A Murder at Balmoral

August 22, 2022
In this locked room mystery with echoes of Agatha Christie, British author McGeorge (Now You See Me) delivers a droll if disappointing look at a fictional royal family, whose members have gathered to celebrate a traditional Christmas at Balmoral Castle located in the remote Scottish Highlands. All the royals, a mixed bag of egos, have been made to hand over their mobile devices, and are soon cut off from the outside world by a huge blizzard. King Eric Windsor has sent all servants and staff home, demanding that the only people to be present are his family; his smarmy security “juggernaut,” Tony Speck; and his loyal personal chef, Jonathan Alleyne. The 85-year-old king plans to make an important announcement that will affect the monarchy. But as he begins to describe his proposal during a toast, he drops dead from drinking poisoned whiskey. Mouth-watering scenes of the chef cooking make up only in part for an uninspired plot, a ho-hum resolution, and characters that are stock types, aside from Jonathan. McGeorge has done better. Agent: Hannah Sheppard, DHH Literary (U.K.).

September 15, 2022
Classic elements of a cozy British murder mystery reappear in an updated and timely royal romp. McGeorge jumps headfirst into an alternate-history mystery hinging on a different line of succession within the Windsor dynasty in which Edward VIII had not abdicated the throne for Wallis Simpson. Elderly King Eric, the fictional heir to that Edwardian line, is preparing for what should be a cozy Christmas at Balmoral Castle and is also preparing to share his plans for his own retirement and, apparently, the designation of a successor under new rules of succession. Gathered around King Eric for the holiday are his tipsy wife, semidisgraced brother, middle-aged twin daughters and one son-in-law (a commoner!), adolescent grandsons, a security officer, and his devoted longtime Bajan chef and confidant, Jonathan Alleyne. As luck would have it, a severe blizzard strikes Balmoral and the small group is stranded and isolated in what turns out to be a very large "locked room" when the king drops dead after a traditional British Christmas dinner, just as he is about to reveal his plans for the future. Oh, and everyone's cellphones are locked away to minimize the risk of disclosing the family's whereabouts! When it appears the sovereign was poisoned by someone within the group, Jon reluctantly takes charge of an ad hoc investigation until help can be summoned after the blizzard. That endeavor might actually be easier than managing the band of rival royals, most of whom hold secrets from and grudges toward each other. Revered classic mystery tropes, including power failure and communication breakdowns with the outside world, come into play alongside more modern concerns such as establishing who is leaking information to the writers of The Monarch (think The Crown) television series the family is quasi-obsessed with. A complicated contemporary puzzler pays homage to tradition.

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October 1, 2022
British King Eric Windsor commands his staff--with the exception of his chef and head of security--to leave him alone on Christmas. The reason? The King wants to spend the holiday with only his family at Balmoral, the royal retreat in the Scottish Highlands. When a massive blizzard sets in, the family is truly isolated, but for King Eric, that's perfect. However, just as he's about to begin his holiday speech to his kin, he takes a sip of wine and immediately drops dead. The family is stunned, but when they realize that only family members, the chef, and the security head are in the castle, they must face the horrible realization that one of them is a killer. But who had the most to gain from King Eric's death? With the sudden disappearance of the security head, the family members grudgingly agree to appoint the chef as a "neutral" investigator. This classic "locked room" mystery, boasts a history-bending and provocative plot, a cast of conniving characters, a delicious conclusion, and some not-very-subtle criticism of the British monarchy and its foibles.

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