A Three Dog Problem (Her Majesty the Queen Investigates… (2024)

This is the follow up to SJ Bennett's The Windsor Knot, the start of this series which is based on the premise that Queen Elizabeth II is a sleuth to be reckoned with, she has been solving mysteries for years, all below the radar. I listened to this light and entertaining mystery on audio, once again beautifully narrated by the terrific Samantha Bond, of 9 hours duration. It is 2016, in the wake of a troubling Brexit referendum which has divided the nation, the Queen is having to meet PM Teresa May with her kitten heels, and following the American elections in which Donald Trump becomes President. The last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about, but when an oil painting gifted by an Aussie artist of the Royal Yacht Britannia, given to the Queen in the 1960s and hung outside her bedroom, shows up unexpectedly in a Royal Navy exhibition in Portsmouth, she tasks her able and discreet assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, to investigate.

However, when Rozie struggles to get anywhere, the Queen, 'the Boss', knows something is terribly wrong. Matters are exacerbated when the dead body of an unpopular housekeeper, Cynthia Harris, is found in the Buckingham Palace swimming pool by a shocked Simon, the Queen's Private Secretary. Whilst the death is deemed to be an unfortunate accident, the Queen is not so convinced as she finds herself once again in the middle of an investigation which has more twists and turns than she could ever have possibly imagined. With her reliable secretary Rozie by her side, the Queen is confronted by more murder, the existence of a criminal breakages system that continues to operate in the present right under her nose, art fraud, and vicious poison pen letters.

It is the 3 male advisors and a police officer who are drip fed the relevant information to make it appear as if it is they who solve the crimes, and we learn at the end just why that painting was so important to the Queen and Rozie inherits a painting that makes her joyously happy if slightly guilty. This is a fun and engaging listen, I really appreciated how the Queen's character continues to be fleshed out, although there were occasions when I felt that perhaps the narrative was at times more complicated than it needed to be. To conclude, I can see many crime and mystery readers enjoying this addition to a wonderful series.

"All the Queen's Men" by S.J. Bennett is the second book in the series 'Her Majesty the Queen Investigates'!

It's 2016 in Britain and there's fallout from Brexit, a new female Prime Minister, and a newly elected POTUS to contend with. Her Majesty The Queen certainly has her hands full. On top of all that, things at Buckingham Palace are quickly become dire!

A staff member has been found dead beside the palace swimming pool. A favorite painting that hung outside QEII's bedroom door is missing. And now anonymous and threatening letters are mysteriously being distributed in the palace.

Those closest to QEII tell her all is under control. Her Majesty knows better!

The second book in this series, once again, features Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II secretly solving crimes with the assistance of her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi.

What I like best about this series is how it builds through the layering of characters, how it uses Buckingham Palace as another character, and how the Queen is so central to the story. She's “The Boss” after all! 👑

I listened to the audiobook narrated, once again, by Jane Copland and her familiar British accent added to my listening experience.

Another mystery solved by the two female-super-sleuth's from Buckingham Palace. I just love this Cozy Mystery series with the added touch of royal flair and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a third book!

She's back! There is a suspicious death at the palace pool. Queen Elizabeth once again expertly guides her APS Rozie to investigate with the skills of a lifelong diplomat. Wrapped up in the mystery is a missing painting of the beloved Britannia and a rash of poison pen letters. How will a poolside death, missing art, and nasty notes all intersect? S.J. Bennett does a great job bringing it all together, although it seems to meander a bit much at times. Possibly could have benefited from a bit more editing. Ultimately though, the Queen's men "solve" the case and proudly present Her Majesty with a report while the Queen and Rozie keep their secrets. My favorite part of this series is the glimpses into the relationship between Elizabeth and Philip. Since this book is set in 2016, we can enjoy the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh and the sweet ending of this book.

Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This review was first posted on Mystery and Suspense. Check it out for features, interviews, and reviews. https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/al...

In this sequel to The Windsor Knot, Queen Elizabeth is once again on the trail of a murderer.

It's Fall 2016 and Queen Elizabeth has a lot on her mind. Great Britain has voted for Brexit, the United States is conducting a presidential election, Prince Harry has a new girlfriend, Prince Phillip is planning to retire from public service, and Buckingham Palace - which is falling apart - is in the midst of an extensive and costly renovation program.

On top of all that, the Queen has seen her personal painting of the royal yacht Britannia, given to her by the artist in 1963, in an exhibit of maritime art in Portsmouth. Prior to Portsmouth, Her Majesty had last seen the painting decades ago, hanging outside her bedroom door, and she has no idea how or when it left her possession.

The Queen wants her painting back, and she asks her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi - an attractive, ex-army, Anglo-Nigerian woman who's clever and discreet - to find out how the artwork came to be in the hands of the Royal Navy.

Rozie examines palace records, consults with past and present royal art curators, speaks to palace staff, and calls a Royal Navy vice admiral, but has trouble tracing the peregrinations of the Britannia painting.

At the same time, Rozie learns that her friend Mary van Renen, secretary to one of the Queen's advisors, is quitting her job because of nasty poison pen letters. Other women have also received vicious missives, including a royal housekeeper named Cynthia Harris and Rozie herself.

Worse yet, the day after the Queen returns from a visit to Balmoral Palace in Scotland, housekeeper Cynthia Harris is found dead beside the Buckingham Palace swimming pool.

The police think Cynthia's demise is an accident, but Her Majesty isn't so sure, especially when she learns Cynthia was a spiteful shrew who'd been receiving menacing notes.

Unknown to most people, Queen Elizabeth is an amateur sleuth who's been solving mysteries since her father was on the throne.

