This was a fun, easy to read mystery.
Set in Buckingham Palace, the story is full of twists and turns. The book is well written, full of wit, and really captures the readers attention throughout.

When a Palace courtier is found shot in his office things must be taken care of, a death at the Palace is just not acceptable. At first the story is that Major Brampton took his own life but suspicions begin to eat at his fellow courtier, Guy Harford. With a list of suspects a mile long Guy is determined to uncover the truth as to what happened to Brampton but realizes that his own life may be in danger. In order to get the job done he joins forces with his roommate, Rupert, as well as known burglar, Rodie Carr. The trio must make quick work of their investigation to discover Brampton's real fate and ultimately protect the King. Set during WWII, "Stealing the Crown" is a great historical fiction crime read. Keeping track of the cast of characters might be a challenge as there are a number of real life and fictional names dropped throughout this book. I loved Rodie and could see a spin-off based on her character alone. Anya Taylor-Joy would need to play her in the movie. Author TP Fielden is the penname of Palace biographer Christopher Wilson who has a number of royal stories under his belt. If you are looking for a good who-done-it read without the typical graphic details that usually go hand in hand with this genre then be sure to add "Stealing the Crown" to your TBR list. Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

this book was not what i was expecting it to be. so it was kinda weird and kinda funky and kinda fun. so if that sounds like your gig, then grab it and read it today!

This book is a great fun murder mystery that had me guessing right up to the end 
Guy works in Buckingham Palace and is tasked with investigating the death of his colleague Ed, he does this with the help of his flat mate Rupert and clever London thief Rodie
I really enjoyed this book, it’s set in WW2 and looks at a different perspective than any other books I have read. I will admit that it took time for me to remember all the characters but there was a handy list at the beginning that helped with that! I will admit that I did struggle with Guy at times but with the help of Rodie and Rupert the story came together and balanced Guy out so I ended up quite liking him
I would recommend this book to those who enjoy a mystery story that looks at the secret side of war and a twist that you won’t see coming

It was a fun read. It has everything, mystery & 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!

Finally able to get this to download so I could read it. And I was very glad I could. Nice story about England during the war. History interspersed with fiction. I love reading stories about the Royal family especially like this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book for review.
This is the start of a new mystery series following a chap called Guy Harford, who is a courtier at Buckingham Palace. The mystery revolves around the body of a fellow courtier found shot in his offices at the aforementioned Buckingham Palace. Was he murdered, was it suicide, how do we stop this controversy from getting into the public knowledge? These are all things Guy undertakes to find out. I found him a bit of an odd mixture of something like Lord Peter Whimsey and Bertie Wooster, as no-one actually expects his polite but ineffectual bumbling investigations to be successful. I often had to suspend my belief during this book, but I did enjoy it and will probably pick up the next in the series when it’s released.

This was so much fun! I had so much fun with this. Espionage and mystery shenanigans in Buckingham Palace during WWII, well, that's simply delightful imho. Our main character is endearingly (your mileage may vary) confused about everything and I felt that the wary, transactional relationships he initially had with Rodie and Rupe developed neatly into proper friendships, but surely the star of the show here is the setting. Stealing the Crown brings to life the minutiae and madness of being a low-level courtier in Buckingham Palace with light, bright narration and a string of dry witticisms. I don't want to overreach my authority on this because it is basically none, but the narration felt really solidly historical to me even as it was slangy and casual and witty, and that's a tough thing to pull off!

The story itself feels very episodic even as it all purported to be an investigation of the same suspected murder, with Guy sort of running around and meeting new people for information and then going off armed with this to seek out even newer folks. He's in way over his head and forces around him are constantly disposing of clues and then pointing him in new directions, and the combination means that it would probably be an exercise in futility to try and solve the mystery as you read. I did not mind this because I was in it for the setting and atmosphere; I probably would not recommend a mystery fan to read this for the mystery. This is not a knock on the book! It merely has different priorities and happily these lined up with my own soft delight areas for an enjoyable experience. Many thanks to NetGalley & Amazon Publishing UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Any time a book as a Cast of Characters at the beginning, it's a warning to me. The setting and plot in this book were interesting enough. However, there were too many characters to keep track of, and many had nicknames, in that English upper class way, and I could not keep track. I kept losing interest and then coming back later, which only increased my confusion. I think this was a great premise and well-researched but needed a bit more editing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is set in World War II at Buckingham Palace. We follow a royal courtier and get to see how he solves a murder and who really is in charge. I enjoyed the twists and turns of this book and it kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the characters and there was plenty of room open for sequels so the reader can get to know Guy and Rhodie better.

Sorry this book is not my cup of tea. I have a few friends who will love this book and I will recommend it to them. This book is very Agatha Christie like and I enjoy that style sometimes, but unfortunately not on this occasion.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I really enjoyed this book, though the jump to various minor characters' POV got confusing sometimes, particularly the women in Guy's life. 

Guy Harford is a great character in the vein of reluctant heroes. All he wants to do is be left alone in his studio in Tangier to paint, but the events of World War II drag him into the conflict. When the book opens, something bad has gone down in Tangier, and Guy's blamed for it. The Foreign Office pull him back to London and install him in a minor role at Buckingham Palace.

From there, a clever plot arises beginning with the curious death of Guy's office mate. And what's his flatmate's role in all this intrigue-- he just works for the post office, doesn't he? American wealth makes a splash and the woman who would be Guy's love interest deserves a whole book of her own. Looking forward to more in this series!

