All the Queen's Men: A Novel

Written by SJ Bennett

Narrated by Jane Copland

“Sheer entertainment… Bennett infuses wit and an arch sensibility into her prose… This is not mere froth, it is pure confection.” — New York Times Book Review on The Windsor Knot

Amateur detective Queen Elizabeth II is back in this hugely entertaining follow-up to the bestseller The Windsor Knot, in which Her Majesty must determine how a missing painting is connected to the shocking death of a staff member inside Buckingham Palace.

At Buckingham Palace, the autumn of 2016 presages uncertain times. The Queen must deal with the fallout from the Brexit referendum, a new female prime minister, and a tumultuous election in the United States—yet these prove to be the least of her worries when a staff member is found dead beside the palace swimming pool. Is it truly the result of a tragic accident, as the police think, or is something more sinister going on?

Meanwhile, her assistant private secretary, Rozie Oshodi, is on the trail of a favorite painting that once hung outside the Queen’s bedroom and appears to have been misappropriated by the Royal Navy. And a series of disturbing anonymous letters have begun circulating in the palace. The Queen’s courtiers think they have it all ‘under control’, but Her Majesty is not so sure. After all, though the staff and public may not be aware, she is the keenest sleuth among them. Sometimes, it takes a Queen’s eye to see connections where no one else can.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Mar 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063051188

SJ Bennett

SJ Bennett wrote several award-winning books for teenagers before turning to adult mysteries. Born in Yorkshire, England, she lives in London and has been a royal watcher for years. The Queen, to the best of her knowledge, does not secretly solve crimes. 

Reviews for All the Queen's Men

[Rae Jean Nelson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you like the British royals and like mysteries, you will enjoy this one where the Queen IS the detective, the Miss Marple of the palace!

[Lisa Havlin Haley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I liked her first book in this series much better.

[libraian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Second in Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. Fiction, crime, mystery, contemporary) (2021)Set soon after the events in The Windsor Knot but this time in Buckingham Palace (with a sojourn to Balmoral). The Brexit referendum results have come in, David Cameron has resigned ushering in Theresa May as the new Prime Minister and Hilary Clinton is running against Donald Trump in the US elections. In the prologue, Sir Simon discovers a body by the palace swimming pool and then the book proper starts from 'three months before', brings events up to date and continues on. Her Majesty is not best pleased to discover a painting of hers - but it's not where it is supposed to be and she asks Rozie, her Assistant Private Secretary (APS) to look into getting it back. In the meantime, some members of the Household Staff have been getting poison pen letters that are quite sinister and Sir Simon (amongst many others) is working hard to get the Reservicing programme through.I had to look up the Reservicing programme which takes up so much of the Staff's time and focus getting it ready to be passed through Parliament; it refers to overhauling the old boilers, electrical wiring and so on - some of which (according to Prince Philip's character in this book) hasn't been changed since Queen Victoria's time - as well as introducing new efficient and accessible measures. It was scheduled to begin in April 2017 and take around ten years.I also looked up Artemisia Gentileschi, a rare example of a female painter in the 17th century; yes, she really existed.We travel for the summer to Balmoral with the Queen and her entourage, where she entertains Prime Minister Theresa May, and where we have to deal with bats.'You might want to come upstairs, ma'am, he said with some urgency. 'They've got the nets out.''Oh, have they? Where?''Your bedroom.''Goodness! Yes, of course. I'll come straight away'The Prime Minister asked what the problem was. The Queen grinned, then grimaced.'Bats.'It was as comical as it was frustrating. The poor creatures wanted to get out just as desperately as one wanted to move them from there, but their famous sonar seemed quite incapable of detecting a wide-open window. Usually they caused a nuisance in the white-walled Ballroom below, where the long-handled nets were kept on standby for the purpose of shooing them to freedom. It was rare for them to visit one's bedroom, and the Queen tried not to think about the droppings that might be accumulating on the fixtures and fittings. Charles said the guano was good for the garden. Well, let the bats do it there.Meanwhile, from a position of safety in the corridor (the Queen was not a huge fan of squeaky, unpredictable pipistrelles close up, despite appreciating them in principle),As you may remember, we periodically have a similar issue in our house (including one silly creature who, having finally been shooed through a wide open balcony door one day, flew straight into the shut door a couple of days later; sonar hah!)(don't worry, it bounced off and flew away, not noticeably any the worse). I can absolutely empathise with Her Majesty.I found the first book in this series delightful as I discovered Bennett's take on Her Majesty was much like my own impression of the Queen. This time, with the main characters well established, I focused more on the story (although I gave up on solving mysteries a long time ago). There was more action in this one with some personal danger to our (other) hero, Rozie, as well as to other, minor characters - though, being ex-military, she's more than capable of taking care of herself. Although the main character is the Queen and we get glimpses of her thought processes, this is an ensemble cast with Rozie taking the lead and her boss, Sir Simon, also playing his part this time. Billy Maclachlan, a retired protection officer of the Queen, helps out with lines of enquiry that the Queen and Rozie can't look into.As in the first book the Queen, with her vast experience of people and an intimate knowledge of her own Household Staff, takes care of the thinking while asking Rozie and Billy to do the actual investigating and then she subtly directs those who 'have it under control' towards the real solution. At least this time she has a competent policeman in charge of the official investigation (DCI Strong from the first book who did the actual work and impressed the Queen enough that she specifically requested him for this case).The final outcome did leave me with a few questions and I, personally, didn't think justice was fully served but it was still a delightful romp and an intriguing look into the supposed lives of the Queen and Prince Philip. I also thought that there were some personal details of the victim’s past that weren’t addressed - but maybe those were just red herrings. It’s also a lesson in not letting first appearances dictate your perceptions. I thought the crime was slightly more meaty in A Three Dog Problem but I thought the charm came through more in The Windsor Knot.The Queen does seem to do a fair bit of grinning in this book, which may be endearing once in a while but is not quite … regal. I rated this about a quarter star down from the first one although they both round out at 4; I missed the more personal aspects of the Queen’s musings about her grandchildren and so on though I did like the interplay with Prince Philip and the way he looks after ‘Cabbage’ without cosseting her. Those little personal touches towards the end with Prince Philip and his paintings - priceless. The book is dedicated to him as it was written just before he died; I like the glimpses of him happily absorbed in his painting or covered in dust after having exploring the Palace tunnels.Philip had started a picture. He had his oils out in the Octagon Room - which stank of turpentine - and he was putting together a decent landscape of Balmoral, based on some sketches he'd done in the summer. It was the garden, seen from inside the castle. She marvelled at his self-control to do something creative and retrospective, and not to sit glued to the BBC.'That's nice,' she said, standing over his shoulder.He grunted.'Balmoral?''No. Timbuctoo.' He had a recording of an old cricket match playing in the background, and she sensed she was distracting him.The title this time - A Three Dog Problem - is a reference to Sherlock Holmes's 'three pipe problems' when on a difficult case. HM likes to walk her dogs to take time to think but not too many at one time as keeping them under control is too distracting. (I did happen to notice that the phrase 'all the Queen's men', which is the US title of this book, came up once.)Still a fun and charming look into the Queen's (supposed) life of crime-solving.(October 2022)3.75-4 stars