Because Her Majesty is unable to run around looking for evidence, she makes Rozie Oshodi her deputy detective, and the duo investigate both Cynthia's death and the source of the poison pen letters. When the Queen and Rozie find clues, Queen Elizabeth subtly points the police and her inner circle of male advisors in the right direction. Thus the men think they're resolving cases, when it's really the Queen and Rozie.

During her inquiries, Rozie ventures into an underground tunnel system that connects royal palaces and learns of a 1980s scheme called the Breakages Business, which was carried out by some members of the Queen's staff.

The Breakages Business was about spiriting away and selling royal belongings that wouldn't be missed, like small gifts, plates, rugs, old draperies, half-used candles, tins of food, and so on - small things whose absence wouldn't be noticed.

Some gifts given to Queen Elizabeth

Since the 1980s, the royal accounting system has been tightened up, but Rozie and the Queen still fear theft may be connected with current crimes in Buckingham Palace.

In behind the scenes views of the royals we learn that Prince Phillip calls his wife Cabbage;

Prince Charles will trim 'the Firm' when he takes the throne;

duch*ess Camilla works with domestic violence charities;

Princess Anne is a stickler for punctuality;

and the Queen is a very busy woman. In addition to dealing with red boxes full of paperwork every day, Her Majesty sits for portraits and sculptures, has garment fittings, walks her dogs, visits friends and relatives, and binge watches Murder She Wrote.

Furthermore, the royal family entertains nearly a hundred thousand people each year, and every event is a major undertaking. For a banquet honoring the president of Colombia, for example, the dinner tables sport golden dessert stands and branching candelabras from the Grand Service, flowers from Colombia and Great Britain, and place settings that are measured with a ruler, to make sure the knives and forks are the correct distance from the edge of the table. Moreover the Queen wears the Victorian Suite diamonds and sapphires with matching tiara, to spread a little extra dazzle.

Queen Elizabeth's courtiers think she needs to be shielded from the real world, but Her Majesty shows her mettle again and again. I look forward to reading the further adventures of Rozie and the Queen.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

A Three Dog Problem (Her Majesty the Queen Investigates #2) by S.J. Bennett

Synopsis /

In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about. But when an oil painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia - first given to the Queen in the 1960s - shows up unexpectedly in a Royal Navy exhibition, she begins to realise that something is up.

When a body is found in the Palace swimming pool, she finds herself once again in the middle of an investigation which has more twists and turns than she could ever have suspected. With her trusted secretary Rozie by her side, the Queen is determined to solve the case. But will she be able to do it before the murderer strikes again?

My Thoughts /

Step aside Nancy Drew, 'cause QEII is in da house!

In this, the second book in the series, A Three Dog Problem, Her Majesty investigates the disappearance of a painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia which was gifted to her some decades earlier by Australian artist Vernon Hooker. And, soon after the paintings disappearance has been discovered, the body of a staff member is found beside the Palace swimming pool. And so begins this delightfully charming double plotted mystery.

With her nation seemingly divided over the result of the Brexit referendum, Her Majesty is now awaiting the outcome of the long and drawn-out US Presidential election result. And, as if all this post-Brexit referendum \ presidential election turmoil wasn’t enough for a Queen to concern herself with; it turns out there are more immediate concerns closer to home. Buckingham Palace requires major, expensive, upgrade works done. The wiring is substandard, pipes are leaking and problems are springing up everywhere!! (pun, a happy coincidence). But the Queen's woes don't end there, as she has just noticed that a painting that once hung outside her bedroom is now no longer there. The issue for the Queen is that she cannot remember giving any authorisations to move it. And yet, all of these things prove to be the least of her worries when, a staff member is found dead beside the palace swimming pool.

The Queen tasks her Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, with finding out how the painting made its way out of the royal collection and into the hands of the Admiralty, where it now hangs on display in a Royal Navy exhibition in Portsmouth.

Meanwhile, back at the pool….. In an effort to improve his overall fitness, Sir Simon decides on an early morning swim. Whilst he was prepared for the water to be cold, he wasn't prepared, at all, for finding the blood-soaked body of Cynthia Harris in the pool area. The long-time housekeeper, and a favourite of the Queen, Cynthia Harris was a rather unpopular member of the royal household amongst its staff. It appeared as though Mrs Harris slipped and fell; and during the fall punctured an artery near her ankle. Death occurred rather quickly afterwards. Talk about a Royal nightmare! The authorities are quick to determine that Mrs Harris' death was a tragic accident, but QEII is not so sure. She has had a feeling that something wasn’t quite right in the palace for a while now. Sometimes, it takes a Queen’s eye to see what no one else can.

A Three Dog Problem is an admirable follow on from The Windsor Knot. It's a fast-paced plot which is liberally littered with red-herrings and a dash of palace conspiracy. Bennett does well to pull off this pretty outlandish double mystery, and as usual, QEII comes out on top. Whilst your initial impressions of a monarch might not include solving crimes; this reigning monarch has a wonderful array of sleuthing abilities!

Best Supporting Female Role: Ex-Soldier, and the Queen's APS, Rozie Oshodi.
Best Supporting Male Role: cheekily outspoken, tongue-in-cheek Prince Philip whose lines and parts are always scene-stealers.
Best Supporting Four Legged Role: Candy, Vulcan. Woof. Woof.

Let's all cheer 'Long Live the Queen!'

I was taken with The Windsor Knot earlier this year and put a hold on this second book quite soon after finishing it. Others have obviously also been charmed by S.J. Bennett's version of HRH Queen Elizabeth II, as I had to wait quite a while to get my turn at it.

