A locked room mystery solved by some of the great mystery writers of the 1900s! Loosely based on a real life event from Sayers life, this is a fun mystery read with commentary on being a woman in society, and especially a writer.

"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."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

The Queens of Crime was not what I was expecting of Marie Benedict, but boy, it didn’t disappoint. I loved getting to know the characters more and now want to read more of their books. A great, mysterious amateur sleuth novel!

This was a fun read. I was intrigued by the premise, where read historical figures, specifically authors, came together to solve a fictional crime. I was especially excited that one of the characters was Ngaio Marsh.

In 1930, five prolific female mystery writers come together to determine how they can join the elusive Detectives Club; a club for mystery writers that they have been shut out of due to the fact they are women. They decide the way to ensure their entrance is to solve a real crime, and decide to solve the case of a young, British nurse who went missing on a short trip to France.

You can't go wrong with a Marie Benedict book and this one is just as great as her others. This one might be my favorite by her. I loved it and will be screaming from the rooftops for all to read it!

This was such a fun book to read set in the perfect place given the plot: London, England. Five female mystery writers are fed up with being treated like second class citizens, and Dorothy Fleming (or Sayers, her pen name) had been largely responsible for helping organize the Detection Club, a club where mystery writers of Great Britain could meet to "champion their genre." The five female authors (all of the women were real authors in real life), Ngaio Marsh, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, and Margery Allingham, under Dorothy's guidance decided to infiltrate the Detection Club and call themselves The Queens of Crime. The problem? It was basically male authors who were not accepting of the women.

The way they felt they could prove their worth/sleuthing skills was to solve a crime. They decided to solve the disappearance of a young woman named May Daniels. As they were investigating the disappearance became a murder. The Queens were women authors ahead of their time. They found that women were most often "forgotten" or considered "whores" and thus didn't dig deep to give them justice. Such was the case of May Daniels.

The detective skills these women illustrated was so fun to read. It made me feel proud to know that women stand up for women's rights and have for 100's of years. Realizing that we women still have a way to go in order to be equally treated in society in what is still often called "a man's world" made me think/wonder just what I might be able to do in order to stand up for my rights as a woman and in so doing possibly helping other women.

I had both the ebook and audiobook, thanks to NetGalley. I loved the book, and I would have to say that either version would be enjoyable. That being said, the audiobook version was very well-done and the voice inflections, pacing, and stress on certain words or phrases definitely increase my pleasure reading it.

As a fan of both historical fiction and mystery genres, I was thrilled to get a chance to read this book where the five most prominent women detective series writers were actually going to solve an actual crime themselves! The introduction and descriptions of the five authors were a fun addition to the historical aspect of learning about the styles of these writers. "The Queens" decided to solve a crime to show the male members of the Detective Club, who were very hesitant to add women authors to their club, that they were more than authors. They were determined that by solving their own crime, the males in that Club would be more accepting of them and at the same time - they wanted to "show them up". The personalities of the five women did clash at times, but when they found themselves in danger, they all banded together to protect their own. They chose to solve the murder of a young woman who had gone missing and was then found dead. The fact that this young woman was being disparaged and her murder overlooked, made the Queens more determined to find out what happened to her. The details, teamwork, and steps taken to solve the murder of a young woman made this a very interesting read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #TheQueensofCrime

Part homage to the classic mystery novel, part ode to the determination of 20th century women who fought to be recognized as capable writers, investigators, and leaders, THE QUEENS OF CRIME creatively brings to life Dorothy L. Sayers, Nagio Marsh, Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. Benedict captures the essence of each of these great women, their writing styles and oeuvre into a captivating mystery. I loved how Benedict used each of their personalities as they not only worked to solve a murder but to also ensure their male counterparts had no choice but to take them seriously. The story felt a bit slow at times, but overall kept me engaged.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and the author for early access to a digital copy of this work.

Who could turn down a book about the REAL "Queens of Crime", the women who wrote mysteries during the golden age of detection? I was really excited to read this book. It was ok. It felt contrived. I mean, I guess it WAS contrived as it mashed together all of the real-life people and tried to put each of their voices (although mainly Dorothy L. Sayers') into the novel. It got better about 1/3 of the way into the book, but never soared. I do like the author and can tell she put a lot into this one. Solidly 3 stars, maybe 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC #sponsored

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Pub Date: 2/11
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Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy come together to create the Queens of Crime and they set out to solve a murder of a young nurse.
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Five of the best mystery writers of their time coming together to solve a murder just makes for an interesting premise. It was so fun to get to know each of these writers and follow them as they try to solve this murder, picking out the red herrings and numerous plot twists.
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I was captivated right form the start, the mystery itself was a doozy and I loved the twists and the ending of this one. These women were all empowering and clever. I really wish I would have known them. This is a steady to fast paced read!!
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I listened to this one on audio while reading my eARC. The audio was narrated by Bessie Carter - absolutely phenomenal. She had the perfect voice for this performance. I highly recommend!
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Overall, most definitely worth the read! Fantastic for a historical fiction! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Marie Benedict, MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC and eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the author's take on Agatha Christie's disappearance so wanted to give this one a try. I was not disappointed. I loved how these female writers got together and solved a murder of a young girl that the press and police had written off as a drug overdose. It was great that Mac was supportive of her career which was unusual for the times. Can't wait for the next historical fiction story she writes.

