A Murder at Balmoral by Chris McGeorge
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Web ID: 16835719Entertaining
What might have happened if Edward VIII had not abdicated the throne in 1936? In this alternative history a locked-room type mystery occurs when King Eric reigns in the United Kingdom. The royal family has gathered at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for a traditional Christmas. However, King Eric has given nearly all of the staff Christmas Day off. The only ones remaining are head chef Jonathan “Jon” Alleyne and the head of security, Tony Speck. A blizzard isolates the castle as Jon works tirelessly to provide a delicious meal for the family. During the preparations, King Eric meets individually with each member of the royal family. As he prepares to make a toast and an announcement after dinner, he dies. Jon believes he was poisoned and is placed in the role of an amateur sleuth. He feels out of his depth, but wants to do what is right by his friend of 33 years. Why would one of the king’s own family members kill him? There is a helpful character list at the beginning of the novel followed by a short chapter from the unknown killer’s point of view. Much of the story is from Jon’s point of view and starts 10 hours earlier when Jon takes the king’s breakfast to him on Christmas morning. The characters had depth and Jonathan’s character went through a transformation as he responded to events. While floundering, overwhelmed by the task, and unsure of himself, he steps up and experiences growth during his investigation. The descriptive narrative transported me to Scotland where intrigue and secrets abound in this storyline. There are suspenseful moments as well as moments that seemed to drag. The pacing is uneven; especially in the first two-thirds of the novel. Despite this, the plot is twisty and kept me interested and there are multiple mysteries to be solved as the story unfolds. However, it is never explained how King Eric is descended from King Edward VIII and I kept thinking about this question throughout the book. The conclusion hints at what might happen to the characters, but is very open-ended. I wanted a more definitive conclusion to the book. One of the most interesting aspects was the information around lines of succession as imagined in this alternative history timeline. It was certainly thought-provoking. Overall, this was an entertaining novel. Other themes explored in the novel were relationships with and between servants, trust, honesty, deception, power, greed, love, family, lies, secrets, and suspicion. I purchased a copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date was October 25, 2022. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Keeps the reader guessing!
King Eric, age 85, and his family have retreated to Balmoral for Christmas. It is his favorite place to be. King Eric has decided that he doesn’t want all of the staff to stay there for Christmas so he sends them home. In addition, he wants all of the family members to have their cell phones locked up to keep their attention. However, Jon, his long time chef of over 30 years, is there to prepare the Christmas dinner. In addition to Jon, there is a security person who spends most of his time roaming the grounds. This year, the weather has turned bad and there is a virtual blizzard outside. King Eric has spoken privately with several members of his family this morning and has let the family know he will be choosing his successor. Jon is working hard to prepare a sumptuous feast for the family at noon. He knows all of the king’s favorite dishes and fixes all of them the way he likes them. After lunch, the family gathers around the Christmas tree to exchange gifts. They then always toast one another with a particular brand of whiskey ordered especially for the occasion. Usually, King Eric gives a little speech and everyone then enjoys their glass of whiskey. This year, when the king takes a sip of his whiskey, he falls over, dead. The whiskey has obviously been poisoned! Jon had opened and decanted the bottle earlier in the day to air it. Could someone have poisoned the whiskey and who could it have been? This is a mystery with lots of atmosphere and some really strange characters. First we suspect one person and then another one appears to be the guilty one. This is how the author keeps the reader’s attention and makes us closely concentrate on what happens next. Rather strange in parts, but I really liked Jon and his lifelong dedication to the royal family. Enjoy! Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
What if?
Very well told story of what if? What if King Edward VIII didn’t abdicate? What if his son is now King? King Eric has decided to spend Christmas in Balmoral with only the Royal family and trusted chef Jon, also Mr. Speck for security. Balmoral is fairly secluded and there is a raging blizzard going on, one would think the Royals could enjoy Christmas as a family in peace. But there are secrets abound within the family and some have come to light. The King has individually addressed the family one on one and after Christmas dinner was served the family gathers together in the parlor to toast the King’s traditional Christmas speech. As the King starts speaking he take a sip of his favorite whiskey and before he can continue he falls over dead. Jon his chef and sometimes friend is first to his side. And so starts the mystery, with only 7 Royals and 2 employees in the castle…..whodunnit? I was throughly surprised how much I enjoyed reading the make believe Windsor. Yes I did guess how King Eric died, but everyone seem to have a reason to do the deed. The story did move at a fast pace and many times you want to shout what about him? The ending was not what I expected, which is a nice change of pace. Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #AMurderatBalmoral
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Good Book
A Murder at Balmoral by Chris McGeorge is a great murder/mystery set in the infamous Balmoral castle. This is a great murder/mystery set up in the classic who-dunnit style. It is Christmas, and a blizzard has stranded and isolated the Royal family (an alternative royal family with a few notes of similarity in family structure only) and King Eric has requested the family and personal chef, Jon, be the only remaining inhabitants. The King is enigmatic on why he has requested this arrangement, but before all secrets can be revealed, the King dies in a mysterious death. Now going back over the day in reflection, Jon is tasked with solving the murder, revealing the culprit, and getting out alive. Moderate pacing, a few surprises, and a very intriguing ending. Very enjoyable read that I recommend. 4/5 stars
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Entertaining but not a show-stopper
Set at Balmoral, with the royal family trapped inside by a major snowstorm, McGeorge’s mystery has moments of great entertainment, but is flawed through characters that are flat. The chef “hero” is portrayed as weak, the royal family members are classically flawed and predictable, the villains are no surprise. It’s an entertaining read, just don’t expect too much of it. .
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com