Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the digital ARC of #ADeathinDiamonds. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I have loved this series since book one. Current-era Queen Elizabeth works behind the scenes to solve crimes - yes, please and thank you! When the Queen passed away, I was afraid that was the end of the series. But God save the Queen, Bennett has just moved back in time to when the Queen first leaned into her crime solving tendencies. Hope restored that there will be more books to come!

This mystery was the most straight-forward of the 4 books and it still kept me guessing. I enjoyed the jump back to 1957. It was early in Elizabeth's rule and you can see the Queen's personality and spark come thru. This book was a perfect "prequel" in my opinion.

I have been a big fan of this series, and the new entry does not disappoint! SJ Bennett writes in such an engaging way. Many times I would tell myself "I'll just read a page or two," and the next thing you know, an hour has gone by. That, to me, is the sign of a very talented author. As always, the palace details are pitch perfect. I appreciated how this book goes back in time to an earlier time in the queen's reign. Smart idea and very well executed. Joan is another great "helper" character much like Roz (sp) in the other books. The mystery itself is very satisfying. In short, I continue to be charmed by this wonderful series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

I've been reading the series since book 1 and I was very much looking forward to that new installment because of the time change. The plot is set in the 50s, the beginning of her reign, and the author did a fair job rendering the retro atmosphere. However, I wasn't convinced by the actual investigation. Book 4 was less compelling than the previous ones. Uneven pace, some cluttered parts that could've been cut. Not my favourite book in the series. But I will definitely keep on reading the series. Looking forward to the next one.

PS: it would be wonderful if, for future ARCs, you could directly provide an Epub instead of a PDF for Kindle readers. It would make navigating the file much more user friendly! Many thanks in advance! :)

amateur-sleuth, 1950s, historical-figures, historical-mystery, historical-places-events, historical-setting, history-and-culture, series, British-royalty, murder, murder-investigation, international-crime-and-mystery, cozy-mystery, sabotage, banter, personal-assistant*****

Since the active Queen of England is far too public a figure to be seen sleuthing, she has her personal assistant to follow her directives and gather information. When a highly visible young woman wearing a very pricey diamond tiara is murdered and the bling disappears the problems begin to surface. Several alibis seem to have been modified from the truth and the foreign office pokes its nose into police business making the investigations even harder. It's a quick and entertaining read.
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley.
#HerMajestyTheQueenInvestigatesBK4 #NotAbledTTS Pub Date Jan 21, 2025

A young Queen Elizabeth, supported by Joan a member of the Palace staff, dig deep and run their investigation into a murder, alongside that of the Metropolitan Police. An intriguing blend of murder, espionage and treason. High ranking Palace staff sit at the front of the investigation and when Joan is offered accommodation closer to her workplace, MI5 are brought into the mix. The author even manages to include characters such as Duke Ellington, Daphne du Maurier, Harold Wilson and others. The story takes to Royal Palaces in the UK and State visits to Europe and America.

As with SJ Bennett’s earlier novels, the reader is given the opportunity to solve the mysteries as we travel through the clues, but I have yet to do so before the Queen has her final say. An enjoyable read and a confirmed fan of this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Bonnier Books for this advance copy. (Previously reviewed 26-Jan-2024)

This is the fourth book in a series, but it is the first one I've read, and I had no trouble at all getting into it and understanding the characters. I'm inspired to go back and read the first three. It was a great blend of historical fiction and cozy mystery -- Queen Elizabeth II is the sleuth, and the time period is shortly after World War II. The author does a great job of bringing the post-war world to life, along with all the characters. The mystery is just intriguing enough to inspire you to puzzle things out. Great book, I look forward to recommending it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
5 out of 5, Engaging, well written and the research really shows. I literally couldn't put it down!
I was delighted to find a new title in S.J. Bennett's wonderful series about Queen Elizabeth (II).
In this book we see the Queen in 1957 as a young mother still trying to adjust to the demands of a very public life. It's a really interesting time as recovery from WWII is flowing into prosperity, new technologies and new challenges for the Queen.
This is also the first time that she picks a 'special assistant'; Joan is a great character, and someone who can investigate discreetly on the ground in London.
Between them, they try to determine who's attempting to mess up the Queen's public appearances and diplomatic visits.
There's a great balance between seeing the lives of these two very different women who are both trying to make their way in a very male-dominated society.
This book could easily be read 'out of order' from the rest of the series - although I'm hoping that the author will continue with at least one more book in this time period. It's easy to see that lots of research went into making this book super realistic.
Recommend to fans of 'modern' historical fiction, and light espionage.

This is such an interesting series! The concept that the Queen of England gets involved in solving mysteries in partnership with select staff is pretty fantastic. Here, we jump back in time to 1957, with a young Queen and a different staff, but the result is another fascinating murder investigation. The police are baffled by this double murder—and to be honest, I was too. There are a lot of characters, and many suspects. It did take me a while to really get into the story and be able to keep everyone straight. The Queen is, as always, perceptive and thoughtful, and the author’s ability to present her view from inside the palace is what sets this series apart. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

We adored these charming books. They are a lovely respectful but highly amusing tribute to our Late Queen. We look forward to the next book coming next February. Love them !

