Listen, I really wanted to love. I find the author’s voice far too boring and stuffy. I just couldn’t stay anchored in the text. The premise is wonderful but I couldn’t connect to the story at all

I thought this book was just okay. It had an interesting plot. However, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. A lot of times I could not figure out which character was which because they all seemed the same to me. But this was an interesting book.

“The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict is a historical fiction mystery about five preeminent female mystery writers of the 1930’s. At the time there was an elite club of mystery writers who belonged to a club which consisted of mostly male authors. These 5 women felt dismissed and undervalued. They come together to solve the murder of a missing nurse thinking it will bring them respect with their peers. Instead it turns into a quest for justice when they find out the murder was dismissed by the police because the victim was a single female nurse found next to drug paraphernalia.

In reading the description of this book by the publisher I thought it was intriguing. I found the style of writing strange, and the issue of women not being taken seriously was repeated so often it caused me to skim over certain passages in the story. I think this book will appeal to fans of cozy mysteries and perhaps YA readers as well.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

After downloading an ARC of Benedict’s latest, I immediately regretted my decision. I didn’t expect to enjoy this novel because it seemed to be targeting a middle-aged female audience. As an aging male literary fiction fan, this was decidedly not my usual fare. As I read on, however, it became clear that dismissing this book as just chick-lit was shortsighted. Indeed, it is a well-crafted and engaging novel that blends several genres, including historical fiction, mystery, crime procedural, and thriller.

Benedict is not shy about her agenda. She aggressively explores feminist themes. The main characters are all renowned and respected writers who were active during the 30s. This was a time when society was definitely male-dominated, and the writing profession was no exception. Nurses were treated as nothing better than charwomen working in hospitals and single women—of whom there were many following WWI and the Spanish flu pandemic—were viewed as “surplus”. Despite the times, Benedict portrays her “Queens” as competent, brave, tenacious and, above all, capable of enjoying powerful friendships with their female peers.

Dorothy Sayers not only narrates the story but also reveals some little-known facts about her personal life in doing so. Each of her fellow queens also leap off the page. Some are quite familiar to most, but others are less known. Much has been written about the private life of Agatha Christie and Benedict’s reticence to belabor that here is commendable. However, the imagined tenacity and interactions of Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy are delightful to read.

Notwithstanding a convoluted murder mystery, the underlying premise is simple. The women set out to prove their worth as detectives to their male writer counterparts by solving an actual murder. I young British nurse is found dead in a French park during a cross-channel excursion. Benedict twists the knife a little by suggesting that the police failed in their due diligence primarily because the victim was a lower-class woman.

Strong character development and rich historical details of wardrobes, food and restaurants make this a satisfying read. Benedict not only evokes London in the 30’s, but also the cross-channel tourist destination of Boulogne-sur-Mer. She manages a convoluted plot with skill and provides a satisfying solution. Only minor flaws mar the overall feel of the novel. These include extremely slow-paced plot development, the inevitability of the Queens’ success, and a poorly developed subplot aimed at intimidating Sayers. A few details also seem a little too obvious, like May’s pregnancy and her covert reason for visiting France. Notwithstanding these minor problems, “The Queens of Crime” is an enjoyable read.

Set in 1931, this is the story of five women authors of the mystery genre of their time. I found the story line to be intriguing. It was a bit slow and I struggled to stay interested.

“The Queens of Crime” is a historical fiction book by Marie Benedict. Although Ms. Benedict has written a book about the “missing days” of Agatha Christie - and Christie plays a role in this book, this book is not a sequel. In this book, although Agatha Christie is present, most of the focus is on either Dorothy Sayers (a mystery writer) or the group of female mystery writers trying to solve a crime. I really wish that the version of the ARC I read had had how Ms. Benedict became inspired to write this book - was it based upon an actual crime, was there a sub-group in the Detection Group (that Ms. Sayers did co-found), or was this entirely a fictional idea? I did like how the five women, each with their own strengths, banded together to solve a locked-room mystery. Did the “we need to solve it to be taken seriously” seem a bit flimsy - yeah, to be honest. There’s a lot of talk about “women aren’t respected” (it was the 1930s in England) that became a bit heavy-handed, but if you can roll your eyes and then continue reading, this is an engaging book. I did find the “secret Dorothy didn’t want told” to be interesting - though the book dropped enough hints that the reader could puzzle it out. I also found it interesting that Ms. Sayer was a very religious woman (brought up that way but also wrote a number of books about her spirituality), but it wasn’t until near the end of this book that that fact was mentioned - not a big deal, but I found it interesting. Also, as a quibble, Ms. Sayers probably did not write the Guinness slogan mentioned in the book - but a slightly different one. But, overall, I found this book interesting and entertaining and did want to see the mystery solved - and it was.

