Book 2 in Her Majesty The Queen Investigates series:
“an honest-to-goodness, laugh out loud, wonder of a book filled with regal delight”
In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any additional 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.
After 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 assistant private 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?
A Waterstones Best Paperback of 2022
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Resources, courtesy of William Morrow
Interactive Map of Buckingham Palace
My research
The UK title of this book comes from physics (‘the three body problem’) and from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Whenever Sherlock Holmes has a very difficult case to solve, he has to smoke three pipes to do it and it becomes a ‘three pipe problem’. I loved this idea. So when the Queen has an exceptionally difficult case to consider, she needs to take three dogs for a walk in Buckingham Palace garden; hence ‘a three dog problem’. In this case they are two dorgis and a corgi, because I’m afraid to say the Queen was down to her last corgi in the autumn of 2016, when the book is set.
I had a fascinating time researching this one. I thought I knew Buckingham Palace – I’ve been to investitures there, when the Queen gave my father two medals, and I walk past it regularly on my way to work in the London Library – but there was so much more to discover. Did you know it has its own post office? And a florist? And that the iconic East Front facade with the balcony has only looked that way since 1913?
It’s a place of glamour and danger. It houses a lot of the Queen’s (now the King’s) world-class art collection, but needs blast-proof curtains at the windows to catch the glass in case of bombs. It’s guarded by some of the most iconic soldiers in the world, in their scarlet tunics and bearskin hats, but in 1982 a man called Michael Fagan managed to get inside and talk to the Queen in her bedroom for several minutes until she was rescued. You may have seen that visit fictionalised in The Crown. The River Tyburn flows underneath the palace and there are rumours of tunnels that link it to nearby St James’s and Whitehall underground. So it’s an excellent place to set a murder mystery.
I also found out it was in a terrible state of repair. Some of the electrics hadn’t been replaced since soon after the Second World War and in 2016 the State Dining Room was out of action because the ceiling above it was so dangerous. Now a massive project is underway to make it more user-friendly and safer to live and work in, and the background to this project forms a key part of the plot for the book. King Charles has not moved in yet and this is part of the reason. If you see scaffolding around it – now you know why.
One of the chapters emerged after a quick internet search to see what the Queen was wearing one evening (answer, a pink suit) and ended up being a reflection on the contribution of women to the Northern Ireland peace process and the Queen’s own role as a portrait sitter. She describes the painting as being ‘the size of a horse blanket’ at one stage (my words), but likes it (because I know she did, and I do too). I recently saw this BBC interview with the artist, Colin Davidson. I’m pleased to see that it largely matches what I imagined!
Reviews
“A glorious, right Royal, rip-roaring rollick of a read, based on the best “what if” in recent years”
“I absolutely loved it and the characters just keep getting better. This is a series where I go out and buy the hard copy, because I want to be able to read the stories again.”
“I think I may have found my new favourite author. Just like last time I cannot wait for the next book in the series.”
“Joyously entertaining. Delightful reading.”
“An amazing read.”
“(Bennett) writes about the Queen and her wider family with clear affection and warmth and an in-depth knowledge and research of Palace life that shines through every scene”
“Once again another fantastic cozy crime story featuring our very own Royal Family … I do hope that there will be more in this wonderful series. If you want a good read now the nights are drawing in, you will not go wrong with this book.”
