Starred review from June 13, 2016
Set in late 1934, Bowen’s outstanding 10th Royal Spyness Mystery (after 2015’s Malice at the Palace) opens on the road to Gretna Green, Scotland, where distant heir to the British throne Lady Georgiana Rannoch and the Honorable Darcy O’Mara plan to elope. En route, Darcy learns that his father, Lord Kilhenny, is in custody for killing Timothy Roach, the wealthy American who bought Kilhenny Castle and the adjacent horse-racing stable. Lord Kilhenny argued with Roach, his fingerprints are on the murder weapon, and he drank too much on the evening in question to remember whether he’s guilty, so he’ll likely hang for the crime. To save Georgie from scandal, Darcy ends his engagement to her and returns home to County Kildare, Ireland. Bowen adds romance to this blend of Christie and Wodehouse for a stylish, head-scratcher of a whodunit. Colorful set pieces and larger-than-life characters enrich the clever plot, which enchants and satisfies while forwarding the series arc. Agent: Meg Ruley, Jane Rotrosen Agency.