I think bestselling author Ruth Ware nailed it when she described this series opener as, “If The Crown were crossed with Miss Marple..., the result would probably be something like this charming whodunnit.”
Today, I’m recommending The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett. The first book in a highly original and delightfully clever crime series in which Queen Elizabeth II (yes, you heard that right, the Queen Elizabeth II) secretly solves crimes while still carrying out her royal duties.
It is early spring of 2016 and Queen Elizabeth is at Windsor Castle in advance of her 90th birthday celebrations. But the preparations are interrupted by the shocking and untimely death of a guest in one of the Castle bedrooms. The scene leads some to think the young Russian pianist strangled himself, yet a badly tied knot leads MI5 to suspect foul play. When they begin to question the Household’s most loyal servants, Her Majesty knows they’re looking in the wrong place.
Her Majesty has been living an extraordinary double life. Away from the public eye and unbeknownst to her closest friends and advisers, she has the most brilliant skill for solving crimes and has been doing so since her teenage years. With help from Rozie, her Assistant Private Secretary, the Queen discreetly begins making inquiries. As she carries out her royal duties with her usual poise, no one in the Royal Household, the government, or even the public know that the unwavering Elizabeth won’t hesitate to use her keen eye, quick mind, and steady nerve to bring a murderer to justice.
Check out The Windsor Knot and other contemporary cozy mysteries like it at the Sioux City Public Library. Subscribe to The First Fifty Pages for even more book recommendations.
