Thank you so much to NetGalley and S. J. Bennett for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Death in Diamonds coming out January 21, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve really enjoyed this series. I love cozy historical mysteries. Unfortunately this one didn’t really work for me. I’m not sure what happened. It felt like a series I was unfamiliar with. I wasn’t really into the plot. I’ll definitely check out other books by this author.

A Death in Diamonds was an excellent cozy mystery, with a very unique and intriguing premise, the Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth is the amateur sleuther. As much as you can expect a Queen to be of course. I enjoy this idea of taking a historical figure and including them in a cozy mystery as a sleuther. I recently have read one where Jane Austen was the amateur sleuther. A Death in Diamonds, includes the Queen in this story very respectfully I felt. I absolutely think she would have had the curiosity and intelligence to have solved a mystery.

There has been a murder in Chelsea. The Queen seems to be drawn into this due to possible connection to someone very close to her. But, along with the investigation into the deaths, the Queen also finds herself as a target to some sort of plot against her. She enlists a typist in the palace, Joan McGraw who was a former code breaker during the war, to assist her in getting to the bottom of the plot against her, and then eventually to helping to solve the mystery of the deaths, considering the police don't seem to be making much progress.

This story went back and forth between multiple perspectives, the Queens, Joan McGraw's, and the investigator, detective inspector Darbishire. I think getting the insights into the investigation from Darbishire and McGraw's perspective was such an interesting aspect of the book. Often in cozies, you get only the perspective of the sleuther, and not the behind the scenes of the investigator. What made it really interesting, was the impact of the male versus female viewpoint on the investigation. Darbishire had trouble with the investigation because he was focused solely on the male victim, not considering that the female victim could play an important part in solving the crime. Joan brought this perspective and was able to make much more progress than Darbishire. But, of course, the Queen couldn't have been seen to be interfering, so Darbishire had to be given some anonymous assistance.

I appreciated how the authour wrote the Queen in such a real way. What it must have been like for her to be a young Queen, new wife, and mother. I enjoyed the history in this story as well. The mystery was interesting. I would have never guessed the outcome. And the plot against the Queen added an extra element of suspense to the story.

This is the fourth book in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series, which I didn't realize when I picked it up. It can absolutely be read as a stand alone book. I had no difficulties following along with this story, I didn't feel at all liked I was missing something. I absolutely recommend this one for cozy mystery fans, especially those who like stories with historical figures and royalty.

This series is one of my favourites of the last five years. A mystery series where Queen Elizabeth II solves crimes? Sign. Me. Up. I loved the first three books in the series, each had their own charm. However, this fourth book may just be my favourite. (You can read this one as a standalone with no issue but I highly recommend reading the whole series.) While the others are set in the 2010s, A Death in Diamonds is set in the 1950s. We have a young Elizabeth and Philip in Paris and London at a time when British society is changing rapidly, and it is fascinating to see the changes through their eyes.

I also love that this murder mystery poked around more in the aristocracy and the clergy. A lot of historical fiction set in the twentieth century focuses on the Windsor family but both of these groups had substantial standing in this period.

This is not a cosy mystery series in my opinion, and I love that. It means that there is a bit more meat to the mystery and slightly more character development! (That’s not a shot at cosies, either- I just don’t find myself reaching for them very often anymore.) Bennett fleshes out her story beyond the Royal Family and builds her world in Chelsea so well.

This is one of my favourite books of 2024! And will be out soon in North America! (Publishers: there is absolutely no reason for books to be published 6-12 months later in other regions.)

A great addition to the series and it sparkles with charm and intrigue. I loved that this story took place in 1957 with a young Queen Elizabeth
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I adore this cozy mystery series - and journeying to the UK with young Queen Elizabeth! Obviously ever so well researched and beautifully crafted, each of the novels in this series has left me looking forward to the next investigation by the Queen. And I do believe that A Death in Diamonds, the 4th book of the series, is SJ Bennett’s best yet.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Zaffre / Crooked Lane Books for the privilege of a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own,