Bennett has created a wonderful cast of characters of courtiers and palace employees around Her Maj, and of course using the built in people too, with Prince Philip and Princess Anne playing roles here. The star of course is Rozie Oshodi, who becomes a more fully rounded person in this second book. We get to see her in her natural habitat when she visits her family and also see her desire for nice things when she goes to the Cotswolds one weekend to interview a former palace functionary.

There are three mysteries put forward: a painting of the Queen's that has gone missing and found in the Navy's offices; a nasty series of poison pen letters that are making work life in the palace tense and unhappy; and the death of a housekeeper which is deemed an accident. But is it? Bennett braids all three together to give the reader (and the Queen) a great deal to think about.

Once again, the Queen involves Rozie in her investigative process, much to Rozie's delight. She genuinely likes her Boss and is even willing to help arrange things so that, once again, the senior men in the household are convinced that they figured it all out. That takes a generosity that I don't think I have, to let someone else take credit for your ideas and footwork.

There is a third book coming out later in 2022 and I do hope my library will purchase it.

It all started with a missing painting.
“I’m here to trace a painting,” she explained. “One of Her Majesty’s. We know where it is, but not how it got there. It went missing a while ago.” “Stop!” Hudson raised his hand. “Stop right there. I can assure you it didn’t. We don’t lose things in the Royal Collection.” “I think you do,” Rozie said firmly, meeting his eye. “Sometimes.” “Very occasionally. Hardly ever. I resent the implication that we did.”"

This novel is primarily written from the perspectives of the Queen of England and Rozie Oshodi. Her Majesty needs no introduction. Oshodi is new to the Royal Staff. She joined as the Queen’s assistant private secretary a few months previous, after a short career in the army and then at a private bank. “She was still relatively young for the role, but so far had performed admirably, including—and perhaps especially—in the more unconventional aspects of it."

"“I spoke to the facilities manager at the naval base,” Rozie explained, “and he tells me it’s a case of mistaken identity. The artist must have painted more than one version of Britannia in Australia. This one was lent to the exhibition by the Second Sea Lord. There’s no plaque on it or anything. It’s from the Ministry of Defence’s collection and it’s been hanging in his office for years.” The Queen eyed her APS thoughtfully through her bifocals. “Has it? The last time I saw it was in the 1990s.” “Ma’am?” There was a belligerent glimmer behind the royal spectacles. “The Second Sea Lord doesn’t have another version. He has mine. In a different frame. And he’s had it for a long time, you now tell me.” “Ah . . . Yes. I see.” From the look on her face, it was clear that Rozie didn’t. “Go back and find out what’s going on, would you?” “Of course, ma’am.”"

The painting is a challenge successfully met, but then something more sinister emerges.
"Three women had been targeted by the poison-pen campaign. The Keeper’s secretary had resigned, the woman in the catering office was on sick leave with stress, and the housekeeper was dead—in the most extraordinary manner. No one else seemed unduly concerned, but the Queen made no apology whatsoever for her response."

It is the Queen who presses the investigation and senses that something more fundamental may be amiss.

For those who follow The Royals, (not me) and those who have avidly watched The Crown series, this is a quite different (and perhaps more favorable) portrait of England’s longest reigning monarch. It is a queen who may be nearing the end of her service but not in her dotage.

This novel was a pleasant surprise. It is evident that Bennett put in the effort to get the details right and her talent with the voices of the primary characters shines through.

4*

4 Art Mystery Stars

I quite enjoyed the second book in this series and learning a bit more about Rozie, Assistant Private Secretary. This time Rozie has been tasked with figuring out what happened to a painting that used to hang outside the Queen’s bedroom. She’s sure she saw it at a recent exhibit, and she wants it back!

Along the way, there are some tragic accidents and poison-pen letters keep turning up. Are the two things related? Are these more than accidents? What secrets has Rozie been stirring up? Things are quite tense in the household staff as a refurbishment campaign is coming up.

I enjoyed learning more about the royal art collection and thinking about the work that goes into keeping track of everything. And how tempting it might be to have some small items disappear through the years. This was a fun mystery to solve, and I love this series, very British indeed!

Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow for the copy of this one to read and honestly review. Set to publish on 3.1.2022.

A Three Dog Problemproved to be the perfect contrast to the run of rather serious books I’ve read lately. It’s a delightful, charming mystery in which Her Majesty proves herself to be just as astute and no-nonsense as we always imagined. As one of her staff observes, ‘She was a hell of a lot sharper than she looked. Mistakes were picked up on. Dry comments were made. Eyes were rolled.’

Ex-soldier Rozie, the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, is a great character and a force to be reckoned with. As she reminds herself, when the enquiries she has set in train take an unexpectedly risky turn, ‘her regimental specialism had been “find, strike, destroy, suppress”‘.

I loved the humorous elements in the book such as Prince Philip’s petname for his wife being Cabbage, the idea of the Queen googling herself on her iPad to find out where she was on a particular date, and that she spent some of her time at Balmoral binge-watchingMurder She Wrote.

I also enjoyed the ‘behind the scenes’ look at life in a royal palace, an increasingly dilapidated one as it turns out in the case of Buckingham Palace. And, as Rozie observes, at night its character changes. ‘The majority of staff went home, the flood of tradesmen, craftsmen and daily visitors slowed to a trickle, and the place was reclaimed by those who lived there or habitually worked late. The buildings stopped trying to impress and their occupants got on with the task of working as efficiently as they could in a rabbit warren of corridors that ceased to make sense two hundred years ago.’

