God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

I always look forward to a new book in Rhys Bowen's Royal Spyness series and this year's offering is a Christmas story. This is Lady Georgiana and Darcy's first Christmas as a married couple. As they have a great country estate (thanks to one of Georgie's mother's ex-husbands), Georgie is excited to host a house party for the holidays.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

October 2021; Berkley; 978-0440000082
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); cozy mystery

Unfortunately, many of their friends and family have other plans so it is looking like a small party with just Georgie's Granddad in attendance. Then, with no heat at the Scottish Castle where her brother and his family reside, Georgie's sister-in-law suggests they come to stay with the newlyweds. While there's little love between Fig and Georgie, she does love her brother, and Christmas with children is always wonderful. Before too many plans can be made, a letter from Darcy's aunt arrives inviting them to a holiday house party. Georgie isn't so keen to accept as the last Christmas she spent with Darcy's family had dead bodies turning up on the regular (see The Twelve Days of Christmas). 

Darcy's aunt, who is now a widow, currently resides in a "small" house on the Queen and King's holiday estate, and apparently, the Queen would like Georgie nearby. And we all know that Georgie is loyal to a fault so of course, they pack up their guests (which now also includes her mother) and head north.

Now that Darcy and Georgie are married, Darcy is hanging around more. I'm sure that won't last forever and soon he will be dispatched to parts unknown, but in the meantime, I love seeing them together. This is the first book where Darcy is featured on the cover alongside Georgie. 

Some series, when they include a Christmas book, it is just a novella or not really part of the storyline, but God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen is a full-length story. Just because it is the holidays, murder doesn't stop. These deaths look like accidents so it's up to Georgiana to find the murderer. More than once, she wishes she had just stayed home and had a quiet Christmas with Darcy.

Even with the murders, there is plenty of holiday cheer and if you are wanting an old-fashion Christmas, then you will find it within the pages of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I couldn't figure out who the murderer was (though I had a few suspects). It made me look forward to the Christmas season. The little Christmas surprise at the end has me impatiently awaiting the next novel in the series.

Buy God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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