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.

What a treat! When a young Russian pianist is found murdered at Windsor Castle after a "dine and sleep," Queen Elizabeth is both distressed and determined- she's not happy with what she's hearing from MI5 (the head talks down to her). She enlists Rozi, the new assistant private secretary, to help her investigate. She's a wily one, the Queen. As Rozi learns, she's been solving mysteries since she was a teen, always making others think they were the ones who came up with the answers. This is a particularly tricky one. This lives on the characters- not only the Queen, but also Rozi (who is awesome), Philip, that annoying MI5 chief and others. I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. I mean, really, a cozy featuring the Queen? But it's clever and a hoot. Fans of the Crown will recognize the cadence of the Queen (and Phillip), her rooms, and so on. It's set in 2016 so there's a nice amount of room for followup. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. I really enjoyed it and I'm very much looking forward to the next one. Terrific.

This was engagingly wonderful and I didn‘t expect it to be quite so good. THE WINDSOR KNOT starts out quietly, something is not quite right about a death at Windsor Castle, although it is salacious enough to prompt staff gossip. Author S.J. Bennett does an excellent job of creating characters that seem real and believable, none more so than her protagonist, Queen Elizabeth, who decides that something about this death just doesn‘t sit well with her. Her attempts to sleuth out details make this tale a real winner and difficult to put down. Was I helped by my recent viewing of The Crown? No doubt, yes, I‘m sure I was. But I found myself completely enthralled by details and secrets that don‘t normally lend themselves to cozy mysteries. I am eagerly awaiting another installment in this series. I enjoyed it that much. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Meet the Queen of England, amateur detective, or “Miss Marple with a Crown” as the Daily Mail said. The first in a series of what I would call a “cozy castle mystery.” Cozy mysteries are not my cup of tea in mystery books, but despite no depth in character development it was still an engaging story as the Queen unravels the mysterious death of a visiting Russian dancer. I am giving it 4 stars for cozy mystery lovers, 3 stars for the rest of us.

THE WINDSOR KNOT by S. J. Bennett is the first in a series that features Queen Elizabeth as an amateur sleuth, or "Miss Marple with a Crown," as described by The Daily Mirror. That sounds intriguing, particularly with the focus on the upcoming Oprah interview, right? This title was a LibraryReads selection for March and is generally described as a cozy mystery. However, a young pianist dies by autoerotic-asphyxiation and the author seems amused with having the Queen discuss those circumstances with her staff and family – that did just not seem respectful or realistic and I did not finish this title, hence my neutral rating of 3 stars.

A quaint cosy mystery but not my cup of tea.
It's the spring if 2016 at the Queens favorite residence, Windsor Castle, in advance of her nineteenth birthday celebration when after a 'dine and sleep' a young russian piano player is found dead in his room. What is originally thought to be an accidental hanging is soon realized to be a murder, one which the Queen herself decides she must help to solve. While charming and fun at times, I loved the banter between the Queen and Phillip, overall I just felt underwhelmed. The one bright spot for me was the Queens assistant, Rozie, a strong, reliable female character that stole the show.
If you like your mysteries on the cozy side that can be read in a day without too much heavy lifting then I'd say give this one a try. If however, you like them a little dark and thought provoking I'd recommend you look elsewhere.
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Queen Elizabeth, detective extraordinaire!

I had my doubts. I was sceptical. I wondered if the concept could ever get off the ground—HRH as a detective. Doubt no more, this idea was brilliantly orchestrated by Bennett.
Along the way one glimpses the intelligent compassion and understanding, the earthiness that has made Queen Elizabeth shine throughout her reign. Bennett has judged things to a nicety.
When a young Russian piano player is found dead in a guest room at Windsor, the head of the Queen’s Intelligence Service hares off in the wrong direction. It’s up to HRH to nudge him in the right direction after she’s co-opted the help of her private secretary’s (Sir Simon Holcroft) new assistant, Rozie Oshodi.
Humor, thoughtfulness, compassion and reality bump along together together to bring the mystery around to its conclusion with only a select few people knowing who’s putting two and two together and channeling the end game. I do like the portrayal of the relationship between the Queen and Prince Philip, BTW. The occasional references to knowledge acquired from her grandson’s is a hoot.
I went from suspended belief to relishing this really enjoyable mystery.
I wouldn’t know if Bennett has all her ducks in row about the inner workings of the Queen’s various households. It certainly appears that she’s a Royal watcher given the detail. I’m buying it all!
Clever dialogue, and a wonderful freshness makes this a delightful and intelligently written work.

