Female friendship and power are on display in this intriguing historical mystery by Marie Benedict!

When famous novelist Dorothy Sayers is snubbed by male members of the Detection Club she helped found, she brings together the five most formidable female minds in mystery fiction: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. Their goal: to solve a real life murder and prove their place among the men.

As the Queens use their sleuthing skills and female energy to track down the killer of May Daniels, a nurse who seemed to vanish into thin air, they bond and learn to trust each other. But the killer targets Dorothy herself, threatening her life and a secret she’s long kept hidden.

The story is well-written and intriguing, if a touch slow paced. The settings in England and France are fun to imagine, and the themes woven in highlight issues women faced in the past and still struggle with today. It’s a good mystery bordering on cozy and would be enjoyed very much by sleuths of the classic works.

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Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE QUEENS OF CRIME by Marie Benedict is a historical fiction/mystery story featuring The Queens of Crime, their founding and friendship, and a locked room mystery they work together to solve in 1930 London and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Told solely from Dorothy Sayer's perspective this is an entertaining story with an intriguing mystery.

Mystery writers Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham band together as The Queens of Crime to be recognized as equals to the male members of the legendary Detection Club. To receive that recognition, they plan to solve an actual murder straight out of the headlines.

A young nurse takes a day trip to Boulogne-sur-Mer, France with a friend and disappears. She went into the ladies room at the ferry terminal and never came out. Her body is discovered several months later in a park with signs of strangulation. Determined to solve the mystery, the ladies use their skills to investigate. As they get closer, Dorothy is threatened with the revelation of a secret from her past and attacked. Will they be able pull all their skills and talents together to solve the mystery before anyone else becomes a victim?

I was really looking forward to getting this book, and while it is an entertaining read, with an excellent locked room mystery intertwined, the Queens are not as fully developed as individual characters as I was hoping for. I felt Dorothy was developed as a good lead character, but the other ladies were lacking. There is a heavy emphasis on their clothes and food, with in my opinion, only minimal emphasis on their personalities. I enjoyed the history surrounding the WWI "surplus girls" and the mystery plot itself, though it started slowly it was filled with interesting twists and red herrings.

Overall, an enjoyable historical fiction/mystery book, just not my favorite by this author.

What if the best female detective story writers of the 1930s teamed up to solve a real murder mystery?

Dorothy Sayer and Agatha Christie are the only female writers in the Detection Club and the men in the club think 2 are more than enough. Of course, Dorothy thinks not, and as a founder of the club she decides to create a club within the club just for female writers. She and Agatha identify 3 other women mystery writers: Baroness Emma Orczy (Scarlet Pimpernel), Ngaio Marsh (Chief Inspector Alleyn), and Margery Allingham (Lord Peter Wimsey). The men aren't fans so Dorothy decides the women need to solve a real-life murder mystery and she knows just the case: A young nurse went missing while on a day trip to the coast of France.

I recognized Dorothy Sayer (though I don't think I've read her series) and Agatha Christie. I recognized the Scarlet Pimpernel but I didn't know the author. The other two authors were unknown to me. The Queens of Crime was a real group, but when I looked them up, Emma Orczy was not listed in any of the entries that mention the Queens of Crime. Otherwise, a lot of the details about the women and the Detection Club are accurate. There is no evidence that the women ever teamed up to solve a murder.

The story Benedict crafts is a lot of fun and there are enough facts about the women that it feels like they could have done this. I wanted to read big chunks at a time unfortunately my schedule didn't allow for that If you want spend the day reading, this would be an excellent choice.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/03/can-you-solve-these-murder-mysteries.html

📖 Book Review 📖
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
Genre: murder mystery
3 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♀️ out of 5
This was a good story. Nice lil murder mystery in London in the 1930s. If you like Agatha Christie novels, I think you’ll really like this.
#netgalley #bookreview #goodreads #bookstagram

Writing a mystery that ends up being solved by the queens of mystery writing is such a fabulous idea. I absolutely devoured this book. I would love for this to become a series!

