All the Queen's Men (Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, 3)

Product Information

During the summer of 2016, the Queen has urgent duties to take care of. They include inspecting the elections in the states, meeting the new prime minister, and recovering a painting she adored that turned up in the wrong hands. It's annoying as I can't figure it out and I think I am going to continue with this series. I have plans to read book 3 when it comes out next year, so why do I feel the way I do with Three Dog Problem? Queen Elizabeth is an amazing lady concerned about other people’s welfare and is always determined to uphold the dignity of the monarchy. The Windsor Knot is a creative novel where Queen Elizabeth II is delighted in solving the crimes that had happened under her watch. Am going to honest with you, dear reader: I am not entirely sure where I sit on this. I like this, but up to a point. There's several things that make me stop from enjoying this as much as I did with Windsor Knot, and the worst part is that I can't exactly put my finger on what the problem is. The Windsor Knot is the debut in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series. Queen Elizabeth II is preparing to celebrate her 90th birthday and is looking forward to all the festivities. After hosting a dine and sleep party at Windsor Castle during spring, she wakes to the news that a guest was found dead.

Goodreads A Three Dog Problem by S.J. Bennett | Goodreads

I felt sympathy for the Queen and liked the often whimsical reflections that Bennett has us being party to. I felt sad for the Queen having fewer companions left to reminisce about old times with. (I love the interplay between the Queen and Prince Philip BTW). The second book in this series, once again, features Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II secretly solving crimes with the assistance of her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi. Best Supporting Male Role: cheekily outspoken, tongue-in-cheek Prince Philip whose lines and parts are always scene-stealers. I was taken with The Windsor Knot earlier this year and put a hold on this second book quite soon after finishing it. Others have obviously also been charmed by S.J. Bennett's version of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, as I had to wait quite a while to get my turn at it. The Queen with the help of her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi investigates the mystery behind the painting's disappearance which leads to the discovery of the Breakages Business. Threatening letters start arriving anonymously targeting the Palace staff. With the death of the housekeeper, the issue escalates and the Queen once again sets out to find the murderer.

Something is broken in the palace and it’s up to the Queen and her private secretary, Rozie Oshodi to fix it. There are three mysteries put forward: a painting of the Queen's that has gone missing and found in the Navy's offices; a nasty series of poison pen letters that are making work life in the palace tense and unhappy; and the death of a housekeeper which is deemed an accident. But is it? Bennett braids all three together to give the reader (and the Queen) a great deal to think about. At the same time, Rozie learns that her friend Mary van Renen, secretary to one of the Queen's advisors, is quitting her job because of nasty poison pen letters. Other women have also received vicious missives, including a royal housekeeper named Cynthia Harris and Rozie herself.

Book Series In Order S.J. Bennett - Book Series In Order

When a body is found in the Palace swimming pool, she finds herself once again in the middle of an investigation which has more twists and turns than she could ever have suspected. With her trusted secretary Rozie by her side, the Queen is determined to solve the case. But will she be able to do it before the murderer strikes again? In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about. But when an oil painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia - first given to the Queen in the 1960s - shows up unexpectedly in a Royal Navy exhibition, she begins to realise that something is up. It is the Queen who presses the investigation and senses that something more fundamental may be amiss. This novel is primarily written from the perspectives of the Queen of England and Rozie Oshodi. Her Majesty needs no introduction. Oshodi is new to the Royal Staff. She joined as the Queen’s assistant private secretary a few months previous, after a short career in the army and then at a private bank. “She was still relatively young for the role, but so far had performed admirably, including—and perhaps especially—in the more unconventional aspects of it."All the Queen's Men doesn't have the revelations of the origin story in The Windsor Knot (2020) which had the extra charm of revealing the REAL Her Majesty's Secret Service, but I can't begrudge that. If anything, S.J. Bennett crafted an even more elaborate story here and again manages to fashion an ending where the Queen maneuvers her somewhat slower witted Palace staff chiefs, managers and police into thinking that they solved the crime on her behalf, when it was actually her hints and prodding that got them there. Simon Holcroft, Queen’s private secretary, tries as much as he can to keep her unaware of the latest discovery. However, Elizabeth is too smart to be fooled with half a story and insists on being given all the information. What Holcroft doesn’t know is that she has been solving cases since a young age. Queen Elizabeth's courtiers think she needs to be shielded from the real world, but Her Majesty shows her mettle again and again. I look forward to reading the further adventures of Rozie and the Queen. Drie maanden voor deze gebeurtenis zag de Queen één van haar favoriete schilderijen namelijk hangen op een tentoonstelling van maritieme kunst. Een ontdekking waar zij op zijn zachtst gezegd niet verheugd over was en ze wil haar schilderij terug, want het is haar zeer dierbaar. Ze gaf haar assistent-secretaris Rozie de opdracht om uit te zoeken hoe het schilderij daar was terechtgekomen en ervoor te zorgen dat het terugkwam waar het hoorde. Dat was echter makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan, want volgens het ministerie van Defensie is er sprake van een misverstand en móéten er twee versies van de Britannia bestaan. Maar de Queen herkent haar eigendommen toch zeker wel? A Three Dog Problem is an admirable follow on from The Windsor Knot. It's a fast-paced plot which is liberally littered with red-herrings and a dash of palace conspiracy. Bennett does well to pull off this pretty outlandish double mystery, and as usual, QEII comes out on top. Whilst your initial impressions of a monarch might not include solving crimes; this reigning monarch has a wonderful array of sleuthing abilities!