Having some knowledge and history of the Royal family I really enjoyed this book because I felt a certain intimacy with the Queen. The author does a terrific job giving the Queen humanity. Like the rest of us she has a job to do, a marriage and family to nourish. As the female head of state in 1957 she was surrounded by men who thought they knew better. She had to manage her courtiers, some with her best interests at heart and some who didn’t. She always needed to be on her toes and fortunately she was dedicated to serving her country. This story finds her in a situation of sabotage and in the middle of a murder investigation. Fortunately, she recognizes a kindred spirit in Joan (previously SOP), who she trusts to help her deal with and solve multiple state and personal problems. I also enjoyed the banter between her and Prince Phillip. Through dedicated to her he was always struggling to find some independence.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the concept of this - the Queen investigates a crime! The time period is portrayed realistically, and the events outside of the crime are all based on actual history. The author clearly put a lot of time and effort into her research. My favorite aspect of the story, though, was the Queen's new employee, an assistant private secretary, Joan, who quickly becomes a valued confidant. Her story and history, based on actual women of the time, were the most interesting part of the book, in my opinion.

That said, unfortunately, I didn't find the mystery itself that interesting. I realize Queen Elizabeth can't be physically running around the city solving crimes, but I'd expected her to be more involved in the sleuthing than she actually is. This is the fourth book in the series, but the series was new to me. That wasn't a problem at all - a reader can easily pick up the series here - but I'd be curious to see the Queen's role in the other mysteries. Without Joan acting as her "woman on the ground" so to speak, the Queen doesn't do a whole lot here. Not sure how it's handled in the other books. In a series about the Queen, I expected the Queen's chapters to be the ones I most looked forward to, but instead I was more drawn in by Joan's and the police inspector's sections.

Overall, this was a light cozy mystery, with the added hook of the Queen's involvement, but it didn't engage me enough for me to seek out the other books in the series. However, if you're a huge fan of Britain and/or the royal family, I'd say you should raise this review by one star for yourself.

#ADeathInDiamonds
By: S. J. Bennett

An engrossing read. A series of sabotages against the queen occur. A speech is mysteriously lost before she addresses a Paris audience. Her cosmetics are tampered with. Traitors exist among the queen's closest advisors. A young woman, an escort to peers and the elite is murdered while wearing a priceless diamond tiara purchased by a Lord. Suspicions lead to Buckingham Palace when the queen learns her husband, Prince Phillip lied to her about his whereabouts the night the murder occurred. The queen, a mother with young children jockeying her many roles engages a plucky young typist she trusts to help her find the murderer. A well-crafted mystery with many turns and twists.

I received A Death In Diamonds from #NetGalley# in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and publisher.

Another delightful addition to the sleuthing Her Majesty series. Enjoy the author's notes about the goings on during the time period for the book.

This book, the fourth in the series, acts as a prequel to the other books in the series. The action takes place in 1957 England, when Queen Elizabeth begins to discreetly investigate a murder that may be connected to the Palace and the Royal Family. A fun but slightly meandering read that comes together (more or less completely) in the end. The behind-the-scenes glimpses of the queen's life, schedule, and role are well done. Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC.

I'm so happy there's a new book in this series.

I really liked this novel, which has the Queen at the centre of another mystery. Her relationship with her young assistant was formal, but also fun and personal.

I found the look into how the monarchy is run and the office politics very interesting. The whole thing was a very enjoyable and light read.

I love this series which has Queen Elizabeth II as the instigator of investigations into mysterious murders, using her proxies as the actual sleuths. While the fourth in the series, its easily read as a standalone. This time, it’s 1957, with the young queen and her consort navigating the post-WWII era and all of the ‘men in moustaches’ who try and guide their every move.
The Queen is surprised when a prominent clergyman’s London rental contains two dead bodies that were obviously not a murder-suicide. She’s dismayed to also realize that someone on her staff is trying to actively sabotage her efforts in soft diplomacy with their allies on foreign visits. Not sure how to proceed, the Queen’s pleased to discover, on her personal staff, a perceptive young woman who appears to have WWII experience that offers unexpected skills the Queen can utilize. Now, to set the conditions where the young woman can do the sleuthing and still keep things from blowing up into an international incident!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of S. J. Bennett's 'A Death in Diamonds.'

I always enjoy stepping into the world of Her Majesty The Queen in S. J. Bennett's series. The story is light, well researched, and engaging. In this instalment, set in 1957 instead of 2016 like the previous novels, two bodies are discovered in a small tenement where assignations are known to take place. The murder grabs headlines as the young lady is found laid out on the bed like Snow White wearing lingerie and an incredibly expensive tiara, and the man on the floor beside her has a knife plunged in his eye. Running alongside the murder storyline, the Queen is involved in an investigation of her own as she fears someone within her household is trying to derail her foreign engagements using nefarious means. With the help of her new assistant personal secretary Joan, the Queen sets out to unearth the snake in her house while also following along with the police investigation as she discovers someone close to her could be implicated in the murder.

I really enjoyed this fictional novel with Queen Elizabeth 2 at the center of a mystery. Her relationship with her young sleuthing assistant was firmal, yet fun and personal.

The glimpses into the administrative side of “ managing the monarchy” were interesting, as was the office politics. The mystery itself was secondary to the setting for me, but the book proved a very pleasant light read.

I’m delighted there’s another installment of the Her Majesty The Queen Investigates series! This one is set in the 1950s, so the cast of characters is slightly different (no Rozie :( ), But as with the other books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The definition of a cozy mystery!

A Death in Diamonds is the fourth book in this series, although it can be perfectly enjoyed as a standalone. This book takes us back to 1958 when Queen Elizabeth was a young woman as she tries to solve a murder mystery. The scene of the crime is a club Prince Philip frequents which isn't great news for the world's favourite monarch. Moreover, Elizabeth is suspicious of her staff and suspects someone is trying to sabottage...

What a fun read this was!!