S.J. Bennett: A Death in Diamonds
Her Majesty the Queen Investigates #4
I love this series, and with this title its excellence continues. It was originally published in the UK last year, but thanks to a change of publishers, readers in the US have had to wait until now to get their hands on it. While the central premise of Queen Elizabeth having a private secretary who helps her with undercover investigations may sound a bit silly, Bennet pulls it off thanks to her way with smart plots, great characters and humor. The Queen has access to all kinds of things, of course, but there are also topics that the people around her think a royal should not concern herself with. As portrayed by Bennett, Elizabeth loves solving puzzles, and her private secretary becomes her eyes and ears out in the world.