I received this book as an advanced reader copy through NetGalley.

This is a mystery series where Queen Elizabeth is the amateur sleuth. It starts with a murder in Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth is not happy as to how the investigation is going so starts nosing into it herself. Cute concept and a good story. Sometimes it ran a little "slow" for me but I did enjoy it.

This book is just plain enjoyable. Fans of British royalty will enjoy it. Fans of mysteries will enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed it. Bennett's take on the royal voice is spot-on (at least if The Crown is a reliable source) and one never tires of feeling like one is inside the Queen's head as she ponders the mystery of who killed a young Russian pianist right in Windsor Castle.

Of course Her Majesty can't track down leads on her own, so she relies on Rosie Oshodi, her Assistant Private Secretary, to do the leg-work. Rosie is as discreet and sdubtle as the Queen could wish while she makes inquiries on Her Majesty's behalf, but Rosie doesn't quite have the intuitiveness, or the long view of history, that allows the Queen to make connections and follow threads to the real killer.

Bennett's writing is very smooth. The narrative gets a little slowed down in places as the mystery takes a back seat to the majestic trappings, but one can hardly complain about a fictional, but very authentic-feeling, glimpse into the royal lives. Bennett also switches perspectives from one paragraph to the next as elegantly as any author I've ever read. There's a little more bite than traditional "cozy" mysteries, but more than enough for mystery-lovers of all stripes. As the first in a planned series, I'll definitely be trying to get my hands on the next installment.

As a fan of both The Crown and Murder, She Wrote, this hit a sweet spot for me--just the right mix of royal behind-the-scenes peeking and beloved grandmother figure solving crimes. I would recommend it for anyone looking for something between cozy mystery and thriller.

The Windsor Knot, by S. J. Bennett, is a contemporary mystery novel that imagines Queen Elizabeth II as an amateur sleuth. In their 90s, the Queen and Prince Philip are portrayed as intelligent, insightful and trusted loving partners.
The action takes place in both Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace, and centers around the unfortunate death of a young Russian pianist visitor, who is found hanged in a guest room. Everyone, both guests and staff, are suspects, and the Queen’s keen observational skills and low-key investigation helps solve the crime. As this is also somewhat historical fiction, there are real-life characters and spy incidents woven through the story. There are also fascinating glimpses into the daily workings of the royal palaces, royal family and their staff.
I found this novel cleverly written, in a British style, with droll humor and well-drawn characters. This is a very enjoyable light mystery!
Thank you to HarperCollinsPublishers and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A mystery series where Queen Elizabeth II solves murders and whatnot! As they say in Britain, it's exactly what it says on the tin, and that is delicious. We open with a scandalous murder in Windsor Castle, and meet Rozie, the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary.. Queen Elizabeth is wary of how the investigation is officially proceeding, and so discreetly encourages Rozie to dig into the matter. This is a romp, with perhaps a more gentle version of the monarch than we may be accustomed to today, but with a strong network of women, getting things done. It's just delightful.

I greatly enjoyed this new series; the queen solves mysteries in a way that’s very Downton Abbey/The Crown meets Christie and I am here for it! The mystery was intriguing, with good twists and turns, and fun characters.

A Russian pianist seems to have strangled himself in one of Windsor Castle’s bedroom. A badly tied knot and the suspicion of International espionage suggests more than suicide to M15. The incident happened when Queen was in residence and preparations for her 90th birthday celebrations were being finalized. The Queen quietly and discreetly does some of her own inquiries and investigations. Then HRH suggests leads to the professionals to follow up on. This book seems to capture the nuance, charm, shrewdness, decisiveness, character judging of Queen Elizabeth. A delightful read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This book was an entertaining, quick read. I recommend it.

Set in 2016, Queen Elizabeth II holds a "dine and sleep" party at Windsor Castle. When she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that one of the evening's performers, a young Russian man, has been found dead. While it initially looks like a suicide, the police believe that it is murder. As the investigation drags on and the Queen's staff become restless, the Queen decides to take things into her own hands - secretly! With the support of her private secretary, Rozie, the Queen begins to investigate the murder on the sly, while cleverly feeding her discoveries to the investigating police - without them even realizing it!

This is a fun little cozy mystery! The author, S.J. Bennett, has clearly done her research on everything Queen Elizabeth-related, s othe story is interesting and informative at the same time! I love the premise of the Queen solving mysteries on the sly, and look forward to more books in this fledgling series. Rozie and Queen Elizabeth make a pretty awesome team. All I kept thinking, though, as I read the book was, "I wonder if the Queen is going to read this book?! I wonder what she thinks of it!"

