"Windsor Knot" is a delightful and witty mystery novel that adds a touch of royal intrigue to the genre. With its clever premise of the Queen of England solving crimes on the side, this book combines the elegance of the monarchy with the excitement of a whodunit. The author masterfully balances humor and suspense, creating a charming and engaging read that will keep you guessing until the very end. It's a royal treat for mystery lovers and fans of cozy crime novels alike, offering a refreshing twist on both genres that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment in this regal series.

While I didn’t enjoy the narration of the audiobook, this story was very interesting. The murder mystery was very entertaining and unique and I didn’t guess any of the twists.

The Netflix drama series “The Crown” seems to have inspired this other imagined storytelling exercise based on made-up events with the late Queen Elizabeth II as protagonist. The premise was thin and unoriginal, and the execution is, sadly, inadequate. The intended audience seems to be non-discerning viewers of “The Crown” who want light-hearted factionalized adventures involving the monarch. I don’t know how they will regard “The Windsor Knot,” with its shallow depictions of the now-deceased royals. Personally, I soured on this work almost immediately.

Can you imagine Queen Elizabeth II going around solving crimes? I can’t either. Yet, I was willing to suspend belief to enjoy a fun mystery with the Queen as the protagonist. However, the mystery was pretty predictable. There were very twists. The novel also did not seem to get the queen’s mannerisms. Overall, it was a great idea but not executed well. I recommend this for fans of the Annie Oakley mysteries, the Brontës mysteries, and the Jane Austen mysteries. I did think the narrator was fabulous. She captured the queen’s voice perfectly. The story is well-performed.

This was just plain old fun! Loved that this story is about her majesty herself and playing a role much like Sherlock Holmes. A charming whodunnit

The game's afoot and the Queen is on the case - the queen of course is Elizabeth II. With support from her cheeky and able Anglo-Nigerian Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodil , Queen Elizabeth exercises her sleuthing skills to solve the case of a Russian Pianist who dies in compromising circumstances in Windsor Castle. Author S.J. Bennett who is an avowed "royal watcher" has incorporated a wealth of detail about the schedule of the royals as Elizabeth gently guides her assistant in interviewing people who may have information that will shed light on the murder. While this is definitely a "cozy" because the murder(s) take place off page, there is a thrilling scene when Rozie is menaced on the London Tube by a thug. Rozie's deferential relationship to the Queen whom she calls "The Boss" reveals the level of loyalty that she and others on staff have for Elizabeth. For her part Elizabeth manages to deal with push back from the head of MI5 who insists the murder is due to interference from Vladimir Putin. She gently feeds information to the government investigators that will enable the office to eventually "solve the case". The audio version of this story is a delight with a nuanced performance by the narrator that makes you believe you are right there in the castle (Windsor and Buckingham) watching it all unfold.

Simply Fun, Though Not Perfect

Audiobook Review:
This is the first of a mystery series starring Queen Elizabeth II as the primary, though unacknowledged, sleuth! It might sound like a bizarre concept, but this author and the narrator of the audiobook made it workable and believable. The book takes place in 2016 just before the Queen's 90th birthday, so the Sussexes aren't even a part of the story. They depicted the Queen as super-sharp and with an excellent eye for detail, not only doing her queenly duties but also helping figure out a murder that happened at Windsor Castle at one of her “dine and sleep” events. Apparently, she cracked her first mystery at the tender age of 12 and has been doing so, out of the limelight, ever since. Though he doesn't show up often, Prince Philip and his and the Queen's relationship are fun to listen to. It shows him as a supportive husband who also happens to come up with brilliant lines just when his wife needs them. She also occasionally gets frustrated with him, as I imagine would happen in a committed relationship of such long standing. I listened to the audiobook version of this, and I thought the narrator was fantastic. She had a super posh British accent, and her vocal styling of the queen conveyed both her brisk efficiency and regalness. The only minus? I didn't feel like the author provided enough clues along the way for the reader to even attempt to figure it out. Also, the end had too many surprises for a mystery, and I felt it wrapped up too quickly. However, this was so enjoyable, I would certainly check out the next book in the series.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. All I can say is that it was much more enjoyable than I thought it would be. The plot is tightly woven and the execution is well written and the characters fun and likable. Told through the eyes of one of the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, Roxie Oshodi, we see a new side to Queen Elizabeth and life in the Palace. Who knew that the Queen was a great sleuth? (Well other than fans of Dr. Who…) what the new girl discovers is that the Queen has been doing this for much of her life and, like any great sleuth, sees more than most people and connects the dots faster than most of the professionals around her. It is interesting to think about the Queen having a personal life, and in this story she is kind, shrewd, witty and very much a real person with a love of horses and a taste for gin and dubonnet. A well written and fun read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Netgalley, William Marrow Publishing and Harper Audio for the ARC of this book! This is the first book on a new mystery series where Queen Elizabeth secretly solves crimes.
It’s 2016, Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle getting ready to celebrate her 90th birthday. After hosting a dinner party a Russian pianist is found hung in the wardrobe closet in his room. At first it was assumed to be a suicide but has MI5 suspects murder. They are sure it was Putin is behind the murder but Queen Elizabeth disagrees. With the help of her private secretary Rosie she learns as much as she can about the facts while preparations for her party are going on around her. As she works the case she Passes tips along to MI5 so they can come to the same conclusion she has.
I listened to the the audio of this book as was surprised how much Jane Copeland the narrator sounded like the real Queen when speaking for her. The second book of this series come out in November, it has been added to my TBR list!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for giving me the opportunity to review this book. This book gave me historical fiction and mystery which are my favorite genres. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series! I honestly hope this gets made in to a tv series.

