Masked Ball at Broxley Manor is a mystery novel in the series by author By: Rhys Bowen.
The exciting story for the nation’s best-selling Royal Spy mysteries features Lady Georgiana Rannoch – 34th in line to the throne and Britain’s poorest heiress. At the end of her first successful season in society, Lady Georgiana had almost given up on attracting the right man – until she received an invitation to the masked Halloween prom at the Manor. Broxley. Georgie is not sure why she was invited, until she learns that the royal family plans to marry her off to a foreign prince, who is known to be insane. When the prince, disguised as the devil, rescues her from an embarrassing situation at the prom, Georgie is surprised to find her unwanted pursuer is a dashing, charming man – especially as he pulled her aside and gave her the kiss of a lifetime. But when the time comes to unmask, Georgie’s rescuer disappears and the group descends into chaos, it’s clear that things at Broxley Manor aren’t what they seem.

This was a short story prequel to the Her Royal Spyness series. Lady Georgiana has just completed an unsuccessful Season in London. While she is 34th in line to the throne, the queen believes that she may be an excellent match for an errrant German prince. She is invited to the palace where the introduction fails to take place when the prince does not show up, and then is invited to a Halloween party/masked ball in the countryside. She is relieved when costumes are provided by the American hostess, as her meager budget did not allow for fancy dress. She is specifically given a “fallen angel” costume, which she finds a bit risque, but not as bad as some of the other costumes. She is shocked by some of the behavior at the party, and meets the soon to be infamous Mrs. Simpson for the first time. One bright spot is the dashing devil with whom she dances and he is the one person that makes her feel at ease. Could he possibly be her prince, or are things about to go awry for Georgie? This is a charming “first-look” at Georgie and a few of the key characters for the series.

Short story mysteries are difficult to write and often frustrating for readers. We barely get to know the characters, the setting, the era, and poof! It’s done. Worse, too few clues can usually be dropped to be subtle and yet reward those of us who enjoy detangling at least some of what’s at stake. Rhys Brown has subverted most of those difficulties with “Masked Ball,” especially for those of us reading it as a prequel to a series we’ve already devoured. Our clumsy, determined, and honorable Georgiana is quite familiar to us, though more a girl than a woman here, as is the post-WWI era London setting. But I suspect even new readers to the fun of Her Royal Spyness series will probably also feel attracted and even delighted with this princess practically in rags who is guileless yet keenly observant and quite funny too. I think she is able to pull that off by writing a mystery that is barely a mystery. This story is really a character piece and a chance to introduce us to a royal scandal that brews throughout the series at its very onset, with a surprise romantic suggestion that left me smiling. Die hard mystery buffs might be miffed, of course, but they can go grab a novel then. May I suggest Her Royal Spyness?

This is a quick novella set before the events in Her Royal Spyness. You meet a 19 year old Georgie nearing the end of her season. It introduces several (but not all) of the characters in the series during the titular social event.

I quite enjoyed the audiobook. I’m a fan of Katherine Kellgren’s performances in the series, and this is just as solid as any. Unfortunately, the plot is vague and there’s not really a mystery here, the way there is in the other novels in the series. There is one small plot twist that is very predictable if you’re familiar with the series. Since I have read the other novels, for me it was about learning more about the characters and enjoying the setting than about the plot itself. In those areas, it does deliver a lovely (if brief) little narrative. The story is paced well and held my interest throughout the entire narration. It answers a few questions about some characters’ backstories, too, which is key to any prequel.

As an additional point, if someone hasn’t read the series yet, I’d probably not recommend starting here. I don’t think it would confuse a new listener, but there’s not enough of a plot or mystery for a newcomer to actually decide if they’d like the rest of the series, and it slightly spoils the ending to a later novel.

If you’ve enjoyed the misadventures of impoverished royal (thirty fourth in-line to the throne) Lady Georgiana in the Her Royal Spyness series, you’ll probably also enjoy this short story prequel. It provides background information that will be interesting to fans, including how Lady Georgiana met enigmatic love interest Darcy, but it’s light on plot, characterization and suspense so if you haven’t yet read anything else in the Her Royal Spyness series, this isn’t the place to start. It’s current price of almost three dollars is steep for not much more than twenty minutes of reading, but I needed something light and fun to distract me from Frankenstorm Sandy, and this was a perfect, if brief, solution.

As the story opens it’s the end of Lady Georgiana’s “season”. At great expense to her broke though affable brother Binky and his resentful wife Fig, Georgiana has been presented at court (she nearly crashed into Their Majesties because her heel caught in the train of her gown), and she’s attended numerous balls and society events, but so far she hasn’t had any proposals. That may be about to change when two invitations arrive in the mail to set things in motion. As with the rest of the series, actual and fictional characters mingle on the page, and this story includes a fictional first meeting of Wallis Simpson and Georgiana’s cousin David, the future if short reigning King Edward VIII.

• Masked Ball at Broxley Manor

• A Royal Spyness Novella
• By: Rhys Bowen

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