Despite being derided by Prince Philip and others knowledgeable regarding art, the painting held special significance for the Queen and had formally hung outside her bedroom door. Sometimes you read a book that just captures your imagination and makes you smile in such a way you can't stop thinking about it.

A Three Dog Problem - S.J. Bennett | Readers First A Three Dog Problem - S.J. Bennett | Readers First

In the wake of a referendum which has divided the nation, the last thing the Queen needs is any more problems to worry about. I spoke to the facilities manager at the naval base,” Rozie explained, “and he tells me it’s a case of mistaken identity. Wrapped up in the mystery is a missing painting of the beloved Britannia and a rash of poison pen letters. She’s increasingly aware of the widespread opinion among those who do not know her very well that she’s a posh and pleasant yet decidedly unknowledgeable and unworldly old biddy, and she uses this misapprehension to her advantage whenever possible. 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.Something is broken in the palace and it’s up to the Queen and her private secretary, Rozie Oshodi to fix it. Maybe if one of these elements was removed and the story focused on characters a tad more, maybe it would have worked for me.

A Three Dog Problem by SJ Bennett | Waterstones A Three Dog Problem by SJ Bennett | Waterstones

And, if you’re like myself and many other readers I know, you will go down all the rabbit holes of those subjects, some of which I’ve provided links below. Another player on their team is retired Detective Billy MacLachlan, who is privy to much of the gossip that swirls around the palace through his connections to other retired Royal personnel. The recurring characters are gradually being fleshed out, especially Rozie who was a great help in the first one. And in a development that made for a very happy winter weekend curled under a blanket with a glass of Baileys, the sequel A Three Dog Problem has been released in time for Christmas - presumably because, having been sold to publishers in 14 countries and the subject of a seven-figure bidding war in the US, Zaffre Books know they're onto a very good thing.Thank you to Scene of the Crime/William Morrow for the copy of this one to read and honestly review. This series imagines two 1930s schoolgirls solving crimes in Christie fashion, featuring the intrepid duo of Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. Just 24 hours later I was done and wishing I wasn't because I wanted to read it again for the first time. The UK title of this book comes from physics (‘the three body problem’) and from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.