External events such as the fallout from the Brexit referendum and the US Presidential election provide a subtle backdrop to the main storyline. The Queen muses about women who have achieved things or may do so in the future, such as Hilary Clinton, whilst underplaying her own role in world affairs. And there is a moving scene in which the Queen attends the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph; it’s especially poignant as ill-health meant she was unable to attend the ceremony for only the seventh time in her long reign this year.

And, of course, at the heart of the book is an ingenious mystery involving amongst other things an unexplained death, poison pen letters, Renaissance art, and some murky goings-on in the bowels of Buckingham Palace. Definitely a three dog problem.

I know many readers have fallen in love with this series, which commenced withThe Windsor Knotin 2020, and I can now understand why. The good news is the author promises there’s another book on the way next year.

A follow-up, but not a sequel, to “The Windsor Knot”.

A missing painting, a spate of poison-pen letters to palace staff and the dead body of the head housekeeper found beside the palace swimming pool.

It is up to HRH Queen Elizabeth II and her APS Rozy to make sense of it all.

This is light fun, a bit longer than “The Windsor Knot” and somewhat more convoluted but an enjoyable read.

A Three Dog Problem is the second novel to feature Queen Elizabeth II in an covert investigative capacity and picks up in the wake of the divisive Brexit referendum with a new Prime Minister in Theresa May and a contentious US election on the horizon. In common with the first book it is the Queen’s Assistant Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, who goes out and asks questions and discreetly reports back. Whilst I didn’t think the first book was hugely compelling I found it gently entertaining and felt Bennett did an excellent job with her characterisation of the Queen. However with the novelty factor of the first book absent and far fewer moments of wit and humour this second book struggled to hold my attention. This wasn’t helped by the fact that there are several threads to the mystery (a missing painting, a suspected murder, poison pen letters targeted at multiple people and the long-standing problem of Palace items being spirited away on the sly), making it difficult to do justice to any one of them.

The Queen is disconcerted to spot one of her favourite paintings - and one that belongs to her - at an exhibition of maritime art in Portsmouth. The painting, which Phillip describes as “ghastly”, is of the retired Britannia yacht and once hung outside her bedroom. Positive it is the original she enlists Rozie to discover when it left her collection and why it has never been returned. This turns out to be anything but the simple task that it sounds but when the dead body of an unpopular elderly housekeeper is found beside the Palace swimming pool it slips down the priority list. With the jury out on whether the death of the housekeeper was an unfortunate accident or cold-blooded murder, rumours amongst the royal household staff go into overdrive. When the Queen asks Rozie about the victim and discovers that she was the target of a sustained campaign of poison pen letters it brings several concerning revelations to light, with the Queen discovering that there is a lot more going on below stairs than she could ever have imagined. Needless to say it gets extremely convoluted and I was no more invested in this string of crimes than those in the first book.

Whilst I enjoyed meeting Rozie Oshodi again and this second book is well-paced and easily readable, I found it all a bit mundane from start to finish. There are far fewer highlights (topical jokes, humorous exchanges between the Queen and Prince Phillip) and as with most cosy crime, the mystery is really only an opportunity to showcase the cast and given one of the two main protagonists is royalty and the setting it Buckingham Palace, it limits the extent of plausible embellishment. Once again there is a large secondary cast of very dispensable and forgettable characters who make fleeting appearances and don’t make much of an impression. Readers who enjoyed the first book will no doubt enjoy this second book too, but sadly my journey with the Queen and Rozie stops here.

Not as good as the first one,but delightful nonetheless.
8/10

3'75⭐
En esta segunda aventura de su majestad como detective y con su ayudante Rozie siempre dispuesta a llevar a cabo las pesquisas que llamarían demasiado la atención de hacerlas una reina, nos encontramos una trama más compleja que la anterior, con hilos que tiran en muchas direcciones pero que parecen converger en un mismo lugar. Un cuadro desaparecido, una gobernanta muerta y oscuros secretos en lo más profundo de Buckingham Palace.

Lo cierto es que este libro lo he disfrutado mucho, más que el primero, también porque creo que lo he leído en el momento ideal para mí. Al ser la segunda parte, ya tenía un poco más ajustadas las expectativas en cuanto a cómo iban a ser la narración y el ritmo (más pausado y menos acción que en otros libros similares), con lo que he podido sumergirme de lleno en la historia y en el misterio. Sí es cierto que quizás ha dado más vueltas de lo necesario alrededor de ciertos puntos, pero entre los personajes tan «británicos» (no se me ocurre otra forma de definirlos) y la ambientación palaciega, a mí me ha conquistado.

