WE THREE QUEENS

5 stars out of 5

I came very late to this series, as far as my records show having read only the most recent three (this is No. 18) - but better late than never, as the old saying goes. I've found the books fascinating, which says a lot because I'm a fan of neither historical novels nor, for the most part, cozy mysteries. This one, I'm happy to say, is delightful as well.

The star of the show, Lady Georiana Rannoch, is a cousin of the King of England - who happens to be that guy who abandoned the throne to marry the [older] woman of his dreams. Perhaps that's partly the attraction for me; I was born roughly four years after he abdicated and remember hearing the story later from my parents, who of course lived through it all (probably listening to the news on the upright radio on which my dad and I also listened to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday nights). Anyway, I remember what a scandal it caused here in the States, so it was extra fun to learn that the woman in question - Wallace Simpson - plays a role here when King Edward asks Georgie and her hunky husband, agent Darcy O'Mara, to keep her hidden at Eynsleigh, the huge estate that will one day belong to Georgie.

What Georgie and Darcy learn after the fact, though, is that Sir Hubert, the current owner of the estate, has offered up the grounds as a setting for some scenes of a Hollywood movie. Needless to say, Wallis is frantic because she doesn't want to be found (and also because all the servants will not be at her beck and call), the servants are frantic because they're being commandeered into unbargained-for service and Georgie is frantic because all the house routines are being turned upside down just as she's trying to deal with a still-nursing infant son. On top of that, she's worried about her mother, who's in Germany making google eyes at one of Hitler's top officers and refuses to believe that either of them are anything other than nice guys.

Just as it seems they may achieve some semblance of order, things take a turn for the worse; Georgie's sister, her husband and two kids come for a long visit and the child-star actress in the film suddenly goes missing. The search for the young girl takes up a good bit of the book until yet another tragedy strikes - one of the cast of characters is murdered. This time, Darcy turns to his government employer for professional assistance, while Georgie puts some of her own investigative talents to work.

All told, it's another fun look at life in mid-1930s England. Since it's closing in on the start of World War II - and Georgie's mother has just gone back to Germany - I'm wondering how the next installment can avoid taking a darker turn. Well, guess I'll have to wait and see. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a copy of this one.

We Three Queens by Rhys Bowen (Berkley, November 2025); 331 pp.