A Death in Diamonds by S.J. Bennett
That exalted amateur sleuth Queen Elizabeth II returns in S.J. Bennett’s novel, A Death in Diamonds. Unlike Bennett’s earlier novels, which feature an elderly queen, in this fourth mystery, QEII is a young monarch, mother of two, and doting wife.
It is 1957, four years since her coronation, and England struggles to find its way in the post- WWII, post-empire world. Recognizing that the young monarch is a popular emissary, the queen’s advisers arrange several international tours for her and Prince Phillip. But a few potentially embarrassing incidents suggest that someone is trying to sabotage the queen’s agenda. Furthermore, two gruesome murders in Chelsea are loosely connected to the royal household. The queen is slightly alarmed and more than a little curious.
Because the queen cannot be directly involved in any investigation, she recruits ex-Bletchley Park operative Joan McGraw, who is languishing in the palace typing pool.
The pace of the novel is a bit slow and the “suspense” modest, but the portraits of the Queen Mum, Princess Margaret, the “men in moustaches” and the daily life in Buckingham Palace are entertaining.
For more aristocratic sleuths, I recommend the following:
- Lady Georgiana Rannoch, Her Royal Spyness Mysteries by Rhys Bowen
- Sir Charles Lenox, Charles Lenox Mysteries by Charles Finch
- Thomas Lynley (a/k/a Earl Asherton), Inspector Lynley novels by Elizabeth George
- Melrose Plant (a/k/a Lord Ardry), Richard Jury Mysteries by Martha Grimes
- Lady Emily Ashton, Lady Emily Mysteries by Tasha Alexander