Stealing the Crown
*𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝟴/𝟮𝟱/𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬
While I am continuing to post my regular content, the BLM movement is still going on. Please keep referring to my story and linktree to find ways to help out.✊🏻‼️
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 What a bummer to have two netgalley reviews in a row that were extremely disappointing. Let’s chat.😊
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Stealing the Crown follows Guy Harford who works in Buckingham Palace in 1941, when his co worker Edgar Brampton is found dead in his office. War is brewing outside the palace, and as the local police rule the death a suicide, it’s up to Guy to prove them wrong.😨
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This was just..bland, boring, dry, and not for me. I feel like this definitely has an audience, but I don’t think that I am that audience. Even though I love cozies, and am obsessed with historical dramas, this ran totally flat. I also really like Agatha Christie, which leads me to think that the writing was my main issue, and that I just couldn’t connect with it. Thinking on the positive, I think that other people might enjoy this novel, and hoping that it’s a ‘me,’ thing.😁
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What’s the last book you read that just wasn’t for you? Let me know!💋
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Dm me to talk about all things book or writing related! I’ll be looking forward to it! —Em😌

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Stealing the Crown 
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The world is at war and dead bodies are not only found on the battlefield.
After an allegedly disastrous situation in Tangiers, Guy Harford had no choice but to take up a position as a courtier in Buckingham Palace. From running errands for the Royal Family, Harford has to take on a different role when a fellow courtier is found dead in Buckingham Palace. Refusing to believe that it was suicide, Harford decides to investigate with the help of two unlikely people, his “postman” housemate and a professional cat burglar. As things start to unravel, Harford’s list of suspects expands to include not only those close to the victim and members of the Royal family but also a shadowy group of people keen on stealing the Crown and taking over the throne. Will he manage to uncover the murderer or will the murderer get to him first?
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When I first started this book, I could not help but be reminded of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Lord Wimsey. However, the further in I got, I started to feel that perhaps Guy Harford is a more diluted version of the aristocratic investigator, being somewhat powerless and with more enemies than friends in high places. But what he lacks in charisma and power, he makes up with his earnest and dogged determination to get to the truth. That aside, I actually enjoyed reading this book and found it to be an easy and entertaining read. It did get me wondering and frequently guessing who the murderer was and because of that I found myself constantly reaching for the book whenever I had some free time.
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So if you’re looking for a fast and not too heavy read, grab this one. You’ll also get a glimpse into the lives of high society in Britain, some of whom seemed to be little affected by the war then.

A tense, gripping thriller set in London during World War 2. A man is found dead in Buckingham palace, was it suicide or was he murdered. Either way nobody must find out that a body has been found there.

Great storyline and a thrilling page turner. Lots of twists. As a fan of The Crown, on TV, there were lots of familiar names. Highly recommended

A witty, well written, engrossing and highly enjoyable story that kept me hooked and made me smile.
It's a mix of mystery and comedy of manners. I appreciated the vivid historical background, the humour, and the solid mystery full of twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I’m quite fond of historical mysteries from pretty much any period, so I was happy to receive an ARC of Stealing the Crown, by TP Fielden.   

Stealing the Crown is set during the early days of World War II, and does a nice job of putting some speculative details into and around the factual lives of the British royal family during that time.  The main characters – the victim and the sleuths – are fictional, but, as the author’s note at the end mentions, many of the conspiratorial groups and events that form a background for the book are real.  I always like historical mysteries when they have a good blend of fact and fiction, and Stealing the Crown delivers on that.  

I quite enjoyed the book, and ending up reading it in only a couple of sittings.   My only complaint, which is sort of minor, is that I had a bit of trouble keeping track of all of the characters at first, even with the list of characters and the royal family tree provided up front.   But after a while, as the story developed, things fell into place, and it became easy to keep track of who was who.

All-in-all, I quite liked this book, and will keep an eye out for some of the titles in Fielden’s other series, the Miss Dimont series.  I’m also happy that the webpage for the Stealing the Crown indicates that it’s the first in a series, since I’d like to see more of both Rodie Carr (the real heroine of the book in my opinion)  and Guy Harford (the titular hero).   

Please note that I try to fight “star-flation” a little bit, so I reserve 5 stars for a very few absolute favorite books that I am going to read and then re-read again.  So for me, 4 stars is a solid ranking, and means I do recommend the book.   And my thanks again to Thomas and Mercer/Net Galley for the review copy.

Guy Harford never expected to find himself working in Buckingham Palace much less solving a murder there!  He's a painter who was happily living in North Africa until he wasn't.  Now it's WWII and things are amping up.  Did Major Edgar Brampton shoot himself?  No, he didn't, but who would do such a thing inside the Palace?  This is, oddly enough, a romp.  It's got interesting insight into what its like to work as a courtier as well as some fun satirical commentary on the institution.  It's also got a good protagonist in Guy, who is intrepid and determined- and able to rope a fun cast into his effort.  Thanks to netgalley for the ARC,  For fans of historical mysteries.

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. 

What I liked:
I liked this inside glimpse at what it is like to be a courtier and work at the palace.
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!
I really liked the way the mystery unfolded, I was kept guessing until the very end.
I think the author has more room to explore the  characters of Guy and Rhodie in future books.

What could have been better:
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. 

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

Guy Harford is a painter living in Tangier at the beginning of World War II. After finding himself in the midst of a diplomatic scandal he is forced back to London, to service as a courtier in Buckingham Palace. When his colleague Major Ed Brampton is found shot dead in their office Guy is tasked with finding out whether it was suicide or murder.

This was such an enjoyable read. It's the perfect mix of mystery, conspiracy and treason, and especially intriguing is the insight the author provides into what goes on behind the Palace walls.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.