Her Royal Spyness

By: Rhys Bowen

Narrated by: Katherine Kellgren

Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Agatha Award-winning author Rhys Bowen’s charming combination of intrigue and romance blended with a touch of humor shines when performed by Audible Hall of Fame narrator Katherine Kellgren, whose deft range and impeccable accent work make it hard to believe this isn’t a multicast performance.

In this irresistible cozy set in 1930s London, Rhys Bowen introduces the lively Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie—or "Georgie" for short. Despite standing 34th in line for the throne and occasionally having tea with (…and spying for!) Her Majesty the Queen, Georgie is penniless and down-on-her-luck. And just when it seems things might be looking up, she finds a body in her bathtub.

Listeners are sure to be hooked on this royally enjoyable series—and luckily for them, the collaboration between author and narrator only gets richer over the course of 12 books.

©2007 Janet Quin-Harkin (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Light-hearted fun.

If you could sum up Her Royal Spyness in three words, what would they be?

Fun, silly, and engaging.

What other book might you compare Her Royal Spyness to and why?

It reminds me of an episode or two of Upstairs, Downstairs, but more light-hearted. It's from the same era and gives insight into the lives of both the rich and titled, and the working class.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I actually disliked the voice she gave to one of the characters. It influenced my picture of the character too much. I've since bought several books in the series, but not in the audio format.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No.

Any additional comments?

A good book to listen to while cleaning!

Fun little story, GREAT narration

Would you consider the audio edition of Her Royal Spyness to be better than the print version?

Absolutely. The narrator has an incredible ear for the differences between various upper-crust British accents, and they're hilarious to listen to.

Any additional comments?

To be fair, the Irish and Cockney accents weren't all that great, but it's more than made up for by the other voices. Also, the book is fun and does keep you guessing once the mystery gets going.

Delightful

I enjoyed the book and the reader. It is a lighthearted mystery that is easy to follow even with the twists and turns that keep you guessing 'til the end. Not so many characters that it makes it hard to keep everyone straight which is a plus when listening to the book vs reading it.

A lot of fun for fans of the cozy mystery genre.

Good narration, fun story, entertaining characters and mystery too. Escapism is provided in an enjoyable adventure without being too dark.

Great fun

This is a laugh out loud book! Just enough twists and turns to keep it interesting and the narrator does a splendid set of voices.

Really entertaining

I enjoyed it immensely. This book had the perfect amount of suspense and humor mixed together. It was very much a book that I could not put down if I tried.

Much fun!

This book was a lot of fun and the narrator is absolutely fabulous. Her very distinctive voices for the many different characters is a joy to hear. The story was pretty good, though I kept listening wondering when the mystery was going to begin. It actually doesn't start until about halfway through the book. I really enjoyed the characters and the look at an interesting period of history. I'm going to listen to the next books in the series.

Funny, romantic & captivating. Better than Agatha

What did you love best about Her Royal Spyness?

Rhys Bowen really captured the wit, humor and spirit of the British through her protagonist Georgie. She is believable and likeable. So is her relationship with her friends, family and HRM.

What did you like best about this story?

The story is fun and captivating. It's just believable enough and yet the connections to royals and intrigue is just enough to make you dream.

What does Katherine Kellgren bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I am not exaggerating. This narrator is THE BEST. She captures the voice of high society British characters just as well as the cockney accent, Irish men and "foreigners." She really brought the characters to life. Don't read the paper version. This way better!!

Any additional comments?

Definitely worth buying if you like a witty and independent protagonist who is thrown into adventure surrounded by egotistical family members, loose-moraled friends and a string of royals propositioning her.

Wonderful Narration Makes This a Must-Listen

Disclaimer: I have found that listening to narration in a British accent adds at least a half-star to my overall rating...

...and this narrator does it all. Cockney, proper, Irish, Scottish. It brings the characters to life more than I think they ever would be if I read the book. She is utterly fantastic.

The story is pretty good. It is set in 1930's Britain about a young, penniless royal (34th in line for the throne) who finds herself in the middle of several strange, and often amusing, predicaments. There are enough things happening to keep the story moving without sacrificing the opportunity to develop the different characters.

I will probably listen to another one in the series, but I don't know that at this point I could imagine this storyline keeping my interest for several books.

Charming,

Totally charming, cozy little mystery. I really enjoyed the narrator, especially her take on British upper crust society with all its nuance and snobbishness. Her accents were wonderful. A charming departure for me, I enjoyed it thoroughly.