Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

Plot: Georgie, impoverished cousin to the king, thinks that she will spend the a cold lonely winter in England while all her set is in Nice but the Queen has a new mission for her. A precious antique has disappeared from the Queen’s collection and she sends Georgie to France to track down the culprit.

This review is based on the audiobook narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

At first it seemed as if this volume was going to be a bit different than the four first, focusing on theft (of one of the Queen’s precious antiques and of a valuable necklace) rather than murder. But soon people are dropping dead again and someone who looks a lot like Georgie seems to be the culprit. But that hardly makes the story boring. There’s a great new cast of criminals and I had as much fun as ever piecing together the clues and motives.

There is a lot going on in this volume: theft, murder, fashions shows (organized by Coco Chanel herself!), parties, new suitors and fascinating new insights into Georgie’s family. It’s all great fun with some great romantic twists.

It is not a perfect novel. Once more everyone Georgie knows is conveniently where she travels and the police officers are once again almost comically incompetent and cruel. But if you want a light, fun historical mystery with a touch of romance, these minor flaws aren’t going to spoil it for you.

Naughty in Nice was book 5 in the Royal Spyness series. Book 6 is The Twelve Clues of Christmas.

2014 (#62)