Cleverly Woven..
Cleverly woven locked room mystery featuring the four queens of the Golden Age of Crime fiction. With a well imagined cast of main characters populating a nicely twisted plot reminiscent of the originals of the Golden Age, peppered with red herrings with a firm sense of time and place and reflective of the society of that time. Satisfying and compelling.

Historical mystery fans will be delighted to know that Rosanne Limoncelli’s The Four Queens of Crime is a clever locked-room mystery that I could not put down.

It’s 1938 in London and the “four queens” of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Volunteer Service to help Britain prepare for war.

Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a success, but the next morning Sir Henry is found dead in the library. Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson are summoned from Scotland Yard. Wyles is the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID. The inspectors along with the mystery authors must unravel a case with multiple suspects.

When I saw that there was a new book out featuring these marvelous mystery writers as sleuths, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy, and I am so glad I did. This is so creative and charming and mysterious–there is so much to love.

The setting of a beautiful elite house made for the perfect place for a locked-room murder to occur. So many suspects, yet so few clues. Leave it to the smartest female detective chief inspector and fabulous crime writers of the Golden Age to solve the impossible. I did not guess the resolution ahead of time and was thankful I could follow a talented cast of characters.

Each character has a strong voice, and I enjoyed that the story alternated between the various points of view. This storytelling choice provides readers with a birds-eye view of the goings on and lets us get to know each writer and the Inspector. Once I started reading this, I couldn’t stop and ended up snuggled on my couch for hours, determined to know what happened.

I’ll certainly be keeping my eye out for more by Rosanne. Is it too much to ask for more stories featuring the four writers and Wyles?

I did like this novel. It has the potential to be a series with DCI Lillian Wyles using the 4 crime authors as consultants. I also think that it would be good to follow DCI Lillian as the primary protagonist, following her historical moments with fictional interactions. It could be the historical fiction versus of Castle.

The different POVs of each characters gives new perspective, or fresh eyes, from different angles of the investigation. However, I enjoyed Lillian then gathering them altogether and exchanging information and ideas.

Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

What a fun concept for a mystery novel! In The Four Queens of Crime, we follow detective inspector Lillian Wyles as she hunts for a killer, recruiting the four queens of crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, to her team. This was a quick, fast-paced read and very enjoyable! I look forward to reading more from Rosanne Limoncelli in the future.

In Baronet Sir Henry Heathcotes Herrschaftssitz Hursley House findet ein wohltätiger Gala Ball statt. Die vier Königinnen der britischen Kriminalliteratur Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh und Margery Allingham sind die Stars des Abends und sollen zu großzügigen Spenden animieren. Sie sehen das Wochenende als kurze Auszeit bzw. kleines Abenteuer und freuen sich darauf, da sie sich auch untereinander Ihre größten Fans sind. Sie alle haben schon Bücher mit ähnlichen Settings geschrieben. Sie freuen sich alle auf die vielen neuen Bekanntschaften, da sie vielleicht zu neuen Romanideen inspirieren können. Nahezu 200 Gäste werden erwartet. Zunächst heißen die Vier einen Großteil der Gäste willkommen bevor sie sich nach und nach in den Ballsaal begeben. Der Abend wird tanzend zum zwanzigköpfigen Orchester, oder bei Champagner und Häppchen im regen Austausch verbracht.
Nach Mitternacht kommt ein neues Orchester und spielt schwungvollere Musik für die jüngeren Gäste. Auch wenn der Geräuschpegel der Gesellschaft dadurch enorm wird, werden sie wohl noch eine Weile durchhalten müssen. Nach dem Ballende gegen 3 Uhr früh ist die Nacht für alle kurz, trotzdem trifft man zum Frühstück zusammen. Schreie und Schluchzen lässt einige zur Bibliothek eilen, wo Sir Henry von einem Dienstmädchen tot aufgefunden wurde. Umgehend werden der Arzt und Scotland Yard informiert.
Zum Einsatz kommen DCI Lilian Wyles und Richard Davidson. Sie sind ein gutes Team im Hinblick auf den unterschiedlichen Stand der zu befragenden Zeugen. Die Geschichte ist unterhaltsam und flüssig zu lesen. Es ist interessant die vier sympathischen Damen in Interaktion zu erleben. Seit Downton Abbey liebe ich Romane über Herrschaften und ihre Bediensteten. Es folgen spannende Vernehmungen. Doch es fällt den Ermittlern schwer, mehr herauszubekommen. Nach und nach setzt sich ein Bild über Sir Henry zusammen, eine interessante, aber nicht einfache Person.
Doch auch die vier Autorinnen können sich nicht länger zurückhalten und beginnen sich untereinander ihre Gedanken zum Fall zu machen. Nach und nach kommen doch Details hervor und dann folgt auch eine größere Enthüllung. Darauf wird ein Geheimnis nach dem anderen bekannt. Das Tempo und die Spannung erhöhen sich. Es gibt einige Verdächtige mit Motiven. Man rätselt mit. Die Situation wird gefährlicher, der Autor kann überraschen. Alles scheint außer Kontrolle zu geraten. Es gibt sogar ganz zarte romantische Entwicklungen.
Beim Dinner am nächsten Abend kommt es zu einer klassischen Konfrontation aller Beteiligten. Es folgt eine Auflösung, die überraschen kann.
Fazit: Ein unterhaltsamer, klassischer Krimi, mit einer außergewöhnlichen Grundidee. Das End kann überraschen.