[maggieflo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mildly interesting murder mystery which involves Queen Elizabeth helping to solve a murder on the grounds of Buckingham Palace.Members of her staff were involved in a lucrative art fraud scheme and the misappropriation of household materiel which lead to the harassment of female employees and the murder of two staff members. It’s a slow, plodding narrative but it portrays QEII as a very thoughtful, rational, tactful, kind and gentle woman. She is very busy with royal affairs but takes time with the help of her personal secretary and assistant to uncover what happened to a picture of the yacht Britannia which leads to the discovery of the art fraud and pilfering of household goods.

[bookappeal · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Queen Elizabeth II and her personal assistant, Rozie, attempt to solve the murder of a housemaid whose work was excellent but who was not well-liked by any other staff. The Queen is also perplexed by the appearance of a painting she hasn't seen in years. This series has convoluted plots involving too many characters but might still win readers over with its depictions of Lillibet, Prince Phillip, and life in the palace. The character of Rozie is also a gem - tough, smart, and feminine who won't let anything, including racist attitudes, interfere with doing the best job she can for "The Boss." The audiobook narration by Jane Copland is delightful.

[beckyhaase · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

ALL THE QUEEN’S MEN by SJ BennettThe Queen is a detective! Murder has come to Buckingham Palace and since the Constables don’t seem to be making any headway in finding the murderer, Elizabeth engages the assistance of her Assistant Rosie and investigates herself. Another amusing mystery in this series. The mystery is indeed mysterious. The bad guys don’t appear to be the bad guys and the good guys are all suspects according to the police. Rosie is more fully developed as a character. The author knows their way around Buckingham Palace and the “way things work” in royal traditions. Altogether this is a delightful romp.4 of 5 stars

