Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an advanced readers copy of The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict.

This book follows Dorothy Sayers, mystery writer and five other mystery writers (including Agatha Christie) who form a Detection Club in hopes of bringing more attention to their books. Throughout forming the club, the women stumble upon the story of a murder and work together in hopes of solving the murder.

This book was absolutely delightful! It was fast paced, witty and based off of real life writers. I generally enjoy books written by Marie Benedict, and this was no exception. If you enjoy historical fiction, or the books of Agatha Christie, do yourself a favor and pick up this book! It releases on February 11, 2025.

#thequeensofcrime #arc #netgalley #historicalfictionbooks

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy of this book. I love historical fiction and Marie Benedict is one of my favorite authors. The story's main character is centered around Dorothy Sayers, a real English crime novelist who lived from the late 1800s to mid-1900s. Dorothy and five other crime writers create the Detection Club, a secret society of women crime novelists. Together they work to increase the credibility of women crime novelists by working to solve a crime. And this is where the story itself is centered. The story is fast-paced, easy to read, and very engaging. It is not disappoint! I had fun looking up the names of the various members of the Detection Club on the internet and learned a lot about each of them. I highly recommend this book.

A rollicking good time with 4 woman mystery writers who set out to solve a real life mystery in order to elevate their literary legacies above those of the male authors who want to remain in the “boys only” club they have created. Benedict is again masterful in creating yet another work of historical fiction. This novel is based on the characters of Agatha Christie and 3 of her contemporaries in 1930’s Great Britain. The group of diverse women authors become close friends during their sometimes dangerous quest to solve the murder of a young British nurse that occurs just on the other side of the English Channel in a small town in France. The twists and turns provide a terrific, fast moving read and the characters are very well developed even down to their attire! Of course the fine ladies are successful in their endeavor but they experience quite the adventure while doing so. Great fun to read - and also historically enlightening about society in the aftermath of the Great War.

Marie Benedict is quickly becoming of my favorite authors ever, so a chance to preview her latest book? I had to take it.

In the Queens of Crime, Dorothy Sayers has founded a secret all-female society within the Detection Club, a group for mystery writers but utterly dominated by men. Partnering with Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy, the aptly named Queens of Crime set out on a new goal--to solve an actual murder case of a young woman found murdered in France. As the women start building their case and noticing shoddy detective work in the process, Sayers becomes a new target of the killer and the women are in a race to discover the truth.

I picked up the ARC while flying back home cross country and I simply could not put it down. I was rather lucky the flight was just under 4 hours. allowing me to finish my read before having to get off the plane. Marie Benedict does a phenomenal job with researching her novels and bring women's stories to light and the Queens of Crime is no exception. I loved seeing the Queens interact and their relationships with one another. While familiar with Christie's works, the other 4 were mostly name-only authors to me. I'll be picking up a few of their books to see what had them at Christie's level in this time period, and of course, waiting for Benedict's next book!

Very interesting and great, unique premise for a book. Def a must for mystery fans and Agatha Christie lovers. Gorgeous cover and while slow going it was enjoyable - just took me awhile to get through.

Loved this book! Anything that has Agatha Christie is a winner for me. We meet Dorothy Sayers who is supposed to be a rival for Agatha. A group forms with other writers in the thriller genre- Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, Baroness Emma Orczy. They set out to solve the crime of the murder on a nurse found strangled in France. Really enjoyed the premise of this book and how the woman work together to try to solve he mystery. Would definitely reccomend.

This is an entertaining read as 5 great women crime writers form a bond to prove their worth to their male counterparts. To accomplish this feat, they have decided to solve the murder of a young woman who was found dead in a park in France. These women, including Agatha Christie, put themselves in the middle of a real-life mystery, not too unlike the mysteries that they write themselves.
The women uncover clues through whatever means necessary, while also finding themselves the target of an attack and other threats.

Classic mystery lovers will love this book as did I !
The grand dames of 1930s mystery novels are together in this book having joined the male dominated Detection Club. Disappointed by their treatment by male club members they set out to solve a real mystery using techniques they use in the own stories to make a splash in the club.
The group consists of Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. All but the latter were familar to me. It was fun to learn about their personalities and some of the stories of their lives in the course of the book.
The mystery involved the disappearance of a young English nurse who was subsequently found strangled. The methods they used to gather information were clever and the women were all quite daring. The reader totally feels involved with the unraveling of the puzzle.
The authors style really felt authentic in portraying these women and their investigation. It felt true to the time period. I did feel a little over emphasis on how women, even famous ones were minimized by men. It is certainly true but the story could have done with few less references.
Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an ARC to enjoy. Expected publication Feb 2025.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fam of Marie Benedict and have really enjoyed her historical fiction novels. I was excited to read her newest novel based on a true story from the life of Dorothy Sayers, around factual women detective novelists who join together to solve a real life crime in 1930s London. I loved the setting, I loved the glimpse we got of the real novelists from their characters in the book. I would so love to find our Dorothy's true story. Really fun read to play detective along with these 5 authors and to see how they used their detective writing skills in a real life case.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Summary: In The Queens of Crime, five legendary female crime writers, including Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie, form a secret society to solve a high-profile murder, navigating a thrilling investigation while confronting their own personal and professional challenges in a male-dominated literary world.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is a captivating historical fiction novel that pulls readers into a world of legendary female crime writers in 1930s London. Inspired by a true story from Dorothy Sayers' life, Benedict weaves a tale of intrigue, friendship, and intellectual prowess as Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy come together to form a secret society with a bold mission: to prove their worth in a male-dominated literary world by solving a high-profile murder.