In 1938 the Four Queens of Crime are at a fundraiser for an organization that will aid preparations for war when a major political figure is murdered. The first woman chief inspector in England includes Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and Margery Allingham in her job to track down the killer despite those at the event having alibis. Great use of the mystique of the four crime writers in this novel. Enjoy.

I admit to being somewhat sceptical that the author could pull this off, pulling four highly acclaimed mystery writers into a fictional work, but this author managed to do it.
The book centres on a charity ball, being hosted by a wealthy aristocrat to raise funds for a Women's Volunteer Service as Britain is poised to enter a war with Hitler. Key to the fund raiser is the attendance of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham, who are also weekend guests of the baronet.
When the morning after the event a body is found in the library, the four writers are horrified. But agree to collaborate to see if they can in any way assist Scotland Yard in their investigation.
One aspect I did enjoy, was the author also introduced a female detective, based on fact from the 1930's and showcased some trailblazers in females who joined the police force in a time it was frowned upon.
Happy to recommend this delightful mix of mystery and historical fiction. Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

The prose is too often stiff and some of the details inaccurate. I didn't get any real sense of the subjects' personalities.

Full review at my Substack.

The story involving four leading crime authors of the day Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Marjory Allingham and Dorothy L.Sayers could not be anything but entertaining. Four of them were playing host for a gala dinner to raise funds for charity. Sir Henry Heathcote was the owner of Hursley House where the event was being held and he seemed rather cold over the whole affair.

When Sir Henry was found dead in his locked study, Detective DCI Lilian Wyles has her hands tied. Coming from a different social background to those who were part of the scenario was difficult. No one in the immediate family were willing to speak of the tension and undercurrent running amongst them all. Delving further the detectives felt that the entire family could be suspect, because each one of them had reason to hate their father.

Recruiting the help of the four women despite the other Detective not happy with the idea, DCI Lilian felt that they would look at the mystery from different perspectives. And it worked.

We got to know the four women very well and the story set in 1938 was well told, set against a background of an arrogant, aristocratic family who still felt they could call the tune.

Book review: 3.75/5 ⭐️
Genre: historical murder mystery
Themes: the gentry, role of women, historical, British lit
📖 Read if you like: Miss Austen Investigates

Calling all fans of Agatha Christie and female murder mystery writers of the age! This is a gem that sees some beloved authors ensconced in a murder mystery of this own. What starts off as a fundraiser for the Women’s Volunteer Service sees that four queens of crime - Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham all together at the estate of Baronet Sir Henry Heathcoate. When he is discovered dead the following day, the four writers will assist the first female detective chief inspector DCI Lilian Wyles in finding the truth and a murderer.

It had the slow pace of a period drama with that upstairs downstairs set of rules. The behaviour of the gentry was trying at times, especially as they aimed not to be candid or forthright with details. Nor could this elite group of people be blatantly asked straightforward questions, or be accused of anything, no matter how guilty they seemed. Everyone was a suspect having ample motive towards a two-faced man who was certainly not kind to any of his loved ones. In that way it had all the makings of a classic. Including a female detective and a young family member who seeks to break the rules of conformity was a nice change up.

It had a good puzzle that came together with some political relevance to the time. Integrating the nazis with the British nobility is of course well documented through various avenues, but this was a clever integration. Yet, at its heart this is a murder mystery centred around a family narrative. An upset fiancé and a loyal brother, a disregarded and ambitious son with a modern mixed race fiancé, a dutiful daughter soon to be replaced and her political husband, and a rebellious girl who has come home with a beloved girlfriend there was certainly enough to keep us entertained. With lots of different personalities and plenty of family drama this was one full of intrigue and reminiscent of crime novels of bygone days.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an early copy of this book. It was certainly a fun mystery to solve with enough Red Herrings to keep me reading well into the night. I also enjoyed the perspective of a male and female detective on the case in tandem and how they operated with a different mindset. All in all a very enjoyable read!

