3.5 stars

In this 5th book in the series, Georgiana’s brother and his wife are heading to the Riviera and want to shut down the castle that Georgie is currently living in (with them). But they can’t afford to bring her along; the queen (remember, Georgie is thirty-something in line to the throne!) helps Georgie out by paying for her way in exchange for Georgie looking for and retrieving an item that the queen is certain was stolen from her… and is now in the Riviera. Things escalate once Georgie is there.

I liked this. It was kind of fun how the author brought Coco Chanel into the story. (Author’s note at the end suggests that Coco would have spent time in the Riviera during this time frame.) ( )

This series officially counts as a guilty pleasure. I really look forward to another lighthearted romp through a 1920's/30's style murder and mayhem high-society style with Georgie and Co.

This book whisks us away to Nice in the winter of 1933, at HRH Queen Mary's behest. (I won't say why it'll spoil the plot). We get a right dose of Fig before departing London and a view of the soup-lines and general conditions of the Depression. Seriously Fig needs a good one up the backside - and no her name is no justification for her behavior/actions. Then again I have a few family members like her so I can sympathize with Georgie a bit more than many I suspect. We get a bit more background on Binky as well, Belinda breezes through, and we get to meet Coco Chanel amongst other society celebrities of the day!

This is not a serious read of course but it is well posited, researched, and placed in its setting. Ms. Bowen is a pleasure to read for her period mystery fiction. ( )

Another fun Royal Spyness mystery. Georgiana's adventures are always so preposterous...but so fun, too! One of the best written cozy series I've read. ( )

Better than the previous book in the series in that the plot was more probable (not really probable but more likely than the last one!). And I found it satisfying that in several instances Georgiana got the better of Fig :) ( )

With Georgie’s persistent insecurities, I really appreciate her going for what she thinks she wants, in this installment. Her fears are unfounded (this is a cozy read, after all), but still completely understandable, given her family history and sheltered upbringing.

I do love the nods and handshakes with real historical figures, in these books, but this one had far too much Coco Chanel for my comfort. I’m writing this review after starting “Queen of Hearts”, and I haven’t seen what Chanel added to the narrative that couldn’t have been accomplished by a fictional fashion designer. Since “Royal Flush” included a historical note on the character of Ronny Padgett (who was based on a real-life pilot), I expected something at the end of “Naughty in Nice” explaining why the Nazi agent featured so prominently in this story. ( )