“[A] pitch-perfect murder mystery… If The Crown were crossed with Miss Marple…, the result would probably be something like this charming whodunnit.” – Ruth Ware, author of One by One
The first book in a highly original and delightfully clever crime series in which Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves crimes while carrying out her royal duties.
It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth … duties.
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 by the shocking and untimely death of a guest in one of the Castle bedrooms. The scene leads some to think the young Russian pianist strangled himself, yet a badly tied knot leads MI5 to suspect foul play. When they begin to question the Household’s most loyal servants, Her Majesty knows they’re looking in the wrong place.
For the Queen has been living an extraordinary double life ever since her teenage years as “Lilibet.” Away from the public eye and unbeknownst to her closest friends and advisers, she has the most brilliant skill for solving crimes. With help from her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian officer recently appointed to the Royal Horse Artillery, the Queen discreetly 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 won’t hesitate to use her keen eye, quick mind, and steady nerve to bring a murderer to justice.
SJ Bennett captures Queen Elizabeth’s voice with skill, nuance, wit, and genuine charm in this imaginative and engaging mystery that portrays Her Majesty as she’s rarely seen: kind yet worldly, decisive, shrewd, and, most important, a superb judge of character.
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Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as a sleuth? Why not? It works. With the help of her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, Her Majesty proves to be an adept crime solver, unraveling a knotty murder at Windsor Castle. I loved this book and devoured it in one evening.
Simply Fun, Though Not Perfect
Audiobook Review:
This is the first of a mystery series starring Queen Elizabeth II as the primary, though unacknowledged, sleuth! It might sound like a bizarre concept, but this author and the narrator of the audiobook made it workable and believable. The book takes place in 2016 just before the Queen’s 90th birthday, so the Sussexes aren’t even a part of the story. They depicted the Queen as super-sharp and with an excellent eye for detail, not only doing her queenly duties but also helping figure out a murder that happened at Windsor Castle at one of her “dine and sleep” events. Apparently, she cracked her first mystery at the tender age of 12 and has been doing so, out of the limelight, ever since. Though he doesn’t show up often, Prince Philip and his and the Queen’s relationship are fun to listen to. It shows him as a supportive husband who also happens to come up with brilliant lines just when his wife needs them. She also occasionally gets frustrated with him, as I imagine would happen in a committed relationship of such long standing. I listened to the audiobook version of this, and I thought the narrator was fantastic. She had a super posh British accent, and her vocal styling of the queen conveyed both her brisk efficiency and regalness. The only minus? I didn’t feel like the author provided enough clues along the way for the reader to even attempt to figure it out. Also, the end had too many surprises for a mystery, and I felt it wrapped up too quickly. However, this was so enjoyable, I would certainly check out the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this audiobook, but that did not affect my review.
What a fun thriller that helped me get my Brit back on. (Man, I miss England. Never been away from my homeland this long.)
I loved the references to Prince Philip and Harry; I loved Her Majesty’s interior dialogue; I loved her sleuthing sidekick, Rozie, the tall Black woman who wears killer heals and can take down a would-be assassin with her military training.
And the plot? Fascinating. I enjoyed every twist and turn as the Queen quietly circumvented the M15 theory of why a young Russian pianist died in Windsor Castle.
I admit, I totally picked up this book to review because Queen Elizabeth II is the sleuth and I was really curious as to how that was going to play out. What I got was an interesting look at royal life along with a murder mystery.
Ms. Bennett draws from many real-life characters and events for her story. The book is set around the time of the Queen’s 90th birthday and all her family and many other famous folks either make an appearance or are mentioned. It’s rather kind of odd to be a fly on the wall as the Queen entertains the Obamas. I did find it rather interesting to get a peek of the behind-the-scenes, everyday goings-on in royal life… at least Ms. Bennett’s version. I’m not entirely sure how accurate it is, but it was interesting.
There were a ton of characters introduced, from her assistant Rozie, to the head of MI5, to all the various staff and those involved with the mystery. I think many of the characters will be recurring in the series, like Rozie. But it was a touch overwhelming as I had to keep stopping and trying to remember how a person fits into the story.
