Agreeable and fairly absorbing last volume in this short series. ( )

This series is humorous. I love the interesting use of language and description. I found myself underlining bits that I wished I could remember. There are only three books in the series and the last was written in 1998 so there will be no more. I would dearly love to know what was in Jane's future, did she marry Jamie, did she become lady in waiting to the Queen. My only quibble with this last book was...what happened to the cat. My timing on reading this series was...the world was waiting for the birth of a royal baby but it still struck me as odd to be reading about Prince Harry rollerblading down the halls of Windsor Castle and to look up when the 6:00 o`clock news came on to see Prince Harry alighting from a helicopter to talk to reporters about the new Princess Charlotte. Then to be reading about a recalcitrant corgi biting her minder to checking my Pinterest feed to find a photo of two corgi minders escorting a passel of corgis down the steps of an airplane. I love it when my life connects in some way with what I am reading either by accident or on purpose. ( )

In the third, and sadly the last, in the Jane Bee/Her Majesty Investigates mystery series, Jane and the rest of the Staff move to Windsor Castle in June for what may be the Queen's favourite time of year: Royal Ascot. Part of the festivities for the week include the Procession of the Knights of the Garter and the investiture of new knights into the Order of the Garter. However, this year there is an unwelcome event added to the schedule: murder in the Throne Room, just hours before the investiture! Jane is quickly tasked with the cleanup and investigation of this heinous crime, in consultation with Her Majesty of course.

This is my favourite of the three books in the series. Jane's narration leaps joyfully off the pages, with plenty of quips and wordplay to keep me entertained. The usual cast of characters delights as well, and there are some amusing royal cameos. I also loved the descriptions of a sunny week in June, the pageantry of the Garter Procession, and the roar of the crowds at Ascot.

An interesting coincidence: the police detective investigating the murder is DCI George Nightingale. I wonder if he is any relation to Thomas from the Rivers of London series?

If you've ever been to Windsor or want to go, this might be a fun little treat for you to check out. There are no spoilers for the first two books in the series (besides mentioning the fact that they exist), so this can be safely read as a stand-alone. ( )

When a body is discovered in the Throne Room at Windsor Castle just before the investiture ceremony for the Knights of the Garter, the Queen calls upon Jane Bee for her housekeeping skills. There's a rather large stain on the carpet that needs to be dealt with before the ceremony. Jane's sleuthing skills are needed after the ceremony is over. The police obtain a confession almost immediately, which troubles Jane. She doesn't believe the person who confessed to the murder could have done it. But why would someone confess to a murder he or she didn't commit? Jane – and the Queen's – sleuthing will have to fit in around the busyness of Royal Ascot week, when the Castle is filled with extra guests. A handsome member of the Scots Guard becomes a growing distraction for Jane. She really wants to see him again, but unfortunately she didn't catch his last name and he's not likely to find her given the story she told him about herself.

Windsor was a favorite destination for my days off during the years I lived just north of London. This fun cozy brought back a lot of happy memories. The setting, the characters, and the witty narration were so entertaining that the murder and its solution were just a side attraction. I wish the author would write one more book in this series. A death at Balmoral would be a nice way to bring closure to it. ( )

Read in November, 2013

Found this author took an unusual turn for what I'd expected would be a bit of light mystery reading distraction. Benison unexpectedly takes Jane Bee, our Canadian housemaid sleuth, into a dark twist when she hears the confession of another maid's young daughter regarding the actions of an art gallery instructor. Jane ends up tackling a heavy topic with several other suspects and characters whose lives intertwine. Her responses are admirable and add much depth to her character that hasn't been evident to this reader to this point in the series.

Well written, but lengthy - perhaps to ease readers into the seriousness of the as yet unrevealed topic? And an entirely unexpected ending that may or may not satsify individual readers, but will surely surprise! ( )