⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars

Murder Most Royal -SJ Bennett.

This book follows the queen faces with yet another crime on her doorstep which she and her secretary Rozie have to investigate when they find a severed hand near the Sandringham estate.

I started this series as a mystery series featuring the queen sounded right up my street. It seems very strange now though that I started this series on the jubilee weekend celebrating the queen and am now reading the latest instalment after her death.

This was probably my favourite book out of the series, this book actually featured the queen investigating more than the others whereas previous books it’s felt more like Rozie was the investigator with some input from the Queen.

I also love Prince Philip’s character in this and his views on the different topics as this book is set in 2016/2017 with Brexit and Trump becoming president playing out in the background.

This is part of a series and although it can be read as a standalone, you would really miss out on getting to know the main characters as it’s expected that you do already know who they are and what they’re story previously has been.

If you’re a fan of cozy crime, I really recommend this, good witty characters with a good mystery.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for gifting me a copy of this book for review.

December 2016. The Queen and Prince Philip arrive at Sandingham for their Christmas break, only to be told that a severed hand has been found, washed up on a beach near the estate.

The Queen, who has a knack for solving crimes, vows not to get involved. It's Christmas and both she and Philip have terrible colds. But when she recognised the signet ring as old family friend, Edward St Cyr, the Queen realises that she might have to get involved after all. Plus, when she heard that a local woman has been a terrible victim of a hit and run, and a local man drowned while open water swimming, the Queen can't help but feel that these are all connected in some way...

Before I go further, I do want to say something very quickly. This book does follow Queen Elizabeth II in 2018 and this is published within a few months after her death. Even the author admits that she was doing her first rounds of editing during the Queen's Jubilee celebration and submit them to her publishers on the same day as Her Majesty's death, which makes this book more poignant for the author and many readers.

I knew this when I went into this, and I did have a weird moment at the start, but this didn't affect my experience. I have really enjoyed the series so far and this instalment was no exception. In fact, I think I liked it a tad more than the rest. I mean, murder, Christmas and the Queen - what's not to like.

I do admit that this is a cosy murder mystery so this might not work for some readers. But I think if you are a fan of the Thursday Murder Club, this should be right up your street. It was fun and entertaining (exactly what I look for in a cosy crime novel). I do think it helped that I listened to the audiobook, read by Samatha Bond, which was an added pleasure. I think I'll have go to my local library and get the audiobooks out so it might help me past the time till book 4, A Death in Diamonds, comes out in February 2024 (this story looks at an younger Queen Elizabeth solving a crime in 1957, which adds a nice layer to the series).

I am going to admit that this series won't be everyone's cup of tea. I think I said this when I read the first and second in the series - The Windsor Knot and The Three Dog Problem. You have to enjoy the lightness of this sub-genre and, because I do, I had a lovely time. But if you like your crime a tad darker/gritter, this might not be the series for you.

This might not be everyone's tea, but I am having fun with these characters and I do plan to revisit them in 2023...

I absolutely love this series and the third installment is no different. Comforting and intriguing in equal measure. Thoroughly enjoyed the narrator, great to listen to.

Narrated by Samantha Bond is what first drew me to this series and she did not disappoint. She has the skill to really set the scene at Sandringham with the different characters being very distinct. The narration is what will keep you wanting to look for further books in this series and l recommend going down that route. Rosie the Queen’s assistant is one of the stand out characters and she takes on a majority of the Queen’s legwork. When a hand is found on the beach it’s the Queen who remembers by the ring she knows this victim. The Queen as Miss
Marple is the main spark of this series.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, Bonnier UK Audio and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The third instalment of the cosy crime series where The Queen investigates murders was just as fun as the first 2.
This time around a severed hand washes up on the beach near Sandringham and Queen Elizabeth recognises the hand as being a friend of the family.
Cue Rosie the Queens assistant bring dragged into another investigation and it meant for a amusing time

Well this is an absolutely brilliant book! This series just seems to be getting better and better. Having the Queen as a Sherlock Holmes type detective is such a tribute to her late majesty. This left me guessing until the very end.

Murder Most Royal was my first SJ Bennett read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It is set over the Royal Family’s Christmas and New Year holidays at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk at the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017.

A dismembered hand is found on a beach close to Sandringham, the Queen manages to identify the victim (Edward St Cyr) by the signet ring. Edward St Cyr had been a frequent visitor to Sandringham. The Queen being the Queen can’t be seen to be getting too involved and overtly investigating, but by directing her personal protection officer to investigate and report back - the Queen gets to the bottom of things!