The mystery itself was all over the place. I mean, Ms. Bennett threw so many curve balls in there, I felt like I was getting whiplash. And when I read that Queen Elizabeth was the sleuth, I was confused when she was more like a chess player moving the pieces around the chessboard having others do the work for her… but I suppose that’s how it would have to be since the Queen really can’t go slumming around snooping all over London. So in that way, it was rather clever. Just totally not what I was expecting.
The Windsor Knot isn’t a bad novel, but I think it suffers from the first in a new series syndrome of needing to do a lot of character introductions and world-building to the point that it’s a bit overwhelming. But the characters and interesting and the mystery was pretty solid. If you’d like a different sort of mystery set in the world of the British royals, this might be the series for you.
My review originally posted at Novels Alive.
Queen Elizabeth is secretly a crime investigator – such an interesting premise!
Happy Pub Week to S.J. Bennett and The Windsor Knot, her first novel for adult readers. The timing is unfortunate with the current negative press surrounding the Royal Family, but if you prefer an idyllic opinion of the Windsors, skip the news and read this book.
In this cozy-ish murder mystery (first in a series), the year is 2016 and the setting is Windsor Castle. A young Russian pianist who provided music for the Queen’s “dine and sleep” soiree is found dead in compromising circumstances. While there are plenty of professionals looking into the crime, Queen Elizabeth conducts her own investigation with the assistance and subterfuge of her assistant private secretary Rozie Oshodi, a young and smart woman with military experience.
The mystery plot is complicated and a bit convoluted, involving the Russian government and many additional characters. I was far more interested in the events occurring in the Queen’s life, which included hosting President and Michelle Obama, celebrating her 90th birthday, and attending the Royal Windsor Horse Show Pageant. A fabulous review of this title, complete with photos, can be read here: http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/search?q=The+Windsor+Knot.
I appreciated reading via audiobook; narrator Jane Copland’s regal British accent infused authenticity and grandeur into the prose.
I’m looking forward to book 2, A Three Dog Problem, which is scheduled to publish in November. Thank you to William Morrow for the egalley and ALC audiobook; all thoughts are my own.
The Windsor Knot is a delightful new cozy mystery by author S.J. Bennett, featuring Queen Elizabeth II as the “detective” when a visiting Russian pianist is found dead in his room at Windsor Castle. Apparently Elizabeth’s sleuthing skills are a very closely guarded secret among her most intimate staff, and this is not her first investigation! I love the premise of this series, and can’t wait to read more of the monarch’s adventures. The narrator in the audio version does a wonderful job, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the story! A+
The Windsor Knot by S J Bennett is a cute cozy mystery featuring the current Queen of England as the amateur sleuth. As unlikely as this seems, it kind of made sense as it was being read. She used others to do hand-on investigating and errand running, but she did the thinking. She had been doing it for years. She was on, at least, her third assistant. And Bennett actually seemed to have caught her personality, at least that of which we know, quite accurately. She is the staid, conservative person we have come to know during her many years as monarch. We see a glimpse of Philip and hear a couple of other names mentioned, but it is primarily the queen solving the crime. This was an entertaining book with a decent mystery and certainly interesting means of investigating. I think it is worth the read.
I was invited to read a free ARC of the Windsor Knot by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #thewindsorknot
3 stars. I really enjoyed the beginning of this”Royal cozy mystery.” Having been to Windsor Castle, I had a visual in my head. It was easy to picture the Queen as the Royal sleuth. Rosie was my favorite character. I found that I was spending a lot of time writing down all of the characters names in my notebook so I could remember who was who. It made reading this book a chore rather than a fun read. My thanks to William Morrow and Custom House for an ARC of this book. The opinions are my own in this review.