Five real-life mystery writers--Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Emma Orczy--join to form the Queens of Crime. Despite their considerable success, they bristle at still not being taken seriously by male writers and decide to gain their respect by solving a real-life mystery. May Daniels, an English nursing student, disappeared while on a day trip to France with a friend. When she is discovered with a hypodermic needle close by, her death is treated as an accidental overdose, despite considerable inconsistencies in that story. The Queens of Crime begin investigating, initially helped by the fact Dorothy Sayers's husband is one of the reporters following the case. But when Mac is reassigned to another story, the five women continue.

As Dorothy Sayers becomes the target of an unknown assailant, the five women realize they must be getting close to solving what they now believe to be May's murder.

I loved the period details, but found the story a little slower than I would have anticipated. And I'm embarrassed to admit that Agatha Christie is the only one of the authors I've read, which I need to remedy. #TheQueensofCrime #NetGalley

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. It seemed like it dragged and kind of meandered throughout the storyline. I have enjoyed other books by Marie Benedict so I'm guessing it was just my own mindset. I did enjoy the idea of the group of women mystery novelists working to solve a crime in that era, and it also made me appreciate even more the female authors that worked so hard to secure their place in the literary world. The fact that this book was inspired by a true story from author Dorothy Sayers life was not lost on me. I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Queens of Crime, there couldn't be a better group of women to push their way in! Of course having Agatha Christie in the group was an extra treat. The great wardrobes of the 1930's are well observed, kudos to the vivid picture. Great story, another win for Benedict! Thank you@stmartinspress@mariebeedict@netgalley

✨book review✨
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This cover is so beautiful, but I actual read this on my kindle thanks to @netgalley !

This novel set in 1930s England follows a group of five female mystery writers who attempt to break the mold and be accepted into the Detection Club, predominantly a boys club. While not respected as equals due to their gender, the women task themselves with solving a real life murder to prove their competency and legacy to the rest of the club’s members.

As a huge Agatha Christie fan, this was one I couldn’t resist! It follows Christie as well as Dorothy Sayers and three others in this historical fiction piece. The ladies are witty and it’s entertaining to see how their minds and interactions could unfold when presented with a mystery like those in their own writing. While fictitious, this still presented in a unique and tantalizing manner as the case within the story is interesting and well developed. The characters’ interactions with the case make it more exciting and creates an opportunity for readers to join in the chase for truth.

While not always fast paced, the story is one to keep you reading from the first page to the last, guessing the whole time. I would recommend this read to any huge mystery fan or fan of 1930s mystery writers such as Agatha Christie.

This was such a great mystery with all of the queens of cozy mysteries as characters. I loved that they all came to life on the page. Marie Benedict does an incredible job with bringing people from the past to life!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict!

In 1930 London, mystery novelist Dorothy L. Sayers invites fellow mystery authors Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy to join the Detection Society - which has traditionally been a group for men. As the women bond, they decide to work together to solve a real life murder mystery of a young British nurse who was murdered in France.

I wanted to read The Queens of Crime because I love historical fiction and love mysteries. I found the idea of these classic mystery authors working together to solve a crime intriguing.

This novel starts at a leisurely pace, which gives the reader time to get to know Dorothy Sayers and the other authors. I was surprised at the slow pace, but it picked up a great deal mid-way through the novel when more details of the life and death of May Daniels are introduced. At that point the Queens of Crime begin working together in earnest, and their sleuthing - and the mystery itself (set in London and France, including a glimpse of the London theater scene) - was absolutely fascinating.

I recommend this novel for other fans of historical fiction who also enjoy mysteries.