I found the world of Sandringham, the Estate Workers, the local villagers, neighbouring landed gentry a fascinating eco-system. It was interesting to see how the Queen was so plugged in to the eco-system and knew the estate workers, the local members of the Women’s Institute, etc. It really felt like the Queen loved Sandringham. I think it’s clear that SJ Bennett has great affection for the Royal Family and has researched all the information in the public domain about the Royals and weaved it into the book.

The book is narrated by the brilliant Samantha Bond. May she long continue to narrate the upcoming SJ Bennett books. I loved the bonus chapter at the end of the book of the upcoming book, Death in Diamonds.

Huge thanks to the publishers, Bonnier UK Audio, and NetGalley for making this audio-ARC available in exchange for a fair and honest review.

As with SJ Bennett's first two books in the series in which Queen Elizabeth II has now been established as a more than capable, below the radar, sleuth, solving intricate mysteries with the aid of her trusted assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, I listened to this one on audio, nine and half hours long, and narrated by the wonderful actor, Samantha Bond. Bond does a warm and stellar job in immersing the listener into the royal household and family at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk during the festive season. The Queen and Philip arrive not in the best of health, looking forward to spending Christmas with the family, including the grandchildren and great grandchildren, although William and Kate are not there, choosing to spend it instead with Kate's family. There is banter and fun as the intimate side of a royal family at Christmas, that endeavours to keep these aspects of their lives private, is detailed.

Close by, on a Norfolk beach, a severed hand in a plastic bag washes up on the beach. The police are seeking to identify the victim, but it is the Queen who identifies the 70 year old victim from the signet ring as a well known member of the aristocracy, Edward St Cyr, who as a boy was a frequent visitor to Sandringham. As the police investigate, hunting for the rest of his body, and looking into his life, movements and family, they struggle to make any headway. When another man is discovered dead and a local woman is almost killed in a hit and run, the Queen feels obliged to become involved in what turns out to be her most twisted and challenging inquiry yet and which brings danger far too close to home. Family history, secrets, deceptions and lies are slowly uncovered with a Queen determined to get to the truth, irrespective of the obstacles in her path.

Bennett does a terrific job in imagining the members of the royal family, their lives and the dynamics of their relationships with each other at Christmas. As time has gone on, we see developments in the relationship between Rozie and the Queen, Rozie has become far more confident in expressing herself when she disagrees or views matters differently from the Queen, something the monarch is more than happy to see. There is plenty of charm and wit in this series, the author has managed to establish a successful crime series where the central protagonist is none other than the reigning Queen, a wise and astute woman, perfectly comfortable in the role of solving complex mysteries. The audio is a great way to become acquainted with the series, it is a captivating listen that I think many others will like too. Many thanks to netgalley for the audio.

Read this novel before listening to the audio book. So pleased to say narration really good and nice to enjoy this book in another format.

The fantastic third book in the cosy crime series: The Queen Investigates has arrived and it is wonderfully entertaining. Whilst it is fun to read all three stories, it isn't necessary to have read the first two books before joining in this one. With this book coming in the same year that has seen our beloved Queen pass, it is a lovely tribute. Set at Sandringham, events spark when a severed hand is found on the estate bearing the ring of the St Cyr family. The Queen instantly recognises that hand as belonging to family friend Edward St Cyr. With a long line of enemies, tracking down the murderer may prove difficult. Christmas is approaching and it is fun to see the interactions of the family members. The atmosphere soon turns more ominous when a second body surfaces and a prominent local lady is almost killed in a hit and run. The Queen is practically an expert in criminal investigation now and with her faithful servant Rozie tracks down the clues to solve the mystery before the murderer encroaches any closer to her her family. A fun and entertaining story, which is narrated beautifully by Samantha Bond. She depicts the Queen qith such humour and intelligence. A superb audiobook #murdermostroyal #sjbennett

S.J. Bennett has done it again, with a fitting tribute to our late Queen. The plot of 'Murder Most Royal' is both gripping and believable, with enough twists and turns to have you guessing until the last pages. The characters and settings are very well written, so much so, it almost seemed as if I were a 'fly on the wall'.

Samantha Bond was an excellent choice of narrator. Her reading is smooth, but with suitable changes in pace and tone to match the text and keep the listener engaged. The range of accents Ms Bond employs are subtle, however they are appropriate and not at all cringeworthy!

