Cover Image: The Windsor Knot

The Windsor Knot

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Member Reviews

Mystery surrounds murders at Windsor Castle and British Royalty in a modern day saga filled with twists and turns. Queen Elizabeth watches the investigation while exploring her own theories. With the assistance of her private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, she discreetly seeks answers as international leaders involvement becomes evident. Money darkens the path as they rush to expose the killer. Time is of the essence.


Thank you NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the “The Windsor Knot”.

I will post my review on Amazon.

#thewindsorknot #sjbennett. #netgalley

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I tried listening to this book and I had a hard time with it. It was not for me, I felt it was a little all over the place and did not seem to flow.

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This was a really interesting cozy mystery / geopolitical thriller hybrid. The conceit is fun: that the Queen has been a sharp solver of mysteries for decades, working around the institutions and expectations of the English bureaucracy and society in ways that both get the results she needs and maintain the power and confidence of those very institutions that allow British society to maintain the monarchy. On the other hand, it is decidedly weird to spend chapters inside the head of a public figure that is still alive and well; the Queen in this novel is a fun person to spend time with, but it seems both presumptuous of the author to know the Queen's inner life and also propagandistic for the Queen to be portrayed as so kind, sharp, and sweetly perceptive. That said, all of the characters, even minor ones, were well drawn (especially Rozie Oshodi, the other main point of view character and the Queen's Assistant Private Secretary and unofficial stalking horse), the mystery was satisfying, and the author has laid out lots of hooks and signs pointing to a long and fun series. So royal propaganda or not, on the whole I enjoyed the book.

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First in a series and looking forward to more books. Great premise and well executed. I loved the conversations between Elizabeth and Philip. Fun cozy mystery

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The Windsor Knot refers to the type of knot that was around a victims next found hanging in a wardrobe at Queen Elizabeth s residence. Victim was a visiting guest. The whole book is basically Queen Elizabeth and members of her close staff solving this crime and 2 more victims related to the first murder. This is the first book in a new series featuring the queen. Very light, different, unique, and very enjoyable. ****Note***" this review is for the audio. My thanks to Net Galley for the audio.

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AUDIO VERSION of The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett - Narration by Jane Copeland. YES!! This was absolutely lovely to listen to! So much fun!

The 1st in a new cozy series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, the book starts out with a death right at that the beginning, taking place right under the roof of Queen Elizabeth, at Windsor Castle.

With Queen Elizabeth II, being a primary character, she is flanked by Asst Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, who proves to be quite capable in her owns rights. Brilliant chemistry of mutual respect between all the characters, dominated by an intelligent, witty, often humorous, sometimes cheeky dialogue. I LOVED the few personal conversations between Philip and the Queen. (Phillip’s pet name for the Queen is “Cabbage”.)

This was a wonderful portrait of some the Queen’s responsibilities, her family, staff, the public she has to deal with, and her beloved home, Windsor Castle. Coordinating all those things, she is using her wisdom and keen eye to guide the proper authorities to unmask the truth about the death of one of her guests, a Russian piano player. But questions abound - Suicide? Murder? Accident? A killer? Who?

The narrator, Jane Copeland, is fantastic! Pitch, pace, power, accent(s), enthusiasm, and fluency were spot on. The narrator did this story justice, and brought life and authentic realism, making the listening experience even more enjoyable.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for an ARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Greatly enjoyed this audiobook! This is a very clever mystery where Queen Elizabeth II has a surprising and unusual little hobby. She likes to solves mysteries! And of course, as she is the queen, she has lots of resources at her disposal to do so. The characters are very well developed, and, with what people already know or believe about Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh, it makes for a great story. This is not a chick lit type of mystery, this is serious business with only a touch of lightheartedness. Lots of references to real people make it quite interesting. The audio is brilliant, highly recommended.

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While entertaining overnights at Windsor Castle, a murder occurs and The Queen takes it upon herself to find out what really happened.

I really enjoyed reading about her daily duties. It was nice to have several members of the Royal Family make appearances or be mentioned. I enjoyed her take on them. I especially liked the conversations between her and Philip.

I did find the story a bit slow and since I listened to this on audio, sometimes it was a struggle to pay attention. I was also hoping for more of The Queen doing the actual sleuthing, but basically she came up with ideas and her assistant, Rosie, did all the work. This made a lot of the book more about Rosie. While i liked Rosie’s character, I did want more from the Queen besides basic day to day operations.

If you are looking for a very light and fluffy cozy mystery, then this book may be for you. This one was just a little too light for my particular tastes and I probably will not continue the series.

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The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett and the audiobook version narration by Jane Copland is a wonderful cozy mystery book that is the first in what is sure to be a great series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates.

Here we get to follow along with Queen Elizabeth II and her awesome sidekick and assistant/Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi are drawn into a detective role when a questionable murder takes place at Windsor Castle amongst a party. Circumstances lead this formidable team to delve deeper and uncover the truth.

I loved the wit, wisdom, humor, banter, one-liners, and quips of this book. The dialogue is spot on, the atmosphere created makes me feel as if I am really at Windsor Castle, and I loved the feeling that I was really there with Her Majesty. I loved all the little details and inclusions. It was very cheeky, original, and authentic. The story moved along at an appropriate pace, and I enjoyed the mystery thoroughly. I look forward to the next book in this series.

I also enjoyed the narration. The tone, accent, pace, and pronunciation was clear, consistent, and crisp. It really added to the whole experience.

5/5 stars for the novel and for the narrator

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

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