#s.j. bennett

[itspronouncedtessa]

I am too much of an anti-monarchist for this

Reading Journal

December 23

Book 98

S.J. Bennett

All the Queen's Men

Her Majesty the Queen Investigates 2

[skjam]

Goodreads Recommends: British Isles!  Mark V

This shelf has books set mostly or in large part in the British isles (including Ireland), or that are written by authors hailing from that part of the world.

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848 by Eric J. Hobsbawm Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones Ask A Policeman by The Detection Club

The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland Cold Storage by David Koepp The Country Village Christmas Show by Cathy Lake

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton Dr. Mütter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz Dying in the Wool by Frances Brody

El enigma de la esfinge by Maria Maneru Euthyphro, Apologia Socratis, Crito, Phaedo, Cratylus, Sophista, Politicus, Theaetetus by Plato

Face It by Debbie Harry The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty

HBR's 10 Must Reads 2020: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (with bonus article "How CEOs Manage Time" by Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria) by Harvard Business Review A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson

Inside Out by Chris McGeorge Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

Littlejohn on Leave by George Bellairs The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, September-October 2020 by C.C. Finlay The Martian by Andy Weir The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah Murder at the Fitzwilliam by Jim Eldridge The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth and Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine by Thomas Morris

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith The Paddington Mystery by John Rhode The Paid Companion by Amanda Quick Personality Hacker: Harness the Power of Your Personality Type to Transform Your Work, Relationships, and Life by Joel Mark Witt Polaris by H.P. Lovecraft Project Nemesis by Jeremy Robinson

Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang Recovery by Stephen Benatar The Ruined Map by Kobo Abe

Salvation by Peter F. Hamilton The Shadow of the Torturer by Gene Wolfe Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty Soldier Boy by Cassandra Parkin Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son: The Story of the Yorkshire Ripper by Gordon Burn The Studio by Time-Life Books A surprise for Christmas and other seasonal mysteries by Martin Edwards

Victoria Park by Gemma Reeves Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell Jr. Widow's Welcome by D.K. Fields The Woman in the Dunes by Kobo Abe The Wonderful O by James Thurber

And now the British Isles Writer Hall of Fame!

Christie, Agatha-13 Bennett, S.J.-7

Copper, Basil-6 Marquitz, Tim-6 Robinson, W. Sydney-6 Chapman, Vera-5 Fitzharris, Lindsey-5 Wells, H.G.-4

Our winners are the authors of The Last Seance and The Windsor Knot!

Your thoughts, comments, and favourite books from the British Isles?

[real-book-reflections]

AUDIO VERSION of The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett - Narration by Jane Copeland. YES!! This was absolutely lovely to listen to! So much fun! The 1st in a new cozy series: Her Majesty the Queen Investigates, the book starts out with a death right at that the beginning, taking place right under the roof of Queen Elizabeth, at Windsor Castle. With Queen Elizabeth II, being a primary character, she is flanked by Asst Private Secretary, Rozie Oshodi, who proves to be quite capable in her owns rights. Brilliant chemistry of mutual respect between all the characters, dominated by an intelligent, witty, often humorous, sometimes cheeky dialogue. I LOVED the few personal conversations between Philip and the Queen. (Phillip’s pet name for the Queen is “Cabbage”.) This was a wonderful portrait of some the Queen’s responsibilities, her family, staff, the public she has to deal with, and her beloved home, Windsor Castle. Coordinating all those things, she is using her wisdom and keen eye to guide the proper authorities to unmask the truth about the death of one of her guests, a Russian piano player. But questions abound - Suicide? Murder? Accident? A killer? Who? The narrator, Jane Copeland, is fantastic! Pitch, pace, power, accent(s), enthusiasm, and fluency were spot on. The narrator did this story justice, and brought life and authentic realism, making the listening experience even more enjoyable.