Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and author Rhys Bowen for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I am usually reluctant to join a series that has more than a few books in it. Quite often there are details in previous books that have an impact in the newly-released book, and I find myself lost or wondering what I missed. We Three Queens is the 18th book in Rhys Bowen’s Her Royal Spyness series. I am happy to report that despite that, I didn’t really feel lost while reading it. Bowen does a terrific job of including information leading up to the current setting without it feeling like an information dump.

Set in 1936, Lady Georgiana Rannoch is a granddaughter of Queen Victoria and a new mother. Her husband, Darcy, works with British Intelligence as the world moves towards war. They live at the estate of her godfather, Sir Hubert. When her cousin, the King, summons Darcy and asks him for a favor, how can he refuse? King Edward has fallen in love with an American divorcee and is contemplating abdicating the throne. He asks if Darcy and Georgie will allow her to stay with them for a while to try and protect her from the British Press.

At the same time, Sir Hubert returns from abroad, having given permission to a filming crew to film a movie at the estate. The money is much needed, and it’s not Georgie’s estate yet, so there’s nothing she can do about it. As the stars arrive, Georgie finds herself dealing with some rather eccentric characters who threaten to upset not only their day-to-day lives but also the King’s secret. Georgie and Darcy soon find themselves immersed in a disappearance, a kidnapping, and a murder.

I can’t say the mysteries were that compelling. I figured them out early on. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical setting for this mystery. Georgie’s mother is also an actress and drops in on them once she realizes the film crew is there. It’s a good social commentary as she’s engaged to a German who is a higher-up in the Third Reich. Georgie questions her about her choices but has to tread carefully. There’s also the conflict about the King wanting to marry an American divorcee and what that means to the monarchy. All this is the background to a variety of mysteries that may or may not be connected.

I enjoyed this “cozy mystery” quite a bit. It was an easy read and I never felt lost. The characters are interesting and well-defined. I liked how Hollywood ended up being tied into the English countryside in more ways than just the setting. The recurring characters had enough detail that I didn’t feel lost reading about them, and the historical figures who popped in also had a genuine feel to them.

I judge books this late in the series by whether I would go back and read the earlier books in the series after reading this one. This is a series I’d gladly go back and read the earlier books in now. The characters are interesting and fun. I’d also like to keep following their adventures as the tension in the world builds with a crisis in the monarchy and war on the horizon.