1938 London. A fundraiser is being held to assist with the war effort. Hosted by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham and held in the beautiful Hursley House, the event is attended by every celebrity and politician. A successful event until Sir Henry Heathcote, head of the Hursley family is found dead the next morning. Assigned to the investigation is DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID. When she and her partner DCI Richard Davidson run into roadblocks trying to interview the "named" guests, she'll ask the 4 Queens for assistance. The combined methods of these four writing royalty make for a fascinating mix. I've read books by all four, but when Rosanne Limoncelli combined their efforts under the direction of the star struck DCI Wyles, it lifts the mystery to a new level.

Limoncelli does an excellent job of maintaining the reputations of the 4 women authors while mixing in the DCI's willingness to learn. There are many more famous crime authors from this era, will DCI Wyles get the chance to work with all of them? I'm game to read them.

Who can resist a mystery featuring the four queens of crime - Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham? Not me. When the four authors band together to raise funds for the WVS at a gala, the cream of society rush to attend. But a grisly surprise awaits the attendees the next morning when a body is found in the library. Scotland Yard Detectives Lilian Wyles and Richard Davison are called in to investigate. But penetrating the secrets of high society proves difficult - and who better to help than the esteemed experts in murder and mystery?

I loved that real life characters were part of the story - especially my favourite mystery writers. The use of historical figures and issues of historical significance worked perfectly. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold from the points of view of the different writers.

I found the story fascinating, and tying it in with political machinations of the day gave it an extra layer of complexity and interest. Following the women as they used their own individual skills was a joy. A great mystery.

Set in 1938 in England, THE FOUR QUEENS OF CRIME by Rosanne Limoncelli is an intriguing debut novel featuring four famous mystery writers: enlists Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. They have been invited to a charity gala being hosted at the estate of Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote. The party seems a fabulous success, but the next morning a dead body is discovered, and the writers eventually help the police sift through multiple personal and professional motives to unmask the killer. THE FOUR QUEENS OF CRIME received starred reviews from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly. Mystery readers may also have fun comparing this to the recently published The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. I thought that Limoncelli did a better job of giving each of the writers a more distinctive character (she certainly relied less than Benedict on describing their outfits). I also liked how Limoncelli included other real people (Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles, Lady Stella, even Home Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare) in her story and included a helpful character list. I am looking forward to more mysteries from this author and hope that as she develops her craft, she becomes more confident in subtly showing/pointing her readers to conclusions and clues rather than “telling” them. This cozy is an entertaining escape – enjoy!

In Rosanne Limoncelli's Preface, she introduces the real-life people she is portraying fictionally. I was already familiar with the four best-selling crime writers of their day-- Christie, Sayers, Marsh, and Allingham-- but I'd never heard of DCI Lilian Wyles, and I enjoyed watching these five characters work with each other. Wyles had a particularly difficult time of it because her male counterpart thought the four writers would have absolutely nothing worthwhile to add to the investigation. The five women had to learn how to work around him.

The mystery revolved around a typical British aristocratic family in a large country house just before the start of World War II. Although the whodunit was rather easily deduced, the upstairs-downstairs tension worked well. Those who are familiar with the four authors' books will also find amusing moments along the way, as in Agatha Christie getting the germ of an idea for And Then There Were None.

All in all, The Four Queens of Crime was a pleasant way to spend a few hours, but I didn't find it to be a standout.

I grew up reading the mysteries of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Dorothy Sayers. How wonderful to see them united by Roseanne Limoncelli. In 1938 they were all invited to host a charity ball to raise funds for the Women’s Voluntary Service. It was held at the estate of Lord Henry Heathcote, a prominent businessman. The ball was a success, but the next morning Henry was found dead in his library. DCI Richard Davidson and DCI Lilian Wyles were sent from Scotland Yard to investigate. Wyles is eager to recruit the writers to observe the family , while Davidson refuses to accept their interference in his investigation. As the writers were socializing with the guests they were aware of Henry’s interactions with the family. His son Charles was hoping to be introduced to influential guests to help his political career. Instead, he was threatened with being disinherited over his engagement to an unacceptable fiancee of mixed blood. Henry’s young daughter Kate was publicly berated for her behavior and refused permission to enter college. He ended his engagement to Lady Sarah after discovering her grandmother’s Jewish background. He was also heard arguing with his brother Ambrose, who managed his accounts. Each family member had a motive. When the family joins forces, it is the writers’ casual conversations with them that are more effective than Davidson’s interviews.

While Henry’s public persona was benevolent, he was a tyrant in his dealings with family. He was ruthless in business and supported the policies of Hitler and the Nazi party. Limoncelli’s characters and setting bring life to the 1930s and her inclusion of the actual DCI Wyles, the first female DCI in Scotland Yard’s CID, was a wonderful addition. The Four Queens is a reflection of the Golden Age of mysteries and I hope that Limoncelli will bring them back to solve another crime. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this book.

