The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett, the debut book of the coming series, Her Majesty the Queen Investigates.
Audiobook version is narrated by Jane Copeland.

****Coming March 9th 2021****


Windsor Castle is being readied for the Queen's 90th birthday celebration, but Prince Charles asks to host a party,(to include overnight guests), so that he can solicit funds from some Russians for a project dear to his heart. Disaster blooms overnight---the guest pianist is found dead in his room. The mystery begins!
Queen Elizabeth II enjoys unraveling a mystery and she dives right in. I love this premise. The Queen makes the list of inquiries and enlists the help of her new Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, to do the leg work. Rosie uses her considerable skills to help unearth the truth.

The plausible plot moves at a good pace with humor, twists, action, and bits of wisdom from the Queen. I thought it was well written and entertaining. The narrator, Jane Copeland, was a perfect fit for this story. Her accent and pacing married well with the story.

Thank you #NetGalley#WindsorKnot#HarperAudio for the Advanced Reader Copy to listen to. I am giving my honest, voluntary review---I always review books I enjoy so that my friends and others can enjoy them, too.

The Windsor Knot tells a delightful tale of a royal mystery.
The queen is not just a trophy of the monarchy and this story continues to prove it. A woman wise beyond anything we can comprehend, yet still dismissed either as a woman or an old geezer or worse, just a royal who knows nothing about the real world.
Join Queen Elizabeth II, as she navigates an unsolved murder from the sidelines and continues to put pieces together faster than the members of MI6 on the case. Never underestimate a woman!

This story was an easy, light, wonderful read with fun ties to real life and a realistic thoughts in the areas of fiction. A book you can pass along to any neighbor or friend and a fun trope through the royal life!

My thanks to William Morrow, and Harper Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions found in this review are my own and impartial.

This narration really didn't work for me, and I didn't make it all the way through. The narrative felt very stodgy and uninteresting, and I couldn't get involved in the story at all. I wish the narrator could have brought the story to life more in a more active way.

The Queen seems to be a bit bored so that when one of the guest at Windsor Castle is found murdered, the Queen takes it upon herself to conduct her own investigation. (She doesn't seem to feel that Scotland Yard is moving fast enough.) Using the services of her junior private secretary, the Queen directs the gathering of information, contacting experts in different fields as well as conducting interviews.

This was so much fun! The queen takes on a delightfully conspiratorial personality and shows an intelligence that isn't normally allowed.

The narrator, Jane Copland, was very good at voice differentiations so that the listener was able easily to tell what character was talking.

I'd love to hear another!

Delightful, fun, witty, and undeniably British. The Windsor Knot is perfect for those that love the Crown, murder mysteries, and strong female leads. Think Murder on the Orient Express but set in Windsor Castle.

One thing that I learned from watching the Crown (and the subsequent rabbit holes of fact checking and historical context), is that the Crown has a policy of non-interference. So when there is a murder and the police and MI5 are going down a path that Her Majesty believes to be incorrect, she sets about her own investigation. With the help of her staff, the Boss not only uncovers what is going on, but why. Then, in the most subtle way, she does not interfere, but yet plants seeds that change the course of the investigation.

I loved how plausible and real this felt - well researched, strong understanding of protocols, and minute details that perfectly set the stage.

I read this book via audiobook, and the narration adds a subtle layer of innuendo - a read 'hmmm' and head 'hmmm,' can be two very different 'hmmms'.

Another reason to get excited for 2021! This murder mystery/British royalty combo will not disappoint!

Queen Elizabeth is just shy of her ninetieth birthday when a Russian pianist is found murdered at Windsor Castle. At first, it is believed to have been an accident but upon further investigation - by Queen Elizabeth, herself - the scene appears to suggest foul play. Unbeknownst to everyone other than her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, Queen Elizabeth makes it her mission to uncover the truth and find the murderer.  

This book was not what I was expecting. It was so much fun and felt like an adult version of Nancy Drew. 

