Queen Camilla Stars in New Thriller with a Shocking Assassination Plot on the Royal Train

Queen Camilla has a surprising new role — as a character in a gripping detective novel.

Camilla, 78, appears in a new crime thriller by one of her favorite authors, bestselling writer Peter James, whose popular Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series has sold millions. The cameo dovetails neatly with Camilla’s long-running mission to champion books, reading and literacy across the U.K.

In James’ latest installment, The Hawk Is Dead, Roy Grace faces one of his most perilous cases yet: an apparent assassination attempt on Queen Camilla. The novel opens on Nov. 20, 2023, with the Queen aboard the royal train en route to highlight hospice work when the journey comes to a violent halt.

After the train derails in a tunnel, palace staff begin evacuating — but moments later, a horrifying explosion kills Camilla’s private secretary, Sir Peregrine Greaves. Shaken, Camilla questions whether she was the real target, sending Grace deep into a web of royal intrigue. Amid twists and suspicious turns, Roy Grace uncovers a plot within the royal household.

The plot also weaves in the real-life renovation of Buckingham Palace, tapping into behind-the-scenes insights James received from current palace staff and layering in suspense over rare artworks and priceless objects from the Royal Collection, according to the publishers.

Camilla and James already share a literary connection: she interviewed him for her Queen’s Reading Room podcast in June 2024. The initiative — which began as an Instagram book club — reflects her dedication to boosting literacy, from reading to schoolchildren to championing authors and libraries during her royal outings.

Author Cressida Cowell, of How To Train Your Dragon fame, told PEOPLE of Camilla: "She has identified something that is really, really important for children — and adults — in this country, but is difficult to get attention to. It is so important for literacy charities."

"I'm sensing we are making some kind of progress on the libraries, which is so important. For children for whom they are needed, they are desperately needed."

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On Nov. 14, Camilla continued her literacy work during Poetry Together Day, visiting a school in Wales on her husband King Charles' birthday.