I love to read anything by Marie Benedict as she has the talent to make all the characters come off the page and enter into my own world and I am spellbound by her story telling. This is another such book and I highly recommend it. It is set in 1930 in London, at a time when writing is a male dominated world. A group of 5 very talented female crime authors bind together to form an authors club. The goal of this club is to solve current crimes before the police are able to do so and write the stories. The characters are some you might recognize: Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Emma Orczy. The reader will follow the team of women as they work behind the scenes to solve two murders. Their skills at writing lead them to the answers and they do gain the respect of their fellow writers. The story is captivating and all the characters are introduced and developed beautifully. You will not be disappointed with this book.

I wish to thank Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this story of real female mystery writers working to solve an actual murder. It was a unique perspective to a murder mystery story.

This may be my favorite Marie Benedict novel. She combined my two favorite genres, historical fiction and mystery, then added five legendary female writers to tell the tale.

Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie are joined by Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham to form a secret society of female crime writers. The Queens of Crime wish to solve a true-life murder mystery so that the male members of The Detection Club will be more accepting of them.

An English nurse is found dead in France and the police and press are doing their best to murder this girl’s reputation. Our Queens,using their writing and detective skills are fighting not just the patriarchy but a killer who seems to have his sights on Sayers.

This book had plenty of mystery but it also highlighted female friendship and how extraordinary it was for five female writers to be successful in the 1930s.

This book felt like a breaking of the fourth wall and seeing behind the curtains of what it must have been like to be Christie or Sayer. It was a wonderful treat for the reader. You already know the characters so it seems familiar in a good way. Benedict seamlessly weaves historical facts into this story which added so much to my overall enjoyment of this book.

My highest compliment for a writer is she made me Google for more information and add more books to my list of books to read. Marie Benedict did both.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

This entertaining locked-room story had five successful female crime writers pursuing clues, not from behind their desks, but by following the last steps taken by May Daniels, the victim of this unsolved crime. Writing is a lonely profession, but this story combined each of these capable ladies and their experience with fictional detective work into a group determined to find justice. By understanding the different moments of the victims life, they worked together to uncover the evidence needed to solve her death. This story showed that these “Queens of Crime” could push the boundaries of the times with the stories they wrote, and also with their support and admiration for each other.

The Queens of Crime
by Marie Benedict
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you NetGalley. St. Martin’s Press, AND Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was approved for the advanced reader copy as well as the advanced listener copy of this book. I chose to read it rather than listen.

Another story featuring Agatha Christie, this time as a side character to her rival (though I don’t know how true that is) Dorothy Sayers.

Dorothy’s formation of the Detection Club, and her championing of suffrage, in a way, leads to the surprise induction of 4 more (one being Agatha herself!) women mystery authors. Together with Sayers, they dub themselves the Queens of Crime.

When they are overlooked by their male counterparts within the club, they set out on a whirlwind adventure to solve a real murder.

This story is typical of Marie Benedict- intriguing, captivating and entertaining.

I took off half of a star because there were some parts of Dorothy’s life that I either wanted more details on or wanted too many details edited out.

The Queens of Crime is an excellent way to bump up your personal TBR list, as you will likely want to read the works of the five women mystery writers who are the heroines of this story. Most of us are familiar with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, but the other women who round out the list are not as well known now as they were during the Golden Age of detective fiction. Good historical fiction makes us want to know more about our characters and their place in history. Thankfully these prolific authors leave us much to explore.
While I appreciated these strong women characters, I also very much enjoyed the intricate details of the settings. From lush hotels to seedy back alleys, the author draws a realistic picture of the time period.
Marie Benedict is a master of research. She paints the story in believable style and maintains a good pacing of events. This is quite an enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the ARC of The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict.

"The Queens of Crime" is the latest of author Marie Benedict's historical fiction novels and continues her tradition of shining a light on unusual women in history who might otherwise not have their stories told. In this outing, Benedict gathers five of the most prominent women mystery writers of the Golden Age of detective fiction--Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy--and gives them a shared goal: to gain respect in the newly formed Detection Club, a society for mystery writers that would rather not accept these women as members. Calling themselves "The Queens of Crime," the women, under the direction of the indomitable Sayers, decide to solve a real-life crime to show their bona fides, and are soon investigating the "locked room" disappearance and murder of English nurse May Daniels. But when the trail of May's killer leads to powerful members of the English establishment, Sayers soon finds her own life--as well as a secret she has kept from virtually everyone--at risk.

