It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations. But the preparations are interrupted when a guest is found dead in one of the Castle bedrooms. The scene suggests the young Russian pianist strangled himself, but a badly tied knot leads MI5 to suspect foul play was involved. The Queen leaves the investigation to the professionals—until their suspicions point them in the wrong direction.
Unhappy at the mishandling of the case and concerned for her staff’s morale, the monarch decides to discreetly take matters into her own hands. With help from her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian and recent officer in the Royal Horse Artillery, the Queen secretly begins making inquiries. As she carries out her royal duties with her usual aplomb, no one in the Royal Household, the government, or the public knows that the resolute Elizabeth will use her keen eye, quick mind, and steady nerve to bring a murderer to justice.
Title: The Windsor knot
Author: S.J. Bennett
Series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates #1
Publisher: Zaffre
Publication date: October 22, 2020
REVIEW
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I love some good cozy mystery. They're such a great option when I'm in the mood for murder (and I'm always up for a dead body), but not a grisly gory one. I've read cozy mysteries with crimes being investigated by retired detectives, old nosy ladies, writers, bakers, flower shop girls, shoe designers, librarians, cooks, hotel owners...but never the Queen of England herself. So, with such an original starting point, I knew this one would not disappoint.
When one of her guests is found dead after a dinner party at Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth must put her brain to work to solve the case as she's convinced MI5 is not looking in the right place.
We soon learn that the Queen a.k.a. The Boss has a knack for solving crimes since she was a little girl, but as her position doesn't allow her to do the legwork, she must enlist the help of her trusted personal secretary, Rozie (they made such a great duo!).
I liked how the Queen was the brain in the shadows, leading the murder investigation even to the unsuspecting eyes of MI5, moving her pawns to find all the clues needed to solve the case. I've read some reviews complaining of the book giving a sweetened image of the monarchy and the figure of the Queen. Really? It's a cozy mystery, what were you expecting? I liked how she was presented as a bit distant but yet caring for those in her service. I also found quite endearing her talks with the Duke of Edinburgh and they made me giggle more than once. Yes, she might not be exactly like that irl, but guess what, she doesn't solve crimes either (allegedly). It works nicely in the novel so who cares?
Besides the mystery, there are appearances by some political figures and members of the Royal Family that add to the feel of the story.
The mystery itself was resolved in a quite satisfying way. I just loved how even though she was the one cracking the case, she didn't have any interest in getting any recognition at all. Not even the Queen herself was spared some mansplaining, but we know best!
If you're totally obsessed with The Crown (I even visualized the characters with their fictional faces instead of the real ones) and are in the mood for some sleuthing, this book is the one for you.
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