Such a fun, engaging cozy mystery! Although I found it a little slow to start, I stuck it out and glad I finished! The day to day activities of the queen were very interesting with a look into the private lives of the royals.

Well crumble my crumpets, that was cute and cozy!

Author S.J. Bennet has taken your standard, garden-variety, death-by-autoerotique-asphyxiation mystery and cranked it up a notch by having none other than Queen Elizabeth II play Nancy Drew to solve it. And what readers get are delightful exchanges like this one between Her Majesty and her hubs, Prince Philip:

“Lilibet, did you hear the man was nude?”
“Yes, actually, I did.”
“Strung up like a Tory MP. There’s a word for it. What is it? Auto-sex something?”
“Autoerotic asphyxiation,” the Queen said grimly. She had Googled it on her iPad.
“That’s the bugger.”

I mean, COME ON! If that doesn’t reel you in, how about this banter between them:

“Last thing you want is to be discovered in a royal palace with your goolies out.”
“Philip!”
“No, I mean it. No wonder everyone’s keeping it hush-hush. That, and protecting your fragile nerves.”
The Queen threw him a look. “They forget. I’ve lived through a world war, that Ferguson girl, and you in the navy.”

Zing!

If that didn’t at least give you a little chuckle or smirk, then stroll on by, this is not the book for you. It probably goes without saying that it helps if you're either a fan of the British Royal Family or cozy mysteries. (Or maybe it doesn’t because I just said it anyway???) As for me, I’m all-in on QEII and her clan, though I wouldn’t consider myself a whodunit mystery reader on the whole. Lilibet was the thread I needed to pull me through The Windsor Knot, and I sure had a heck of a lot of fun watching it unravel.

My thanks to the author and William Morrow for my gifted advanced copy to read and review via NetGalley. The Windsor Knot is slated for US publication in March 2021.

A light and charming addition to the mystery canon, featuring the most British detective one can think of—her maj Queen Elizabeth II. Aided by a very capable assistant who can go around asking the sticky questions, QEII uses her lifelong skills of restraint, conversation, and observation to crack the case of a murder in one’s own house. Recommended for the royalist in one’s life.

Such a fun concept for a brilliant, who would have guessed it, detective. The Queen of England is very intelligent, understands the politics of her own situation in relation to the UK’s government, knows what she can do, can say, can ask, can influence and can assist. More importantly she understands the HOW. I imagined the voices that I heard watching the Crown and the related shows that have popped up with documentaries and other videos that we have of the actual Queen. I loved this book. I’ve seen others describe a book as refreshing and I didn’t get it. This book opened that door. It was fun AND still a mystery where you are trying to also figure out whodunnit. What a great way to spend my nights! LOVED IT!!

Thanks to William Morrow for my review copy. All opinions are my own. This cozy murder mystery was an absolute treat. I loved Queen Elizabeth is the investigator in this book (the first in a series) along with her assistant, Rosie. Together they figure out who was behind the murder at Windsor Castle during one of the Queen’s Dine-and-Stays. This is perfect for fans of Maggie Hope, Maise Dobbs, and the Royal Family. 5 stars.

I had mixed feelings about the story. I couldn't figure out the queen's motive for wanting to solve the murder mystery. At first, it seemed like she liked solving mysteries, but later she seemed annoyed by it. I also had difficulty keeping track of the various murders that occurred and suspects that popped up as the queen was investigating.

This is the first in what looks to be a fun mystery series in which Queen Elizabeth II is a behind-the-scenes sleuth. The morning after a dinner party at Windsor Castle, the body of a performer is discovered, and Her Majesty’s instinct tells her that her own investigators aren’t quite up to the task. She enlists the help of her assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, to get to the bottom of it. The trick is to find the killer without anyone finding out that they’re doing anything other than their routine duties.

The narrative shifts among the perspectives of several additional characters as well, from those awed by her very presence to those completely underestimating her, which accentuates just how clever the queen is – nothing gets by her for long.

Recommended for fans of The Crown and readers who enjoyed The Uncommon Reader. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow/HarperCollins for an advanced copy of this book.

This is a highly entertaining read that informs about the life of the British Royal Family and provides a satisfying murder mystery along the way. Once one gets past the highly improbable premise that Queen Elizabeth II is a crime solver along with her royal duties and just sit back and get into the murder mystery, it's a fun ride.

The morning after a "dine and sleep" at Windsor Castle, a Russian entertainer is found dead in a most compromising position. The director general of MI5 and the Met commissioner are called in to investigate. MI5 is convinced the murderer is a sleeper on the staff of the Queen and the Russian was killed at the behest of Vladimir Putin. The Queen isn't so sure and with the help of her Assistant Personal Secretary and a retired former member of her protection staff, she sets out to find out who really killed the Russian. What follows is an intricate plot with the Queen shadow managing the investigation.

All-in-all this is a quite good cozy mystery with members of the Royal Family coming and going throughout. It also gives an idea of how demanding the Queen's duties are and how on call she and members of her family are. It's certainly not a job I want. I generally like my murder mysteries darker, but this had such an interesting premise I decided to give it a go. Although it's not quite my cup of Earl Grey, I think it's a good read for those liking a good whodunit with a little cultural education on the side

What a delightful read! I finished it in one afternoon because I couldn’t bear to put it down.
Bennett not only gives insight into daily routines at Windsor, but also weaves a complicated mystery, involving three murders, that Queen Elizabeth herself decides to investigate—strictly unofficially, of course!