Šerlokas Holmsas tokias bylas vadindavo „trijų pypkių bylomis“ – jam reikėjo išrūkyti tris pypkes, kol jo genialus protas surasdavo visus atsakymus. Karalienė Elžbieta II nerūko, todėl turime „trijų šūnų bylą“ – kol jos protas ieško atsakymų, karalienė išveda pasivaikščioti savo tris korgius (ok, pagal faktą iš tų trijų koreis tik vienas, kiti du trumpos ir neleistinos takso ir korio aistros vaisiai, bet esmės tai nekeičia, ane?)
Pirmiausiai karalienė parodoje netikėtai pamato paveikslą, kuris neabejotinai priklauso jai. Kaip ir kada tas paveikslas prapuolė iš rūmų ir atsidūrė ten, kur atsidūrė? Kol Elžbietos II patikėtinė Rozie aiškinasi, kaip tai galėjo nutikti, Buckinghamo rūmuose aptinkamas vienos iš kambarinių lavonas. Viskas rodo, kad tai tik nelaimingas atsitiktinumas, bet karalienė tuo netiki. O kai Rozie pradeda gauti laiškelius su grasinimais, tampa aišku, nusikaltėlis (ar nusikaltėliai) veikia visai pašonėje.
Nors rūmų darbuotojai ir visuomenė to nesupranta, Elžbieta II yra akyliausia detektyvė tarp jų. Kartais reikia karalienės akies, kad įžvelgtų sąsajas ten, kur niekas kitas negali. Ir tik karalienė gali atskleisti nusikaltimą taip, kad atrodytų, jog iš tikrųjų mįslę išgliaudė kiti.
Antroji S. J. Bennett ciklo apie karalienę-detektyvę dalis. Pirmąją skaičiau, kai Elžbieta II buvo dar gyva. Ir tada, ir dabar maloniai stebina su kokia šiluma autorė piešia senutės karalienės portretą.
Gana jaukus, šiltas (nors žmogžudysčių ir negailestingų nusikaltėlių čia bus) ir lėtas detektyvas. Toks labai angliškas. Visai tokie keturi iš penkių.

Quite a Three Dog Problem
Review of the William Morrow (North America) paperback edition (March 1, 2022) retitled from the original Zaffre (UK) hardcover A Three Dog Problem: The Queen Investigates a Murder at Buckingham Palace (November 11, 2021)

I was disappointed to see that the North American editions of the 2nd book in S.J. Bennett's Her Majesty the Queen Investigates series retitled it from its quirky original*. Admittedly, the corgis and the dorgis are not actually helping to solve the crime, but it is just charming to picture the Queen taking a walk with her dogs in order to ponder about the solution to the current mystery.

The current case is set in November 2016 with a few references to the then current American election being made. What starts out with the Queen identifying a favourite sentimental painting which has been missing for 50 years from her personal collection leads into murders and the uncovering of a long-running fraud and theft ring at Buckingham Palace. Her current Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi is again her eyes and ears around the palace and elsewhere to help her seek out the culprits.

All the Queen's Men doesn't have the revelations of the origin story in The Windsor Knot (2020) which had the extra charm of revealing the REAL Her Majesty's Secret Service, but I can't begrudge that. If anything, S.J. Bennett crafted an even more elaborate story here and again manages to fashion an ending where the Queen maneuvers her somewhat slower witted Palace staff chiefs, managers and police into thinking that they solved the crime on her behalf, when it was actually her hints and prodding that got them there.

Trivia and Link
* The original title is a nod to Sherlock Holmes in The Red-Headed League - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story (1891) where Holmes remarks to Watson that:

“It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won't speak to me for fifty minutes.”

I thought the follow-up was going to be better than the first book, but it really wasn't. I'm glad I've only spent 99 cents on the Kindle edition. I was so bored I kept forgetting all the names, so when the killer was finally revealed, I had no idea who he was 😭

Buckingham Palace is in rep en roer wanneer het lichaam van een personeelslid wordt aangetroffen naast het zwembad. Naast haar ligt een gebroken whiskyglas in een zee van bloed en al snel wordt de vraag gesteld of het om een noodlottig ongeval gaat, of dat deze vrouw koelbloedig is vermoord. Het paleis gonst van speculatie en geroddel terwijl de zaak wordt onderzocht en de Queen is gefrustreerd omdat niet alle informatie direct met haar wordt gedeeld. Ze kan immers best tegen een stootje. Tegelijkertijd is zij ook met een speciaal eigen onderzoek bezig.

Drie maanden voor deze gebeurtenis zag de Queen één van haar favoriete schilderijen namelijk hangen op een tentoonstelling van maritieme kunst. Een ontdekking waar zij op zijn zachtst gezegd niet verheugd over was en ze wil haar schilderij terug, want het is haar zeer dierbaar. Ze gaf haar assistent-secretaris Rozie de opdracht om uit te zoeken hoe het schilderij daar was terechtgekomen en ervoor te zorgen dat het terugkwam waar het hoorde. Dat was echter makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan, want volgens het ministerie van Defensie is er sprake van een misverstand en móéten er twee versies van de Britannia bestaan. Maar de Queen herkent haar eigendommen toch zeker wel?

Tijdens haar onderzoek naar de verdwenen kunst stuit Rozie op een gespannen sfeer onder het personeel, ontvangen haatbriefjes en een handel in afgedankte goederen. Er lijken weinig verbanden te zijn, maar na enkele nieuwe ontdekkingen hebben de dames toch weer een spoor te pakken. Rozie voert het onderzoek uit, maakt zichzelf niet overal even populair en begint misschien ook gevaar te lopen, de Queen stuurt haar achter de schermen aan, voert discrete gesprekken en ziet mogelijke verbanden. Kunnen ze deze zaak samen tot een goed einde brengen?

Net als in het eerste boek is ook in De moord op Buckingham Palace Queen Elizabeth II de ster van de show. Het is prettig om te lezen over haar humor, overdenkingen, uitstekende geheugen, doorzettingsvermogen, interesses, twijfels en interactie met de andere personages en ik genoot dan ook het meest van die stukken. Prins Philip is altijd al haar klankbord geweest en nu heeft ze ook echt een bondgenoot en vertrouwenspersoon gevonden in Rozie, die een steeds grotere rol krijgt.

