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A review by ihateprozac
The Windsor Knot: A Novel by S.J. Bennett
4.0
3.5 stars.
The Windsor Knot follows Queen Elizabeth II as she hosts a soiree at Windsor Castle, only to find a Russian pianist dead in the castle the next day. MI5 are quick to brand the death as auto-erotic asphyxiation gone awry but Lizzie isn't convinced, and she tries to solve the mystery without getting her husband or the authorities offside.
Given I'm not a monarchist, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this fictionalised view of Queen Lizzie and the inner workings of the Royal Family. I loved her inner monologue and how she railed against people viewing her as a feeble doddery old woman. She's incredibly sharp and is an expert at engineering things in such a way that people think it was their own idea, she isn't seen as interfering, and all the brittle male egos surrounding her remain intact.
I really liked her inner circle staffers too. They all felt like very distinct, real, fleshed out people and had back stories and lives that I could get invested in.
My main issue with this story is that I guess I wish it had been a bit.....cozier? It's far heavier on the geopolitical side than I would have expected, with a focus on espionage and Russian interference. I went in expecting more corgis and crumpets and just wasn't interested in MI5 and Putin. That is partly on me though and I would consider reading on in the series, but will adjust my expectations accordingly.
The Windsor Knot follows Queen Elizabeth II as she hosts a soiree at Windsor Castle, only to find a Russian pianist dead in the castle the next day. MI5 are quick to brand the death as auto-erotic asphyxiation gone awry but Lizzie isn't convinced, and she tries to solve the mystery without getting her husband or the authorities offside.
Given I'm not a monarchist, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this fictionalised view of Queen Lizzie and the inner workings of the Royal Family. I loved her inner monologue and how she railed against people viewing her as a feeble doddery old woman. She's incredibly sharp and is an expert at engineering things in such a way that people think it was their own idea, she isn't seen as interfering, and all the brittle male egos surrounding her remain intact.
I really liked her inner circle staffers too. They all felt like very distinct, real, fleshed out people and had back stories and lives that I could get invested in.
My main issue with this story is that I guess I wish it had been a bit.....cozier? It's far heavier on the geopolitical side than I would have expected, with a focus on espionage and Russian interference. I went in expecting more corgis and crumpets and just wasn't interested in MI5 and Putin. That is partly on me though and I would consider reading on in the series, but will adjust my expectations accordingly.