As she has in previous books, Benedict takes a nugget of actual history--in this case the real-life murder of May Daniels and Dorothy Sayers and her reporter husband's subsequent investigation into the crime as well as the five women writers at the center of the story--and surrounds it with her story in a way that sometimes makes it difficult to separate fact from fiction. My quibble is that sometimes Benedict lays her research on a bit thickly; all the tidbits she throws in are interesting but don't aways feel organic to the story, which itself can sometimes seem a bit far fetched. These are minor issues, however, and if you enjoy Golden Age detective fiction or period pieces (this is set in London in 1930), then "The Queens of Crime" will please.

Thank you to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.

Set in London in 1930, mystery author Dorothy Sayers has helped create the Detection Club, a collection of writers. But when the Club treats the females Dorothy has recruited (Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy) as second-class citizens, the women come up with an idea to prove their worth: they’ll solve a real-life murder.

In a locked-room style mystery, a young English nurse, May Daniels, entered a bathroom while on vacation with her friend…and never came back out. But when her body is discovered months later, authorities are quick to blame May for her own demise (vintage victim blaming!). Dorothy and her friends, referring to themselves as the Queens of Crime, take it upon themselves to do the job the police don’t seem interested in doing. The Queens will face personal threats, red herrings, and societal limitations to not only show what they are capable of but to properly honor the life of a woman’s life that was cut too short.

Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres, and Marie Benedict writes it so well! The combination of mystery with some of the greatest writers of all time in main character roles was creative and fun. The secret of who killed May Daniels unravels nicely throughout the book, uncovering connections between unlikely characters. The pacing of the book was great and made me want to keep reading! The frustration the Queens felt at being marginalized and underestimated is palpable – a feeling that unfortunately many of us still experience today.

This is a great book for anyone who loves historical fiction, mystery, and strong women!

Delving into the lives of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers in this mystery set in the 1930's was fantastic. The book hooked me right away and I loved following the clues with the Queens of Crime. I loved learning more about the different female authors of that time. It's infuriating how women used to be treated and we still have a long way to go for equal rights. I'm excited to read more of the author's books.

This was an enjoyable mystery. Now I need to read some classic mysteries written by the Queens. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The Queens of Crime combines the best of mystery, historical fiction, and strong female characters. Knowing that this story is inspired by real life made it even more intriguing. I loved how the "queens of crime" used their wit and brains to collect details on what truly happened to May Daniels. They are creative and savvy. The characters were enjoyable and the plot was fast paced. I highly recommend this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Marie Benedict is one of my favorite authors. So, I jumped at the opportunity to preview this book. This novel is different from her other novel. In previous books Ms. Benedict takes on real life historical women and digs deep into their lives, so they are part historical fiction and part fiction. In “The Queens of Crime” there are 5 female mystery writers who set out to solve a real life death. And, prove that women writers are just as important as their male counterparts. I found this book fun and quite different from what I was expecting.

Thank you #NetGalley, #St.Martin’sPress, #MarieBenedict, #BessieCarter and #TheQueensofCrime for the advance copy for my review.

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Marie Benedict is one of my favorite authors. Every time I see a new book written by her; it goes on my "have to read" shelf. I have read all of her books, and all of them have been fantastic stories. This story was also exceptional. This story takes place in 1930 and involves five of the greatest mystery and crime writers of that time. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. In order to impress the other members of the legendary Detection Club (mostly man), they decide to solve a real murder. A young nurse has been strangled in a park in France, so they decide to find out what happened to her. I learned a lot in this story. I had heard of Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers, but not the other three ladies. I was curious so I looked them up to find out more about them. This story is very well-written and kept my interest right from the beginning. Highly recommend!

Thanks for the review copy. Benedict is an excellent historical fictitious writer, I love the cover, this hits a sweet spot between mystery and historical fiction.