I just could not get interested in this book. It felt far too sedate - there was nothing driving an urgency to solve the mystery other than a potential tie to a possible royal scandal. It just didn't feel that compelling. There were some instances where it appeared the Queen was being sabotaged, but instead of telling these events in real-time, they were told in the past tense (even though they happened within the timeline of the story) with minimal detail. These incidents felt like missed opportunities to make the story a bit more exciting. The instances of sabotage were also more like "minor inconveniences" that made it hard for me to believe there could be any tie to the overarching murder mystery.
I did not realize this book was fourth in a series. Plot-wise, I didn't feel like I was missing any information, but I felt like I was missing a lot of character development for the Queen - I hope that is just due to the fact that we got more of a character introduction in the earlier books. I really liked Joan, and Hector. I felt like I got to know Joan a bit, however, Hector is sort of a well-meaning but mysterious background character. I would have liked to have seen more of who he is.
Knowing that all the previous books in the series take place 60 years after the events in this story, I don't know that I would put in the time to check them out. I do think the time period setting was very well done, and I enjoyed reading in a time period outside of my normal turn-of-the-century fiction. Fans of very cozy mysteries should find this series entertaining.

This was a very cute book. The young Queen Elizabeth II solving mysteries the police can't seem to solve. But of course, giving DI Venable all the credit. This made me want to go back and read the first three books, and I was surprised to find they were set more than 50 years later. A lovely original series to enjoy with a cuppa.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

A Death in Diamonds is the fourth instalment in S.J. Bennett's Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. I've read the first book, and when I saw this one on Netgalley, I requested it immediately. I received a copy from Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley.

Set in 1957, the narrative follows a young Queen Elizabeth II as she navigates the complexities of post-war Britain. The plot intertwines royal duties with personal intrigue, beginning with the discovery of two murdered bodies in Chelsea, which inadvertently involve the Queen as an alibi for a close associate. To unravel the mystery, Queen Elizabeth teams up with Joan McGraw, a former Bletchley Park codebreaker, blending historical events with fictional elements.

I loved the historical setting of the story and the character development throughout this novel. It's fun, exciting, at times tense - an absolute fun read! Now, I only need to catch up with books 2 and 3!

4,5/5 ⭐️

A Death in Diamonds gives us a young Queen Elizabeth II, Joan McGraw as the queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, and two mysteries to solve. While I enjoyed Joan’s character, I found myself missing the queen’s current APS, Rozie. Since I was reading for vibes, I found myself getting a little confused by the simultaneous mysteries. However, my confusion never lasted very long and I was easily able to get back on track. Overall, this is great read if you are looking for a cozy murder mystery and/or a book palate cleanser in between intense reads.

This is the 4th book in the series. I enjoyed seeing through the young queens eyes and how history was brought into the story. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for access to this book. I will definitely look for book one to read.

I really liked the idea of the book and I love crime stories. This one was okay, I thought it was very slow. We waiter a time for the murders even were mentioned and then waited before she was going to investigate. It was just a bit slow for me.

A Death in Diamonds is the new mystery in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. This is a fun series with Queen Elizabeth II solving mysteries. After there are two murders in Chelsea, Queen Elizabeth finds she was wrongly used as an alibi. She sets out to solve the mysteries with the help of code breaker Joan McGraw.

I wanted to read A Death in Diamonds because I love cozy mysteries, especially historical fiction, and have an interest in the royal family.

This was a wonderful read! I loved Queen Elizabeth's intelligent, intuitive detecting, and her work with Joan was fascinating. I also really enjoyed the 1957 setting -- much earlier than the previous books in this series.

I highly recommend this mystery, and the entire series, to other fans of cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, and historical fiction about the royal family. You are in for a treat! I eager await the next book in this series.

This is the fourth book in the series and my first into the series. In this book its 1957 and Queen Elizabeth II is pretty new in her reign. By being Queen she can't investigate a double murder herself but she gets help Joan, one of her assistants and we also get the POV of one of the official investigators as well. This was pretty entertaining and I think readers will enjoy it.

This is the fourth book in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. I’ve only read one other, but this would work well as a standalone because it takes a step back in time to 1957 for this story, while the prior books in the series took place much later in her monarchy. In A Death in Diamonds, Queen Elizabeth has a keen interest in the case of a young woman wearing a diamond tiara and an older man brutally killed in a house just a mile from the palace. Elizabeth is very busy with several post-WWII official royal visits around the world, but can’t get this investigation out of her mind.

I love seeing young Elizabeth finding her way to be the best leader she can be, balancing that in her life as a wife and mother. The story does a great job of blending actual historical events with fictional ones. While reading the book, I was moved to do some additional research of my own to read more about Elizabeth’s visit to the United States, and it was fun seeing the photos of the real visit that are described as part of this story. Queen Elizabeth wasn’t actually an amateur sleuth, but the author does a great job of making you think she could have been!

