A Three Dog Problem: The Queen investigates a murder at Buckingham Palace
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By S.J. Bennett
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2 reviews
The delightfully clever mystery in which Queen Elizabeth II secretly solves a murder at Buckingham Palace – perfect for fans of The Crown and The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
‘A witty whodunit starring our very own HM The Queen as an amateur sleuth’ – GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Queen Elizabeth II is having a royal nightmare.
A referendum divides the nation, a tumultuous election grips the United States – and the body of a staff member is found dead beside Buckingham Palace swimming pool.
Is it a tragic accident, as the police think? Or is something more sinister going on?
As Her Majesty looks for answers, her trusted assistant, Rozie, is on the trail of a treasured painting that once hung outside the Queen’s bedroom.
But when Rozie receives a threatening anonymous letter, Elizabeth knows dark forces are at work – and far too close to home. After all, though the staff and public may not realise it, she is the keenest sleuth among them. Sometimes, it takes a Queen’s eye to see connections where no one else can . . .
Agatha Christie meets The Crown in A THREE DOG PROBLEM, the much-anticipated second book in the ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ mystery series by SJ Bennett – for fans of The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin.
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PRAISE FOR THE ‘HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN INVESTIGATES’ SERIES:
‘A pitch-perfect murder mystery’ – Ruth Ware
‘A witty whodunnit’ – Good Housekeeping
‘Written with wit and brio’ – Daily Express
‘Miss Marple with a crown’ – Daily Mirror
‘Absolute perfection!’ – Isabelle Broom
‘Delightfully charming’ – Adele Parks
‘Pure confection’ – New York Times
‘Warm & witty’ – Woman&Home
‘A delightful read’ – BBC Radio 2
‘I loved it’ – Joanne Harris
‘A total joy’ – Nina Stibbe
‘Charming’ – Guardian
‘What a hoot!’ – Saga
Reviews
I enjoyed this book, in many ways a classic murder mystery but with a quirky twist- with the queen being the detective. With her eye for detail, the queen makes a good detective, and we get some fascinating insights into what the royal world might be like along the way. There are some moments I found touching and sometimes witty, which emphasise the queen’s humanity, such as when she hides in a cupboard reminiscing over smells of childhood. Another time she googles herself to find out where she travelled to in a particular year. One aspect I found fascinating was that, unlike traditional fictional detectives, who are often keen to take all the credit and accolades for their successful deductions, the queen seems to think it best to distance herself from her investigations, so has to cleverly coordinate things so that others think that they have worked things out for themselves, when they have been slyly led in a certain direction.
There are a lot of credible and complex characters in this book, perhaps at times a few too many to easily keep track of, but the plot unfolds well with some exciting moments and discoveries along the way. This is the second book in the series, so perhaps I should have started with the first one to achieve greater understanding. I am intrigued to read more in the series though, particularly with the implication that the queen has been investigating mysteries throughout her reign, which should make for some intriguing historical books, as well as adding longevity to the series.
I enjoyed this very much. As a Sherlock Holmes fan I was tickled by the title; Sherlock Holmes's trickiest cases were three pipe problems and I loved the idea of the queen taking her 3 dogs for a walk to help her ponder over the murder at the palace.
I liked how the author portrays her characters, Rosie in particular: we learn more about her bit by bit as the story develops and new details are revealed. I admired how determined and courageous she is and v human.
I also enjoyed the queen in the story and the background of how the palace is run. It made me appreciate what a huge organisation it is and how hard the queen works. I liked the little insights into the queen's feelings such as being irritated when people told her everything was under control.
I found the plot satisfying and will be reading the first in the series.
