The Windsor Knot

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Trigger warnings: murder, ageism

When a foreigner dies after attending a party with the queen, Elizabeth II decides to investigate the crime.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is an old woman in 2016. When a young piano prodigy is found dead, police detectives and MI5 are called in to investigate. The Queen investigates the murders herself along with her secretary Rozie.

The narration switches points of view from QE2 to Rozie, and I found my attention waning during Rozie's research. The queen is a much more captivating character, although she probably couldn't do all the legwork -- she is turning 90, after all.

The queen's banter with the Duke of Edinburgh is adorable and their interactions are the highlights of the novel. The queen is the plucky elder detective that I never knew we needed. Hopefully, there will be more of QE2 (and less of Rozie) in future installments. There's also a bit more foreign politics than I would have liked in a lighter murder mystery, but the queen's life heavily involves foreign relations.

(minor spoilers without telling you who done it ahead)

Even though the queen and Rozie find out much of the mystery before the police do, she allows the detectives to take the credit. She imagines they still see her as a doddering old woman and it's a little sad that she gets no credit in the end for solving the mystery. Having the queen gain either respect from the investigators or public acclaim would make the ending feel more uplifting.

Jane Copland's narration is delivered in a calming, even tone. Her voice imitates the unflappable nature of the queen. A couple of odd pronunciations may leave American listeners scratching their heads, and her briefly-used American accent for President Obama's dialogue is pretty bad.

Recommended for readers of royal fiction and mystery fans.

SJ Bennett is the author of several YA mysteries who is now focusing on the adult market. She lives in London.

Series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, #1

Publisher: HarperAudio

Narrator: Jane Copland

Running Time: 8 hours, 5 minutes

Release Date: March 9, 2021 (happy birthday to me!)

I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review and from Libro.fm as a librarian review copy. I listened to the latter. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.