The Queen as sleuth (II)

C C Benison wrote a short series featuring the Queen and one of her maids as sleuths back in 1996-1998:

• Death At Buckingham Palace	1996	1
• Death At Sandringham House	1997	2
• Death At Windsor Castle	1998	3

and the Queen is back again as a sleuth in this newly announced series from S J Bennett.

From The Bookseller:

Zaffre has pre-empted a series of books by S J Bennett starring Queen Elizabeth II as a secret amateur detective who solves crimes between royal duties.

Publishing director of the Bonnier Books UK imprint, Ben Willis, scooped UK and Commonwealth rights for five books in the Her Majesty Investigates series in a “major” deal with Charlie Campbell at Kingsford Campbell. First book The Windsor Knot will be published in hardback and e-book in early 2021.

Its synopsis explains: “When a man is found hanged in an apparent suicide in one of Windsor Castle’s guest bedrooms during a ‘Dine and Sleep’ event, the Queen secretly investigates the suspicious death. Set during the run-up to the Queen’s 90th birthday, it combines a rich cast of characters–including cameos from Prince Phillip, David Attenborough, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Obamas–with a witty and brilliantly researched portrait of royal daily life.”

Bennett’s second book in the series, currently untitled, will be set at Buckingham Palace, while her third will play out at the Queen’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Royal Crime

Some topical titles:

This is the first in a three book series which has the Queen assisting in investigations and was published in 1996.

The first in a series in which Her Majesty The Queen, with the help of housemaid, Jane Bee, investigates some mysterious murders at the royal residence. Jane believes her friend, Robin Tukes, a palace footman has been murdered - and so does a VIP who asks Jane to help her investigate.


This one's a bit older, coming out in 1981 and according to wikipedia: "purports to tell the story of a hushed-up murder in the Royal residence in 1935. Despite its including 'documentary' photographs, there is no external evidence that the book is anything but pure fiction."