Murder Most Royal: The brand-new murder mystery from the author of THE WINDSOR KNOT
£5.20
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December 2016 – A severed hand is found washed up on a beach next to the Queen’s estate at Sandringham.
Elizabeth has become quite accustomed to solving even the most complex of murders. And though she quickly identifies the 70-year-old victim, Edward St Cyr, from his signet ring, the search for his killer is not so straightforward.
St Cyr led an unconventional, often controversial life, making many enemies along the way in the quiet, rural world of North Norfolk, where everyone knows each other’s business.
But when a second man is found dead, and a prominent local woman is nearly killed in a hit-and-run, the mystery takes an even darker turn.
With the winter break coming to an end, the Queen and her trusted assistant Rozie must race to discover how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Or the next victim may be found even closer to home.
Agatha Christie meets The Crown in MURDER MOST ROYAL, the much-anticipated third book in the ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ mystery series by SJ Bennett – for fans of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin.
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PRAISE FOR THE ‘HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN INVESTIGATES’ SERIES:
‘A witty whodunit starring our very own HM The Queen as an amateur sleuth’ – GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
‘A pitch-perfect murder mystery’ – Ruth Ware
‘Written with wit and brio’ – Daily Express
‘Miss Marple with a crown’ – Daily Mirror
‘Absolute perfection!’ – Isabelle Broom
‘Delightfully charming’ – Adele Parks
‘Pure confection’ – New York Times
‘Warm & witty’ – Woman&Home
‘A delightful read’ – BBC Radio 2
‘I loved it’ – Joanne Harris
‘A total joy’ – Nina Stibbe
‘Charming’ – Guardian
‘What a hoot!’ – Saga
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Additional information
| Publisher | Zaffre (10 Nov. 2022) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2448 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 300 pages |
by Beached Baleine
I had this on pre-order, having enjoyed the first two books in the series so much.
It is well written, with none of the grammatical and punctuation mistakes which so often litter new books these days. Happily, it is set at Christmas 2016 and New Year 2017, so there is time for a few more stories about H.M. the Sleuthing Monarch (indeed, the next one can already be pre-ordered). It is witty, with a family Christmas get-together and humorous comments very much as one might have expected from, for example, Prince Philip or Princess Anne. The first book was set at Windsor Castle and the second at Buckingham Palace; here we discover Sandringham House, the royal stud and the horses, the pigeon loft and the shooting parties.
I was disappointed that Rozie seemed less involved in the story this time, but, as it all hinged on an old aristocratic family known to the Queen, I suppose this was inevitable. The Chief Constable made me laugh by his perspicacity at the end with regards to Rozie.
A good fun read. I shall be putting in my order for n°4.
by lexie2
This is a series I’ve been quite excited about, but in this book we’re missing much of the Rozie sparkle. The Queen has been portrayed engagingly in the two previous mysteries, but she plays such a behind-the-scenes role (not wanting to be recognized as the sleuth) that we’ve needed Rozie to do the heavy lifting. And Rozie has carried the books along. With Rozie missing to a large extent in MURDER MOST ROYAL, the story becomes slow and somewhat ponderous. No sparkle. It worries me alot that the next book is set in 1957, so no Rozie at all! Can the series survive?
by Karen
The Queen – what a sleuth! Would have liked much more time with Rosie though. Solving the mystery of a Lord’s severed hand. But poignant that the queen is no longer with us.
by Gracie
Can just picture her majesty and Prince Phillip, etc.
by Jim J-R
The third Her Majesty The Queen Investigates novel takes us to overwinter at Sandringham, where another mystery awaits.
It’s strangely bittersweet, reading this in the week of the coronation. It’s another delightful and incredibly respectfully put together tale, and very much a price of fun to imagine that this is one of the late Queen’s activities.
I didn’t feel quite so hooked as with the first two novels, but then I also had a theory in my head which was not proved correct by the eventual reveal.
I’m very happy though to continue reading these cosy novels, and am intrigued to see how they will play out going back in time to earlier in the Queen’s life.
by Islander
Fits in well with the other two books in the series and I have enjoyed reading it. Started a little slower than the last too but catches up towards the end. It probably fits in with the location of the story.
by happy
What a fun story! An “insight” into the world of royals?
by JoJo
I didn’t find this one as enjoyable for some reason. Possibly my frame of mind and nothing to do with the book itself! There was a lot to take in at the start with loads of characters and complex family relationships.
Trying to manage all the strands of the story seemed to result in so many pages of lengthy explanations that took you away from the plot and messed with the pace of the book.
Still a good whodunit, just not in the I couldn’t put it down category for me. I did put it down often. And almost didn’t bother finishing it once I knew who had done it.