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

So I must admit when I saw this as an advance copy audiobook I only briefly browsed the description before requesting. I saw the plot had something to do with a lady detective and there was a murder in the Queen's castle. So I was a little thrown when I started reading it and the basic plot is the queen solves murders, I had assumed so other detective would come in to solve it and serve up some girl power in the process. Although I immediately wanted to discredit the plausibility of this plot, I remembered I had read The President is missing in the past year so immediately started comparing the two. Having read both of them, this book does a way better job of setting up a leader who solves crimes without their country knowing about it. I liked the way they set up a network of characters to help along the way, with their own strengths to bring to the table. And there was still plenty of girl power to go around! Overall this was a fun premise with lots of mystery and intrigue!
The audiobook was great, the narrator did a really good job of accents and changing tone so you could tell its a different character, without that voice sounding like it was mocking somebody.
I received a free advance audiobook from netgalley for my honest opinion.

Royal murder mystery filled with character and humor.

I don't usually reach for "royal" fiction, but The Windsor Knot hit it out of the park for me. The mystery in it simply so good and realistic, but at the same absolutely outlandish. The plot is concerned with a murder-slash-sex game gone wrong resulting in the death of a Russian pianist Maksim Brodsky; the man is found with a rope around his neck the morning after Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday party at Windsor Castle.

The craziest part: not only is the police investigating this death, but also the Queen herself, who turns out to be quite skilled in murder investigations. YES, you read that right - Queen Elizabeth II is a sleuth. And she's quite funny, too.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and absolutely loved. The narration is really well done and made me even more invested in the story - which on its own is already a breath of fresh air. I was glued to my headphones during my long walks, which I purposely made longer. I loved it!

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This isn’t the type of book I would usually pick up. But once I heard the concept of the Queen of England solving murders I was in! Set a few years earlier it was such fun not only seeing a usually day as the queen but how she might actually have the time and means to solve crime.

The book was such fun. It was immersive and interesting. Not only did the author give you a realistic taste of who the queen was but also the act of solving crime. I mean she’s not sneaking out of Buckingham Palace late at night looking for clues. Though that would have been fun.

We also meet Rosie who helps the Queen in her quest to find justice. Rosie is the perfect companion and it was great getting to see her perspective of it all. I mean even she was shocked about what the queen was doing.

The author mentioned other Royals without name dropping or going overboard. All in all a great read. I gave it 4 stars and highly recommend. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job.

“There was a murderer on the loose at Windsor Castle. Or, at least, there had been last night.”

“We are never safe, no matter how many furs and diamonds we wrap ourselves in.”

A Russian pianist is found dead in his guest room at Windsor Castle, the morning after a fabulous soirée hosted by Queen Elizabeth. Initially presumed to be the victim of a suicide (or perhaps a sex game gone wrong), British intelligence forces conclude that the dead man was the target of a political assassination, ordered by Vladimir Putin. Her Royal Majesty, however, is unconvinced.

This well-researched tale offers an incredibly believable peek inside the affairs of the royal family, their staff, and the people/agencies surrounding them. S.J. Bennett has done her homework! I’ll admit that it almost felt too intimate, knowing that many of the characters portrayed (namely Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip) are real people, who are still alive today, and may or may not agree with their portrayals. The Windsor Knot doesn’t just toe the line between a standard novel and fanfiction; it soars across it with a flying leap.

But the premise, plot, and storytelling remain captivating, and I found myself eagerly searching for clues along with the Queen and her private secretary Rozie, wondering if I’d correctly guessed the mystery of the pianist’s death. I was surprised to find that Rozie did more of the actual sleuthing, which I suppose makes sense, given the constraints of the queen’s royal position, but it was an entertaining read nevertheless.

If your reading taste gravitates toward mysteries, thrillers, or anything “royal,” pre-order a copy of The Windsor Knot - it’s a great addition to any royally-minded bookshelf!

