by Rhys Bowen
Part of Royal Spyness
First published 2026
Lady Georgiana Rannoch faces chaos as relatives descend on London for King George VI's 1936 coronation. Everyone expects to stay with Georgie and her husband Darcy, but one letter stands out from the rest. Her mother, the Dowager Duchess of Rannoch, has written in a style completely unlike her own. The message contains hidden pleas for help, and Georgie remembers that Darcy last saw her mother surrounded by Hitler and his guards. Georgie and Darcy devise a plan to get the duchess invited to the coronation as part of a rescue attempt. The duchess arrives with the German embassy, accompanied by a watchful minder named Count von Sissheim. When someone murders the count, all eyes turn to the duchess as the prime suspect. With the coronation approaching fast, Georgie must prove her mother's innocence while navigating the dangerous political tensions of 1936 Europe.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, adult-fiction
Vibes: fast-paced, intricate, suspenseful, witty
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, fish-out-of-water, rescue-mission
Setting: London, Germany, Europe
Period: 1936, 20th-century
Hardcover · Thorndike Press Large Print
Content warnings: murder