I enjoyed this fun mystery. But I do wish it wasn’t based on the actual Queen and her real family. It was a little jarring. I loved Rosie!

This is the story of a mysterious murder at Windsor castle. The queen does not like the way the investigation is going, so she has her aide do some sleuthing on her behalf. This is a basic who-done-it, with tidbits thrown in about the queen and other royals. There are a lot of characters to keep straight and I found myself quite confused at times.

The Windsor Knot whisks you away to life with The Queen only to be overtaken by a grim murder. SJ Bennett’s research regarding the royal family and palace life immediately sucks you into this setting. Although it took me a little while to get into the mystery, I felt immediately engrossed in the world created. In the end, everything came together super interestingly. Overall, this mystery is unique and different while feeling familiar with the nod to the royal family.

This charming and funny mystery is set at Windsor Castle in 2016 as Queen Elizabeth II approaches her 90th birthday. The morning following a celebratory dinner with a Russian theme one of the guests is found dead in his room with a knot around his neck. The victim, Maksim Brodsky was a young Russian pianist. Police and MI5 suspect that one of her servants may have carried out the murder on orders of Vladimir Putin. The Queen has secretly solved mysteries in the pas, and doesn’t believe the authorities are on the right track. With the help of her assistant, Rozie’s discrete investigation, she discovers the murderer and steers the police to the proper conclusion. This well-researched work sets the atmosphere of the British royals with a wonderful portrait of the Queen’s responsibilities, family, staff, pets, and encounters with political figures. This highly entertaining work is recommended for fans of British cozy mysteries

This was an amazingly fun mystery. When a guest dies at Windsor Castle, it turns out that it’s a murder. An investigation gets underway. When it appears that the inquiry is going in the wrong direction, the 89-year-old Queen gets involved in a behind the scenes manner. She has an exceptional talent for solving mysteries, and she involves her new Assistant Personal Secretary, having Rozie do all the legwork. In this case, the Windsor knot is not a way to tie a necktie. It’s the unraveling of the mystery at Windsor Castle.

The Queen is perfectly depicted. She’s a woman who loves her family, cares about her subjects, and respects her servants. She knows she needs to always protect her reputation and that of her family and residences. It would not do for word of the twisted way the victim was found to hit the tabloids. It annoyed me that the investigators treated the Queen as if she was a doddering old fool, not capable of understanding anything of significance despite her clear ability to do so.

As the official investigation gets underway, details pop up that involve other cases. However, the chief investigator can only see Russian intrigue, especially since several Russians were guests were present the night of the death. The Queen thinks otherwise. She sets Rozie off to start a separate, secret investigation. As more details arise, the Queen gets other of her trusted acquaintances involved in learning the truth and planting clues in the official investigators’ ears.

I enjoyed this book more than I can say. It’s fun and interesting. It held my attention throughout, a quick and easy read. The characters are believable and engaging. I want to know more about Rozie, her family, her co-workers, and more. The ending was a surprise, and well-explained and designed.

A delight of a book. Grab a copy. I think you’ll enjoy it. It appears to be the first in a series. I look forward to reading the books that follow.

I received an advanced reader copy of the book from the publisher through Netgalley. I thank them for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

A murder has taken place at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II has been enjoying her Easter holidays there when a young Russian pianist, Maxsim Brodsky, is found dead in his room after a Dine and Sleep. Her staff and the authorities jump immediately into action. From her conference with the powers that be, QE II is concerned that they are going down the wrong path entirely. It is time for the queen to enlist the new assistant secretary, Rozie Oshodi, into assisting her in redirection. It should really not be a surprise that a woman who has remained on the throne since 1953 would have the detective and diplomacy skills to unravel this mystery. Miss Marple could not have done a better job. This new series is so engaging and I love the hints of past mysteries solved as well as the promise of future successes for the Elizabeth/Rozie team. I am intrigued by the possibilities of going both back in time and forward from 2016. I found the conversations between Queen Elizabeth and husband Philip were such a brilliant vehicle for showing us her most authentic version of herself.

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this mystery even though the premise is a bit unusual. I seriously doubt that the Queen is solving mysteries . Although it's a murder investigation the writing is light and breezy . The Queen has support staff who willingly acquiesce to her crime solving whims . However,It seems disingenuous to believe that staff would pay for travel, gifts, etc without being reimbursed.

The Windsor Knot is a cozy mystery about a murder in the Windsor castle. It reminds you of an Agatha Christie novel, only in modern day and starring the Queen. It is humorous and fun, and is wonderfully entertaining. The mystery is a challenge to figure out but the host of characters keep the story light and makes you feel like you are in the castle, walking along with the other staff, on a journey to solve the crime.
I enjoyed reading this book. It was a delightful story. I would enjoy reading a sequel and following the Queen and Rosie on another mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley, William Morrow, and the Scene of the Crime Early Reads for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love the premise of the Queen quietly solving mysteries while the investigators underestimate her. The Queen was depicted with affection and respect. Perfect book for for lovers of cozy mysteries and The Crown. I look forward to more in the series. Thank you for the ARC

An enjoyable book with mystery and inside knowledge of how the office of the Queen operates. Fun characters and Prince Phillip at his best, along with awesome Queen herself. I enjoyed the book, for the most part, and look forward to reading more of this series.