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A huge thank-you to S.J. Bennett, William Morrow, Harper Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Thanks to NetGalley and Wm Morrow for providing an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think this book is possibly not "for me," despite its being oh-so-British, for one, and for two, its being a mystery in the ultimate manor home. I'm not sure if it's the dry intonations of the narrator (she's very good; however, there's just a lack of emotion that is very Queenly, but doesn't do much to make me feel like the Queen is a real person with human feelings), or just my general irritation with BRF in general, but this one left me rather cold. Perhaps I've been watching The Crown too much and it's affecting my appreciation for upper crust Britannia. The notion that the Queen could feel particularly disturbed over a murder in her palace (beyond distress over the PR debacle aspect of it), let alone *solve* the mystery, beggars belief.

I'm sure there is an audience for this mystery novel; I am equally sure that I am not it.

I'm hooked. I will buy however many books come next in this series (I hope it's a lot more).

I randomly ran across this book and was immediately drawn in by its premise. I mean, the Queen of England, at 89, solving mysteries? What's not to love? It sounds a little wacky, but once you get into the book and fully on board with the premise, it's just so utterly darn charming. If you're wondering how she solves he crime while being, you know, queen, I'll go ahead and say she's the brainpower but not the manpower. And I'm a little bit obsessed with Rosie, her ex-military, ex-banker, WOC bad@$$ assistant. I also thought the crime was extremely clever, fun to piece together, and not at all predictable. The writer deserves major props for such an original story, and I'm sure significant plot mapping efforts!

It took me a bit to get used to the storytelling style--it's omniscient, which wasn't what I was expecting. I thought we'd either get first or third POV with insight into the Queen's thoughts, but instead it's third person POV but we're hopping in and out of everyone's heads. I struggled with this in the beginning, but really got used to it and ended up loving it after a short bit.

I listened to this one on audio, and the narrator was wonderful. An absolutely delightful British accent that didn't put me to sleep (and a wonderful impersonation of Prince Philip lol). I'm more of a visual person, so it was a struggle for me to remember all the character's names without seeing them written down, but I'm still extremely glad I did the audio and would highly recommend it.

This was one of my favorite mystery reads this year!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperAudio, and William Marrow for my free advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

5 stars - 10/10

A guest of HRH Queen Elizabeth II is found dead in a compromising position. That simply will not do, so the queen puts on her sleuthing shoes and, with the help of her loyal staff, gets to the bottom of things. This charming cozy will delight Anglophiles and fans of the golden age of mysteries alike.

This audio I thought that Id love it because Im soooo into The Crown on Netflix. But, I just got too confused too early in for this to be for me. I am not truthfully a mystery reader however, my attention span was waning and theres's just too many details for me to keep up with on audio.
Perhaps I would enjoy this more as a book that i could take in and review for details. As an audiobook, it was a dnf for me. It wasnt badly done, I really enjoyed the narrator and the queen's perspective but things got too complicated too early for me.
Thank you so much for allowing me to preview this. I would be interested in trying this again in book format.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced listen (I also had an ARC of the book). Very interesting concept to this story. I really enjoyed how the author implemented real people into this fictional mystery. The narrator was amazing... She brought the story to life. Will definitely be recommending this to others.

When I read the description of The Windsor Knot I was like yes please, and I was not disappointed! The audiobook narrator, Jane Copland was really good. She kept the flow and storyline engaging. I enjoying the “story” of the Queen and Royal Family. I also liked the mystery aspect of the book.
I loved the fact that the Queen is solving crimes. I also loved Rosie!!! I can’t wait for more from SJ Bennett!

I wish to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for this clever and charming book by SJ Bennett. If one gets past the premise of Queen Elizabeth using her sharp intelligence and keen observation skills to solve crimes, they will find this to be a creative and cozy mystery with a complex solution. Apparently, Queen Elizabeth has secretly attempted to solve crimes since she was a girl and stealthfully steers the police in the right direction. This was an 8-hour audiobook with superb narration by Jane Copeland.

The Queen is approaching her 90th birthday. She hosts a 'Dine and Sleep' party at Windsor Palace as a favour to Prince Charles. He hopes to obtain funds from some Russians for one of his pet projects. Included in the party are some leading British celebrities and thinkers, Russian financiers, and Russian musicians and dancers. The young, talented Russian piano player in his 20s is handsome and flirtatious. He dances with and charms the ladies, even the Queen.

