The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett

Today I’m sharing my thoughts about the Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett, being published today. Thank you to Bonnier Books, Zaffre Books and Readers First for a copy of the book – my thoughts are my own and not influenced by the gift.

Synopsis:

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.

The morning after a dinner party at Windsor Castle, eighty-nine-year-old Queen Elizabeth is shocked to discover that one of her guests has been found murdered in his room, with a rope around his neck.

When the police begin to suspect her loyal servants, Her Majesty knows they are looking in the wrong place. For the Queen has been living an extraordinary double life ever since her coronation. Away from the public eye, she has a brilliant knack for solving crimes.

With her household’s happiness on the line, her secret must not get out. Can the Queen and her trusted secretary Rozie catch the killer, without getting caught themselves?

The Windsor Knot is the first book in the ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ mystery series by SJ Bennett – for fans of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin.

My thoughts:

I must admit that when I first saw this synopsis, I did wonder whether I would find this too far fetched. However after reading and enjoying the first chapters, I quickly ordered the book via Readers First. The book arrived on Friday and was finished by Saturday evening (helped by the fact my husband went out!).

The book cover and end papers are stunning – as regular readers of my book review blog will know, I love dogs and the end papers and back cover include corgi illustrations. The dogs make regular appearances in the story, as do the Queen’s horses.

As a fan of Agatha Christie, and the recent ‘Thursday Murder Club’ by Richard Osman, I’m pleased to say that I did enjoy this amateur detective novel – the murder mystery, the Queen’s own investigation, the humour and the characters created by S.J. Bennett.

I loved the conversations between the Queen and Prince Philip, and could imagine their voices. My favourite character is Rozie, who quickly finds herself helping the Queen in ways she wasn’t expecting when recently employed by the royal household, assisted by a very small group of loyal ex-employees. Great to see a book full of strong female characters.

If you enjoy the more ‘gentle’ murder mystery stories, then I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did.