The Hawk is Dead by Peter James

Her Majesty, Queen Camilla, is on board the Royal Train on the way to a charity event in Sussex, when her train is derailed. As she and her entourage exit the train, a trusted aide is shot dead by a sniper. Was this an assassination attempt on her life?

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is summoned to Buckingham Palace to solve the crime. When he looks at the evidence, he is convinced that the Queen wasn’t the target, and despite the media headlines and scepticism from his police colleagues, he pursues a line of enquiry that becomes increasingly complex, deep within the walls of Buckingham Palace.

The pressure is on to solve the case, especially with the King deeply concerned about his wife’s safety. But then the killer strikes again, and the pressure to solve the case is even higher as danger stalks the corridors of Buckingham Palace.

As always, Roy Grace is the star of this carefully plotted novel – a police officer of integrity and intelligence. King Charles and Queen Camilla feature as themselves, and I thought this was very well done. The Hawk is Dead is a riveting, massively entertaining crime novel.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Pan Macmillan