A Three Dog Problem

By S J. Bennett

What it’s about?

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?

What I think:

I absolutely loved The Windsor Knot and this was a cracking sequel.

The investigation is interesting and complex. It starts with a painting and ends with secrets fraud and death.

What I love about this series so far is the relationship between the Queen and Rozie. The Queen is thoughtful and works behind the scenes using her status and contacts to get the information that she needs She is quiet and polite and very subtle, going completely unsuspected. Rozie dies the physical work of interviewing people and sneaking around the palace.

The story shows what a huge organisation Buckingham Palace is and that even with rule and protocols it is still possible for things to go missing or to be catalogued incorrectly providing a loop hole that can easily be exploited.

The Queen is warm and witty and I love the snippets of what the rest of the Royal Family are doing and her relationships with them. There is also an aire of sadness and the Queen recollects all of the friends and influential people she has met throughout her life.

This is a great series and such a fun read. It is absolutely a fitting tribute to a wonderful woman and the next installment is going straight on my Christmas list.