I was taken with The Windsor Knot earlier this year and put a hold on this second book quite soon after finishing it. There are three mysteries put forward: a painting of the Queen's that has gone missing and found in the Navy's offices; a nasty series of poison pen letters that are making work life in the palace tense and unhappy; and the death of a housekeeper which is deemed an accident.

Book Series In Order S.J. Bennett - Book Series In Order

Another player on their team is retired Detective Billy MacLachlan, who is privy to much of the gossip that swirls around the palace through his connections to other retired Royal personnel. The evolution of their partnership—while combatting life-shattering challenges like gender discrimination, racism, and the spectre of mortality—was so cleverly, perfectly paced, that I can’t wait to see where a third book in the series might take them. J. Bennett crafted an even more elaborate story here and again manages to fashion an ending where the Queen maneuvers her somewhat slower witted Palace staff chiefs, managers and police into thinking that they solved the crime on her behalf, when it was actually her hints and prodding that got them there.Ultimately though, the Queen's men "solve" the case and proudly present Her Majesty with a report while the Queen and Rozie keep their secrets. It is evident that Bennett put in the effort to get the details right and her talent with the voices of the primary characters shines through.

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And there is a moving scene in which the Queen attends the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph; it’s especially poignant as ill-health meant she was unable to attend the ceremony for only the seventh time in her long reign this year. I enjoyed the throwaway a lines about real people (Camilla’s charitable work with abused women and her being hysterical in a good way!External events such as the fallout from the Brexit referendum and the US Presidential election provide a subtle backdrop to the main storyline. What I like best about this series is how it builds through the layering of characters, how it uses Buckingham Palace as another character, and how the Queen is so central to the story. It took me a few chapters to get to grips with the fact that the main character was the present queen, but when I did I was hooked (I could even hear her voice in my head narrating the story! Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow for the copy of this one to read and honestly review. After hosting a dine and sleep party at Windsor Castle during spring, she wakes to the news that a guest was found dead.

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Bennett has done a fabulous job of characterising Queen Elizabeth II; Her Majesty is portrayed just as I imagine her to be in real life. In addition to dealing with red boxes full of paperwork every day, Her Majesty sits for portraits and sculptures, has garment fittings, walks her dogs, visits friends and relatives, and binge watches Murder She Wrote. They include inspecting the elections in the states, meeting the new prime minister, and recovering a painting she adored that turned up in the wrong hands. And, as if all this post-Brexit referendum \ presidential election turmoil wasn’t enough for a Queen to concern herself with; it turns out there are more immediate concerns closer to home.

I listened to this light and entertaining mystery on audio, once again beautifully narrated by the terrific Samantha Bond, of 9 hours duration. This is a fun and engaging listen, I really appreciated how the Queen's character continues to be fleshed out, although there were occasions when I felt that perhaps the narrative was at times more complicated than it needed to be.

I like some of the issues and the characters that this book had (I love Rozie and I did like the Queen, but I like them the most when they were together and that wasn't enough for me in this book), but the fun and wonder of Windsor Knot wasn't here.Bennett does well to pull off this pretty outlandish double mystery, and as usual, QEII comes out on top.