
The Proof of the Pudding
Royal Spyness, Book 17
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Narrated by:
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Jasmine Blackborow
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By:
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Rhys Bowen
About this listen
Lady Georgiana Rannoch is looking forward to her first ever turn as hostess for her very own house party when the festivities lead to murder....
Georgie, back home at her estate in Eynsleigh, impatiently awaits the birth of her baby. But she has plenty to occupy her: Her new chef, Pierre, has arrived from Paris, and Sir Hubert, who owns Eynsleigh, is back from his latest expedition. It's time for Georgie to throw her first house party to celebrate his return and show off her new chef. The dinner party is a smashing success. Sir Mortimer Mordred—famous author of creepy Gothic horror novels—is one of the guests. He recently purchased a nearby Elizabethan manor nearby because it has a famous poison garden. After the dinner, Sir Mortimer approaches Georgie and asks to borrow her new chef for his upcoming party, and Georgie and Darcy, her dashing husband, are invited!
The tour of the poison garden is fascinating, as is Sir Mortimer’s laboratory. Shockingly, just after the banquet several of the guests become sick. And one dies, apparently poisoned by berries from the garden. But how could this be when they all ate the same meal and the same delectable dessert? Georgie has to find the culprit to save her new chef and her own reputation—all before her bundle of joy arrives!
©2023 Janet Quin-Harkin (P)2023 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Featured Article: The top 100 series of all time
The feeling of discovering that your favorite new listen is actually the start of a series is euphoric. That you can immediately hit play and re-enter a beloved new world, or love story, or era from history is a gift to the devoted listener. But how to pick just 100 of these unique and immersive listening journeys? We defined a series as having a minimum of three books, and—after some debate—we decided the titles had to be anchored in fiction. From YA to horror to historical fiction, from fresh voices to seminal tales, hours of discovery await.
All the usual Georgie-world characters are here except Belinda (whom I missed), though some arrive late in the story. But two renowned celebrities - a mystery writer and an actor - are stirred into the pudding for good measure, so it's as much fun as usual. The author is amazingly skilled at making everyone's presence seem natural to the plot, even though I'm sure she feels obligated to include the regulars. She's an exceptionally good writer.
Unusual for me, I spotted means, motive and opportunity and pegged the perpetrator early on - all the clues are there. But it didn’t detract from wondering how Georgie would get there. That held my interest right to the end.
The narrator nails it as usual, moving seamlessly among a variety of accents from Fig's ultra-posh to Queenie's cockney. Reading in print instead of listening would miss out on a lot.
I'll be careful here to avoid spoilers, but the accurate treatment of both the physical and emotional elements of Georgie's pregnancy pleased me as a childbirth educator and birth doula. Well done!
Another delight. I hope Bowen keeps them coming!
Another great Georgie romp
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I enjoy the series and Darcy’s acquiescence to Georgie’s dumb luck mystery solving.
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Still enjoyable
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I love all the characters that come up that are fictional and historical. I just got BritBox on Prime and have been watching Poirot. I was so excited when Agatha Christie showed up on the scene.
Her Royal Spyness in Murder she wrote
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Bravo!!! Excellant story
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Still like Georgie’s sleuthing
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I love these books
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Great mystery!
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My favorite series!
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I also loved that the story included my favorite author as a character, Mrs. Agatha Mallowan. I believe she and Georgie will become friends and work together again soon.
Great old country house murder, odd characters with several motives, red herrings, two, or more, deaths, a birth, all add up to a satisfying read.
I hope this series continues.
Wonderful Story
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