This novel follows author Dorothy Sayers, as she teams up with her fellow mystery authoresses of the day, including Agatha Christie. The group, aptly named the Queens of Crime, band together to solve the murder of a young English nurse on a day trip to France. Initially presumed missing, the nurse’s body is found and authorities conclude she was strangled. However, the Queens, well-versed in murder and mystery, believe she met a very different end and set out to find the truth.
The novel was well-plotted and read like a contemporary Sayers or Christie book. I appreciated some of the history surrounding the female authors featured in the novel, such as their exclusion to a certain degree by male authors or the reference to Agatha Christie’s mystery disappearance.

Marie Benedict again totally immerses herself in the character (s) she writes about. One actually believes the book is written by Dorothy Sayers and that you are with the Queens. Benedict again shows how versatile she is. Yes, will wholeheartedly recommend the book. Evokes Anthony Horowitz of today. Will make a great Masterpiece Theater series.

This book was utterly delightful! It highlighted five amazing female mystery writers that I knew nothing about. Benedict showcased how these authors struggled to be recognized by their male counterparts. In their bid to be acknowledged for their abilities, the five woman take on a mystery that the police just want to wash their hands of. The discovery and unraveling of clues was well thought out. The author provided just enough of the personality of each writer for the reader to get a feel for their uniqueness. A true who done it wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end.

The Queens of Crime follows legendary mystery writers Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, and a few other iconic female authors as they team up together to solve a real-life murder. A young English nurse vanishes while visiting a French town with a friend, only to turn up dead months later. The cause of death? Strangulation. But someone wants to throw off the investigators - placing a used syringe near her body to lead them in the wrong direction.

Most might have fallen for the deception, but not the Queens of Crime. These women know a red herring when they see one. As they chase down clues across England, unraveling secrets and uncovering buried truths, they realize the case might be far more dangerous than they imagined. And the more they dig, the more they risk becoming the next target themselves.

I loved watching these five women bring the detective skills of their fictional characters to life! Their dynamic - full of wit, intelligence, and unexpected friendship - made this such a fun and unique read. By the end, I felt like I knew each of them better, and now I need to read more of their books (that they wrote in real life). Marie Benedict has a way of making history come alive, and this cozy mystery was no exception! It was clever, well-written, and such a page-turner! Overall, I gave it 4 stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

Whether you are a fan of Agatha Christie and other classic detective stories or not, this book is a gem. Narrated by fellow author Dorothy Sayers, Agatha, Dorothy, and 3 other female writers of detective stories are struggling to be accepted by the men in the newly formed Detection Club. To prove they are as worthy as the men, they set out to solve a real life murder. I'd say it isn't as easy as they make it appear in their books, but these women talk about their writing styles and difficulties they have with their books and the many missed deadlines, so writing isn't so easy either. None the less, these women are up to the task that the police and male reporters have failed at. There is a locked room mystery, some red herrings, and there is danger along the way, but don't doubt these women for an instant. I loved the interaction of the women, their descriptions of how they write their books, and their process for solving the murder. This book in a win on all fronts, and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early ecopy. My opinion is my own.

Fun book - real authors solve murder

This book was a lot of fun. If you have read any of these authors, the book is even more fun! Five female authors from the 1930's band together and solve a real murder to show up their male compatriots. I loved one of these authors (Baroness Orczy) so much when I was a teenager. I really enjoyed reading about these authors, mind you, of course, fictionalized, and will be interested in seeing how much of each of the author's past is real vs made-up. The murder itself is a challenging locked-room style plot. Shades of current events, the women are totally disrespected by police, authorities and other men, as are the victims. I will be looking for other books by Ms Benedict.

Thank you to the publisher who lent me a time-limited e-arc via netgalley with no obligation. This review is optional and my own opinion.

Another fabulous historical fiction novel by Marie Benedict! I always love her writing style and she's done it again in a fascinating story about five female authors in London who get together to help solve the case of a missing young woman. The woman's body later appears in the French town she visited with a friend.
Partly through the story, I started googling the backgrounds of all of the women authors, since I was only familiar with Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. The story mostly delves into Sayers' life story and it is obvious that Benedict has done her research. I love how she gave a glimpse into each of the authors' writing styles and how they would each solve the crimes in their own novels. And the camaraderie among the women through their conversations was what made the story come to life. I could imagine how much they would rely on each other as women in the very male-dominated publishing world. I appreciate how she brought these women authors to life. I would be thrilled if this became a series.
My advanced copy did not include any author's notes or acknowledgements but I will search out Benedict's comments about the book. I love when a historical fiction acquaints me with people or a period of time that I do not know well. This novel certainly does that. Marie Benedict is becoming a must-read author for me in her solo writing and co-writing publications.

Many thanks to #StMartinsPress for an early copy of the digital book in exchange for my honest review.

I am not entirely sure why, but I just couldn’t engage with this novel. I love Agatha Christie and have only just begun to enjoy Dorothy Sayers. I also enjoy the thought that these ladies banded together to solve real life crimes. However, I just couldn’t connect with the internal thoughts of Dorothy, or feel the same feelings.

I also wonder if Benedict spent more time with Dorothy and none of the other 4 ladies. This felt a little off kilter for me. I would want to know what/how Margery was useful in a scheme but would only get a “telling” of what happened.

Overall, I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

Marie Benedict does a great job combining historical fiction, women’s fiction, mystery. This was loosely based upon an event in author Dorothy sayers’ life.

See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/02/17/book-review-the-queens-of-crime-by-marie-benedict/