Queen Elizabeth as a sleuth! What a fun book and concept. I really enjoyed this foray into Windsor Castle and sleuthing along with the Queen and her assistant. It's a can't miss cozy for all of us cozy lovers!

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I LOVED this book! I downloaded it simply based on the title, and my love for all things royal. I was not expecting such a compelling and suspenseful mystery, with an added bonus of being told from the perspective of the Queen of England. As a huge Anglophile nerd, I loved "learning" more about the queen's life and thoughts. A wonderful mystery, extremely well written, and a five-star book. I cannot wait for this book to be published, so I can recommend it to all my friends and my book club. I was also ecstatic to learn that it will be a series!!

While I was excited about the premise - the Queen solving mysteries?! - I believe that now is not the right time for me to read this. I’ve found it to be dragging. I hope to return to it another time!

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

This series is bound to be entertaining and delightful if it continues just as this first book was. This was an entertaining, somewhat light hearted mystery compared to the thrillers I typically read and I really enjoyed it. I could just picture Her Majesty the Queen as I was reading the story, along with a few of the other Royal Family members. I will definitely be looking forward to any others in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

The Crown meets Miss Marple. Engaging and amusing book that casts Queen Elizabet as an amateur detective. Enjoyable read!

Trigger warnings: murder, ageism

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is an old woman in 2016. When a young piano prodigy is found dead, police detectives and MI5 are called in to investigate. The Queen investigates the murders herself along with her secretary Rozie.

The narration switches points of view from QE2 to Rozie, and I found my attention waning during Rozie's research. The queen is a much more captivating character, although she probably couldn't do all the legwork -- she is turning 90, after all.

The queen's banter with the Duke of Edinburgh is adorable and their interactions are the highlights of the novel. The queen is the plucky elder detective that I never knew we needed. Hopefully, there will be more of QE2 (and less of Rozie) in future installments. There's also a bit more foreign politics than I would have liked in a lighter murder mystery, but the queen's life heavily involves foreign relations.

(minor spoilers without telling you who done it ahead)

Even though the queen and Rozie find out much of the mystery before the police do, she allows the detectives to take the credit. She imagines they still see her as a doddering old woman and it's a little sad that she gets no credit in the end for solving the mystery. Having the queen gain either respect from the investigators or public acclaim would make the ending feel more uplifting.

Recommended for readers of royal fiction and mystery fans.

I so enjoyed the author's portrayal of Elizabeth as an older lady: spunky, feisty, intelligent. She was not at all what the gentleman expected her to be. A great read!

Fun, sweet and thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery set in Windsor Castle with none other than Queen Elizabeth 2 as the master sleuth pulling the strings behind the scenes.
The way the queen is written makes her come to life, so real and relatable. All the characters are well written, especially her Assistant Private Secretary, Rosie Oshodi, who is her right hand person in the investigation.
Thank you to the publishers HarperAudio and William Morrow, NetGalley audio giveaway and The Book Club Girls Early Reads giveaway.

While hosting an event for Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday year, a guest is found murdered at Windsor Castle. Theories abound and the most unusual detective steps in, the Queen herself. With the assistance of her secretary, Rozie, the queen takes it upon herself to solve the crime, all whilst carrying on her royal duties.

This fun little novel has vibes of an Agatha Christie type story, if the story starred the queen. Historical bits and pieces mix in with the crime and provide the reader with an amusing and entertaining whodunit.

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.

I really liked this book. It was fun to read and I felt that it was well researched. The characters were well developed and the story line moved along nicely. I would love to read more books by this author and I hope more of them include Queen Elizabeth. Very talented author.. Thank you to Net Galley and Scene of the Crime for an advanced copy of this book. This is my honest review.

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. 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
A Novel
by SJ Bennett
William Morrow and Custom House
You Are Auto-Approved
William Morrow
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 09 Mar 2021 | Archive Date 04 May 2021

Charming "who dunit". This is a cross between Royalty solving mysteries and Miss Marpel. I liked it.
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

