The Windsor Knot: A Novel

The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett takes us back to April of 2016 in London where Queen Elizabeth II hosted a soiree the night before at Windsor Castle. Her Majesty was stunned when she was informed that the pianist was found dead in his room and the details are quite salacious. At first blush it looked like an accidental death, but it is soon discovered that the musician was murdered. When the police begin looking at the household staff, Queen Elizabeth feels she must do something to assist. What most people do not know is that Queen Elizabeth has a flair for solving mysteries. It is a secret that Queen Elizabeth would like kept. Her Majesty sets out to learn who killed the musician without anyone being the wiser. The synopsis for The Windsor Knot had me excited. I thought the author captured Windsor Castle, the staff, and how a royal household is run (especially the number of staff it takes to run the large household). She also captured Queen Elizabeth (or how I imagine her) with her concerns for her royal duties, her dry wit, her keen intelligence, and her formal manner of speech. I thought the story, though, lacked depth and I did not like the way the book started. The book begins after the pianist has died. I felt the story should have begun before the party and led up to his death. It would have provided the tale with a better flow. The mystery was interesting. It was thought out and unique. It was clever how the crime was pulled off. I enjoyed solving this whodunit. However, I felt that the mystery was not at the forefront of the book. It gets pushed aside for Queen Elizabeth’s duties and engagements. The Windsor Knot has an intriguing and original premise (Queen Elizabeth as a sleuth). I just felt the book missed the mark. I would like the focus to be on Queen Elizabeth solving the mystery instead of her royal duties. The story also needed more action to spice up the pacing. I enjoyed the interesting facts about Windsor Castle and the royal family. The Windsor Knot will appeal to anglophiles and those who enjoy gently paced cozy mysteries.