The Queens of Crime is a nod to the five greatest female Golden Age mystery novelists: Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. They are members of the newly formed Detection Club, which still exists today. Treated poorly by the club's men due to sexism, the Queens use their mystery writing skills to solve a real case: the strangulation of an English nurse found in a park in France. This locked-room style mystery is well-suited to their skills and a great way to gain respect from their male counterparts. As they investigate the crime further, Dorothy becomes targeted by the killer. It's hard to know who to trust as the Queens suspect this could go up high in the British government.

Benedict does a splendid job of illustrating the bias against female victims. There are parallels to women in today's workplace. How far is one willing to go to get the recognition one deserves? As a woman, do you ever feel marginalized by not being taken seriously? I also loved the strong, historic female characters that Benedict carefully crafted and the fierce friendships among group members. For lovers of historical fiction and mystery, this book is a must-read!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press and Marie Benedict for an advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

#TheQueensOfCrime #MarieBenedict #StMartinsPress #StrongFemaleCharacters #mysterybooks #NetGalley #GoldenAgeMystery #mysterywriters #DetectionClub #historicalfiction #anticipatedbooks #ARCreview #TBR2025 #bookrecommendations #bestbooks #booklover #read #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #bookworm #bookclub #nytbestsellingauthor #readersofinstagram #amazonbooks #booksbooksbooks #barnesandnoble #bookreview

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. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.

Loved it. Will recommend to others

4.25 stars

Marie Benedict’s upcoming historical fiction novel THE QUEENS OF CRIME takes the reader on a journey of learning about how five female detective writers, including Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers, came together to form the Queens of Crime and solve a real-life murder of a nurse who vanished five months prior and was found in the woods. Think THURSDAY MURDER CLUB with female detective writers.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these strong detective writers with a dose of feminism and a dose of empathy in learning about what was going on in the victim’s life and mind in the months leading up to her disappearance. Marie Benedict is very thorough in her research, and I particularly loved the character of Dorothy Sayers, a name which I have heard through the years but didn’t know anything about her. The other women detectives were interesting as well, but the reader doesn’t get a ton about the other detective writers except for Agatha Christie. I’m fairly confident that Benedict’s interest about this group was piqued while researching THE MYSTERY OF MRS. CHRISTIE.

I’m almost a Marie Benedict completist, and THE QUEENS OF CRIME has risen to be my favorite of her novels. If you enjoy historical fiction and enjoy early twentieth century detective novels, I think this will be a hit for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE QUEENS OF CRIME publishes February 11, 2025.

In this historical fiction novel Marie Benedict again brings us a tale of strong women, this time authors Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. When only Sayers and Christie are officially offered membership in the otherwise all male detection club of mystery writers, they invite their other three author friends to join the group, much to the dismay of the men. In an effort to gain their respect, the ladies, led by Dorothy Sayers who tells our story, decide to solve a real life murder mystery.

I really enjoyed the relationship between the authors, and how they related their fictional detective methods to the murder they were trying to solve. It was interesting to see the contrast between the clues the ladies had turned up vs what the male police inspectors had found. Benedict did a great job incorporating what Christie might have felt after the publicity she underwent after her disappearance into the character and the story line. I also went down my own rabbit hole looking up these authors and their books and may have to add one or two to my never ending TBR. If you enjoy historical fiction I encourage you to give this one a try.


Thank you to net galley as well as the publisher for the e-galley in return for an honest review.

Dorothy Sayers was one of the creators of The Detection Club, a group of crime writers in the 1930s. But what if she and a group of women had to solve a murder to prove their worth to be a part of the Detection Club? That's what the Queens of Crime do. This group, including Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Dame Agatha Christie, do just that in this interesting, imaginative story of these women's relationships.

This was a wonderful historical mystery, taking place during the Golden Age of mystery writing, with some actual Golden Age writers as the sleuths. The self-titled Queens of Crime solve a locked room mystery which is both historically appropriate and surprisingly timely, with echoes of women’s empowerment and the Me Too movement. I loved the relationships between the women, and the insights into their writing methods and style. All in all, a very enjoyable read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.