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel! To put it mildly, I loved this book! I thought that the premise was so fun and it kept me engaged the whole way through. I really love that Marie's books are based on historical fiction and allow for learning and fun at the same time. It was so fun to see some of my favorite mystery writers come together to solve a mystery. I can't wait to recommend this one to others!

In 1931 London, 5 women writers join the men’s Detective Club. They decide to solve a real murder in order to be respected in the group. Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and others solve the murder of a young English nurse in France. This is one of my favorite authors, but I was disappointed in this novel.

I have long enjoyed the historical fiction of Marie Benedict, but I believe, with The Queens of Crime, she has created her best work yet.

The premise, that Golden Age mystery writers, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh solve a real life crime so that they be taken seriously in the male writer dominated Detection Club hooked me at the onset. I enjoyed getting a bit of biography of all these grand dame writers. However, as I continued to read, I got completely invested in the mystery they are attempting to solve…. who murdered a young nurse on a day trip to Boulogne, France.

So, the novel is great fun in how it reveals the different mystery writer personalities and in how the 5 writers go about solving the murder. Along the way, we see how women were dismissed as surplus, and how quick the press and public opinion would blame the victim.

Benedict deftly crafts an intricate locked room murder mystery while giving the reader a peak into the lives of some of the most beloved mystery writers of all time..

Quite frankly, I was grabbed by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie solving a crime together - had to read a book with that concept.

Terrific concept, but I found the execution a bit flat.

I absolutely love Marie Benedict's books. This one does not disappoint! The way she describes the characters is fantastic. The way she keeps you interested is amazjng! Could not put this book down!; A must for your book list!!!

I am a big fan of Ms. Benedict's other work, so when I saw this novel involving Agatha Christie (one of my other favorites) I was eager to read it. This book surpassed my expectations. I loved reading what you can clearly tell were painstakingly researched details about the Queens of Crime and of the time period, these always make me want to learn more about the real life counterparts to these historical figures. The stories of the Queens were woven together with enough detail to give a good picture of their backgrounds without getting bogged down in details that take away from the story. Against this backdrop was the compelling story of the mystery that the Queens were trying to solve. The pace of the story went along nicely between action sequences and setup through to the ultimate climax. Overall a great story!

4.5 / 5.0 Stars

This was such a delectable period mystery by notable and gifted author, Marie Benedict. The year is 1931 where five female mystery writers: Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham (The Queens of Crime), bond and support one another in a male-dominated profession. To gain traction and convince their male counterparts of their legitimacy as writers of crime fiction, Dorothy Sayers convinces the other female writers that they must solve a true crime. She just happens to know of one - May Daniels, an English, nurse murdered in Boulogne-sur-Mer while on a French shopping daytrip with a female friend.

Inspired by a true story from Dorothy Sayers' own life, we follow the "Queens" as they sleuth out little known and rather overlooked details of the murder while they assemble timelines and character studies of potential perpetrators. Author, Marie Benedict, has crafted a beautifully written, insightful story of the lives and natures of these five amazing women. Her character development is rich and her historical research - Herculean. The wardrobe descriptions alone are worth the price of the book. Yet, this story is so much more. It's about women fighting for each other and fighting for the marginalized women whose voices have been silenced. All in all, this was an informative and most enjoyable read.

