I loved that this book was inspired by a true story in Dorothy Sayers' life and brought together the Queens of Crime to solve a real life mystery instead of just writing about it. The book had me screaming in frustration seeing how little women were thought of and I really enjoyed the Queens and their attempts to solve the mystery.

In the style of Agatha Christie, five female mystery authors set about to solve a murder. Along the way they will encounter danger and lies. This was a fun read. I enjoyed the friendships between the women and their collaborations to solve the mystery.

One of the problems with writing fiction about real people and real events is that sometimes pesky facts get in the way of fiction in a way that can be problematic for a reader who is aware of the actual facts. The changed timeline of the body's discovery made for more compelling fiction, but took away from the actual human tragedy. I found the characterizations of the writers unlikeable and the narrative generally lackluster. More for fans of Marie Benedict than for Golden Age Detective Era afficionados.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is an enchanting dive into 1930s crime writing, spotlighting Agatha Christie and her legendary "rival," Dorothy Sayers. The novel explores the friendship and collaboration of five iconic women crime writers—Sayers, Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy—who form a secret society to solve the murder of a young nurse. Blending mystery, suspense, and the power of female camaraderie, this fast-paced page-turner is both captivating and heartwarming. The ladies learn that solving a real crime is a lot different than writing about it, but the journey is a delight. The story was a page-turner and kept me intrigued at a perfect pace. 4.5 stars. Thank you to the author, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Five of the greatest women crime writers in England in the 1930s band together to solve an actual murder in Marie Benedict's latest historical fiction novel.

In 1931, popular mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers had been instrumental in forming the Detection Club inviting all of England's most prominent writers of detective fiction to become members but she is caught offguard when the men involved want to limit female membership to just her and Agatha Christie, She manages to have Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy initiated as well but they are treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts despite their successful careers.

Dorothy hatches a scheme to showcase the skills of the five female writers by solving a real-life mystery in the same way that they would in any of their novels. She lands on the unsolved case of a young English nurse who disappeared while visting France on a day trip with a fellow nurse and was later found strangled in a nearby park. The case which has confounded the police has all of the hallmarks of a locked room mystery as the young woman went missing from a window-less public restroom while her friend waited at the only exit. Dorothy's group of women writers who call themselves the 'Queens of Crime' embark on their own investigation but, as they get closer to unravelling the mystery, the killer targets Dorothy who has a secret from her own past that she's desperate to keep hidden.

I have always loved Agatha Christie's mysteries so I was drawn to The Queens of Crime because she's featured as one of the main characters. Loosely inspired by a true story relating to Sayers (and told from her point of view), this was an enjoyable historical murder mystery (entirely fictional) that also offers a bit of a peek into the world of crime writing in the 1930's - i.e. the golden age of mysteries and the 'rules' for the writing of such mysteries that were established by the Detection Club.

In addition to the clever mystery to work out, The Queens of Crime is also a story of female friendship with strong, successful women supporting each other and working together to prove themselves in a male-dominated field. The historical context relating to the role of women in England is also interesting as this was the period of time between the two world wars when women were expected to revert to domestic life, however, the toll of the war years meant that many young women weren't able to find husbands and were labelled "surplus" and much maligned for their marital status - particularly if they also sought employment. Overall, this was a pageturner so a fun, quick read!

I would have loved to read an author's note explaining more about these five mystery authors, the Detection Club and the historical time period but there wasn't one with the ARC - hopefully there will be in the finished copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sending a digital ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

If you love old, Agatha Christie style mysteries, you'll love this book!
The author is an Agatha Christie fan and that definitely showed in her writing. The book was written from the perspective of one of the ladies, which sometimes threw me off because it would often refer to the other ladies by name, but only her name when she was being addressed by others.
I liked the way that the women stood up for each other. They were there for each other and wanting justice for a young woman who no longer had her own voice.
Personally, I thought the story was a little slow for my current mood. There was also several times the book used French without a translation. Most of the time you could infer what was being said, but it frustrates me when that happens.
Overall a good, slow-paced murder mystery.

I really enjoyed this novel! A great mystery with some great characters. I will definitely be checking out the author's back list after this. It was smart, fast-paced and had delightful characters. A great read!