Marie Benedict does it again!! I really enjoyed her latest submission about women who history ignores. When male authors try to prevent more women from joining the Detection Club they are taken down a few pegs by the women in their midst. Enter the Queens of Crime based on real life authors Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Emma Orozcy, and Margery Allingham who band together to solve a real life crime, and put men in their place while they do it. The story is told from the view of Dorothy Sayers who organizes the women; and we learn a lot of her personal history as the book goes along, and find ourselves rooting for her in particular. I liked the storyline alternating between solving the mystery, and the camaraderie between the women. The Queens persevere through arguments, dead ends, and even an attack in order to bring justice to one young woman. I highly recommend this book!

Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh have joined the Detection Club, a society of crime writers. They soon create a secret society within the Detection Club of women only. In order to prove themselves, they decided to solve their own real-life locked room mystery. Set in England and France, the woman investigate the murder of May Daniels.

It was enjoyable reading about the women trying to solve this mystery. I liked how they went through and figured out the locked room aspect of the book. Some other parts did drag.

My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.

Five female mystery writers- lead by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie- band together to help each other in a male dominated field (and world). They learn of a mysterious death of a young English nurse in France that they feel is not being appropriately perused by the police and media, so they decide to investigate to help find her killer and as a side benefit, earn themselves some respect.

This is being billed as a historical fiction mystery, but do not mistake this as a page-turning thriller. It is a solid mystery with good characters (the main voice is author Dorothy Sayers, whom I really enjoyed and didn't know very well). I liked this for what it was but also struggled with reading it as it was fairly slow and not my favorite writing. I do love the cover and the premise and liked the resolution; I just wanted a little more. Overall, if you want a solid historical fiction mystery, you might like this one.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

What a fun, cozy mystery! Marie Benedict has managed to bring together the 5 most prominent women crime writers: Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Emma Orczy for a tribute to the power of friendship and teamwork.

I enjoyed reading the crime-solving story from the viewpoint of actual mystery writers. I've never thought about the fact that these women have all the skill and experience from researching for their own novels, so it wouldn't be a huge leap for them to solve an actual murder. And that's exactly what Ms. Sayers figured they could do to solve a murder that seemed poorly handled by authorities.

With wit and determination, these gals have what it takes to undertake a daunting task! Ms. Benedict has written an entertaining novel with a nod to some legendary authors!

So grateful to St. Martin's Press
& NetGalley for this entertaining novel!!

This is a book that might send you on another reading journey to learn more about each of the female crime writers featured in this book. It's a great novel with a layered plot line that keeps readers engaged from beginning to end. I chose this book to read since I enjoyed other books written by Marie Benedict. The protagonists are characters to love and their persistence in overcoming prejudice is to be applauded.. The Queens of Crime cross the English Channel multiple times to gather evidence and follow clues related to the suspicious death of a young English nurse. The Queens reject the prevailing notion of how the young girl died in Boulogne, France and set out to solve the mystery. They must investigate the crime both on the continent in France and back in England to arrive at the truth. The dialogue is smart and each mystery writer is portrayed vividly. Together the Queens of Crime solve the mystery that is revealed at the conclusion. There are some surprising twists and turns at the end. Readers will find the new entrant to the conclusion a realistic thread to include in the tragic story. I consider this new book to be a five star novel in all categories. I read a advanced reader's copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Greatly enjoyed this mystery revolving around five women mystery writers in 1931 led by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. In order to prove their worth to men mystery writers, they determine to solve a real-life mystery together of a missing woman who is found murdered.

Mary Benedict has set an intriguing plot around the 5 queens of the golden age of crime writing in the 1930's Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Orczy in The Queens of Crime. The ladies feel slighted by the men in a Detection Club who don't think they all belong in the club. They decide to look into the murder of a young English nurse in France. The papers and police believe the young woman died from a drug overdose. The ladies think the solution lies in the young lady's experience in England where she had a secret admirer. As they pursue the case Dorothy Sayers is side swiped by a car. The ladies centre their investigations in the London theatre and insurance businesses. Based on a real case that was never solved and the personalities and legendary crime stories of the ladies it is a real tour de force. Please read and enjoy.

This book was great fun and I very much enjoyed it. Benedict is a great storyteller and I loved her characterizations of all of these women!