1957, England. Young Queen Elizabeth II is finding her way in postwar Europe, trying to repair friendships with foreign governments. Advised by her father’s old courtiers, the Queen suspects that they may not have her best interests at heart. One of them is trying to sabotage her public appearances: that much she is sure of.
When two bodies turn up in Chelsea, the Queen finds herself unwillingly used as the alibi for somebody very close to her. With the reputation of the monarchy at stake, Elizabeth knows she can’t face these challenges alone. She needs support from someone she can trust. Therefore, she enlists the help of an ex-code breaker, Joan McGraw, to uncover the truth.
But as Elizabeth and Joan are uncovering secrets from the past, the clock is ticking, and they are in more danger than they know.
Release Date: Jan 21, 2025
Series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates
Book: 4
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Price: $14.99
This is the fourth book in the Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. I’ve only read one other, but this would work well as a standalone because it takes a step back in time to 1957 for this story, while the prior books in the series took place much later in her monarchy. In A Death in Diamonds, Queen Elizabeth has a keen interest in the case of a young woman wearing a diamond tiara and an older man brutally killed in a house just a mile from the palace. Elizabeth is very busy with several post-WWII official royal visits around the world, but can’t get this investigation out of her mind.
I love seeing young Elizabeth finding her way to be the best leader she can be, balancing that in her life as a wife and mother. The story does a great job of blending actual historical events with fictional ones. While reading the book, I was moved to do some additional research of my own to read more about Elizabeth’s visit to the United States, and it was fun seeing the photos of the real visit that are described as part of this story. Queen Elizabeth wasn’t actually an amateur sleuth, but the author does a great job of making you think she could have been!
This book introduces a delightful new character to the series. Joan McGraw moves up from being one of the typists to the assistant private secretary to the Queen. Joan gains new confidence as she becomes a trusted confidant for Elizabeth, helping her investigate a sensitive matter that could be tied to the murders. The scenes with Joan or Elizabeth investigating are fun to read. There is a detective officially assigned to the case, but the chapters told from his point of view move more slowly and didn’t hold my interest as much. The pace of the story really picks up towards the end, and I was eager to find out all the details of who was behind the murders. I don’t know if future books will remain in this timeframe or not, but if so, I would enjoy spending more time with Joan and Elizabeth.
~ Christine
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