The Queens of Crime offers a delightful twist on the classic mystery novel. The story brings together five iconic female mystery writers—Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh—who band together to form a group aptly named The Queens of Crime. Their initial goal is to solve a real-life murder and prove to the male members of the newly formed Detection Club that women are just as capable as their male counterparts.

However, as they delve into the mysterious death of young nurse May Daniels, their mission transforms from a bid for recognition to a genuine pursuit of justice. Along the way, the women discover that crafting fictional detectives is far easier than confronting real-life criminals. With engaging characters and a clever plot, this novel is a must-read for mystery lovers and fans of these legendary authors.

In the world of Queens of Crime, the real magic is not in the details of murder, but in the camaraderie and intellect of the women who investigate it. Imagine five of the greatest female mystery writers of all time—Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham—coming together to form a detection club.

Benedict assembles these literary titans, each renowned for their unparalleled knack in weaving intricate tales of suspense and intrigue. Faced with the condescension of their male counterparts and the dismissive gaze of the publishing world, these queens decide to demonstrate that their prowess is not confined to the realm of fiction.

They employ strategies to resolve a real-life case that law enforcement has dismissed as trivial. But make no mistake, the true heart of this story is in the shared insights and methodologies these authors borrowed directly from their own novels. Watching them piece together clues—discarding red herrings—is a delight, far surpassing the importance of the actual crime at hand.

For me, the narrative thrives in the collaboration, where these minds meld and clash in the creation of their deductions. Each woman brings her unique genius, and as they unravel the mystery, they also elevate their craft.

In essence, Queens of Crime isn't just a murder mystery; it’s a celebration of the art of deduction, the strength of female intellect, and the enduring power of storytelling.

Marie Benedict has based her latest novel on the life of Dorothy Sayers, a mystery writer in the 1920-30’s who was a feminist before her time. Sayer was a cofounder of the Detection Club, a group of mystery writers who banded together to dine, to aid each other, and to promote good techniques in their writings. Sayer further started a female subset of this group, The Queens of Crime, along with Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Margary Allingham. For reasons unknown to this reader, Benedict introduced a fifth Queen into the mix—Baroness Emma Orczy, co-writer of “The Scarlet Pimpernel”.
In Benedict’s novel, these Queens decide that they need to actually solve a murder, rather than write about one. Using the deductive abilities of their characters (Peter Wimsey, Hercule Poirot, Albert Campion) they begin to investigate the brutal death of a young nurse. Benedict cleaves tightly to Sayers’ biography and tries to properly characterize the other Queens. In this portrayal I felt that she fell flat. In my opinion, the book felt forced in many areas. This was a quick read, but I felt Benedict’s mystery did not rise to the standard set by the Queens.
My thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and the author for an advanced copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

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The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Historical Fiction but with 5 prominent real life female mystery writers of the 1930s as the main characters and a true unsolved crime as the main subject (yet fictionalized the investigation and outcome), this made for a yummy book!

What I liked:
•Recognize any of these characters? Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh?
•a good mystery, many suspects, lots of red herrings and twisty outcomes!
•I loved the descriptions of the women and their fashion (or lack there of). It brought them to life for me.
•Strong, independent women in 1931

What I didn’t like:
•fortunately I read this on my kindle, because I was able to look up a lot of words I didn’t know and references to authors, books, characters and events I wasn’t totally familiar with. Honestly, it’s not really a negative experience when reading on kindle as I love learning something new. But if I’d read the paper version, I might have struggled a bit.

Thank you to @netgalley and the author for access to the digital arc of this book. Publication is set for February 11, 2025.

Book 2 of 2025
Read 1/6-1/11

Literature’s famous women crime writers gather to solve a crime. Insights into the quirks and methods of each woman makes this mystery a delightful reading experience.

London in the 1930s with these women was so delightful. As 5 strong women evolve the secrets they keep are told. As they solve the crime and overcome obstacles set in their way. The plot was one to rave about long after the last chapter. I found this mystery to be well-written and informational. I will be looking for more by Marie Benedict as this was my first time reading her books.