[twink_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I admit it - I am a Royal Watcher! I loved last year's first entry (The Windsor Knot) in SJ Bennett's delightful series - Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. The second book is the newly released All the Queen's Men - and it's a cracking listen!Buckingham Palace 2016. It all starts with one of the Queen's favorite paintings gone missing, a series of 'poison pen' notes aimed at certain staff members - and a body by the indoor pool. Now, the Queen is not the one physically investigating. But she is conducting a secret inquiry of her own alongside the formal investigation. She again employs her Assistant Private Secretary Rozie Oshodi, to be her eyes, ears and legs reporting back only to her. When I listened to first book, I had concerns over how the Queen would be portrayed. Well, I didn't need to worry. She is kind, gracious, wise, highly intelligent, well-spoken, observant, but imposing as well. Her inner dialogue is a treat to read and her sense of humor is dry, as are her observations about her Royal family. Current events in 2016 are woven into the book such as elections at home and abroad, Brexit and more. We get to know Rozie a bit more personally in this latest. She's likable, smart and strong both physically and mentally. The mystery is well plotted and I really enjoyed following along. And it's not so easy as the butler did it. There are some red herrings on the path the final chapters. It's fun to be on 'the inside', aware of what is going on with the supporting players and their case, even as Rozie and the Queen pursue their own leads.I liked the setting as well - who doesn't want to know what the inside and daily life of the castle is like? I got curious and learned that Bennett's description and details of the Queen's art collection of art are true. The Royal Art Collection is the largest privately owned art collection in the world.This was another fun, clever and thoroughly enjoyable listen for me. I was happy for the continuity in using Jane Copland for the narrator again. Her voice is perfect - with a rich, cultured tone that's quite pleasant to listen to and an accent that immediately brought the Queen to mind. The pace of the reading is just right as well - never rushed. Keep calm and carry on! The subtle changes in intonation and emphasis are perfect for the Queen's manner. Different voices are provided for other characters and suit as well. Her speaking flows very naturally and is clear and easy to understand. This series could be considered a cozy mystery - but note there are no cats. Just corgis. ;0) This happy listener will be watching for the third entry in this series.

[eyes92c · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t put Humpty together again!Something is broken in the palace and it’s up to the Queen and her private secretary, Rozie Oshodi to fix it. Its 2016, a women is found dead in the Palace swimming pool, other women are being left threatening sexual notes. What is going on? The Queen is missing a personal painting, “Britannia. [It] used to hang outside [her] bedroom.” As Philip puts it, “What, the ghastly little one by the Australian who couldn’t do boats? That.” The Queen asks Rozie to investigate. It seems for some reason the Queen is fond of that small work.The investigation leads Rozie back in time to a rash of missing items in Palace in the 1980’s dubbed the Breakages Business. She has her hands full Asher investigations deepen.Once again the Queen directs procedures from afar without letting on her involvement. All the while having to disguise from her various Secretaries what is happening. The prodding from behind the scenes, a word dropped here, a participle left hanging there. I began to find some of it quite annoying. All to placate the Queen’s Men, who occasionally needed to be jollied along, to have their egos soothed, even as their unfailing efforts to protect the Queen seemed to sometimes devolve into obstruction by default, to the point of rendering a situation unworkable.I felt sympathy for the Queen and liked the often whimsical reflections that Bennett has us being party to. I felt sad for the Queen having fewer companions left to reminisce about old times with. (I love the interplay between the Queen and Prince Philip BTW). The problems besetting the Palace, both architecturally and on the personal level appear steeped in believability.There’s much to hang onto in this cozy mystery with a twist of regalit, on the who dunnit level. The intricacies of Palace life, the Queen and her relationship with her dogs, particularly when pondering a situation is a Three Dog problem. I enjoyed the throwaway a lines about real people (Camilla’s charitable work with abused women and her being hysterical in a good way!) Chronologically the story is reasonably up to date makes me wonder where to next for the series. Yet despite all the wonderful, gossipy insights, I found this second in the series not quite as strong as the first.A William Morrow ARC via NetGalley Please note: Quotes taken from an advanced reading copy maybe subject to change