Thanks to Book Club Girl Early Read Program & HarperCollins Publisher for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
This book was as intriguing as the description: Queen Elizabeth II solves a (multiple) murder mystery while continuing her official duties in 2016, just as she is about to celebrate her 90th birthday. Working surreptitiously with Rozie Oshodi, her newly hired personal secretary, who does the queen’s investigative leg work, Her Majesty figures out the solution and subtly feeds her conclusions to the official police working on the case. So she never gets the credit for solving the murders, but of course doesn’t need the praise – she’s the queen, after all!
While the first murder occurs soon after the book begins, the novel takes a while to pick up speed. But stay with it because it’s a worthwhile read with lots of clues and suspects, and the author capably wraps up the lose ends. I appreciate how she includes a touching and thoughtful ending demonstrating the queen’s human kindness.
What I especially liked was the sophisticated perspective – the queen is portrayed respectfully and the book is written as a contemporary mystery, not light-hearted or silly. This novel included references to President & Mrs. Obama, Putin, Prince Phillip (QEII’s husband) and other political figures as well as political issues of the time, which made it a realistic read.
This book is entertaining, mysterious, full of twists and turns, and is such a clever mystery! Whenever I listened to “The Windsor Knot”, I was whisked away to England, put on my sleuthing hat, and found myself listening into the early hours of the morning to see Who-Dun-It.
This is the first book in SJ Bennett’s “Her Majesty the Queen Investigates” series, and I hope there will be many more! SJ Bennett’s storytelling is simply spectacular. She truly knows how to bring a story to life, and you can picture each moment. Each of her characters has a distinct personality, voice, and you feel as if you get to know each and every one. I could also really envision the various locations throughout. Moreover, Ms. Bennett seamlessly brings together real people and fictional people as her characters, and it is brilliantly done.
This book surrounds a murder mystery that occurs at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II decides that she will help to solve the mystery as she does not believe that those assigned to the case are on the correct path. I do not want to spoil anything in this review…so I will simply say what ensues will have you hooked from the first page to the last.
Moreover, Jane Copeland does an absolutely incredible job narrating this story! She truly makes the words and story jump off of the page as the reader is listening, and I really enjoyed her narration! Everything from her tone, pacing, various inflections, etc., really help to distinguish the characters from one another, and just…WOW!
If you enjoy Mysteries, I highly recommend this book! It is very full of twists and turns. There are definitely clues throughout, and the puzzle pieces come together as everything is revealed in exactly the moment it needs to be.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the audiobook advanced review copy of this book, it is very good! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
You had me at Queen Elizabeth solves crimes! What a terrific concept!
She has guests at Windsor Castle for a dine and sleep and they had a wonderful evening. The next morning one of them is found dead. While the officials are doing their job trying to piece together what happened, Queen Elizabeth and her new assistant Rozie are also hard at work following clues. The Queen has been solving crimes since she was very young so she has a lot of experience and knows how to be discreet in getting the info they uncover into the officials hands to help them without them knowing it comes from her.
S.J. Bennett has completely and beautifully captured the Queen’s voice! I felt like I was there and I can’t wait to go back!
Thank you Book Club Girls and NetGalley for the advanced copy of The Windsor Knot. I enjoyed it very much!
How could I possibly not be interested in a book about THE Queen Elizabeth as a detective on the sly. It’s genius! Americans, by and large, love the English royalty. There is just something about them that fascinates us, whether our ancestors agreed or not.
A guest turns up dead and the casework is bungled. What else is the Queen to do besides subtly investigate on her own? With the help of Rozie, her secretary, she makes inroads to finding the killer.
The narrator is spot on. Her posh voice was both perfect for the character and made the listen interesting and fun. I am crossing my fingers that the series and the chosen narrator remains.
Thank you to Harper Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
This was an amazingly fun mystery. When a guest dies at Windsor Castle, it turns out that it’s a murder. An investigation gets underway. When it appears that the inquiry is going in the wrong direction, the 89-year-old Queen gets involved in a behind the scenes manner. She has an exceptional talent for solving mysteries, and she involves her new Assistant Personal Secretary, having Rozie do all the legwork. In this case, the Windsor knot is not a way to tie a necktie. It’s the unraveling of the mystery at Windsor Castle.
