I’m quite fond of historical mysteries from pretty much any period, so I was happy to receive an ARC of Stealing the Crown, by TP Fielden.

Stealing the Crown is set during the early days of World War II, and does a nice job of putting some speculative details into and around the factual lives of the British royal family during that time. The main characters – the victim and the sleuths – are fictional, but, as the author’s note at the end mentions, many of the conspiratorial groups and events that form a background for the book are real. I always like historical mysteries when they have a good blend of fact and fiction, and Stealing the Crown delivers on that.

I quite enjoyed the book, and ending up reading it in only a couple of sittings. My only complaint, which is sort of minor, is that I had a bit of trouble keeping track of all of the characters at first, even with the list of characters and the royal family tree provided up front. But after a while, as the story developed, things fell into place, and it became easy to keep track of who was who.

All-in-all, I quite liked this book, and will keep an eye out for some of the titles in Fielden’s other series, the Miss Dimont series. I’m also happy that the webpage for the Stealing the Crown indicates that it’s the first in a series, since I’d like to see more of both Rodie Carr (the real heroine of the book in my opinion) and Guy Harford (the titular hero).

Please note that I try to fight “star-flation” a little bit, so I reserve 5 stars for a very few absolute favorite books that I am going to read and then re-read again. So for me, 4 stars is a solid ranking, and means I do recommend the book. And my thanks again to Thomas and Mercer/Net Galley for the review copy.

Guy Harford never expected to find himself working in Buckingham Palace much less solving a murder there! He's a painter who was happily living in North Africa until he wasn't. Now it's WWII and things are amping up. Did Major Edgar Brampton shoot himself? No, he didn't, but who would do such a thing inside the Palace? This is, oddly enough, a romp. It's got interesting insight into what its like to work as a courtier as well as some fun satirical commentary on the institution. It's also got a good protagonist in Guy, who is intrepid and determined- and able to rope a fun cast into his effort. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC, For fans of historical mysteries.

Set in Buckingham Palace during WWII, we get a glimpse at what it is like being a royal courtier and a peek at who really runs things at the palace.

What I liked:
I liked this inside glimpse at what it is like to be a courtier and work at the palace.
I had fun guessing whether the powers that be gave Guy the job of solving the murder because they thought he would bungle it or if they thought he would solve it!
I really liked the way the mystery unfolded, I was kept guessing until the very end.
I think the author has more room to explore the characters of Guy and Rhodie in future books.

What could have been better:
Even with the Cast of Characters in the front of the book, there are a lot of names (and nicknames) that are hard to keep straight.

Overall this was an enjoyable mystery with an interesting main character with much more room to grow into a series. I recommend this book to historical mystery fans as well as people who enjoy books about the royal family. 4/5

Guy Harford is a painter living in Tangier at the beginning of World War II. After finding himself in the midst of a diplomatic scandal he is forced back to London, to service as a courtier in Buckingham Palace. When his colleague Major Ed Brampton is found shot dead in their office Guy is tasked with finding out whether it was suicide or murder.

This was such an enjoyable read. It's the perfect mix of mystery, conspiracy and treason, and especially intriguing is the insight the author provides into what goes on behind the Palace walls.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a fun mystery/spy story with an interesting setting in Buckingham Palace and various sites in London during World War 2. The lead character is an artist who somehow ends up in the Palace as a courtier and finds himself determined to solve the murder—or is it suicide?—of a fellow courtier. The book is witty, well-written and satisfying.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read a copy of this book!

I should start off by saying that I am American and most of my knowledge of Britain (besides long-ago history classes) has been acquired through popular culture and fiction. So the name "Wallis Simpson" in the genealogical chart of the WWII-era monarchy alerted me to the fact that we were talking about the time of Colin Firth in the King's Speech (I'm terrible with titles, the name King George VI wouldn't have meant anything to me). And when they talked about the Regent, I knew what that was because of Regency romances. Really, I'm not trying to pretend I know anything.

But I had a blast reading this book! It is my favorite kind of mystery, with lots of twists and turns and intrigue, and the "detective" in the middle of it is clearly way in over his head but he is kind of an errand boy for the Palace and people tell him to take care of it so he's doing his best. And, yes, the chart at the opening of the book lets you know that this is set in a real place and time, with a mix of historical figures and fictional characters.

Since it's a mystery, I don't want to give too much away, but I will say: as strikingly eye-catching as that cover is (and yes, it was a factor in my stopping to take a look at this book!) it is slightly misleading as the hunt for the crown is slightly more metaphorical than it suggests. I know I had my hopes up for a royal jewel heist, but what did actually happen kept me enthralled regardless. There are so many things going on with the royal palace and the wartime politics and the bombings of London and the colorful cast of characters and the wry humor (well, humour!).

Finally, make sure to take a look at the author's note at the end as well as the author bio! Apparently he is a royal biographer and was a journalist as well, which explains why the behind-the-scenes look at palace life was so deliciously detailed and immersive.

This book absolutely sucked me in with its immersive sense of place, reluctantly beleaguered protagonist, and the intriguing mystery. I'm only disappointed that more books in the series aren't out yet!