[linda.a. · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This second story in S. J. Bennett’s ‘Her Majesty The Queen Investigates’ series reveals yet more shady goings-on in the Royal Household and more mysteries and crimes for HRH and Rozie Oshodi, her trusted Assistant Private Secretary to investigate. To discover the complexities of what led up to the death of the woman discovered by the swimming pool at the start of the story the reader is taken back three months when, over breakfast, the Queen shares a disturbing discovery with Prince Philip. The previous day, on an official visit to an exhibition of maritime art in Portsmouth she saw a painting of the ex-royal yacht, Britannia, a painting which held huge sentimental value for her. It had once hung on a wall outside her bedroom but had disappeared sometime in the nineties, following decorating works. Determined to have it restored to her, she sets Rozie the task of discovering how it had ended up there and to arrange for its swift return. However, the organiser of the exhibition insists that the artist must have painted more than one copy because this one belonged to the Ministry of Defence and had been lent to the exhibition by the Second Sea Lord. Nevertheless, the Queen knows without any shadow of doubt that she is not mistaken and is determined to that it will be returned to her – but what neither she nor Rozie could possibly have anticipated is what their investigations will uncover, or the lengths some people will go to to prevent the truth from emerging. Attempting to unravel what, if any, the connections are between a spate of poison-pen letters, sudden resignations, the disappearance of valuable paintings, art forgery, dishonest employees, a well-established conspiracy to defraud, suspicious deaths turns out to be a complex business but, as anyone who has read The Windsor Knot will know, nothing will stop this intrepid duo from getting to the truth! Interspersed with all the private investigation work, are HRH’s reflections on contemporary issues (the 2016 referendum, Brexit, Theresa May, the Trump/Clinton election campaign etc) and some insights into the wide range of her official duties, demonstrating not only the ceremonial formality of some aspects of her life, but the meticulous planning which underpins such occasions. Alongside this the reader is treated to imagined (but believable!) conversations with Prince Philip, asides about various members of the family, how she relaxes (with her horses and dogs and spending time with the young grandchildren) and glimpses into the daily routines at Buckingham Palace. The author’s respect, admiration and affection for the Queen permeate her writing but from the many small details which make the story feel so convincing, it’s apparent throughout that she must have done considerable research to enable her to convey such a convincing portrayal of life in the Royal Household. One historical fact she included, to demonstrate that ‘below-stairs’ skulduggery is nothing new, was a reference to how William Fortnum, a footman to Queen Anne, began to demonstrate the entrepreneurial skill which would, in time, lead him to set up in business with a certain Hugh Mason and make his fortune. I had no idea … and if you want to know you’ll have to read the book to find out! In my review of the first book in this series (which I read last autumn) I described the story as ‘a fun read – the perfect antidote to any Covid-blues.’ Although, inevitably I think, this second novel lacks the ‘novelty’ value of the first, I still found it easy to suspend disbelief and to enjoy losing myself in a different world for a few hours. It’s a well-plotted, gently humorous story with a cast of well-developed, eminently believable characters and although there are some dark deeds at the heart of it, an absolute belief that all will turn out well in the end makes the whole process feel rather genteel! The eventual explanation about why the Queen was able to be so adamant that the painting of Britannia was hers was delightfully convincing and, in the light of Prince Philip’s recent death, rather poignant. I also loved the author’s thinking behind her choice of title – partly inspired by Sherlock Holmes who, whenever he had a difficult case to solve had to smoke three pipes, describing it as a ‘three pipe problem’. Faced with a similar problem the Queen needed to take her three dogs for a walk!One thread in the story involves four paintings by the Italian Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, a woman who achieved success in a man’s world in the seventeenth century. As the Queen and Rozie are the indefatigable sleuths in this story, I loved the fact that the author prefaced the final section of the novel with this famous quote from the artist: ‘You will find the spirit of Caesar in the soul of a woman.’ As the next book in the series (Murder Most Royal) is due to be published in November 2022, it’s clear that our two protagonists still have more cases to solve … so fans of the series will, once more, be allowed to peek behind royal doors! With thanks to Readers First and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

[nicx27 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After recently reading The Windsor Knot, book one in the "Her Majesty the Queen Investigates" series, I was really keen to read book two, A Three Dog Problem. I enjoyed this second instalment just as much as the first, if not even more.This time there seems to be more going on with what at first appears to be three separate crimes to keep the Queen and Rozie, her Assistant Personal Secretary and partner in crime-fighting, busy. But as the book progressed it because clear there may be more to each crime than initially met the eye. The story begins with a body being found next to the swimming pool at Buckingham Palace and the Queen realising that one of her paintings that should be in her possession is most definitely not. Add in a spate of poison pen letters and there's a lot going on.I loved following the Queen and Rozie once again as they investigated in their usual understated, behind the scenes, fashion. S.J. Bennett writes these tales so engagingly, portraying the Queen's sharp mind, wit and absolute diplomacy at all times. I must admit to getting a little confused as to who did what and why but there's no doubt this is a really cleverly plotted story and it's clear I would not make much of an investigator!I found the settings absolutely fascinating to read about, with most of the action taking place this time at Buckingham Palace. I learned new information about things that I didn't even know were there and I really enjoyed the combination of fact and fiction. The author keeps it authentic at all times and the attention to detail makes these books really special.I enjoyed A Three Dog Problem very much indeed. It's another charming and original read with a unique investigating protagonist. I'm looking forward to book three now.