An Assassination on the Agenda by Karen Baugh Menuhin

July 16, 2024

An Assassination on the Agenda by Karen Baugh Menuhin

Lady Emily Hardcastle and her faithful maid and sometimes deadly companion Florence Armstrong are enjoying a summer lunch with their good friends the Farley Strouds, when Emily's brother Harry summons them, because their unique skills are needed first in Bristol, and then in London. The heir to the Austrian throne and his wife are due to visit England with a trade delegation, and Harry has heard rumors of a planned assassination attempt that his department needs to stop. He enlists Emily and Flo to evaluate the security arrangements, since who would suspect a society lady and her maid to head up a security team?

Lady Hardcastle and Flo are back for their 11th adventure, an entertaining mystery filled with charming characters, punny language, malapropisms, and dry British humor. It's best to read the series in order to understand the various characters' backstories, but also for the sheer fun of the series. Perfect vacation or summer reading. Recommended for readers who enjoy cozy light-hearted British mysteries.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie - although they survive the assassination attempt here, they are not so lucky some years later in Sarajevo

Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett

November 18, 2023

Murder Most Royal by SJ Bennett

December 2016. The Queen and Prince Philip have just arrived at their home in Sandringham to celebrate Christmas with their family, when news arrives that a severed hand has washed up on a nearby beach. Not wanting to spoil the holiday, the Queen asks Rozie Oshodi, one of her private secretaries, to quietly monitor the situation and keep her updated.

I really enjoy this charming cozy mystery series featuring the late queen and Rozie. This third installment was a little disappointing, partly because Rozie isn't in it that much, and partly because the who aristocracy and inheritance thing is complicated and quite honestly archaic. But it's central to the mystery so it has to be explained to those of us outside of that realm. I also figured out who the killer was about halfway through the story but kept reading to make sure I was right. Hoping for better on the next book.

Sandringham Estate in Norfolk - to quote the Three Stooges, reminds me of the reform school

Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner

 September 24, 2020

Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner

Lady Anne Glenconner met the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret when the three girls were small children living on neighboring estates, long before Elizabeth became the heir to the British throne.  They remained friends into adulthood, and Princess Margaret eventually asked Anne to become one of her ladies in waiting.  Wanting to take a break from her disaster of a husband, Anne gratefully accepted and remained in the princess's household for the next 30 years.  As lady in waiting, Anne's role varied from actual serving duties to being just a companion to Margaret, accompanying her on her world travels as representative of the crown and attending social occasions with her.  Both women had made disastrous marriages, and while Margaret was forced to divorce her husband Tony Snowdon when his mistress became pregnant, Anne stayed married to her childish husband for 54 years, although they only lived together occasionally for the last 40 years of their marriage.

Anne's husband Colin Tennant, later Baron Glenconner, had serious psychiatric issues and was well-known for throwing public fits of rage and temper tantrums.  Today he would probably be diagnosed as having manic depression and narcissistic personality disorder.  But it was highly unusual for the English aristocracy to divorce at the time - instead, they all had multiple affairs (including Lady Glenconner).  It's surprising more of them didn't murder their spouses.  As Violet, Dowager Lady Grantham, states in Downtown Abbey, "People of our social class are never unhappily married.  We just aren't able to spend as much time together as we might like."

In addition to her erratic husband, Anne's children were also a source of heartache and tragedy in her life.  She takes the blame for some of it, being an absent mother for much of the time.  Again, it was traditional in the English aristocracy to have others raise your children while the parents spent their time socializing and organizing parties, working for charity, and sucking up to the royals.  

Anyone who is a fan of the Netflix series The Crown will enjoy this memoir by one of Princess Margaret's closest friends and confidantes.  Lady Anne didn't like Vanessa Kirby's portrayal of Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of the series, and was more pleased with Helena Bonham Carter as the older Princess Margaret.  English actress Nancy Carroll is playing Lady Glenconner in seasons 3 and 4 of The Crown (photo below).