The Queen Who Came In From The Cold by S. J. Bennett

 

It's 1961, and the country is obsessed with James Bond and British spies. Queen Elizabeth II is dragged into a potential diplomatic nightmare when someone tries to smuggle a Russian spy onto the Royal Yacht Britannia.

I've enjoyed each book in the Her Majesty The Queen Investigates series by S. J. Bennett. While I preferred the three books in the series which featured the older version of the Queen, using a historical setting has worked well too. The Queen Who Came In From The Cold is one such novel, set in 1961.

Elizabeth and her entourage are preparing for a trip aboard the royal train. During the trip, one of the passengers is convinced she witnessed a murder. The Queen, along with Joan, her Assistant Private Secretary, decides to investigate and discover a plot to smuggle a Russian defector aboard Britannia while the Queen and Prince Philip are visiting Italy. 

The Queen comes across as shrewd, practical and considered. Well aware of diplomatic relations, she toes a very fine line in her support of the people trying to smuggle a spy into Britain. All of this is done against a backdrop of the uncovering of double agents in England who were working for Russia.

There is a very glamorous feel throughout. A royal visit to Venice conjures up beautiful gowns and gorgeous scenery. Time on Britannia invokes scenes of elegance and wealth. Across the country, the population is captivated by the thought of John F Kennedy and his wife on a state visit to Britain, the alluring world of James Bond, and the first man in space. Not everything is quite as captivating, though. The royal train gives you a glimpse of how frugal the Queen could be, with the whole thing being a mishmash of dated carriages. By mixing real events alongside the fictional elements of the story,  combined with such accurate and nuanced portrayals of the royal family, we get an amazing sense of authenticity to the narrative.

Danger lurks around every corner, however, and Joan finds herself in some precarious situations. I was on the edge of my seat, wondering which way events would go. For a cosy crime novel, this comes very close to being a full-blown spy thriller. Even when events are concluded, there is still a sense of unease. You can never be sure in the world of espionage and double agents.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by S. J. Bennett will be published on 6th November in hardback, ebook and audio format. My thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for a review copy.

Author Details

S. J. Bennett was born in Yorkshire and travelled the world as an army child. She had a varied career before her first novel was published when she was 42. Since then, her books have won awards, been optioned for TV, and have been translated into over 20 languages. She was once asked to interview for the role of Assistant Private Secretary to the Queen and still considers it the job that got away. A curious royal watcher for many years, she lives in London, where she can often be found haunting its palaces, museums, galleries and libraries. She currently writes the ‘Her Majesty the Queen Investigates’ series.