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A light and entertaining mystery for British royalty lovers. The author manages to pull off the difficult feat of making the Queen, a woman who rarely has a private moment, solving a mystery a believable story. The characters are well described and the story is engagingly told although I got a little tired of being reminded that Rozie wears really high heals and tight skirts.

The Windsor Knot is one part mystery one part behind the scenes of the British monarchy. It’s 2016, and as the Queen prepares for her 90th birthday celebration a guest is found dead at Windsor Palace. Unhappy with how the authorities are handling the case and with a love for solving mysteries, the Queen with the help of her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie, try to solve the mystery.

What I liked: It’s an interesting take on Elizabeth being a Nancy Drew wannabe. There is a slight Agatha Christie vibe when it’s obvious that the Queen knows the motive/killer but hasn’t revealed it to the reader yet. The inside look at the daily life of a monarch appealed to my love of Netflix’s The Crown.

I should note that while the Queen is the mastermind behind putting everything together, Rozie is the one that does most of the actual legwork.

What didn’t work for me: For me, the book is bogged down with a lot of characters – Windsor castle staff, guest, police/MI5, friends of the deceased. It was hard to keep track of who was who and who was important. There was also a lot of side plots and details about the Queen/Rozie that dragged the reader away from the crime.

Who should read it: Fans of cozy mysteries.

What a fun start to a new series. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the sequel.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Such a unique concept for a cozy mystery and I loved it so much. Will be keeping an eye out for more mysteries featuring the Queen!

This was a fun mystery! I hope it will become a series, and continue to improve! I really wanted to like this book more than I did.

The premise is great - Queen Elizabeth solves mysteries in between her many official duties, with the help of her personal assistant, Rozie. She nudges the security detail, MI5 leadership and others to come to the same conclusion she did about the murder that takes place at Windsor, without actually announcing to them that she's solved the crime.

The writing is fine; the character development is okay. It reads like a first novel, meaning that the elements are there for this to be a great series of stories, and the writer shows promise, but there are little things that keep it from soaring.

Thanks to Netgalley for my advance reader's copy!

Fun mystery - especially if you are a Queen Elizabeth fan.
She has some guests stay over in the castle and one ends up dead, apparently from an accidental suicide. But when it turns out to be murder, the Queen starts investigating, using her employees to help. There is back story and some odd characters, but she shows the "officials" how it is done.
Great for fans of "the Crown" but you don't need to be to enjoy this mystery story.

You do not have to be an anglophile in order to thoroughly enjoy this book but having the Queen of England as the main character was delightful. The scenery descriptions took you into the castle and around the grounds and the little details were given without disrupting the flow of the scenes. I look forward to another escapade with the Queen Mum..

This is a clever novel in which Queen Elizabeth gets involved in solving murders they happened at Windsor Castle after the police are investigating in what she feels is the wrong direction. She sends her personal assistant, Rosie, out to collect information and then let’s the investigators be led in the right direction. Of course the Queen takes no credit for solving the crimes but seem to enjoy her role in assisting. This is likely first in a series.

Enjoyed reading this book after finishing The Crown on Netflix. I felt like I could hear the queen speaking in her native accent. Overall, the plot jumped around a bit… It was tough to keep track of the characters.

Queen Elizabeth, amateur detective? This is the premise of the first book in a new series and it succeeds admirably. When the Queen hosts an evening of Russian entertainment at Windsor Castle, the young talented pianist is found dead in his room the following morning in very compromising circumstances. The special services head of the investigation believes this is the work of a sleeper spy planted within the Queen's staff by Putin and begins interrogating and upsetting her staff, but for Elizabeth the clues point in another direction. Of course she cannot interview witnesses and research clues herself so these tasks fall to her able junior secretary Rozie. As the puzzle pieces fall into place the Queen is able to nudge the official investigation in the right direction until the crime is solved and the investigators believe it's due to their own skills and abilities.

The reader is treated to an insiders view of palace life from the perspective of the workers and the Queen. The author has done her research and creates a believable and likeable Queen Elizabeth. The plot may be a little convoluted but it hardly matters. This charming debut is a quick and entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book. Queen Elizabeth solves a mystery while carrying on her royal duties. A Russian man entertains at a function and is later found dead in a compromising position.. The queen has her assistant private secretary, Rozie, doing many of the interviews of suspects. The characters were well developed. Reading about the Royals was fascinating.