He is found dead in his room, a rope around his neck. It seems he either committed suicide or was a participant in a sordid sex game during the night. It is soon determined that he was murdered. When the Metropolitan Police and M15 report to the Queen, they regard her as a naive, sheltered and doddering old woman and are hesitant to shock her with the details. They have decided that the pianist's death resulted from a Putin directed assassination with the help of a member of the Palace staff.

The Queen thinks otherwise and has her trusted secretary, Rozie Oshodi, conduct an undercover investigation at her direction and secretly steer the police in the correct direction. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is carrying out her public duties, engaging with her family, directing the palace's activities, and greeting President Obama while still finding time for her horses and corgis. Her conversations with Philip and her inner thoughts add humour to the story.

Queen Elizabeth and Rozie make a likeable and formidable pair. I hope to read future books featuring this investigative team.

The Windsor Knot by S. J. Bennett was the first, of I hope many, in a series of extremely creative and clever books in which Queen Elizabeth II delighted in solving crimes that had occurred under her watch. The concept for this series of books was so original and imaginative. I listened to the audiobook and was delighted by Jane Copeland’s performance as she narrated this book. It was just the type of book I needed to read right now. It was light, funny and yet well researched. I was craving a good mystery, but when I discovered Queen Elizabeth II was the one trying to solve the mystery, it became even grander!

The Queen was at Windsor Castle, her all time favorite place of all her residences. It was 2016 and Queen Elizabeth II was getting ready to celebrate her 90th birthday. She was looking forward to all the festivities. That evening she was hosting a dine and sleep to kick off the celebrations. It was arranged as a favor to Charles “ to curry favor with some rich Russians for one of his pet projects that needed a cash injection.” Charles had requested that Yuri Peyrovski and his wife and a hedge fund manager, Jay Hax, that specialized in Russian markets be invited. The Queen also invited Sir David Attenborough, her racing manager, a novelist and her husband that was a screenwriter, the British ambassador to Moscow, an Oscar-winning actress of Russian descent, a female British architect who was building a museum in Russia, a professor of Russian literature and the Archbishop of Canterbury. In addition to her guests, the Queen secured some ballet dancers and a Russian piano player to entertain her guests. After a splendid dinner, the guests and Queen Elizabeth retired to the Crimson Drawing Room where the young pianist magnificently entertained her and her guests. The pianist’s name was Maksim Brodsky. He was quite attractive and in his early twenties. After the ballerinas performed, Brodsky began to play dance tunes from the thirties and before the Queen knew it the furniture was being moved aside and her guests were dancing. The Queen even danced with Brodsky and then excused herself and found her way to her own quarters to retire for the evening. It was quite a successful evening.

The next morning, the Queen woke to the unpleasant news that the young Russian pianist was found dead in his bedroom. It was thought that the pianist had strangled himself but upon further investigation by MI5 and the Metropolitan Police it was surmised that he had been murdered. The members of the investigating team suspected that President Vladimir Putin might have ordered this murder to be carried out. The Queen had been used to solving crimes. In the Queen’s youth, she dabbled in trying to solve crimes. Over the years, she got very good at it. It was hard for the Queen to stay out of this crime especially when she suspected that those in charge were not headed in the right direction. She discreetly began her own investigation with the help of her very own capable and clever private secretary, Rozie.

This ingenious first book, that was the catalyst for a new crime series, captured Queen Elizabeth’s essence in all aspects. I loved how S. J. Bennett made this book so real, yet delightful and even funny. If I did not know better, I would have thought that Queen Elizabeth II was really talking and performing her royal duties throughout this book. The essence of the Queen was portrayed in every aspect. I loved The Windsor Knot and wait anxiously for the next book in this series. I highly recommend this book. The Windsor Knot is set to be published in March 2021.

Thank you to William Morrow and Harper Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I almost felt like I needed a list to keep all the characters straight. Otherwise, very well written book.

After watching the latest season of The Crown, this was a delight! Good to picture the Queen solving a few crimes. In my mind I was picturing a actual Queen/Olivia Coleman mashup.