by Rhys Bowen
Part of Her Royal Spyness, book 7
First published 2013
Lady Georgiana Rannoch stands thirty-fifth in line for the British throne, which means she knows proper etiquette but lacks proper employment. The Queen and Dowager Duchess assign her an unusual task: transform Jack Altringham, a rough Australian discovered to be a Duke's heir, into a proper English gentleman. Georgiana travels to the magnificent Kingsdowne Place estate to begin Jack's education in high society manners. The household bristles with resentment over Jack's sudden appearance and claim to inheritance. When the Duke declares his intention to personally select his successor, tensions explode. Jack's hunting blade ends up buried in the Duke's back. Everyone assumes the wild colonial boy committed murder to secure his inheritance. Georgiana refuses to believe Jack killed anyone, despite his crude behavior and obvious motive. She must prove his innocence while navigating a manor filled with suspects who would prefer to see the Australian hang. The investigation forces Georgiana to use skills her Swiss finishing school never taught her.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, mystery, 19th-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Kingsdowne Place, Britain
Period: 19th-Century
295 pages · Hardcover · The Berkley Publishing Group