3 star

The Windsor Knot is a great cozy mystery starring Queen Elizabeth. It begins as the Queen has a small party in Windsor Castle in the buildup to her 90th birthday party.. unfortunately one of the guests who is staying overnight turns up dead! The Queen doesn't quite trust MI5 to uncover the truth and uphold her reputation, and she can't help doing a little discreet investigating on her own to point them in the right direction. I'm not sure how the actual Queen would feel about this story but I thought it was a positive representation of her and harmless good fun. The whole story was thoroughly entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Custom House for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had great promise unfortunately, I did not feel like it lived up to that promise. When I initially heard about this book I was over the moon excited for it; the queen as crime solver, what more could I want....quite a bit more as it turns out. The characters fell flat for me, even the dead man was a lifeless, pun fully intended. The book reads like more of a political thriller, without the thriller, than the cozy mystery I was expecting. The transitions throughout this book are so abrupt as to be jarring. The author write YA, which is not my cup of tea, I suspect that the YA writing style had a stronger influence on this book than the craft of mystery writing. As mentioned in the book the Queen has been solving crimes for a good many years now, as I closed this book I found myself wishing that this book had been the beginning of the Queen's mysteries and then grown into the older Queen as the series and writing matured.

“The Windsor Knot,” by S.J. Bennett, William Morrow, 288 pages, March 9, 2021.

It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations.

But the birthday preparations are interrupted. A young Russian pianist, Maksim Brodsky, is found strangled in a bedroom. He had performed the evening before his death. The scene suggests he accidentally strangled himself, but MI5 and the Metropolitan Police suspect murder.

They believe that one of the Queen’s staff has ties to Russia and killed Maksim on the orders of the Russian government. The Queen doesn’t believe they are looking in the right direction. The Queen begins her own investigation with the help of her assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi.

I liked the narrative of her daily routine, such as the Queen riding her pony and walking her dogs, but the novel is slow-moving with a lot of characters. I also liked the interaction between the Queen and Prince Philip. I’ve read a review that says it is “ Miss Marple meets The Crown.” That is a good description. It is a cozy mystery and is the first of a series.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was fun to read. It is sort of like a Nancy Drew mystery meets Sherlock Holmes. Who knew that the Royal family had dine and sleep parties! Of course there was a death at one of these and the Queen figures out that it was not suicide but a murder. She with the help of her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozi, they take matters into their own hands and try to figure out who and why this brilliant pianist was killed. Of course, they let the MI5 investigate but they also investigate on their own. It was fun to read about all the duties of the Queen and who is in charge of what at the Palace. The Queen is portrayed as a very kind, charming individual who is very smart and shrewd. If you are looking for a light fun read, this is the book for you.
Thank you to #williammorrow and #netgalley, #bookclubgirlsearlyread and @sjbennett for an ARC of this book.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this re-imagining of HRH Queen Elizabeth II as a sharp observer who solves mysteries/crimes amidst all of her other duties. It is very fast paced and I loved the Queen's interactions with those around her, especially Prince Philip. I also enjoyed watching Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi slowly be drawn into the Queen's confidence and investigation. The setting is primarily Windsor Castle in 2016, when the Queen is 89 years old and preparations have begun for her 90th celebrations. The first in a proposed series, I am so looking forward to more from both Elizabeth and Rozie. Highly recommended.

A dine and sleep event at Windsor Castle has entertainment provided by Maksim Brodsky, a young pianist. Queen Elizabeth is one of his dancing partners before she finally retires for the evening. In the morning, Brodsky is found murdered in his room and it is up to Sir Simon, the Queen’s private secretary, to explain the unusual circumstances of his death to her. Brodsky had been behind a blog that was critical of Putin and MI5 believes that Russia may be behind the death. They begin looking into a possible sleeper agent working in the palace who could have had access to Brodsky. As they upset staff and routines, Queen Elizabeth believes that they may be on the wrong track.

Rozie Oshodi, the Queen’s assistant private secretary, has just returned from a family wedding in Nigeria when she is summoned by the Queen. She is asked to take on certain tasks without Sir Simon’s knowledge to confirm the Queen’s suspicions. While MI5 continues to pursue their line of investigation, two additional deaths occur in London that may have a connection to Brodsky. The Queen can not interfere with the official investigation, but she uses her briefings to ask questions that help redirect it to a successful conclusion.

S.J. Bennett presents a Queen Elizabeth who is preparing for her 90th birthday. She takes you inside Windsor Castle and gives the reader a glimpse of the Queen’s daily routine and responsibilities. She is a monarch who is loved by the British people, but she is also a wife and mother, which comes across through her conversations with Philip. Rozie’s predecessor explains that this is not the first time that she has been involved with an investigation and I hope that Bennett finds other opportunities for her involvement. This is a Queen that most people will never see and Bennett provides her with a mystery that will keep you entertained. I would like to thank NetGalley,William Morrow Publishersand Scene of the Crime for providing this book for my review.