Set in 1938, there is talk of war with Germany. To this end, Sir Henry Heathcote and his family have agreed to host a Gala ball at their house, Hursley House near Southampton to raise funds. It is described as the Queen of Crime fundraiser, and the honoured guests will be Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh. There will also be invited titled friends of the family, the Home Secretary, household staff, outside caterers and a band. Plenty of suspects for what follows next.
The ball appears to be a huge success, but the following morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library. The Police are called in to investigate, DCI Lilian Wyles and DCI Richard Davidson are to take charge, as this case is politically sensitive.
The narrative is told like a police procedural, statements are taken, verified and cross referenced, a time line is established of all the events, locations of witnesses and suspects, which involve varying accounts, uncertain memories, and hostile reactions and radical views pertaining to that period of history.
It is quite amazing to modern readers how many of the upper classes were willing to sue for peace and to work alongside a Nazi Germany. The attitudes also expressed are anti Jewish and very strong views on racism. The ruling classes are shown as protective of their own heritage and money, and ways to exploit the system, which still seems to be prevalent in these strange times in 2025.
These investigation are long winded, repetitive and exhausting to read, but it shows the skills employed in searching for the truth from those who have much to hide. The landed gentry seemed to genuinely believe they should be believed and never questioned, their house and their rules!
Having read novels written by all these Queens of Crime, I was intrigued to see which author came the closest to finding the murderer, and if they used any of the facts and characters in subsequent books.
I really enjoyed this book, despite the fact that there were so many statements to understand and so many characters involved. I was exasperated and frustrated in equal measures, but although I had an idea of the identity of the murderer, the motive was surprising.
A five star read, and a book to recommend to my local library and my book groups.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Crooked Lane Books, for my eARC, freely given in exchange for my honest review. I will leave reviews to Goodreads and Amazon UK upon publication.

It was 1938 in London, and a fundraiser was being held at Hursley House, with four Queens of Crime having been invited as hosts. Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham were those four, and the weekend would prove to be a challenge for the four special guests, along with the family of Hursley House. It was the morning after the ball when Sir Henry Heathcote, baronet and head of the family, was found dead in the library. Immediately Scotland Yard was called, discretion being of the utmost importance. Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson were sent to investigate.

It wasn't long into the proceedings when Lilian realised they needed to use the four crime writers to assist with the investigation. Richard was against it, but Lilian could see the benefits. But would they discover who had killed Sir Henry in such a heinous manner? There was much they had to delve into...

The Four Queens of Crime is an entertaining historical mystery with four great minds at work, along with the detectives. Author Rosanne Limoncelli has written a clever mystery, set just prior to WWII beginning and with some well written characters, mostly likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful story, and have no hesitation in recommending it highly.

With thanks to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for my digital ARC to read and review.

To help Britain prepare for war, the four queens of British crime fiction – Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham – host a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service. A baronet offers his home for the event, but when he is found dead the next morning, the DCI in charge of the case recruits the Queens to assist in the investigation, to the consternation of many of her fellow police.

This is the second book I’ve read in the past couple of months featuring these crime writers, although the other book also included Baroness Emma Orczy in the group. Both are very good books, and each has a different take on having these women solve a murder, so both are worth reading.

This book provides a good look at the ‘upper crust’ of London in 1938, although I was appalled to read how many of them thought England should not go to war with Germany. Then again, hindsight is always 20/20, and I might have felt differently back in 1938. I loved watching the ‘queens’ work on solving the case despite the attitudes of many of the characters involved – “You’re just writers, what do you know about murder?” They each had their own method to gather information, and each was successful to some degree.

There were a lot of potential suspects to consider for this murder, and their possible motives were as varied as they were. My list kept changing as the story proceeded, but I wasn’t able to narrow it down to just one person until just before it was revealed in the book. I wasn’t entirely surprised by either the motive or who the culprit was.

I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

During a 1938 London gala hosted by crime fiction’s leading ladies, the event host is murdered. Scotland Yard engages the help of the queens of crime to navigate a sea of suspects and uncover the killer.

I really enjoyed this story. The characters are fascinating, with plenty of suspects to keep me guessing.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

"In this debut mystery, DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, is determined to find a killer with the help of the four queens of crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Claudia Gray.

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women's Voluntary Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event, and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning, Sir Henry is found dead in the library.

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary.

Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry’s death to solve the mystery and identify the killer."

And you'll have to read it to find out of Dorothy L. Sayers is as antisemitic on the page as she was in real life.