A William Morrow and Custom House ARC via NetGalley
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Is this a cozy? Did William Morrow sneak the Queen of cozy a cozy.. about the Queen?! I live! Queen Elizabeth II is out here solving crimes and running royalty!

Queen E is basically all of us, well except for the royalty part. She’s out here googling info trying to figure out if it truly was foul play. I loved how realistic it was that she brought in Rozie to help. I mean, the Queen can’t really snoop around that much, she can’t blend in. I liked being able to listen to her thoughts on her theories. It was like as though she was talking to me as a soundboard to process her thoughts.

There are a lot of characters and this is a slow burn. I started writing names, but I gave up halfway because a lot were unnecessary.

This is a start to the series, and it was a fun one! I almost did forget at times this was supposed to be a mystery, so I’m hoping this was done intentionally to really set the scene for the rest of the series!

Thank you William Morrow for the gifted copy! The Windsor Knot is out March 9th!

This one was quite delightful with Queen Elizabeth solving crimes like a British Nancy Drew! The dialog was spot-on, name dropping galore, and it felt fun to feel like I was spying on the monarchy. The year is 2016 when HRM celebrates her 90th birthday and there’s a suicide at Windsor Castle. Or is it murder?

The handsome Russian pianist is found in a compromising position the morning after a “dine and sleep” event at the castle with a whole host of guests. This makes for quite the list of suspects to work through.

I loved the insider peek into the world of the monarchy and all the administration that surrounds the Queen. Her new Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, is a fun character to get to know with her trademark high heels. Soon the Queen is sending her to chase down clues to “help” solve the crime. I’m excited that this one is billed as #1 in a series and I can’t wait to see what the new crime is for book #2!

3.75 stars

What fun! Yes, it's a preposterous premise -- that the Queen of England is a secret amateur sleuth, but so charmingly and intelligently presented that you are happy to ride along.

The tone is subtle and smart rather than cutesy. The Queen is quite affectionately and respectfully portrayed, and her relationship with Philip is endearing.

The Queen and entourage are at Windsor Castle, and after a routine evening dinner with guests staying over, one of the young performers is found dead. The police discover that the death is not the accident it at first appears to be, but rather murder. We find out that Her Majesty is intrigued by puzzles like this, and her assistant personal secretary Rozie serves as her legs during the investigation.

Sometimes those around her underestimate the Queen, and she is secure enough to let that pass and even use it to her advantage at times. The investigating officer is condescending and superior, but the reader knows that the Queen is out-maneuvering him at every turn.

A very enjoyable and intelligent read -- I can't wait to read more. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Is it just me or any time I read a book based in the UK I find myself reading in a British accent! This book took me back to my time visiting a lot of the castles discussed in the book. I found it difficult to keep up and connect with the few characters the book would switch to. However, I enjoyed this book. It was definitely a cozy mystery that I found myself finishing pretty quickly!

What a fun cozy mystery with a royal sleuth! During a “dine and sleep” at Windsor Castle, the almost-90-year-old Queen dances with a young Russian pianist, who is found dead the next morning. There are plenty of suspects and motives—was it suicide, a hit, a sleeper agent planted by Putin, a love affair?—and the book keeps you guessing until the end.

We learn early on that the Queen enjoys a good mystery—she reads Dick Francis—and has a knack for solving them. She relies on her assistant private secretary to gather information for her and pieces together clues from other sources (such as reports from staff and detectives) to solve the crime. She can’t do so directly, though, so she skillfully feeds information to the detectives to guide their investigation.

The relationships in the book are well depicted, from the informal interactions between the Queen and Phillip to those with and among the staff. There are horses, corgis, and, of course, Windsor Castle, which is lovingly described and practically a character itself. There is a large cast, but it is managed well, with little reminders of people’s roles to help you keep track. I look forward to the next book!

Thanks to the Book Club Girls, Harper Collins, and NetGalley for the advance copy. My opinion is my own.

The first in an intended series featuring the current Queen Elizabeth as a Miss Marple-like sleuth solving murder mysteries. The Queen begins pondering the death of a musician guest that is murdered within Windsor Castle, the proper authorities believe it is an elaborate power play move by Putin. The Queen starts investigating however she can’t do so directly and of course must maintain her duties. Her “feet on the ground” is Rosie Oshodi, one of her assistants. I believe and hope that this character grows and develops in future tales. Well-written and a good start to a mystery series.

Typo loc 1075, chapter 8: “The victim was an entertainer a dine and sleep.”

I thought the premise of this book was fun, but unfortunately, I felt the execution fell flat. I did not enjoy the mystery piece of the story or how it was revealed. I found it tedious and convoluted. I greatly enjoyed the parts with the Queen and her private life.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced eBook copy.

