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Rhys Bowen | Exclusive Interview: GOD REST YE, ROYAL GENTLEMEN
Author Guest / October 13, 2021

Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Rhys! We are so happy to have you here to chat about your long-running series, Royal Spyness. What are some of your favorite things about writing about Lady Georgiana and all of the mysteries she gets involved in?   Rhys Bowen:  I have become so fond of these characters, it’s rather like going back to a high school reunion and reconnecting with old friends. And who wouldn’t want the chance to spend time with the royal family and eccentric aristocrats? The newest book, GOD REST YE, ROYAL GENTLEMEN, is a holiday mystery novel! Did you do anything fun to get in the mood while writing a Christmas novel? Were there any unforeseen challenges writing a mystery with some added holiday cheer?  I was actually writing this last October to December so it was a good time of year as the stores already had all their Christmas items. Also, I usually spend my winters in Arizona where it isn’t cold and Christmassy. Because of Covid, I stayed home in California so there were cold winds and occasional rain. It would have been harder to write it in July. The big challenge about writing a holiday mystery…

Kym Roberts | Cozy Corner: THE LAST MRS. SUMMERS BY RHYS BOWEN
Author Guest / July 27, 2020

Saying a novel is a du Maurier-like mystery, immediately catches a reader’s attention and sets a pretty high bar for an author to attain. Rhys Bowen, however, is one of the few writers who achieved that goal with flare. In her latest installment of the Royal Spyness Mystery series, The Last Mrs. Summers, Ms. Bowen was not only inspired by the Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, but she also matched the novel with her own creative genius. After all, within this one series, Ms. Bowen has tackled the love of the romance genre, the intrigue of a classic murder mystery, the suspense of a spy thriller, the angst of a historical drama, the friendship found in women’s fiction, (I’m sure I’m leaving something out) and now the foreboding of a gothic novel. How an author does that in one cozy mystery series is beyond brilliant. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier not only fascinated readers because of its gothic style but also for its narrative format from the viewpoint of the second Mrs. de Winter. I love that Ms. Bowen named her character Mrs. Summers—the seasons may be opposite, but her characters are equally captivating. On page one du Maurier began: “Last night I dreamt…