"Murder Most Royal" by S.J. Bennett

After completing several current and near-future book club obligations, I eagerly dived into something for pure personal pleasure: "Murder Most Royal" by S.J. Bennett -- the third in her series of "cozy" mysteries, "The Queen Investigates." 

I've read and enjoyed the previous two volumes -- "The Windsor Knot" and "All the Queen's Men" -- also called "A Three-Dog Problem" -- and reviewed them here and here, respectively.  I read "The Windsor Knot" just after Prince Philip's death in the spring of 2021, which made his presence in that book, as well as the second (and this one), rather poignant (I found myself reaching for kleenex at the end of book #2, as well as this one). This volume, of course, arrived (in North America, anyway) in September, a year after Her Majesty's own death at the age of 96.  It is dedicated to her.  

It's Christmastime 2016 -- post-Brexit election, but pre-Megxit ;)  -- and (most of) the extended royal family is gathering at Sandringham in the Norfolk countryside for their traditional holiday festivities -- which are overshadowed when a severed hand washes ashore on a nearby beach. There's a signet ring on one of the fingers, which the 90-year-old Queen instantly identifies as belonging to one of her neighbours, Ned St. Cyr, who was recently reported missing. With the help of her loyal assistant private secretary, Rozie, the Queen is on the case! 

Once again, this was a fast, easy read -- and highly enjoyable, especially if you have any interest in or knowledge of the royal family. (Bennett clearly does.)  I can't imagine the Queen would have approved of a novel about her family, in principle -- but I suspect she might have secretly enjoyed the affectionate and thoroughly human portrait Bennett paints here (and in her other books). We get to see and hear a little more from the other royals this time around, too, which was fun. I did find myself wishing for a "cast of characters" list at the front, as it took me a while to get it straight as to who was who and how they were related -- not so much the royals, but the staff and neighbours. But it's a small quibble. 

Happily, Bennett is continuing the series: on her website, she explains "[Now] I intend to go back in time, to insert more mysteries into the Queen’s long life. Her detecting adventures aren’t over yet."  Volume #4, "A Death in Diamonds," set in 1957, is scheduled for publication in February 2024.  (An excerpt was included in my edition of this book.)   :) 

4 stars.

This was Book #41 read to date in 2023 (and Book #1 finished in November), bringing me to 91% of my 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 4 books ahead of schedule. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2023 tagged as "2023 books."