Marie Benedict takes a slight turn with her newest historical fiction release, The Queens of Crime. Pulling together Agatha Christie and a few other famous mystery writers in the early/mid twentieth century... female mystery writers who were fighting for a seat at the table (when their work was most certainly proof but the times held them back)... she gives us a true murder mystery to solve. A nurse disappears and no one seems to care. But the 4 amateur detectives collaborate with Dorothy Sayers in the lead to solve the case and build their own society of authors in the male-dominated genre. (Side Note: I need to read more of Sayers' books - I loved the ones I have to date). Enjoyed the POVs and getting to know the authors. Liked the mystery. Great theatrical fun with the setting. A little more than the typical Benedict novel because not only do you get the divine historical fiction perspective she always effectively delivers but you sink your teeth into a murder with many twists and ruthless characters. Recommended!

What’s not to love? Five women mystery writers from the early 20th century get together to solve a real life locked room mystery! It is told from the point of view of Dorothy Sayers. She works with Agatha Christie, the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel series, Baroness Emma Orczy, as well as two others. I wasn’t familiar with the last two. May have to look into their work. They are out to proof that they are as good their male counterparts, but also come to care deeply about the victim and getting justice for her. This is a really good read!

"The Queens of Crime" brings together five powerful women crime writers who demand recognition of their mystery genre. As a way to fight against the blatant prejudice toward women in the 1930's, the Queens decide to solve the real-life disappearance and murder of a young nurse while she was on a day trip to France. With all the elements of a locked room mystery that the fictional detectives they created would excel at, the Queens quickly find out that solving a real crime could put their lives in great danger. Marie Benedict masterfully weaves a captivating tale of not only the mystery the Queens are trying to solve but also the incredible friendship that develops between these women by their shared experiences in a misogynistic world. Their determination to use the strengths and weaknesses of their distinct personalities to give a voice to a forgotten victim proved their ingenuity, talent and compassion made them all a force to be reckoned with in the world. I loved this book and highly recommend it!

This book is loosely inspired by Dorothy Sayer's life. I loved a classic style mystery, and this book delivered. The queens of crime decide to solve a real murder to prove themselves in the eyes of men. The pacing of the book was good and kept me engaged from beginning to end.

4.5 stars that I am happy to round up to 5 for the sheer fun of the book.

The Queens of Crime is a captivating read that captured my attention from the first to the last page.

I am a big fan of all of The Queens , though I did not know Emma very well but I do now.

Historical fiction tells a story thats based on fact but its what you do with that story and Marie Benedict did a phenomenal job setting up a case for Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy .

The Queens set out to solve a closed door mystery: the murder of May Daniels.

Not only do the ladies want to solve this mystery they also want to prove to the men that they can solve real mysteries as well as writing mystery novels.

My love of reading started with these infamous authors , brought back memories of my Grandmother and I sharing our books and the stories themselves.

The Queens go to no end to solve this mystery and even put themselves in danger.

The Queen of Crimes was a delightful read and one that will stay with me for a long time.

My only complaint was I did not want the book to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the privilege of reading and reviewing The Queen of Crimes.

“I think we know too well that a woman’s fate often poses such complex problems that it requires other women to find the solution.”

I loved this cozy historical mystery! London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Calling themselves the ‘Queens of Crime’ the authors decides to solve a recent murder of a young woman in France who has connections to high ranking British society. From the street of France, to various locations in England, the Queens use their own detective skills and their own books as inspiration to try and solve the murder. Despite sexism and high stakes endangerment, the Queens remained committed to the case. I adored how the team of rival authors from widely different backgrounds found friendship while working together. Benedict does a fantastic job highlighting the injustices women of the period faced, especially with dismissive police workers and powerful patriarchal forces quieting witnesses. I raged for the murdered woman and for the Queens as they worked the case and tried to establish their place within the male-dominated profession.

Audiobook narrator, Bessie Carter, did a fantastic job juggling the various English, French, and New Zealand accents. I never got confused over which character was speaking, and their performance brought the investigation to life.

Unfortunately, when your husband and sons are police officers and investigators, this is not the book to pick to read. Several women trying to solve a crime when most if not all the information they eavesdrop on is not to be discussed with anyone outside the case, it is just not believable. I only made it about halfway and had to give it up. This is not my first Marie Benedict book and it certainly will not be my last. I like her writing style, just not this content. The other books I have read from her have been 5 star reads.
Anyone looking for a good mystery and do not know the proper procedural steps, will most likely truly enjoy this one.
I thank St. Martin’s Press along with NetGalley for providing this Galley edition for no requirement other than my offer to provide an unbiased review. Comes in with 3 stars.