Books — SJ Bennett Books — SJ Bennett

Once again the Queen directs procedures from afar without letting on her involvement. All the while having to disguise from her various Secretaries what is happening. The prodding from behind the scenes, a word dropped here, a participle left hanging there. I began to find some of it quite annoying. All to placate the Queen’s Men, who occasionally needed to be jollied along, to have their egos soothed, even as their unfailing efforts to protect the Queen seemed to sometimes devolve into obstruction by default, to the point of rendering a situation unworkable. eProof gifted by UK publisher, Zaffre/Bonnier Books UK, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction*** I loved the humorous elements in the book such as Prince Philip’s petname for his wife being Cabbage, the idea of the Queen googling herself on her iPad to find out where she was on a particular date, and that she spent some of her time at Balmoral binge-watching Murder She Wrote. Rozie examines palace records, consults with past and present royal art curators, speaks to palace staff, and calls a Royal Navy vice admiral, but has trouble tracing the peregrinations of the Britannia painting. Unknown to most people, Queen Elizabeth is an amateur sleuth who's been solving mysteries since her father was on the throne.On top of all that, the Queen has seen her personal painting of the royal yacht Britannia, given to her by the artist in 1963, in an exhibit of maritime art in Portsmouth. Prior to Portsmouth, Her Majesty had last seen the painting decades ago, hanging outside her bedroom door, and she has no idea how or when it left her possession. Also, I wanted to include a link to The Royal Collection Trust, which is such a big part of A Three Dog Problem/All the Queen’s Men. Prince Phillip mentions in the book that there are over 7,000 paintings in the royal collection, and as you explore this link, you can see how much more there is besides that. Because Her Majesty is unable to run around looking for evidence, she makes Rozie Oshodi her deputy detective, and the duo investigate both Cynthia's death and the source of the poison pen letters. When the Queen and Rozie find clues, Queen Elizabeth subtly points the police and her inner circle of male advisors in the right direction. Thus the men think they're resolving cases, when it's really the Queen and Rozie. The staff doesn’t know that the Queen is one of the best detectives in the palace. She can see some fine details that no one else can notice. I am so pleased that this second book is continuing the success of the first. After an auspicious beginning to a series, the fate of that series is in a precarious position with the publication of book two. The series has that delightful wit that infuses just the right kind of humor and entertainment. And, I have to retract or clarify part of my statement made in the beginning of the review, as I indicated that this book and this series was pure pleasure reading for me and not one of imparting important messages. That is misleading. Although the book was a pleasure read for me, there is lots of learning to be had here and beyond. From the Royal operations and Royal offices of the Palace to the Queen’s daily schedules to the Baroque art of Artemisia Geniteschi, an Italian 17th century painter. And, if you’re like myself and many other readers I know, you will go down all the rabbit holes of those subjects, some of which I’ve provided links below. Also, the poison pen notes bring up racism and misogyny, as does the choice of the artist Artemisia Geniteschi whose paintings are featured. And, as the Queen is the main character, there is the overriding issue of how older or “old” people are dismissed in their contributions to or understandings of situations. The Queen certainly puts the falsehood of old meaning useless to rest.