December 2016.
A severed hand is found washed up on a beach next to the Queen’s estate at Sandringham.
Elizabeth has become quite accustomed to solving even the most complex of murders. And though she quickly identifies the 70-year-old victim, Edward St Cyr, from his signet ring, the search for his killer is not so straightforward.
St Cyr led an unconventional, often controversial life, making many enemies along the way in the quiet, rural world of North Norfolk, where everyone knows each other’s business.
But when a second man is found dead, and a prominent local woman is nearly killed in a hit-and-run, the mystery takes an even darker turn.
With the Christmas break coming to an end, the Queen and her trusted assistant Rozie must race to discover how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Or the next victim may be found even closer to home.
The third book (which can be read as a stand-alone), in the delightfully clever mystery series following the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 as she secretly solves crimes alongside her royal duties.
My thoughts:
Thank you to Zaffre Books and Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers for the opportunity to join the blog tour for the third book in the series by SJ Bennett, Murder Most Royal. I loved reading the first two books and you can read my review for The Windsor Knot here : https://mentoringmumof2bookreviews.home.blog/2020/10/29/the-windsor-knot-by-sj-bennett/
After visiting Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle in the previous books, this time we spend Christmas 2016 at Sandringham where a hand has washed up on the beach featuring a distinctive ring.
Can the Queen and her assistant private secretary, Rozie solve the mystery for the local police? Was the first victim murdered by an irate ex or a disgruntled neighbour or a neglected child? Can the local WI and a former assistant private secretary who lives locally help? Is there a serial killer in the area?
This is a non spoiler review so you will need to read the book to find out who caused the deaths. I love how the author mixes the murder mystery into a traditional royal family Christmas break. This is the first book in the series published since our Queen died in September and I did feel sad initially, but think this is a lovely tribute to her, recognising her love for her Phillip and her family, her animals and Sandringham.
Murder Most Royal is an excellent addition to this very British series and I’m thrilled to see that there will be another book in 2024, A Death in Diamonds. A five star read for this reader.
Author Bio:
S.J. Bennett holds a PhD in Italian Literature from the University of Cambridge and was a strategy consultant and startup manager before turning to writing. She has published ten books for teenagers, winning The Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition in 2009 and the RoNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award in 2017. The Windsor Knot is her first novel for adults. She lives in London.
You can find her at SJBennettBooks.com and on Twitter @sophiabennett and @SJBennettbooks
Join the conversation using #MurderMostRoyal
Karen K is reading 