Stealing the Crown

This was tedious. I'm so glad I didn't pay for it having downloaded it as an Amazon First Read. A lot of slightly confusing "characters", having overlong conversations,a convoluted plot which at times felt as if it had been relegated to a sub-plot, and by the time it ended, I didn't really care.

Set in Buckingham Palace during WWII, we get a glimpse at what it is like being a royal courtier and a peek at who really runs things at the palace. <br /><br />What I liked:<br />I liked this inside glimpse at what it is like to be a courtier and work at the palace.<br />I had fun guessing whether the powers that be gave Guy the job of solving the murder because they thought he would bungle it or if they thought he would solve it!<br />I really liked the way the mystery unfolded, I was kept guessing until the very end.<br />I think the author has more room to explore the characters of Guy and Rhodie in future books.<br /><br />What could have been better<br />Even with the Cast of Characters in the front of the book, there are a lot of names (and nicknames) that are hard to keep straight. <br /><br />Overall this was an enjoyable mystery with an interesting main character with much more room to grow into a series. I recommend this book to historical mystery fans as well as people who enjoy books about the royal family. 4/5<br /><br />I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks!<br /><br />

Stealing the Crown is an easy read indeed, with a decent plot steeped in wartime detail. Unfortunately it is somewhat short-serviced by its affable but inadequate protagonist, Guy Harford, and the very setting in which it takes place, Buckingham Palace. You see, a murder in the Palace is - of course - immediately hushed up, leaving no crime scene, no body, no CLUES for the eager reader to pore over, simply a procession of loosely interconnected characters who give little away within the text. Harford is very much in the Doctor Watson mold of sleuths - ineffectual, often drawing entirely erroneous and unsupported conclusions, and failing to consider the consequences of his fumbling deductions (more than once do we see the phrase "Guy hadn't thought of that"). Admittedly, this is somewhat integral to the plot, but Doctor Watson without Sherlock Holmes leaves us with a dull and dim-witted protagonist indeed. He is aided by a couple of much sharper companions, but they and the other supporting characters are never fleshed out beyond mere ciphers to drive the plot forward, and push our nominal hero towards the final conclusion - which, when it comes, is something of a deus ex machina. It would have been very welcome to see Harford and Rupert deepen their relationship beyond a couple of trips to the pub, or the pleasingly independent Rodie be given something more to do than occasional breaking and entering, but alas, Guy's "friends" are apparently only called upon when it is time for the next piece of the puzzle to be dropped in his lap. There are merits to the novel: some of the period detail is lovely (albeit some of it feels rather shoe-horned in); the strength of the book lies in its evocation of Blitz life both on the streets and in the royal residence, within the wider context of a yet-to-become world war. It is the characters that are lacking. Truth be told, I rather like Guy Harford - he's too amiable to dislike - but I have no desire to witness him bumble his way through any further investigations. Perhaps TP Fielden, a.k.a. Christopher Wilson, should stick to non-fiction writing in future

1941, a Buckingham Palace courtier is found dead, apparently having committed suicide. The death is hushed up, but was the man murdered? And could this be part of a wider plot to remove King George VI and replace him with someone more sympathetic to the Nazis? All ingredients which promise a tense, pacey thriller.<br /><br />Unfortunately the book fails to deliver on that promise. The narrative plods along slowly and the lead character – artist, reluctant courtier and failed spy Guy Harford – stumbles haplessly through events. There are also a lot of characters, some of who have hardly any distinguishing characteristics, so it can be hard to keep track of who’s who.<br /><br />The book does paint a convincing portrait of life in wartime London but that’s not enough to rescue it

2020 bk 287. This has been on my want to read list for awhile. I finally broke down and purchased it as a b-day present to myself. On the whole it is a well done suspense/mystery. Filled with gossip about the royal family and their extended friends and hangers on during the time of WWII, it is also the story of one of the 'lesser' beings at the palace. Probably the most enchanting and frustrating of his tasks is finding a home for King George III's parrot (based on a true parrot). London is not where Guy wants to be, but he makes the best of it in a confusing political atmosphere. The personalities involved seemingly all want to control the throne/crown (to which the title refers) and the unwrapping of what has really been going on tells a good deal about how the mind of the author works.

It's WWII, a king has abdicated, his brother now on the throne, with his princess daughter as the next heir. When Major Edward Brampton's body is found at Buckingham Palace, suspicions swirl and rumors mount. Was the major's death a tragic suicide? Or a murder to hide explosive, royal secrets?<br /><br />When palace authorities have the body removed to avoid scandal, former artist and now courtier, Guy Harford, has the responsibility of notifying the major's wife and keeping the press and other nosy parkers at bay. The clues surrounding the major's death aren't adding up as Guy forages into the major's past dealings. Spies, a mysterious network and a rumored relationship with a queen leave a tangled web of clues to get to the truth. Will Guy's sleuthing lead to a deadly end?<br /><br />Author Fielden weaves a mysterious, page-turning tale infused with fact and fiction. We're whisked back in time to the streets of war torn London in this cozy, historical novel of intrigue. A must read for royal, mystery enthusiasts--highly recommended!

Not the murder mystery for me. I thought it sounded exciting and interesting but honestly I got lost most of the time. All the characters were referred to by their names and their nicknames and it took me ages to find out who they were talking about. <br /><br />The actual story also dragged for me a lot. But I was determined to make it through to the end to find out what happened. Wasn’t really impressed by the whole reveal I think I really was just hoping to get to the end. And I did so there’s that. <br /><br />Definitely did want to like it though. Sad that it wasn’t for me.

It was a fun read. It has everything, mystery &amp; intrigue. Will keep you hooked. This book helps widen your perspective about the world war 2 from a UK view. A lead character is found dead, and another protagonist faces a situation where he has to determine whether it was a murder or a suicide. Tricky, but very very interesting, I was lucky to receive the arc from NetGalley and the Author. You are in for a treat. Enjoy!

Really good story, based around historical fact, set in London in WW2 and centred around Buckingham Palace staff, who have to solve a mystery whodunnit! Wasn’t sure if it was going to be any good as just chose it for my Kindle from either Amazon sale or free book - but I absolutely loved it! Well written so that I could visualise everything in my head, including the sights and sounds in the city in 1940, but without heavy descriptive sections which I loathe. Have downloaded the next book in the series.

what a great start to a series!