In summary, this is a fantastic third outing for Her Majesty. I cannot wait to travel back to 1957 with the young queen, as she unravels her fourth mystery - 'A Death in Diamonds'.

She's done it again! What a fantastic novel, As per usual I loved every second of it and could not work out how all the pieces came together but when they did I was so impressed by all the little nuggets sprinkled through the novel that I missed. A great mystery as always.

My thanks to Net Galley and Bonnier UK for allowing me to listen to.this delightful and charming audio.

This is the 3rd book in this series and I hope to read more. Queen Elizabeth is back again solving another crime when a severed hand is found on a beach near one of her residence and someone she knows was involved in a hit and run. I loved how she was the detective. Highly recommend. Great narrator.

This was great!
I read this book last week and was delighted to find it on audio so soon. Samantha Bond is a wonderful narrator and really brings the characters to life. I still love the idea of our Queen solving murders and seeing her as a lady, not as a monarch. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Unfortunately I have been unable to download this title. I wish that were not true. I very much enjoyed the two earlier titles by this author. Stars based on other books by the author.

I really love these audio books because I want to believe the Queen was secretly going around a solving crimes but must admit listening to this one did make me a little sad now that the Queen is here. This audio for a short time made me smile and forget which is all you can ask for in a book and this new crime caper did not disappoint.

These books are so heartwarming. I loved the first two and couldn’t wait to read the third. I think that having sadly lost the Queen this year made this book even more special. The way the author depicts the Queen as this sassy, intelligent, crime solver is so endearing. It’s so clever how the other members of the royal family are referred to and bits of the family in-jokes are also added in. The actually murder mystery is woven in to the royal family life and sort of plays a minor part in the whole book. But, as the other two books, you don’t see the ending coming and the whole plot is quite cleverly complex.
An all round entertaining read. I loved it so much that after I read it as a real book I listened to it as an audiobook- honestly it was so much better than reading it myself. I love the way the narrator did special voices for all the character. It’s fab!

I love this book, and the two before it.
It’s a great story, full of suspense and twists. It’s a familiar setting for ma as it’s near to where I live so it made it even more enjoyable

My thanks to Bonnier U.K. Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘Murder Most Royal’ by S.J. Bennett. The audiobook is narrated by Samantha Bond.

This is Book 3 in Bennett’s Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series of cosy mysteries. The recent death of Queen Elizabeth II gives it a certain poignancy and the novel is dedicated to her.

I read both of the earlier books, ‘The Windsor Knot’ and ‘A Three Dog Problem’, and have enjoyed both.

So a few plot details: It’s December 2016 and a via severed hand is found washed up on a beach next to the Queen's Sandringham estate in Norfolk. Given that Queen Elizabeth (aka The Boss) is accomplished in discreetly solving murders, she quickly identifies the victim from his distinctive signet ring as 70-year-old Edward St Cyr. Yet identifying his killer is not so straightforward, especially as there is no trace of his body.

St Cyr has led an unconventional, often controversial life, and amassed many enemies providing plenty of suspects. Then a second man is found dead. As the royal family’s Christmas break continues, the Queen and her trusted assistant, Rozie, investigate, nudging the police along when necessary. No further details to avoid spoilers.

‘Murder Most Royal’ was slightly different to the first two books in the series as rather than quietly instructing Rozie, the Queen takes on a more active role in the investigation. Partially this is due to The Boss being on break and away from her royal duties and also because St. Cyr and his family, along with many of the suspects, are well known to the Windsors, as friends and/or neighbours.

Bennett describes herself as a royal watcher and clearly seeks to be as accurate as possible in her depiction of the daily routines of Court as well as behind the scenes. She also gets in a few jabs at the British tabloid press and their obsession with the Royal Family as well as political events of 2016 such as Brexit and Teresa May’s cuddling up to the newly elected USA president.

With respect to the audiobook, Samantha Bond is a well known British actor, with a career on stage and in film and television. She has also narrated a number of audiobooks, including the previous two in this series. I appreciate this kind of continuity in narrators. Her smooth, rich voice is always a pleasure to listen to.

The audiobook also contains an exclusive extract from Book 4: ‘A Death in Diamonds’, which appears to be set in 1957. Whether this is the primary setting or a teaser from the past, myself and other fans of this series will have to wait and see. I know that I shall be looking forward to its publication, currently listed as February 2024.

Overall, an excellent series that is going from strength to strength. It’s bound to be a popular Christmas read.