A Russian pianist is found dead at Windsor castle after a dine and sleep event. It originally appears to be a tragic accident of misadventure so it is put to the press that he had a heart condition, but MI5 now think he may have been murdered by a Russian spy embedded in the Queen's staff.
The Queen however has been doing detective work secretly for years and thinks that this idea is preposterous. She enlists the help of her new assistant Rozie to investigate and ensure that the real killer is brought to justice and her staff are no longer suspects.
The story is really good, I enjoyed the woven tale with all the different interactions between the guests at the event and their background stories and potential motives. The Queen's "character" is charming and likeable and Prince Phillip is a welcome amusing minor character. The references to real events eg Princess Anne's attempted kidnapping help to make the story seem real (who knows maybe it is? I like the thought that The Queen is a detective)!
Overall I enjoyed it, the story was good, the characters believable. My only issue is I did find it difficult to read. I don't know if it's the way it is written or perhaps I've just found it hard to concentrate with the current climate, but it did take me a much longer time to finish than usual. It is the first in a series of Her Majesty the Queen Investigates and, although I probably wouldn't buy the sequel on publication, I would like to take a look at it in the future.
The Queen however has been doing detective work secretly for years and thinks that this idea is preposterous. She enlists the help of her new assistant Rozie to investigate and ensure that the real killer is brought to justice and her staff are no longer suspects.
The story is really good, I enjoyed the woven tale with all the different interactions between the guests at the event and their background stories and potential motives. The Queen's "character" is charming and likeable and Prince Phillip is a welcome amusing minor character. The references to real events eg Princess Anne's attempted kidnapping help to make the story seem real (who knows maybe it is? I like the thought that The Queen is a detective)!
Overall I enjoyed it, the story was good, the characters believable. My only issue is I did find it difficult to read. I don't know if it's the way it is written or perhaps I've just found it hard to concentrate with the current climate, but it did take me a much longer time to finish than usual. It is the first in a series of Her Majesty the Queen Investigates and, although I probably wouldn't buy the sequel on publication, I would like to take a look at it in the future.