Although I’ve talked about SJ Bennett’s debut adult novel, The Windsor Knot, for months now, I hadn’t reviewed it. It’s almost release date, and time to reveal this charming book, hopefully the first in a series, Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. Bennett introduces the Queen as an intelligent sleuth with a sense of humor and an ability to manipulate others. She’s a wonderful character in this book.

In April 2016, just before her ninetieth birthday, Queen Elizabeth II hosts a small gathering, a dine and sleep at Windsor Castle. She is told about the death in Windsor Castle as soon as it’s discovered. A young Russian pianist, Maxsim Brodsky, was discovered dead in the castle the morning after he played for her party. She even danced with him, so she knows who he was. It’s her private secretary, Sir Simon Holcroft, who reveals that it wasn’t a natural death. In fact, it would be a publicity nightmare if it leaks how he appeared to have killed himself. Of course, MI5 and the Metropolitan Police are called in when it’s discovered the death wasn’t suicide. It was murder.

The Queen is willing to let the police investigate, until they take a wrong turn, saying someone on her Household staff is responsible, someone possibly working for Putin. She trusts her staff, and knows there isn’t a spy who killed a guest. With her entire staff in an uproar, under suspicion, she has to investigate. The Queen’s movements are always planned and under scrutiny. But, she can use her assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, a British Nigerian and former officer in the Royal Horse Artillery, to do the legwork. Rozie is shocked that she has to keep secrets and lie to Sir Simon, her boss, but she’s loyal to the Queen, the woman they call the Boss.

Queen Elizabeth II has been a character in novels before, but SJ Bennett’s Queen is an engaging character involved in a complex plot. However, she’s been involved in a complicated world her entire life, and she’s managed it with grace and intelligence. While Rozie is interesting, it’s the Queen as investigator who is most intriguing. It’s Philip who points out that when people, especially powerful men, look at Elizabeth, “All they see is a little old lady in a hat.” In some ways, that works to her advantage. She’s able to manipulate people who don’t see her keen intelligence.

Bennett treats Elizabeth with respect, although there are quite a few moments of humor. Only Philip treats her as a person. Gavin Humphreys from MI5 doesn’t understand her at all. “He was also convinced that, at eighty-nine, one had no possible means of understanding the complexities of the modern world. He didn’t seem to grasp that she had lived through all the decades that had created it, and she had perhaps a more nuanced understanding of it than he did.”

While Bennett and the Queen both address the seriousness of murder, and the death of a young person, the Queen is allowed moments of joy and humor in the book. Often those times come with her beloved horses or dogs or the few moments of intimacy with Philip, the man she still loves.

There appears to be a simple case of death when Brodsky’s body is found. But, SJ Bennett, Queen Elizabeth II and Rozie Oshodi tie up a complicated case in an unusual story, The Windsor Knot.

SJ Bennett’s website is http://www.sjbennettbooks.com

The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett. William Morrow, 2021. ISBN 9780063050006 (hardcover), 288p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a copy from a journal in order to moderate a panel.

I hope you can join me in welcoming SJ Bennett to Poisoned Pen’s Facebook Live on Monday, March 8 at 1 PM (3 PM ET).