Het mysterie zit sterk in elkaar en terwijl je gedurende het boek ook nog wat leert over het beheer van de koninklijke kunstcollectie en de verschillende afdelingen binnen het paleis, moet je goed blijven opletten om alle uitgezette lijntjes te kunnen volgen, totdat ze mooi bij elkaar komen. Hoewel het tempo soms wat inzakt en het eerste boek iets meer humor bevatte, zijn er genoeg wendingen, persoonlijke noten en mysterieuze gebeurtenissen om het verhaal interessant te houden en dit is erg vermakelijke, goed uitgewerkte cosy crime. Een aanrader binnen dit genre!

3.5⭐️

Une lecture addictive malgré quelques longueurs : j’ai surtout adoré l’ambiance et la manière dont tout s’imbriquait au fil des pages !

I read this book completely for pleasure, and that is such a lovely way to experience a book. Not that I’m adverse to books that impart important messages. I just sometimes need a read that entertains me and that’s it. A Three Dog Problem (All the Queen’s Men in the U.S.) is the essence of an entertaining read. Oh, there’s crime and murder and evil going on, but we know that the Queen, in her calm and methodical manner, will get to the bottom of it with her discreet, capable Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi. There’s lots of drama, and the twists and turns are more complex than in The Windsor Knott, but I found the multiple threads in A Three Dog Problem easy to follow and well brought together by the end. There are quite a few names to keep up with, but I didn’t find it disrupting to my reading. And, knowing that a case will be solved in no way takes away from the thrill of events leading up to that solution.

We travel back a few years to 2016 in the second Her Majesty the Queen Investigates book, A Three Dog Problem, by S.J. Bennett. Politics have gone off the rails in both Great Britain and the United States. The Queen is concerned about Brexit, while across the pond, the election of the President of the United States is taking a surprise turn. Of course, she is carrying on her duties as she always does, no matter what else is going on, and so she attends a Royal Navy art exhibition where she discovers an oil painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia given to her in the 1960s. It is definitely not where it should be, as it is her personal property, and she didn’t realize it was missing until she sees it displayed at the Ministry of Defence. This little painting has significant personal meaning to the Queen, and tracing its path to the Royal Navy exhibition turns into a major investigation for the Queen and her sleuthing confidante, her assistant private secretary Rozie Oshodi. It will involve poison pen letters, underground tunnels, and a secret racket called the Breakages Business. Of course, no secret racket is perfect, and this one has begun to leak buckets. The death of a head housekeeper who is found dead by the Buckingham Palace indoor swimming pool combined with the poison pen letters is enough for the Queen to call in help from the Metropolitan Police in the form of DCI David Strong. The detective has worked with the Queen before in the Windsor Castle murder (Book One). He is valued for his thoroughness and his discreet approach to palace investigations.

Not only does the Queen have to deal with the unrest in her country due to Brexit, but the reservicing plan for Buckingham Palace, a major undertaking to fix the aging infrastructure, is about to be presented with its final budget estimate, and that has discrepancies, too. It seems that there are those working in several departments of the Royal employment who are profiteers and not loyal employees. And, this condition has existed for some time, at least as far back as the 1980s. So, the physical repairs needed and the inner workings of the Queen’s royal employ mirror each other in their disarray, and each has its important place in the plot.

Cynthia Harris, the murder victim, had received some of the poison pen letters, along with the high-ranking Keeper of the Privy Purse’s secretary and at least one other. Rozie starts receiving the letters, too, ones that are racist and sexist, trying to get her to leave her job. The Keeper’s secretary does leave her job and leaves London. Mrs. Harris is murdered. Rozie doesn’t desire to leave her job or be murdered, so she must persevere in the face of these scare tactics and keep investigating for the Queen to find out who is behind them. The letters, the Queen’s painting, and the nefarious profiteering scheme appear to be connected, but proof is needed. There are suspects, but without the proof, the evidence, of their wrongdoings, it is unwise to approach them and tip the Queen’s hand.

The Queen and Rozie make a good team. They’re both intelligent, persistent, and resourceful. Another player on their team is retired Detective Billy MacLachlan, who is privy to much of the gossip that swirls around the palace through his connections to other retired Royal personnel. Rozie and Billy do the legwork of the investigation for the Queen, but the Queen is always in control of it. These three are often underestimated, the Queen for her assumed naivety about what is going on in her palace, Rozie for her being female and not “one of the boys,” and Billy for being a retiree and aging grandfather. S.J. Bennett has created these marvelous characters who always exceed expectations. Those who underestimate them often end up paying the price of their prejudices. Bennett has created a Queen character who while duty bound, is as indefatigable in her pursuit of justice as she is in her dedication to the throne. And, the character of Prince Philip shows just how much the Queen relies on his steadfast support and his quick assessment of matters. They have a comfortable communication between them, borne of years of being the only ones who understand what they deal with. And, that they can make the other laugh is a lovely touch. I’m charmed by the Prince addressing the Queen as “cabbage.” We get a brief look at Princess Anne and Prince Charles, as well as a mention of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

The top “Queen’s Men” characters are from the main departments of the Royal Household. The Queen’s Private Secretary, Sir Simon Holcroft; The Keeper of the Privy Purse, Sir James Ellington; and Master of the Household, Mike Green. The other department of the Royal Household (there are five main ones) featured is the Royal Collection Trust, which is responsible for the care and cataloguing of all the Royal artwork. In this story, we encounter several interesting players from the Royal Collection department, past and present. Of course, they’re fictitious representatives of the real office holders, but looking in on the inner workings of Buckingham Palace is fascinating. With the reader knowing just how astute and informed the Queen is, it’s amusing how these department heads think they are in charge. It’s to the Queen’s advantage to let them, plus DCI Strong, take credit for connecting the dots of the investigation. The reader understands the Queen and Rozie and Billy have done much of the investigation in the background. The Queen, as always, must appear to be uninvolved in the messiness of these cases.

