EXCLUSIVE Queen Camilla set to feature in whodunnit thriller starring her 'favourite detective'
As its claret-coloured carriages clatter off the tracks, a shot rings in the air.
Just who has derailed the royal train with Queen Camilla on board, is this really an assassination attempt - or could there be an even more sinister murder afoot?
Fortunately no-one is likely to be more thrilled to find themselves taking a leading role in their own royal whodunit than Her Majesty The Queen.
A voracious reader, who is partial to a good crime thriller - the twistier, the better - she is, the Mail can reveal, about to star in the latest 'Roy Grace' novel, the multi-million selling literary sensation by British writer Peter James.
It can even be disclosed that Camilla had something of a hand in the gripping new plot, having suggested to James some time ago that he might want to set his legendary Brighton-based detective's latest case in London.
'And where better in London than Buckingham Palace?' the writer says.
While not endorsed by the palace, James has nevertheless had the opportunity for some 'extensive behind-the-scenes research' there, as well as 'insights' from members of The Royal Household - including the Queen herself. Making the identities of those at the heart of 'The Hawk is Dead: A Killer in the Palace' all the more intriguing.
The book, which will be published by Pan Macmillan on October 21, is set to become a global bestseller.
'Opening with a cinematic derailment of the royal train, The Hawk is dead takes Roy Grace deep into the heart of Buckingham Palace, where he is called upon to solve a murder and what looks to be a royal assassination attempt,' its publishers told the Mail yesterday.
'Queen Camilla, a well-known book-lover and reading champion through her charity, The Queen's Reading Room, has always been one of the first people to receive each Grace novel and is excited to have a starring role, alongside His Majesty King Charles, in Peter's latest thriller.'
It is understood that Camilla, 77, has already had a sneak peak at this as yet unpublished one too.
James, who was born and brought up in Sussex where his books are based and now lives on Jersey, has 21 Sunday Times No.1 bestsellers under his belt and sold over 23 million copies worldwide.
His Roy Grace series has also been made into a television show staring John Simm, with the fifth series having just been aired and a sixth in production.
Her Majesty has made no secret of being a fan, having named James as her favourite crime writer.
The two have founded an unlikely but firm friendship over the years, with the Queen visiting the set of 'Grace' in 2021 and James becoming a dedicated supporter of her 200,000-strong online book club and charity The Queen's Reading Room, designed to promote a love of literature and passion to improve literacy.
James, who said he was 'moved to tears' by her nomination of Grace as her favourite detective because of the novels' 'pretty terrifying' storylines and the hero's tragic personal life, said: 'It's a decade since I discovered Queen Camilla is my No.1 fan and we've since built up a great rapport.
'She asked me when I might set a Roy Grace novel in London … and the seed was sown. Where better in London than Buckingham Palace?
'It has been the most fascinating research I've ever done, learning about the inner workings of the Royal Household and the Palace.'
James added: 'I came up with an idea, which I ran by Her Majesty – and she loved it. Throughout the writing of the novel, during which I've done extensive behind-the-scenes research at the Palace, I have received invaluable insights from members of the Royal Household, including Her Majesty herself.
'The story begins with Queen Camilla travelling on the Royal Train to Brighton to begin a tour of hospices along the South Coast, but the train is derailed in a tunnel just north of the city. As she and her entourage emerge, a shot rings out and a member of the Royal Household is killed.
'Detective Superintendent Roy Grace takes charge of the investigation, which is being treated by everyone – except him – as an assassination attempt on The Queen. But Roy thinks there is something else going on. A second killing, this time inside the Palace, indicates he might be right . . .'
He also revealed that the plot centres around a conspiracy 'deep in the Royal Household' to take advantage of the current - real life - building works going on there, a ten-year renovation programme of all 375 rooms.
'The conspirators are stealing items from the Royal Collection, 64,000 priceless pieces that have been moved into temporary storage, and are selling them to foreign buyers on the dark web,' he added.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment, although aides stressed that writers had long been offered access for research purposes and 'The Hawk is Dead' was not endorsed by the royal household.
Others also wryly noted the old adage that 'any resemblance to personas living… or dead… is purely coincidental'.
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