm not the biggest fan of Georgie's disaster of a maid Queenie, but she got some of the best laughs from me in this book.  Other characters pop in and out, and they are quite entertaining and a couple even grow a little.  The new cast is wonderful as well and made me care about the outcome.

And how was it visiting 1930's Hollywood?  I loved that aspect of it, too.  Since I live in Southern California, I found the description of the way things used to be quite interesting.  We also got cameos from some real people from the era, which I enjoyed.  It was also interesting watching Georgie and the regular characters react to our country in that time period.  I never would have thought about some of their reactions, but they always made perfect sense.  And I enjoyed the brief discussions of how the talkies had changed the entertainment industry.

Someday, I hope to get to some of the other old Hollywood mysteries I'd like to read, but until then, I am glad I finally made the trip back in time.  Queen of Hearts is a wonderful read for fans of the series or fans of this time and place in history.

Looking for more of Georgie's adventures?  Check out the Royal Spyness Series in order.