I am so pleased that this second book is continuing the success of the first. After an auspicious beginning to a series, the fate of that series is in a precarious position with the publication of book two. The series has that delightful wit that infuses just the right kind of humor and entertainment. And, I have to retract or clarify part of my statement made in the beginning of the review, as I indicated that this book and this series was pure pleasure reading for me and not one of imparting important messages. That is misleading. Although the book was a pleasure read for me, there is lots of learning to be had here and beyond. From the Royal operations and Royal offices of the Palace to the Queen’s daily schedules to the Baroque art of Artemisia Geniteschi, an Italian 17th century painter. And, if you’re like myself and many other readers I know, you will go down all the rabbit holes of those subjects, some of which I’ve provided links below. Also, the poison pen notes bring up racism and misogyny, as does the choice of the artist Artemisia Geniteschi whose paintings are featured. And, as the Queen is the main character, there is the overriding issue of how older or “old” people are dismissed in their contributions to or understandings of situations. The Queen certainly puts the falsehood of old meaning useless to rest.

A Three Dog Problem is certain to be one of my favorite reads this year. I highly recommend it to all mystery/crime readers, with a special encouragement to those who are enjoying the Thursday Murder Club series by Richard Osmand.

In Addition, Some Links:

Author S.J. Bennett’s web site where includes two interactive maps, one of Windsor Castle (for The Windsor Knot, book one) and one of Buckingham Palace (for All the Queen’s Men, book two). You can find them halfway down the Home page. Click on which map you want and then click on the different rooms for a short bit of information about that room and its use in the books. For we book map lovers, this is so a much-appreciated bonus.
https://www.sjbennettbooks.com/

Also, I wanted to include a link to The Royal Collection Trust, which is such a big part of A Three Dog Problem/All the Queen’s Men. Prince Phillip mentions in the book that there are over 7,000 paintings in the royal collection, and as you explore this link, you can see how much more there is besides that.
https://www.rct.uk/

The UK title of A Three Dog Problem is much preferred by me to its U.S. title, All the Queen’s Men. The reason I prefer it is because I love titles that connect beyond their own story, and A Three Dog Problem connects to a Sherlock Holmes story, “The Red-Headed League,” in which Homes notes, “It is quite a three pipe problem, and I beg that you won’t speak to me for fifty minutes.” Holmes had his three pipe problems and the Queen has her three dog problems, wherein she walks the grounds of the Palace with three of her dogs to think about what’s bothering her, and in A Three Dog Problem, there is quite a bit that is troubling her. (The chapter where this walk occurs is one of my favorite in the book, with its description of the grounds, the dogs, her reminiscences of Philip, and her thought process about the problems at hand.)
https://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Arthu...

Artemisia Geniteschi is the 17th century artist whose paintings are featured in one of the mysteries of A Three Dog Problem. In a book where the two main characters are strong, resourceful women I don’t think the choice of this artist was in any way random. She was certainly ahead of her time in what women were allowed to accomplish, and her story is as exceptional as her paintings.
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-e...

Good follow-up to the first in the series. Roz continues to be the Queen’s intrepid sidekick in this murder mystery featuring missing paintings, gobs of red herrings, Corgis and dorgis (dachshund/Corgi crosses) and bodies piling up as clues mystify.

ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN was an absolute marvel of moving parts. The mystery at play here was much more involved and multi-faceted than that of THE WINDSOR KNOT (so, potentially a smidge more confusing and seemed to take a bit longer to wrap up), but HM and Rozie were so perfectly on point that I didn’t even mind. The evolution of their partnership—while combatting life-shattering challenges like gender discrimination, racism, and the spectre of mortality—was so cleverly, perfectly paced, that I can’t wait to see where a third book in the series might take them. Long live the f*cking Queen.

(Also, I f*cking love when writers remind the world that Artemisia Gentileschi not only exists, but is absolutely f*cking amazing.)

This series is shaping up to be a lot of fun. If you like the idea of a behind the scenes Queen solving mysteries then get into this. The recurring characters are gradually being fleshed out, especially Rozie who was a great help in the first one. This has quite a lot going on at the start. A stolen painting, a creepy bully on the staff, and a murder in the swimming pool. Saddle up, it is all happening here.

The perfect cozy, but with pointy bits book for a miserable winter weekend!

I loved every page. I loved being back at the palace solving mysteries with the Queen and Rozie. It was nice to see the character progression from book one and I’m left wanting even more. A brilliant series that I really love.

This is the second delightful mystery where Queen Elizabeth digs around behind the scenes and solves a murder. Not a cozy, exactly, but charming.

4.4 stars

A delightful and more than worthy second instalment to the series. I think the success keys for SJB with this book is the innocuously easy way she gets you sucked into believing every word and plot thread she spins out. I totally believed in her fictional Queen Elizabeth II, her every thought, interaction (inc. with those of her very intimate circle), and action. I totally believed that she was very ably and insightfully doing casual sleuthing on the side in a tranquil and serene way, while conducting serious royal business on a busy schedule at 90 years. I totally believed in the world building of minute royal details, courtiers, protocols and day to day palace events. And it was all thanks to SJB's formidable pen and incredible smooth mix of facts with fiction. She created her own convincing little royal world in a very suave way and I totally embraced it.

Just like the first book, I think the feat of this book is not only the puzzle solving but certainly the very adroit and subtle manner in which QE2 managed to move her chess pieces so that most characters never realised how much she had a heavy hand in the investigation in the first place. It was a pleasure to see how she was so far ahead of them that she just knew how each would react if pushed in a certain direction.

