Customer Reviews

Death at Buckingham Palace: Her Majesty Investigates

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Canadian Jane Bee is a housemaid in Buckingham Palace, and her friend and fellow Canadian, Robin Tukes dies under mysterious circumstances. Everyone thinks that Robin has committed suicide, except for Jane and Her Majesty the Queen. The Queen decides to have lowly housemaid, Jane keep her ears and eyes open to discover the truth about Robins's death. This of course leads to some interesting and possibly dangerous situations for our plucky heroine.

This is a delightful book. Author Benison has created an enjoyable cast of characters and an engaging mystery. Definitely in the tradition of Agatha Christie, this book will keep you entertained and turning the pages to find out what happens next.

This novel, along with its sequels, are among the very few mystery novels that I enjoy reading over and over. Perhaps this is because of the fresh, friendly voice of the narrator, Jane Bee, a smart and lively young woman from Prince Edward Island, who, while visiting Great Britain, happens into a housemaid position at Buckingham Palace, and very quickly stumbles (literally) upon a dead body, right at Her Majesty's sensible-shoe-clad feet...And perhaps it's because of the writing skills of C.C. Benison, who gives the reader the feeling of being a Palace insider, with all the good gossip, the pet names for the Royals, the unmentionable scourge of the corgis, even the secret of what the Queen actually keeps in her purse...Really excellent good fun, and I can only say that I wish that there were more of them to read and re-read and recommend.

Jane Bee came to Europe for adventure, only to end up with the job is a lifetime--housemaid at Buckingham Palace. Now her greatest challenge is removing gum from State Room carpets--until she comes across a nasty accident right outside the Royal Apartments. The Queen herself has--literally--stumbled across the dead body of Jane's good friend, footman and aspiring actor Robin Tukes, in what appears to be a suicide. But why would handsome, impetuous Robin, having just toasted his engagement to a gorgeous housemaid, not to mention his impending fatherhood, want to die? Buck House buzzes, but only Jane--and the Royal Personage known belowstairs as "Mother"--suspects foul play. At Her Majesty's behest, Jane launches a discreet inquiry that takes her from Servants' Hall to the highest echelons of the Palace. Yet the more Jane uncovers, the more clear it becomes that this latest royal scandal is a real killer.

This is one of those types of books that gets me into trouble. I really couldn't put it down! Yes, I was supposed to be studying for class... yes, I was supposed to be uploading stuff for my club... oh and what about the dishes! Well, too bad! I've read all 3 of Jane Bee's adventures and loved them all. The characters, even minor ones, are interesting; the plots are complex and keep you guessing; the descriptions of the castles/houses and London life are in-depth and fun to read. I definitely recommend these and hope there will be many more. Congrats to C.C.Benison, a fellow Canadian! Well, I'm only half Canadian...

This was a wonderful book that I found I could not put down it was both well written and interesting. The middle of the book is a little complicaated at times but this only made it better when the book came to its most satisfing conclusion.

I wish you could give a book more than 5 stars. It is a wonderfull book. The red herrings make it hard. But this is good. I highly recommend this book.

I myself am a monarchist, so I was already excited about a book that gives Her Majesty the Queen some credit for being a human being as well as the Sovereign.
And what a fun book it is! Jane Bee is a very likeable character, which is always important. I liked the way she had to keep correcting people that she was Canadian, not American, and the no-nonsense way she handled things. I liked the behind-the-scenes look at the Palace's inner workings (whether totally true or not-don't you wonder if HM reads these??!)
All in all, the mystery was exciting and kept me guessing, the characters were very well drawn, and I can't wait to get the next one!

C.C. Benison is extremely creative in her choice of settings and characters. She artfully blends the classic British mystery with North American comedy givig the genre a whole new perspective. Benison's writing style can be best described as "classically modern". All of her books are most definitely worth reading.

I enjoyed reading this book, mainly because I am interested in the lives of the Royals. It is a clever idea to write a mystery featuring the queen. However, as for the plot goes, it is unnecessarily complicated with too many red herrings. A good travel companion book, or if you want a mystery book on a rainy day on a camping trip, or want to escape to a different world from yours.

I am in the middle of this book, but this is fantastic! Comedy meets Murder and Jane Bee becomes sleuth to HM. Wonderful! Each character is wonderfully depicted, with faults and facets. No one is perfect, and you'll love each character. Even the Queen's corgis are depicted like real corgis! Finally, a hilarous murder mystery!