The Queen is perfectly depicted. She’s a woman who loves her family, cares about her subjects, and respects her servants. She knows she needs to always protect her reputation and that of her family and residences. It would not do for word of the twisted way the victim was found to hit the tabloids. It annoyed me that the investigators treated the Queen as if she was a doddering old fool, not capable of understanding anything of significance despite her clear ability to do so.
As the official investigation gets underway, details pop up that involve other cases. However, the chief investigator can only see Russian intrigue, especially since several Russians were guests were present the night of the death. The Queen thinks otherwise. She sets Rozie off to start a separate, secret investigation. As more details arise, the Queen gets other of her trusted acquaintances involved in learning the truth and planting clues in the official investigators’ ears.
I enjoyed this book more than I can say. It’s fun and interesting. It held my attention throughout, a quick and easy read. The characters are believable and engaging. I want to know more about Rozie, her family, her co-workers, and more. The ending was a surprise, and well-explained and designed.
A delight of a book. Grab a copy. I think you’ll enjoy it. It appears to be the first in a series. I look forward to reading the books that follow.
I received an advanced reader copy of the book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank them for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.
This was an interesting set-up of a mystery somewhat like a Agatha Christie. The switch is that the detective is the Queen. As queen and a nonagenarian, she has limitations on what she can do, so she delegates specific searches to her underlings, specifically her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian and recent officer in the Royal Horse Artillery. The queen then leads the actual MI6 investigators to pursue certain lines of thought. I enjoyed the character of Rozie and appreciated that she was a POC, yet that was not the primary aspect of her character. The voice of the queen was superb, but overall the novel seemed a bit slow.
I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a fair and impartial review.
This is a mystery with a clever sleuth. A murder has happened at Windsor Castle while the queen was hosting a dine and sleep with guests from many different countries. The Metropolitan Police and MI5 are called in to work on the case. However, the queen with the help of her assistant private secretary, Rozie, gets involved in trying to solve the mystery. This is a very entertaining story that includes glimpses of the everyday life of the queen. During the book the queen is celebrating her 90th birthday, and also President Obama and Michelle will be visiting the queen, so there are many events that readers will remember being in the news. I love the start of this new series and hope that there will be many more books.
I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett, the debut book of the coming series, Her Majesty the Queen Investigates.
Audiobook version is narrated by Jane Copeland.
****Coming March 9th 2021****
Windsor Castle is being readied for the Queen’s 90th birthday celebration, but Prince Charles asks to host a party,(to include overnight guests), so that he can solicit funds from some Russians for a project dear to his heart. Disaster blooms overnight—the guest pianist is found dead in his room. The mystery begins!
Queen Elizabeth II enjoys unraveling a mystery and she dives right in. I love this premise. The Queen makes the list of inquiries and enlists the help of her new Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, to do the leg work. Rosie uses her considerable skills to help unearth the truth.
The plausible plot moves at a good pace with humor, twists, action, and bits of wisdom from the Queen. I thought it was well written and entertaining. The narrator, Jane Copeland, was a perfect fit for this story. Her accent and pacing married well with the story.
Thank you #NetGalley#WindsorKnot#HarperAudio for the Advanced Reader Copy to listen to. I am giving my honest, voluntary review—I always review books I enjoy so that my friends and others can enjoy them, too.
I’m hooked. I will buy however many books come next in this series (I hope it’s a lot more).
I randomly ran across this book and was immediately drawn in by its premise. I mean, the Queen of England, at 89, solving mysteries? What’s not to love? It sounds a little wacky, but once you get into the book and fully on board with the premise, it’s just so utterly darn charming. If you’re wondering how she solves he crime while being, you know, queen, I’ll go ahead and say she’s the brainpower but not the manpower. And I’m a little bit obsessed with Rosie, her ex-military, ex-banker, WOC bad@$$ assistant. I also thought the crime was extremely clever, fun to piece together, and not at all predictable. The writer deserves major props for such an original story, and I’m sure significant plot mapping efforts!
