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A review by hannahleebibliophile
Murder Most Royal by S.J. Bennett
4.0
The latest in a series of cozy mysteries featuring the hypothetical detective savvy of Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth II, SJ Bennett’s Murder Most Royal begins with a teenage girl’s grisly discovery on the beach near her home: a severed human hand, its only distinguishing feature the signet ring on the little finger. When Crown employee Rozie reports the incident to the Queen, Her Majesty — or “the Boss,” as the tiny but formidable monarch’s staff affectionately refers to her — immediately knows that the hand in question belongs to her lifelong acquaintance Edward “Ned” St. Cyr. As famously brusque Royal consort Prince Philip is all too quick to observe, Ned could be a bothersome man — but were his eccentricities enough to drive someone to murder? With the aristocratic rumor mill in full swing, the Queen’s investigation must be carried out with the utmost discretion. As she carefully brings one St. Cyr family secret after another to light, however, the royal sleuth finds that some secrets may be safer in the shadows.
This latest creation of SJ Bennett is a fresh and often surprisingly dark take on the typical cozy mystery. The royal theme combined with the grotesqueness of St. Cyr’s severed hand, for example, brings Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus to mind. On a much lighter note, the finer characterization details of the royal family members featured in the story are so true to life — according to mainstream British and international media, that is — that Bennett could pass for one of the so-called “royal rota.” This is a genius tactic in making the idea of Elizabeth II as an undercover sleuth a bit less bizarre, as are humorous and modern details such as Ned St. Cyr’s young fiancée and her heavy contouring and Prince Philip’s grumpy derision of veganism. While a lot of the plot is packed in just in time to tie up loose ends, Murder Most Royal is a fun and exciting read, and I now find myself eager to explore more of SJ Bennett’s work.
This latest creation of SJ Bennett is a fresh and often surprisingly dark take on the typical cozy mystery. The royal theme combined with the grotesqueness of St. Cyr’s severed hand, for example, brings Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus to mind. On a much lighter note, the finer characterization details of the royal family members featured in the story are so true to life — according to mainstream British and international media, that is — that Bennett could pass for one of the so-called “royal rota.” This is a genius tactic in making the idea of Elizabeth II as an undercover sleuth a bit less bizarre, as are humorous and modern details such as Ned St. Cyr’s young fiancée and her heavy contouring and Prince Philip’s grumpy derision of veganism. While a lot of the plot is packed in just in time to tie up loose ends, Murder Most Royal is a fun and exciting read, and I now find myself eager to explore more of SJ Bennett’s work.