I am grateful to author Marie Benedict and her publisher, St. Martin's Press, for having provided a complimentary copy of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 11, 2025
Number of pages:‎ 320
ISBN:‎ 978-1250280756

I think I say this everytime, but this was the best book Marie Benedict has written. She is an automatic read for me, no questions asked, so I was happily surprised as I started and reading and one of the main characters was Agatha Christie! The book also introduces us to another detective novelist- Dorothy Sayers. I loved all 5 of the main characters- there was growth in each character. There was intrigue and female friendships and a lot of whodunit! I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, detective novels and to anyone that has liked books written by our main characters!

Marie Benedict has done it again a page turner Weaving in historic female mystery writers into solving a real life fictional mystery. I really enjoyed all the Queens especially Dorothy and of course Agatha. I would recommend to all book clubs and can't wait to read it again.

This is going to be on of my top 5 books I have read this year. Marie Benedict is becoming one of my go to authors. This is the ultimate girls club. I really really enjoyed this book so much! I can't wait to own a physical copy!

I have read several of the author's book. She always captures a moment in history where the reader has an opportunity to learn something about a character or a time period in history. This was not one of her stronger books.

I appreciate the opportunity to read.

Marie Benedict’s The Queens of Crime is now in the top five of my favorite books of 2024. I loved it! This well researched historical fiction novel with a twist, based on the true story of mystery writer Dorothy Sayers, had me at page one. The writing is so good that I didn’t want to stop reading as I had to know what happened next.

I knew women were relegated to second class citizens well into the 20th century. However, other than Agatha Christie, I had not heard of mystery writers Dorothy Sayers, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham or Ngaio Marsh. Benedict’s latest novel is based on the story of how these five women writers solved a murder. Reading about intelligent, resourceful, strong and brave women who are not afraid to break barriers engages me as a reader every time. And these women are not only smart, they are witty and fun and sarcastic and fearless!

Have you ever heard of The Detection Club? I had not until Dorothy says to Agatha Christie, “How would you feel if we hand-selected the cleverest female mystery writers to become members of the Detection Club—contrary to the men’s wishes—and form a club within a club? We would share the objectives of the Detection Club, but we will have a purpose all our own: to ensure that we have a place among the pantheon of preeminent mystery writers. Together, we would become a society of mutual admiration and support—for one another and for women everywhere”. This is where the story truly began for me and what a ride this novel has been!

I have read many of Benedict’s excellent novels and always enjoyed the Authors Notes at the end. I missed the Author’s Notes in this reading, though, as this was an ARC, but will try to read them once the book is published in February 2025. My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a must-read for loyal fans of DorothySayers, Margery Allingham, Agatha Christie and the other “ Queens”;of the classic mystery genre.

I have read quite a bit about Sayers and Christie…. Less ( or nothing) about the other three authors featured in this period novel. I loved their “dance” to bond with each other to protect their interests in a male-dominated writers group. The personalities projected on them by Ms. Benedict ring true, as did their interaction with each other as they strive to solve a genuine mystery.

The book was fun, but also illuminating ( as a good historical novel should be). The prevailing attitude about working women was eye-opening to me. I had no idea nursing was not a respected profession ( post WW1) or that there was a not so veiled resentment toward single women , referring to them as Surplus Women in very disparaging tones.

It will not give anything away to say that the “Queens of crime” successfully solved the puzzle they challenged themselves with… and, it was a great journey for 5he reader to travel with them as they achieved their objective.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a candid review.

First, I want to thank St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an ARC of The Queens
of Crimes by Marie Benedict. I’m a big fan of her historical fiction.
“Welcome to the murder game.!”
This book takes place in and around London in 1931. I was a little disappointed because the book was based on five British women authors who wrote mysteries. Agatha Christie’s name was the only one I recognized Dorothy Sayers was the narrator and unknown to me..
They felt that they were not given the recognition they deserved as authors and decided they would solve a real mystery. The authorities came to their own conclusion about murdered May Daniels. The women didn’t agree and decided this would be up to them to investigate further. And they did!
The Queens of Crimes publishes 02/11/2025.
I was unable to find author notes at the end of the book discussing what parts of the book actually happened and what parts were added by Ms Benedict. Don’t know if they will be in the published book!