It took me a bit to get used to the storytelling style–it’s omniscient, which wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought we’d either get first or third POV with insight into the Queen’s thoughts, but instead it’s third person POV but we’re hopping in and out of everyone’s heads. I struggled with this in the beginning, but really got used to it and ended up loving it after a short bit.
I listened to this one on audio, and the narrator was wonderful. An absolutely delightful British accent that didn’t put me to sleep (and a wonderful impersonation of Prince Philip lol). I’m more of a visual person, so it was a struggle for me to remember all the character’s names without seeing them written down, but I’m still extremely glad I did the audio and would highly recommend it.
This was one of my favorite mystery reads this year!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio, and William Marrow for my free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!
5 stars – 10/10
British-royalty, murder, murder-investigation, international-crime-and-mystery
A young guest at Windsor Castle is found dead in an unusual way in early spring of 2016. Displeased with the official one, Elizabeth II leads her own investigation, along with her most recent assistant (Rozie) once it is determined that it was not an accident. The sleuthing is good and it is so well written I felt as if it was real with the queen as highly personable and with a sneaky sense of humor about all the pomposity she has had to accustom herself to. As an American, I found that it brought to mind the kind of mysteries written by Elliot Roosevelt and was just as timely and interesting with no detail missed. I loved it!
Jane Copland did a great job of bringing everyone to life and vocally differentiating the characters.
I requested and received a free audio copy from Harper Audio via NetGalley. Thank you!
The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett and the audiobook version narration by Jane Copland is a wonderful cozy mystery book that is the first in what is sure to be a great series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates.
Here we get to follow along with Queen Elizabeth II and her awesome sidekick and assistant/Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi are drawn into a detective role when a questionable murder takes place at Windsor Castle amongst a party. Circumstances lead this formidable team to delve deeper and uncover the truth.
I loved the wit, wisdom, humor, banter, one-liners, and quips of this book. The dialogue is spot on, the atmosphere created makes me feel as if I am really at Windsor Castle, and I loved the feeling that I was really there with Her Majesty. I loved all the little details and inclusions. It was very cheeky, original, and authentic. The story moved along at an appropriate pace, and I enjoyed the mystery thoroughly. I look forward to the next book in this series.
I also enjoyed the narration. The tone, accent, pace, and pronunciation was clear, consistent, and crisp. It really added to the whole experience.
5/5 stars for the novel and for the narrator
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett takes us back to April of 2016 in London where Queen Elizabeth II hosted a soiree the night before at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty was stunned when she was informed that the pianist was found dead in his room and the details are quite salacious. At first blush it looked like an accidental death, but it is soon discovered that the musician was murdered. When the police begin looking at the household staff, Queen Elizabeth feels she must do something to assist. What most people do not know is that Queen Elizabeth has a flair for solving mysteries. It is a secret that Queen Elizabeth would like kept. Her Majesty sets out to learn who killed the musician without anyone being the wiser. The synopsis for The Windsor Knot had me excited. I thought the author captured Windsor Castle, the staff, and how a royal household is run (especially the number of staff it takes to run the large household). She also captured Queen Elizabeth (or how I imagine her) with her concerns for her royal duties, her dry wit, her keen intelligence, and her formal manner of speech. I thought the story, though, lacked depth and I did not like the way the book started. The book begins after the pianist has died. I felt the story should have begun before the party and led up to his death. It would have provided the tale with a better flow. The mystery was interesting. It was thought out and unique. It was clever how the crime was pulled off. I enjoyed solving this whodunit. However, I felt that the mystery was not at the forefront of the book. It gets pushed aside for Queen Elizabeth’s duties and engagements. The Windsor Knot has an intriguing and original premise (Queen Elizabeth as a sleuth). I just felt the book missed the mark. I would like the focus to be on Queen Elizabeth solving the mystery instead of her royal duties. The story also needed more action to spice up the pacing. I enjoyed the interesting facts about Windsor Castle and the royal family. The Windsor Knot will appeal to anglophiles and those who enjoy gently paced cozy mysteries.