Book Review: Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen (Royal Spyness #16)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Characters we love in a fun plot

Cons: Appears a bit slow in the setup

The Bottom Line:

Paris in the spring

Is dangerous for Georgie

Great historical

Murder is Fashionable

It’s hard to believe we’ve been following Georgie for sixteen books now.  Her life has certainly changed since we first met her, but she still finds herself involved in danger that could have international consequences.  That’s especially true in Peril in Paris, the latest in this fun historical series.

If you haven’t started the Royal Spyness mysteries yet, Lady Georgiana Rannoch in a minor royal during the 1930’s.  She is a cousin of the new King Edward VIII, but so far down the line of succession she knows she will never become queen herself.  She and her husband, Darcy, have a small estate they are trying to keep afloat since they don’t have much money.

This book opens in spring of 1936, and it finds a pregnant Georgie feeling a bit restless.  It’s still several months before the baby will be born, and she’s just gotten over her morning sickness.  Her best friend, Belinda, is interning with Coco Chanel in Paris, and Darcy suggests that maybe the two of them should go visit.  Darcy has a small assignment for his government contacts that will take him to Paris anyway.

So, the two of them set off.  Georgie is thrilled to finally be able to visit the city even if Coco decides at the last minute to include Georgie in the show for her fall collection, much to Georgie dismay.  However, Darcy needs Georgie’s help with his assignment during the presentation of Coco’s fall collection.  It sounds like a simple enough request, but when it ends in murder, Georgie finds herself in more trouble than she might be able to handle.  Can she figure out what is going on without causing the situation with Germany to heat up?

As the series has progressed and we are inching closer to World War II, the books walk a fine line between keeping the light tone fans love and the serious predicament that Europe was in during the period.  Sometimes, the coming war is in the background, but in this case, it plays a major role in the book.  I appreciated how the serious themes were included without losing the fun of the series and without making light of the themes.  It’s expertly done.

Several of the series regulars are involved in this story, which means we don’t have as much prologue as we might get before Georgie and Darcy head to Paris.  Once we arrive, things might not look like they are progressing, but the plot is being set up.  Once the story does kick into high gear, I was hooked, and I was looking forward to seeing exactly what was going on.  I thought I had it figured out a couple of times only for another twist to come along and make me second guess myself.  But the ending made perfect sense.

As I said, several of the regulars play important parts in this story, and it was nice to see them get more than cameos.  I also appreciated the different look we got at a supporting player in this book.  The new characters are sharp and helped bring this story to life.

If you are a fan of this series, you’ll definitely want to find out what happens to Georgie in Peril in Paris.  If you haven’t started this series yet, you are in for a treat as you spend time catching up on these books.

Here are the rest of the Royal Spyness Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.