This book introduces a delightful new character to the series. Joan McGraw moves up from being one of the typists to the assistant private secretary to the Queen. Joan gains new confidence as she becomes a trusted confidant for Elizabeth, helping her investigate a sensitive matter that could be tied to the murders. The scenes with Joan or Elizabeth investigating are fun to read. There is a detective officially assigned to the case, but the chapters told from his point of view move more slowly and didn’t hold my interest as much. The pace of the story really picks up towards the end, and I was eager to find out all the details of who was behind the murders. I don’t know if future books will remain in this timeframe or not, but if so, I would enjoy spending more time with Joan and Elizabeth.

~ Christine

A very enjoyable book series. I wish the author had taken more liberties and spiced up Queen Elizabeth's character. I guess the risk of offending her family is too high.

In the fourth book in the series, Queen Elizabeth II investigates a double murder with the help of a few friends. Of course she cannot actual do anything herself, but she directs, hints and nudges behind the scenes with her sidekick Joan, one of her trusted assistants. Entertaining!

A Death in Diamonds is the fourth entry in this most enjoyable series that offers readers Queen Elizabeth the sleuth, and what a talented detective she is. This title can be read on its own but readers will, I think, enjoy every one of the earlier books as well.

This time, a Bishop’s bolthole is the site of the murders of a couple seemingly having an assignation. The woman is wearing a valuable tiara that, it turns out, Princess Margaret had wanted to possess.

Who are these two? Why were they killed? Are their murders related to a series of subtle threats and annoyances that Queen Elizabeth has been facing? Is someone in the Queen’s most inner circle, in fact, unworthy of her trust?

As the Queen cannot do everything (after all, she has many other duties), she looks to help from her newest employee, the formidable Joan, to assist. The two communicate in varied ways, including by sending messages through what others will see as the frivolity of the Queen’s fashion.

What I most enjoy in this series is the reasonably plausible way in which the Queen’s life is portrayed. There are interactions between her and Philip and with Charles and Anne, the two children who are alive at the time that the story is set. The mysteries themselves also offer a fun read.

It is easy to recommend this title to Anglophiles and lovers of traditional mysteries. I look forward to the next in this series.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

SJ Bennett chooses in her fourth Her Majesty the Queen Investigates to go back to the beginning when Queen Elizabeth was still relatively young in 1957. Something is wrong with her staff and mistakes are made that could hurt her and the monarchy. She has a young woman from the typing pool promoted to be her assistant who was an ex code breaker Joan McGraw. Two bodies are found murdered in Chelsea and the police get nowhere. There may be a connection to the queen's husband. Queen Elizabeth and Joan uncover the dangerous past and both are in danger. Whodunit? Great cozy. Read the rest of the series.

I didn't realize A Death in Diamonds is part of a series until I was reading the author notes at the end of the book. It is book 4 in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. Obviously, it can be read on its own with no problems.

When I started it, I wasn't sure about the Queen being an amateur sleuth in a cozy mystery. I was relieved that she wasn't out gathering clues and interrogating suspects. It actually reads more like historical fiction rather than a true murder mystery.

There are two mysteries that the Queen wants solved.

First, there is the sabotage of her visit to Paris and attempts to mess up other public appearances. Who has it out for her?

Second, a "tart in a tiara" and a man are found murdered in a mews house in Chelsea. This murder is more of a curiosity for the Queen. I would liken her interest in the case to someone who is a true crime enthusiast. At least until there is a possible tie to someone in the royal household.

To help her with the sabotage, she enlists a young woman who has stepped in as the Assistant Private Secretary. Joan McGraw has an "interesting" war which is code for someone who can't speak of what they did during the war. A black mark on her record is the reason the Queen knows she is the perfect person to be her eyes and ears in the palace.

It was a lot of fun reading this book. I really like Joan. She's an accomplished woman but still has an air of innocence (and perhaps a touch of naivety) which makes her very endearing.

While most of the happenings in the book are fictional they felt like they really could have happened.

Bennett spun an entertaining tale and I can't wait to read in the series.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/01/a-death-in-diamonds-by-s-j-bennett.html

The fourth installment in the Queen investigates series was a unique surprise. In this novel, the Queen is young and navigating her relatively new role as a monarch when someone gets murdered and there is a potential for the DofE to be implicated. I loved the mystery aspect of this novel, but found at times the story to drag.