Enjoyed reading this book after finishing The Crown on Netflix. I felt like I could hear the queen speaking in her native accent. Overall, the plot jumped around a bit… It was tough to keep track of the characters.

Queen Elizabeth, amateur detective? This is the premise of the first book in a new series and it succeeds admirably. When the Queen hosts an evening of Russian entertainment at Windsor Castle, the young talented pianist is found dead in his room the following morning in very compromising circumstances. The special services head of the investigation believes this is the work of a sleeper spy planted within the Queen's staff by Putin and begins interrogating and upsetting her staff, but for Elizabeth the clues point in another direction. Of course she cannot interview witnesses and research clues herself so these tasks fall to her able junior secretary Rozie. As the puzzle pieces fall into place the Queen is able to nudge the official investigation in the right direction until the crime is solved and the investigators believe it's due to their own skills and abilities.

The reader is treated to an insiders view of palace life from the perspective of the workers and the Queen. The author has done her research and creates a believable and likeable Queen Elizabeth. The plot may be a little convoluted but it hardly matters. This charming debut is a quick and entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this book. Queen Elizabeth solves a mystery while carrying on her royal duties. A Russian man entertains at a function and is later found dead in a compromising position.. The queen has her assistant private secretary, Rozie, doing many of the interviews of suspects. The characters were well developed. Reading about the Royals was fascinating.

I really wanted to like this book, but it totally fell flat for me. I wanted the Queen to be more devious and take a stronger role in the detecting. It felt like all the action was at a remove, and I couldn't care about the characters involved in the murder because we only heard about them second hand. I made it about 1/2 through and then abandoned it.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series. It was cleverly written and the characters were likable and believable. It was a nice little mystery about a murder that occurs after a Dine and Sleep at Windsor Castle.. I enjoyed the "behind the scenes" look at life in the Royal Family.

The start of a very clever, original crime series, we find QEII herself secretly investigating a murder at Windsor Castle. Expertly weaving history, real international events, and believable execution of just how a major figurehead could quietly (and so masterfully!) solve intricate mysteries, you'll fall in love with this version of the Queen and APS. Looking forward to future books in this series.

This was a very fun premise for a book! Queen Elizabeth II, a mystery solver! When a Russian dancer ends up dead after a dinner at Windsor Castle, the main spymasters of MI6 and Scotland Yard are quick to put forward a theory. A theory that the Queen feels is wrong. She enlists the help of a newish “administrative assistant” (for lack of a better term), who has had some intelligence training. To see two females outwit and out solve the male commanders did this heart good. The mystery was a little weak but the story telling very fun!

The beginning of what I assume will be a new mystery series featuring Queen Elizabeth. Her Majesty is not quite Miss Marble questioning people at the local vicarage. But she has an amazing memory and attention to detail. She also has an assistant secretary, Rosie Oshaodi, who she can direct to gather information, question people and arrange meetings with those the Queen would like to meet. When a murder occurs at Windsor Castle during a dine and sleep MI5 suspects the Russians or China. But the Queen has other ideas. She doesn't take over the investigation but discreetly drops hints to guide others along.

This adventure is set in 2016 and it is fun to see attention to details such as the Obama's visiting or Annie Leibovitz taking new photographs. Also some of the conversations between the Elizabeth and Phillip are delightful. The murder mystery to me was only average and it was overly complicated. The explanation tying things up covers a lot of information. I rounded up my rating because of my love of the Queen herself and hope that future mysteries will intrigue me more. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I first learned of this book when the author spoke on a panel at the Library Journal Day of Dialog. SJ Bennett completely nailed the voice of Queen Elizabeth and I enjoyed everything about this novel. I plan on promoting it myself at upcoming readers advisory events at the library.

Being an Anglophile predisposed me to feeling positive about this title. The reader is immersed in royal settings, mostly Windsor Palace, and activities. One of the activities is a "dine and sleep" in which guests are invited for dinner and to spend the night. This treat isn't so lucky for one guest who is found dead in the morning.
Queen Elizabeth and her Assistant Personal Secretary set out to solve the murder while keeping the press unaware of the killing.
The Queen sends her assistant to interview people who might have relevant information while she remains at the palace putting pieces of the puzzle together and subsequently dropping bits of information to the police and security forces. It wouldn't do for the queen to actually be involved!
Windsor Knot is a fun romp with the royals despite a somewhat convoluted plot that led me to review parts of the book to understand some points.

Just delightful. For fans of The Crown and Queen Elizabeth herself. This was a delightful mystery, I loved how the Queen was portrayed, the supporting cast was fantastic and the setting and history were a huge part of the story. I cannot wait to read more in this series!

A cute story that has you seeing the Queen in a whole new light. I appreciated the true pomp and circumstance that surrounds the royal family intertwined with the intrigue and playfullness of the queen as a detective on the sly.

