The second installment in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, A Three Dog Problem is a unique take on the mystery and crime genre. The title is a play on the three pipe problem that Sherlock Holmes often encountered in Conan Doyle's stories.
Having never read the first, I was intrigued to find out more on this royal crime caper. The cover mis-lead me slightly: the drawing looks like Queen Victoria and I was expecting a mysterious romp through the streets of Victorian London.
The book has several narrative threads running through it which, at first, is a little off-putting and confusing. There are missing paintings, murdered bodies and every-day occurances like stolen Palace items which make it a little difficult to really follow the true crime of the murder.
After a while, however, the flow of the book does settle in to a steady rhythm and the Queen seems to rise above it all, as one would expect. I am no Royalist but the Queen is a sterling example, and I have read only one other book that features her as the protagonist (Alan Bennett's 'The Uncommon Reader') and I didn't feel the same kind of warmth and joy toward the Queen as I did there.
The mystery plods along and I didn't find it all too consuming, but I found it to be gentle but intriguing. From reading other reviews it seems the first book had a better depth of wit and humour about it, which I found to be lacking in this one.
It seems a fun little caper that is cosy, warm and not at all like the usual grim and dark realistic crime thrillers I tend to read. I wouldn't say the Queen is particularly fleshed out here, but it's a decent and quick read full of joy albeit coupled with murder.
Having never read the first, I was intrigued to find out more on this royal crime caper. The cover mis-lead me slightly: the drawing looks like Queen Victoria and I was expecting a mysterious romp through the streets of Victorian London.
The book has several narrative threads running through it which, at first, is a little off-putting and confusing. There are missing paintings, murdered bodies and every-day occurances like stolen Palace items which make it a little difficult to really follow the true crime of the murder.
After a while, however, the flow of the book does settle in to a steady rhythm and the Queen seems to rise above it all, as one would expect. I am no Royalist but the Queen is a sterling example, and I have read only one other book that features her as the protagonist (Alan Bennett's 'The Uncommon Reader') and I didn't feel the same kind of warmth and joy toward the Queen as I did there.
The mystery plods along and I didn't find it all too consuming, but I found it to be gentle but intriguing. From reading other reviews it seems the first book had a better depth of wit and humour about it, which I found to be lacking in this one.
It seems a fun little caper that is cosy, warm and not at all like the usual grim and dark realistic crime thrillers I tend to read. I wouldn't say the Queen is particularly fleshed out here, but it's a decent and quick read full of joy albeit coupled with murder.