Review by Booklist Review
Her staffers fear that she has been binge-watching Murder She Wrote again. Queen Elizabeth II enjoys her detective shows, a fondness she inherited from her late mother. It is autumn of 2016: Brexit is in the news, along with a new female prime minister and a new American president. Closer to home, a housekeeper has been found dead beside the Buckingham Palace swimming pool, and one of Elizabeth's favorite paintings is missing. Fortified by an occasional gin and Dubonnet, Her Majesty insinuates herself into the investigation, three of her corgis in tow. Meanwhile, she tasks her assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, with finding the painting, and Rozie uncovers a link to the murder. The Queen brings her first-class memory and keen judgment from a life fully lived to bear, and in solving the puzzle, she must confront some sad truths about her trusted staff. This second in the series (after The Windsor Knot, 2020) is rich in palace detail and vibrant with royal personalities--just the thing for readers looking for a clever riff on The Crown.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In Bennett's enjoyable, good-natured sequel to 2020's The Windsor Knot, Queen Elizabeth II once again assumes a Nero Wolfe--like role while her faithful assistant private secretary, former army officer Rozie Oshodi, handles the legwork and any necessary fisticuffs. What starts off as an investigation into how a favorite painting belonging to Her Majesty has ended up in the Ministry of Defence's collection of maritime art soon leads to the discovery of an insidious poison pen campaign against female palace employees and a long-standing fraud scheme. Murder inevitably follows. Set in the autumn of 2016, the brouhaha surrounding Brexit and the U.S. presidential race provides an invigorating backdrop, allowing for appearances by Prime Minister Theresa May and commentary on the intrusive nature of the press. Highlights include the breakfast table talk between the queen and Prince Philip and, of course, references to the monarch's beloved corgis. Bennett respectfully portrays the queen while providing edifying details of palace life. Dog lovers and Anglophiles will rejoice. Agent: Grainne Fox, Fletcher & Co. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Following The Windsor Knot, YA author Bennett's triumphant first foray into adult mystery, Elizabeth II returns to sleuth again with the help of Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi. As the queen worries about a missing painting, Rozie does not immediately share news of the troublesome letters received by some of the staff. Then a staffer winds up dead in the pool house at Buckingham Palace, and it's time to act. With a 75,000-copy first printing.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