This was definitely a cozy mystery. A tad unbelievable... I love the royal family. I love fiction about the royal family. I felt that Queen Elizabeth, at 70-80, would not be this involved in a murder investigation no matter where it took place. I loved that she felt like a Miss Marple, but then you remember she is the Queen.
That being said, had no idea who was the murderer, how everything was related, until the very end. Good job for that!

This book is adorable in the best possible way. I usually hate it when real people are used as the detective, and in the case of this novel “the detective” is one of the most famous people on the planet, Queen Elizabeth II. But SJ Bennett has real affection and reverence – in the nicest way – for her majesty and the actual detecting is mostly done by the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian who shares the Queen’s affection for horses and would do anything for the “boss.”

As imagined by Bennett, the Queen in this novel is an intelligent politician who “has a gift for happiness” as her private secretary says toward the end of the novel. She notices everything and because she is more or less the ultimate insider it actually makes her the ultimate outsider – she’s treated with respect but not actual personal knowledge. Combined with a talent for noticing details, these qualities make her a perfect detective.

The crime takes place at the Queen’s favorite residence, Windsor Castle. One of her guests, at the castle for a “dine and sleep” is a young Russian pianist who is discovered dead in his wardrobe the morning after. The royal PR department goes into overdrive and the death is put out to the public as a heart attack, but palace security and MI6 are certain it’s the work of Vladimir Putin, and they set up shop in the Castle interviewing (and embarrassing) the staff to the Queen’s dismay. The Queen has different ideas, and she presses Rozie to be her investigator, getting to places and people she can’t get to without creating a furor.

She and Rozie turn out to work well together and the mystery part of the story is actually slightly gritty, involving spies, drugs and illicit sex, and it’s also quite well thought out, clever and well paced. The overall tone is far from gritty, however, but that aspect of the story adds some reality to the whole proceeding.
The tone of the novel in general is light and gently humorous, with a great back stage look as the royal apparatus prepares to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday (it’s set in 2016, when Obama was still President, and he makes a brief appearance). I enjoyed Rozie’s capability and intelligence and her true bonding moment with the Queen – they take a ride together one afternoon, Rozie acquitting herself admirably as far as the Queen is concerned.

SJ Bennett may or may not have the details right or the Queen’s personality right but they certainly seem right. She tells her story with real affection and admiration for the dutiful woman who has served her country since 1953. In all that time, I’m certain she has become an able politician. There was nothing in this book that felt off – it all felt so, so right. It’s the most fun I’ve had “between the covers” all year, and if there is a more enjoyable book written this year, I would be very much surprised. I cannot wait for the Queen and Rozie’s next adventure.

Who knew that Queen Elizabeth, despite all her royal duties, is a secret crime solver? She can't be seen as being interested in the murder that occurred at Windsor Castle - it wouldn't be proper. So she works behind the scenes with her assistant personal secretary to steer the investigation in the right direction. A clever and twisty mystery.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC.

Received this ARC from William Morrow and Net Galley for an honest review. I really liked the character of the Queen. She seemed so spunky despite her age (which they kept reminding me of, thankfully). I liked that she secretly ran her own investigation. I was pleasantly surprised that I had zero idea what the outcome of the mystery was going to be. But I almost feel like not enough clues were actually provided. It was a good story, but I didn’t find myself interested enough to read a second.

Note: I received this copy courtesy of the publisher William Morrow and NetGalley.

From the publisher: 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.

And that's all I needed to read and I was hooked. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to receive an ARC through William Morrow's FB page, Scene of the Crime.

Initially it took me a little bit to get into this book because I was struggling with the terminology as an American. Once I got adjusted though, I really enjoyed it as Elizabeth and Rozie went about questioning persons and investigating this case, all while Elizabeth took care of her royal duties. It was as if I, too, was roaming the halls of Windsor Castle on a mission to uncover the pl0t that led to murder.

I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to going on the next adventure with the Queen.

This is my first cozy mystery and it did not disappoint!

I loved the synopsis as soon as I saw it. Who doesn't love a good royal premise?! I also always enjoy a book that challenges the status quo for women. Our queen doesn't have to get involved in the mystery, but when she suspects foul play is involved, she has to intervene. She easily could have said "not my problem" but I admired her ambition and curiosity to challenge the verdict.

This is a very romanticized idea for royal life, but I enjoyed the setting and theming anyways. I actually haven't read many books with the royals, so it was actually new for me. Fans of The Crown will definitely enjoy this book.

Overall, this is a solid mystery book I hope turns into a series. I have a feeling additional books will be that much better and interesting. I would love to see our queen solve some additional cases.