I have to confess that although I was able to follow each clue as it was revealed, the final solving was a bit murky for me. I think we are meant to understand in the end that, (a) the poison pen letters to Mary were meant to frighten her away so she wouldn't uncover the overbilling scam of the Restoration project; (b) the poison pen letters to the caterer woman and Mrs Harris were a blind; (c) the poison pen letters to Rozie were meant to stop her uncovering the Breakages business through the missing painting affair; and (d) the murder of Mrs Harris were meant to prevent the unraveling of the Gentileschis scam (which might have come to light obliquely via the Breakages business if Rozie eventually called on her).

I think the big take out is that there are always many bad apples surrounding the monarch through times, who sought to profit from her assets, and that all these bad apples operated with impunity so long through established criminal networks enabled by nepotism and small order hierarchies. But then, the weaknesses of the plot are that I don't understand why Sholto had to hint at the Breakages in the first place, why Ferguson had voiced out so negligently in public on how to slash ankles, and how it could be speculated by the culprits that Rozie would even have thought to reach out to Mrs Harris.

Like I said I liked the whole investigation but ended up confused with the final solution. Also, while I was engrossed in the whole plot and universe, I did find it a bit long and slow at times. Still, it was a high quality detective book and I will continue with pleasure with this series.

P.S. I lol'd hard at the 'the game of "favourite murder methods of fellow staff"'!

Me gustó mucho el primer libro de esta serie, bien escrita y con el punto original de poner a la reina Isabel II como investigadora en una trama policial. Y con este me ha ocurrido lo mismo (creo que me ha gustado incluso más). Además, se da la circunstancia de que lo compré el día que falleció Isabel II y lo acabé el día de su entierro, así que dudo que se me olvide esta lectura :)

I received an Advance Reader's Edition as a winner in a GoodRead's giveaway.

This is the second installment in a growing series. I enjoyed it. I think the characters are the biggest draw for me. I love the queen. I am not an Anglophile, and know little to nothing of the real queen. If she is anything like her character in the book she is intelligent, quick thinking, compassionate, determined, and just lovely. During this particular read, I found the possible suspects difficult to track. I believe this was intentional as the queen makes a statement to the effect that there is a suspect(s) and there is a motive(s), but they are difficult to match up. If that was the intention, well done I say! All in all a good read and I will definitely look to read the next one.

Le doy 3⭐️ (3,5) porque estos libros son lo que son y no marcan mi vida. ¿Me entretienen lo más grande y pienso leerme toda la serie? Un rotundo SI. Dan exactamente lo que prometen.

Además en este hay cositas de historia del arte y eso siempre suma puntos

RTC.

I'm in two minds over whether to give this 3 stars or round up to 4. I preferred The Windsor Knot more, if I am being completely honest, as there were elements to this story that I didn't warm to at all.

Probably doesn't help that I'm audiobooking The Man Who Died Twice at the same time as reading this, as these both tackled the cozy crime sub-genre in different ways. I think I will continue with this series, but we shall see....

***eProof gifted by UK publisher, Zaffre/Bonnier Books UK, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***

In the wake of the Brexit referendum that has divided a country and the US election between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump, the Queen just wants some peace and quiet. But, it looks like she's not going to get it as, when on a Royal visit to a Navy exhibitition, she sees a painting of the Royal Yacht Britannia on display. Her painting. And she gave no permission for its display. In fact, she thought it was misplaced in the mid-1980s.

As she begins to look into this, a body of a disliked housekeeper is found at the Palace's swimming pool, her ankle deeply cut, causing her to bleed to death. An accident, surely? But it's strange that her death happens as the Queen begins to look into the painting's disappearance and several of the female staff, including her trusted secretary, Rosie, receive nasty poison pen letters...

Something is going on in Buckingham Palace, and Her Majesty is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Am going to honest with you, dear reader: I am not entirely sure where I sit on this. I like this, but up to a point. There's several things that make me stop from enjoying this as much as I did with Windsor Knot, and the worst part is that I can't exactly put my finger on what the problem is.

It's annoying as I can't figure it out and I think I am going to continue with this series. I have plans to read book 3 when it comes out next year, so why do I feel the way I do with Three Dog Problem?

The only thing I can think of is that this wasn't as fun as the first. The fun didn't exactly hit home for me. I like some of the issues and the characters that this book had (I love Rozie and I did like the Queen, but I like them the most when they were together and that wasn't enough for me in this book), but the fun and wonder of Windsor Knot wasn't here. I wonder if it's because it was trying to do too many things - poison pen letters, murder, stolen paintings. Maybe if one of these elements was removed and the story focused on characters a tad more, maybe it would have worked for me...?

Maybe it's because I was, at the same time of reading this, audiobooking another cosy murder mystery - The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman. Now, both of these are cosy mysteries and both tackle this subgenre in very different ways.

Like I said, I am going to read book 3 when that comes out. I am very intrigued to see where this series is going to. But this mystery didn't exactly work for me so I might not rush out to get my hands on the Queen's next mystery as fast as I would have...

I bought tis book because I like corgi's. The book is called "a 3 dog problem", there are corgi's on the cover. and the back says "if queen elizabeth II has a problem, she walks one of the corgis, When there is a murder to solve, she'll need all there"

Sounds like a book with lots of corgi's right? Well I read 6 very boring chapters about all people in the royal court, with many fancy terms I didn't understand as someone who isn't obsessed with royals, AND STILL NO CORGIS.

if you're not a super fan of the british royals, this is gonna be a very tedious read. Maybe it gets better at chapter 7, but I'll never know.