The Queen’s Envoy is one of three laugh-aloud books by the self-styled Lord David Prosser, a gentleman of means living in a large country house in a posh part of England. The others, Barsetshire Diaries, are possibly even funnier, and full of rural life. But, back to the letter Q.

The plan for the month is to feature daily a book I’ve reviewed in the past (or review it that day), and also highlight others: not all are included each day.

  • review/featured
  • spacetime challenge (I host this reading challenge – you can join here)
  • middle grade (childrens) choice
  • series (love a good series – there’s a challenge for finishing those, too)
  • ‘notable’ reads
  • ‘outstanding’ books
  • my books!

The Queen’s Envoy

by David Prosser

The Queen's Envoy (in Paris)

After inheriting his Title, Lord David little realised he would also inherit a job. After all, he’d just retired. But this job was as an unofficial envoy to HMG and could he turn it down? He’s a fish out of water groping his way from situation to situation with a hint of desperation but with all the aplomb and stiff upper lip he can muster. Will he cope with all that life throws at him and all the women that seem intent on compromising him? [goodreads]

It’s a while since David Prosser blogged regularly. His Barsetshirediaries blog was the original web log: it detailed most events in his daily routine from one week to the next. As such, you could read between the lines of how much his body was just falling apart, and how much effort it was taking him to even work the keyboard. Yet there is still a thought for the week at The Buthidars, so he must be going strong (he’s not much older than me!) He does sometimes turn up and comment, so I hope he sees this. Love to you, David xxx

As for the books… They are hilarious. Start with the Queen’s Envoy, and follow on with My Barsetshire Diaries, even if he did write them in the other order! And there are more…

If you enjoy Fawlty TowersMr Bean, or Yes, Minister, you will love this book.  It’s a quick read, partly because it’s beautifully written, and you’ll want to go back for more. 

from my review (June 17)

Spacetime Challenge

A Quill Ladder is the second in Jennifer Ellis’s amazing and weird time-scrambled series Derivatives of Displacement. You don’t have to be a maths genius or punster to enjoy these books, but it helps. There is a (girl) maths genius in there, after all. The series starts with A Pair of Docks, and it took me a while to realise, yes, that is what she meant. All the titles are very clever. The books are intriguing parallel time mysteries with a climate change twist. Exquisite, marvellous, and fantastically scientific, as another reader said!

Middle Grade choice

Quicksand, subtitled the Mysterious Disappearance of Dakotaroo starts a series about Dakotaroo, who is a horse. This is a modern US pony book, and as such this Brit had to learn some new terminology, since western riding has its own language. Krista Michelle Breen has written a thoroughly enjoyable story, and I always meant to read more in the series.

Notable Books

A Quick Death by Patricia Lynne is an anthology of flash fiction (1000 word ones in the main) that goes from horror to vampires with lots of death in between. It’s mostly delightful, but it’s hard to get a twist by the end of them. Good fun if you enjoy murder in short bites.

Q by Christina Dalcher. An earth bound scifi thriller with a modern family under pressure to maintain their high ratings or be downgraded… in everything. Fall far enough and you go to the dorms. And these are not what the woman who envisaged the system and encouraged her husband to promote thought they would be. A great twist on a relatively common theme, but with a superb ending. It was almost too scary for me.

A Q thought

Given I have been doing an alphabet reading challenge for over ten years, and several books featured in my A to Z Letter Qs of the past, I find it odd I can’t find any more to add – not that I rated 4 stars or better, anyway. Am I missing something? Ah, yes… they didn’t have to start with Q!

That’s all for today, so come back tomorrow for more. I’m hoping to meet more people who like the same kinds of book, so feel free to recommend something you’ve read beginning with the letter of the day!

The Queen’s Envoy | #A2ZChallenge23

6 thoughts on “The Queen’s Envoy | #A2ZChallenge23

  • 20 April, 2023 at 4:52 am
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    You are a marvellous friend Jemima and I thank you so much for that gift as well as the gift of your words. That was a vewry kind review that almost makes me wish I was writing again. Massive Hugs to you..

    • 20 April, 2023 at 6:26 am
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      Oh! Jemima where am I going to find time to read all these books? 💜

  • 20 April, 2023 at 5:03 pm
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    I especially find the first two interesting. I’m wishing my now 19 year old grandson was 12 so he would read the 2nd book. I think I need some humor, so #1 attracts me.

  • 20 April, 2023 at 10:18 pm
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    Thanks for posting Sir David’s books! I do miss his blog!

  • 27 April, 2023 at 3:13 pm
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    Hi, and thanks… Sorry I missed this blog – catching up, yet again, after losing broadband, again – and phone- rdestored only yesterday . My TBR becoming a mountain.

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