Never did I ever think I would read a book mixing mystery with the Royals, and boy, I am so glad that I did! What a fun and exciting little mystery novel. I couldn't stop listening! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for a copy of this book for an honest review.

What if Queen Elizabeth II secretly solved mysteries while attending to her regular duties? That’s the question that The Windsor Knot decides to tackle in this new series from S.J. Bennett and you know what? It works.

The Queen is at Windsor Castle right before her 90th birthday when a guest is found murdered in his bedroom. The case seems to be blundered at every turn and unhappy with how the police are handling it, the Queen decides to investigate. Turning to her Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, the Queen uses her help to question everything and everyone.

S.J. Bennett has managed to create a complicated (and intriguing) murder case that has everything one needs for a compelling murder case: sex, maybe drugs, and a potential Russian spy. Bennett has also managed to create the perfect circus of characters from the night of the murder to turn the murder case upside down and confuse everyone. In addition to the suspects, I also fell in love with the characters surrounding the queen. From Bennett’s portrayal of Prince Phillip to everyone on staff trying to “protect” Queen Elizabeth, I absolutely loved the world S.J. Bennett created in The Windsor Knot. Plus, since I listened to this on audio, the voices that were given to the characters made them that much better. I can’t wait for the next one!

The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett is a charming cozy mystery with Queen Elizabeth as the sleuth. Apparently, she has been solving mysteries since she was a young woman. However, it's a secret, what with her being the Queen of England and all. The pacing is good and the supporting cast is well-developed. Characters are naturally diverse and various points of view are well-written. The narrator was engaging and the listener is left anxiously anticipating the next book in the series.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Cute cozy mystery, different for sure lmao something i will be recommending to my mom

Contemporary royalty and cozy mystery. Excellent combination! There is a mysterious death at Windsor Castle after the queen’s dine and sleep party. She disagrees with how MI5 is handling the case, but has nothing to back her suspicions. She enlists the assistance of her Assistant Private Secretary to find information and help solve the murder. Queen Elizabeth II is intelligent, graceful, caring, and quick-witted. Her character is so well drawn. Rozie is strong and intelligent. She’s a well-developed character balancing real life issues, working with royalty and nobility, and now the additional responsibilities of basically a private investigator.

I enjoyed this book so much! The narrator, Jane Copland, just brought it to life. I hope this is the first of many.

The Windsor Knot reads like a cozy classic whodunnit with the added intriguing characterization of the Queen and her personal relationships.

After a guest at Windsor castle dies in suspicious circumstances with the Queen under the same roof, MI5 takes an interest in the case. With her assistant, Rozie, doing the legwork, the Queen does some sleuthing of her own, subtly pointing investigators of a more official capacity in the right direction.

While there were undoubtedly many aspects of this story that I enjoyed, the ending was particularly poignant and Rozie was a fascinating character; I did find the solution to the puzzle slightly underwhelming.

I also must admit, some of my reticence when it comes to the enjoyment of this book is due to recent circumstances in the news with the vilifying of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and the very recent death of Prince Philip. I suppose this is the risk you take in writing fiction featuring real, living people as protagonists.

Still, overall I enjoyed this story. I listened to the audiobook, and the narration was very well done. It was a quick listen that made me chuckle and tear up and was a lovely choice for a rainy afternoon!

When a guest is found dead at the castle while Queen Elizabeth is preparing for her 90th birthday celebrations, she decides to take matters into her own hands and solve the case. The Queen enlists the help of her asst. private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, to be her boots-on-the-ground outside the palace and together they work to find the murderer in secret while continuing on with the Queen's daily activities as monarch.

This book was delightful, cozy and I hope Bennett writes many more in this series. The storyline was intriguing while staying light and funny (no gory murder scene here) and Jane Copland's audiobook narration was excellent. I would definitely recommend this to friends who love whodunnits that pair well with a cup of tea and a rainy afternoon.

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review
I didn't care for this narrator which always affects my opinion of the book in general, but then I actually tried just reading the book and I didn't care for that either. It felt a little too... kitchy.

The Windsor Knot by @sophiabennett_writer is 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.

It is the early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations. But the preparations are interrupted when a guest is found dead in one of the Castle bedrooms. That’s all I’ll giveaway but I love how the author places the mystery just a few years ago and makes references to actual events and places. And with assistance from young Rosie, one of the Queen’s ladies-in-waiting, the Queen’s sleuthing seems almost plausible! I can almost imagine it and this makes The Windsor Knot the perfect first in a fun mystery series! I loved it!

Thank you to @williammorrowbooks and @tlcbooktours for the gifted book. I also listened to this at the same time with an ALC from @harperaudio and @netgalley - Jan Copland was an amazing British narrator.

The Windsor Knot: A Novel by S.J. Bennett
Narrated by Jane Copland
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Publication Date: March 9, 2021

The Windsor Knot is the first book in "Her Majesty the Queen Investigates" series by S.J. Bennett. The second book, A Three Dog Problem is expected to be released in November 2021.

I absolutely loved this book! What a fun premise! I loved seeing a different side of the Queen of England!

This book was a lot of fun. The characters were great. The Queen is clever and crafty. The storyline was wonderful with a brilliant mystery to solve. (Thanks to the help of the Queen, the mystery actually does get solved!)

The narration by Jane Copland was incredible! Listening to her truly brought me into the story!

This is a book I would enjoy reading again. I look forward to reading the next book! I highly recommend this if you enjoy cozy mysteries!

I'm so grateful to S.J. Bennett, Jane Copland, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.