A fun read with the Queen leading a double life as a detective; assisted by her personal secretary, Rozie. They investigate the murder of a young Russian pianist within Windsor Castle. I’m a bit of a royal fan so found this murder mystery highly entertaining.

While listening to a recent podcast, a publishing rep gushed enthusiastically over this book. In the blink of an eye, I clicked over to NetGalley and submitted my ARC request. I was pleased to receive The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett to review. Now that I’ve finished it, I understand his enthusiasm. Queen Elizabeth II and her assistant private secretary Rozie Oshodi are detectives. The Queen skillfully directs Rozie to track down clues while her majesty simultaneously carries out her royal duties. Each time Rozie reports her findings, new clues are unveiled and her task list grows. All of this is done in the background. It turns out, the Queen has been solving crimes since her coronation decades ago. At times she asks Rozie to enlist the help of Billy MacLachlan, a trusted former law enforcement officer. As she moves closer to the truth the Queen skillfully gets just enough info to the MI5 investigators to get them to see her point of view. The MI5 detectives have some of her staff high on their suspect list. They also consider a wild theory involving an unknown sleeper agent planted by Russia as valid. The Queen’s desire to prove them wrong launches her into this crime solving inquiry.
You may think the Queen is hoping to capture an art thief or a high level robber making off with the palace jewels. But it’s a murderer that must be caught. A young Russian pianist died after an evening of royal feasting and dancing at Windsor Castle. The guest list for the evening reads like a gathering of Who’s Who from Britain and Russia. Among them are a few individuals who look guilty. Due to the sordid circumstances of the young Russian’s death, a cloak of secrecy covers the investigation. Queen Elizabeth and her staff hope the solution will arrive before news of the event leaks to the tabloids.
It’s a contemporary novel with former US president Barack Obama and his wife visiting the castle. References are made to Vladimir Putin and Angela Merkle. The agendas of World Powers are called into question and the plot involves a good dose of international intrigue. You’ll have fun reading the uniquely British terms like bespoke and brio and deciphering the acronyms HRM and MBE. (Her Royal Majesty and Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen’s husband adds a touch of humor to the story. Their dialogue and his remarks are upbeat and quirky.
This book is due out on March 9, 2021. It’s available now as a pre-order. As stated at the opening, I read an advanced reader’s copy of this book supplied by NetGalley. I was under no obligation to publish a positive review. #TheWindsorKnot, #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Book Club Girls and William Morrow for the ARC (I also had an advance listen). Very interesting concept to this story. I really enjoyed how the author implemented real people into this fictional mystery. The narrator was amazing... She brought the story to life. Will definitely be recommending this to others.

The Queen, a secret detective? It’s Hard to imagine, but that is the premise behind this fun mystery. When a murder takes place at Windsor Castle, Her Royal Highness is immediately on the case. The tricky thing is, no one else can know, except for her new, intrepid assistant personal secretary, Rozie. Together, they find the clues and then pass them on to the real investigator in charge of the case, the somewhat pompous (and a bit incompetent) Gavin Humphreys. As the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, how will the Queen guide the investigation in the right direction without being discovered? Find out in this entertaining tale that offers many interesting insights into royal protocol as the story unfolds. A must-have for any mystery fiction collection!

I had high expectations for this book as I enjoy reading about British royalty and have a certain amount of respect for Elizabeth II. My expectations were met about halfway. I thoroughly enjoyed the Queen acting as detective, but found the mystery to be fairly ordinary. My attention kept wandering as I read, a sure sign that something was off. Could have been me, could have been the book. This is one I might pick up again after publication to give it another try.

This was such a fun and easy read. Queen Elizabeth has been leading a secret double life of solving crimes. When there is a death at Windsor Castle, Queen Elizabeth quickly believes the police are looking at the wrong suspects. With the help of her trusted secretary, Roxie, she is determined to find true murder. The first in a new series.

#Netgalley #TheWindsorKnot

The Queen is a passive detective with exceptional skills at observation. Along with her trusty assistants, both current and past, she is able to solve a murder at her favorite residence. This book made the Queen seem very likable and involved on a personal level with her staff, friends and guests.

As a member of Book Club Girls, I received an advanced reader's copy of The Windsor Knot via Net Galley. It was a delightful cozy mystery, the first in a planned series, where Queen Elizabeth in a modest and unassuming manner tests out her private detecting skills.

Her first case begins on the morning after her 90th birthday celebration, when a guest is found dead in Windsor Castle. As suspicion mounts and the investigation is pointing towards a spy among the servants with a tie to Russia, the Queen has her own thoughts, and ever so discreetly points the investigation in another direction.

I adored this charming, humorous story. It was like reading an Agatha Christie mixed with Murder She Wrote. I look forward to more books in the series to come.