Queen Camilla is set to feature in a whodunnit thriller later this year, with Buckingham Palace as the crime scene.
Peter James's latest Roy Grace thriller will open with a dramatic train derailment, gunshots ringing through the air, and Queen Camilla caught in an apparent assassination attempt.
The bestselling author has cast Her Majesty in a starring role in "The Hawk is Dead: A Killer in the Palace", which sees his Brighton-based detective investigating a murder at Buckingham Palace, according to reports in the Mail.
The novel, scheduled for publication on October 21 by Pan Macmillan, will begin with the royal train's claret-coloured carriages clattering off the tracks as the Queen travels to Brighton for a hospice tour.
Queen Camilla set to star in whodunnit thriller with Buckingham Palace as the crime scene.
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As the Queen and her entourage emerge from the tunnel north of Brighton, a member of the Royal Household is shot dead.
Detective Superintendent Roy Grace leads the investigation, though he suspects this is more than an assassination attempt on the Queen.
His instincts will prove correct when a second killing occurs inside Buckingham Palace itself.
The plot centres on a conspiracy within the Royal Household to exploit the Palace's current decade-long renovation programme.
Camilla speaking with Peter James during her visit to the set of ITV's Adaptation Of The Roy Grace Series in 2021.
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The conspirators are stealing items from the Royal Collection's 64,000 priceless pieces, which have been moved to temporary storage, and selling them to foreign buyers on the dark web.
The Queen's involvement extends beyond her fictional role, having suggested to James that he might set his detective's next case in London.
"Where better in London than Buckingham Palace?" the writer said.
The 77-year-old monarch, who has previously named James as her favourite crime writer, has already received an advance copy of the unpublished novel.
Queen Camilla launched her book club in 2021 during the pandemic.
PATheir friendship spans a decade, with the Queen visiting the Grace television series set in 2021 and James supporting her charity, The Queen's Reading Room.
James revealed he was "moved to tears" when she nominated Grace as her favourite detective, despite the novels' "pretty terrifying" storylines.
"It's a decade since I discovered Queen Camilla is my No.1 fan and we've since built up a great rapport," James told the Mail.
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Queen Camilla's motivation behind creating the book club in 2021 was to promote the power of reading and bring people together to help enrich their lives.PA"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?"
The author described the research as "the most fascinating I've ever done, learning about the inner workings of the Royal Household and the Palace."
He revealed he ran the idea past Her Majesty "and she loved it", receiving "invaluable insights from members of the Royal Household, including Her Majesty herself" throughout the writing process.
GB News contacted Buckingham Palace for comment, which said they do not comment on books.
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