As a fan of Marie Benedict’s previous works, I was once again impressed by her ability to bring strong, often overlooked women from history to life. Her writing not only explores the rich personalities of these crime writers but also captures their wit, grit, and intelligence as they navigate the challenges of their time. The mystery itself is gripping, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on edge, but it’s the dynamic between the characters—their camaraderie, sharp minds, and occasional banter—that truly shines.

Okay, this book, just wow!
I was so captivated by this book. I really enjoyed the story and the whodunnit being solved by my favorite mystery and crime writers. The author did an absolutely amazing job. I really hope this book turns into a series, I want more!

The Queen of Crime by Marie Benedict takes five of the most famous female mystery writers and groups them together into a one book. This is the ultimate book for mystery lovers. The classic mystery mixed with the classic writers leads to a fantastic story that is cozy and clever. I adored this book. I would love to read an entire series of these women solving crimes.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy. The opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read and I really enjoyed delving into the Life of Dorothy Sayers and this group of iconic mystery writers including Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. The mystery was really interesting and sad and I love the comradery within this group and that they feel the need to solve an actual murder to be taken seriously as mystery writers by their male peers. I loved the little peaks you got into Agatha Christies life after her mysterious disappearance and her fraught interactions with her sister. All in all, this was a great read and while it was fiction it was fun to read about these real life authors.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

I know when I pick a book by Marie Benedict I am going to enjoy a fantastic story, with wonderful historical characters. This one did not disappoint. The Queens of Crime was a sleuthing, whodunnit that would have made Agatha Christie proud. Marie Benedict’s ability to get inside the heads of the famous ladies she writes about is extraordinary. There was no acknowledgement in the copy I had to read so I have no idea how much of the story was true and how much was fiction. But like all Benedict’s previous novels it really didn’t matter. She weaves a tale that enthralls and delights.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

A murder mystery wrapped up in historical fiction? Or is it historical fiction layered over a murder mystery? Either way, the premise of the story and knowing Marie Benedict wrote it puts it in the "Yes, please" category.

Dorothy Sayer, along with Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy come together to prove their worthiness in being included in the mostly male Detection Club of mystery writers by setting out to solve a real-life murder mystery that the police have shrugged off, more or less. But the Queens of Crime are not accepting their conclusion and set about finding the killer themselves.

That's all you need to know to be ready to read this mystery/historical fiction. Anything more would be a spoiler!

An incredibly enjoyable book imagining five great women mystery writers of the 1930s banding together to solve the real life disappearance and murder of an English nurse in France. I love that the narrator is Dorothy Sayers (Lord Peter Wimsey books) because she is my favorite among the five writers which also include Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy.

I have read and loved several other books by Marie Benedict and this is the best yet. I like how she gives different voices and temperaments to each woman. I felt that I got to know each one better, but especially Sayers. Parts of the book are funny, other parts serious and sad, but all are riveting.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of "Golden Age Crime" writers, especially these women.

I obtained an advance copy of this book via NetGalley.

Wanting to validate their admission into the good old boys' club of the Detection Club, famous master writers Dorothy Sayers, and her fellow Queens of Crime: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy set out to prove a murder of a local girl gone missing. What at first was merely a means to show the men their worth, became more of a desire to halve justice for May and other women led on by men and dismissed because of their weak sex. Intriguing and thought provoking, I was immersed in the story as I followed them in their pursuits. Some red herrings and twists and turns, the author let you know that these famous mystery writers were as stumped as we were until they put all their clues together. A page turner, it soon became a quick read for me because I wanted to know who did it. Delightful! many thanks to #mariebenedict @netgalley #stmartinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Marie Benedict's new novel is a fun mystery starring five well-known female mystery writers from the 1930s who banded together and called themselves "The Queens of Crime". In the book they set out to solve an actual murder, to prove to their male counterparts that women mystery writers are not only equal to, but superior to the men. The story is absorbing and enjoyable. 4-1/2 stars

I received and ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.

What a terrific “meeting” between Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and 3 other remarkable mystery writers from the 1930s. The author sets the stage by having these accomplished women dissed by the male mystery writers of their day. To prove themselves more than equal, these ladies set out to solve a real murder mystery and then the fun begins! There is some friction as they set out and confusion as they each solve crimes in their stories differently, but watching them come together, look for clues, interrogate participants, and accomplish their goal is entertaining. Even though there are many characters, it is easy to keep them straight as all of the primary and most secondary ones are unique in their own ways. I enjoyed being with them on this quest.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review.

Book review 📖

📜The Queens Of Crime
✍️Marie Benedict
📠St. Martin’s Press
📚Mystery/Thriller/Historical Fiction
🗓️Pub date: February 11, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨Thank you @NetGalley and @stmartinspress for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

✨In 1930s London, 5 of the greatest female crime writers band together to form a secret women’s murder detective club. Their goal is to solve an actual murder.

✨May Daniels, an English nurse on her way to a France vacation, disappears into thin air. Months later her body is found in the woods.

✨With clues from the crime scene that don’t add up and questions that beg to be answered, this is one for the women’s detective club to sink their teeth into. But when the killer sets their sight on one of the writers, they need to stick together.

✨I thought I would love this more than I did. It was a bit slow for my liking, however, very well written.

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