Having read and enjoyed three of Rhys Bowen’s novels: In Farleigh Field”; “The Victory Garden”; and “The Tuscan Child” I decided to try “Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding” which is the 12th book in A Royal Spyness Mystery series, in spite of the fact I’m not a huge fan of the mystery genre. Well, now I know to stick to my preferred tastes which run more toward thrillers, espionage, and fast-paced action novels with good general fiction and romance thrown in for good measure.
This mystery is set in England in the 1930’s and until about a third of the way into it I couldn’t decide if it was meant to be farcical. The protagonist is Lady Georgiana who is supposedly well down the line in British royalty and she’s headed to what will be her inherited estate in the English countryside as she prepares for her upcoming nuptials. Only her fiancé is off who know where doing who knows what so she’s left to manage this huge estate that seems to be staffed with a small handful of miscreants who know nothing about being in service to royalty or even to commoners for that matter. The goings on run the gamut from the sublime to the ridiculous and Georgiana is very good at putting on a good front as the lady of the manor house. Only she’s beset with all kinds of self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy. So much so that she tired me out! Even when attempts are made on her life she keeps up her front and gets into all kinds of mischief trying to figure out who’s up to what kind of skullduggery.
In fairness to author Bowen, I’m simply not a mystery fan and I know it. So lesson learned. It’s okay to try something new but if you know you don’t really like mysteries, then don’t be surprised when you’re disappointed. Bowen’s writing style and prose is still excellent even when the content isn’t to my liking. Three and a half stars. Maybe that’s unfair but as the umpire says; I calls ‘em like I sees ‘em.
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