Chris McGeorge has penned a novel on the premise of what would have happened to the English royal family had King Edward VIII not abdicated the throne in 1936, and given that his bride would have been chosen for him. As the book begins, the premise that this is part of a film is suggested, which will make sense once one finishes reading it in its entirety. The mystery will deepern as one reads further on. In the opening scene, King Eric appears to be poisoned and dies while at a Christmas dinner he had planned in advance. He had wanted only his immediate family, one chef, and one security guard to be present, in order to encourage a family bonding. So eight members of the royal family are gathered in an isolated castle, one being a dead King, and a raging blizzard all around them, so no one can leave. All their cellphones had been collected by the security guard, and taken to the guard shed at the gates of the property. This was done so that no one could leak on social media the fact that they were all alone with only one guard to defend the king. Then another murder occurs, which further complicates this “whodunit”. I did very much enjoy this novel; if your taste includes reading about the shenanigans of royal families, and a “locked room” mystery, this one’s for you.
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