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.

#netgalley #thequeensofcrime #mariebenedict #stmartinspress #advancedreadercopy #arc #bookreview #bookstagrammer #winterreleases #historicalfiction #thrillerfiction #mysteryfiction

Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Based on the real life crime novelists of the early 1900s, Benedict has this circle of writers searching for a real killer. Trying to best the men of The Detection Club, which includes Dorothy Sayers’ husband, the five lady sleuths set out to solve a murder.

Chasing back and forth from London to Boulogne, France, the ladies comb for details the police and men may have missed. May Daniels and Celia McCarthy went on an overnight getaway to France, but May never returned. Can the ladies solve this crime and prove to the men they are capable detectives as well?

An interesting concept I’ll give three stars, wishing writers could write about other women without giving constant fashion details on their clothing, though I imagine it’s to give credence to the era.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is a clever new historical novel that uses five women crime writers from the past who try to solve a crime: the murder of a young woman that they are sure the police got wrong.

The authorities say she was a drug dealer peddling drugs and died of an accidental overdose.

The women writers, who are trying to convince the men in their Crime Detection Club that they are as talented as the men, are Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Emma Orczy, and Margery Allingham.

They travel back and forth from London across the English Channel to the seaside in France where the young nurse was murdered and her body was discovered.

Their methods are ingenious and sometimes dangerous and Benedict’s novel is delicious and definitely worth reading!

Set in 1931, this book imagines five women who wrote mystery novels in this period, banding together to solve a real crime. Told from the point of view of Dorothy Sayers, the story is fascinating. The women travel to the scene of the crime across the English Channel, interview witnesses throughout England, and put themselves in harm's way trying to figure out why a young nurse disappeared and was murdered. Their discussions of how they write and how these skills could be translated into real-life detective work is so intriguing. Marie Benedict is a wonderful author of historical fiction and I have read and loved many of her books; this one among them. I did find that the book moved slowly in parts and seemed to drag. But, it was really well done and I think that readers will really like this book. It definitely has inspired me to read or re-read these wonderful mystery novelists who are her protagonists, the "queens of crime," including Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Emma Orczy. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

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An evocative novel that spotlights women who were successful mystery authors despite misogyny being the default mindset of the time period.

After WWI when the term "surplus women" was coined, referring to the excess of unmarried women. The 1921 Census of England and Wales listed 1.72 million more women than men post war. Society judged these women harshly for having the audacity to hold jobs necessary to support themselves. The murder victim in "The Queens of Crime" is one such young woman. May Daniels, a nurse found murdered and her integrity shredded in the media.

Marie Benedict sets a brilliant group of minds on the case and takes readers on a sleuthing adventure. There was a unique power in a story about women banding together to solve n atrocity committed against another woman. The Queens of Crime are comprised of: Dorothy Sayers (Lord Peter Mysteries), Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple), Margery Allingham (Albert Campion), Baroness Emma Orczy (Scarlet Pimpernel), and Ngaio Marsh (Roderick Alleyn). In reality Sayers did travel to France to investigate with her husband but was unable to solve this real-life locked room mystery.

I thought this was a phenomenal premise to follow these larger-than-life characters as they chase down leads. Benedict did an excellent job of bringing the author side of these ladies to the forefront. I was gripped from the first page. It was clear that the research necessary to bring this story and its characters to life was extensive and thorough. That work was evidenced in the way characters' voices rang true and their individuality sparkled. The narrative transported me to another time and place; the smart energy crackled. The red herrings were in rare form.

Misogyny and its many ugly faces are shown here. However, in the early chapters it felt as if it were being drummed into the reader. The book is otherwise well written, and this just wasn't necessary. There is enough "show" in this regard that the excessive "tell" waters down the desired effect. Luckily, this issue doesn't continue throughout the novel.

Minor quibbles aside, I flew through this one. What a divine film this would make! The Queens 👑were bright and cunning making this a delight to read. I do believe Benedict has another winner on her hands!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the Advance Readers Copy

This book is well-written with memorable characters (based on real people) and great detail of history and mystery writing. The novel does well at honoring history while embellishing the story with creative license. The plot is very engaging - while also rightly acknowledging that a murder victim is a human being worthy of dignity and compassion, not just a source of morbid entertainment. My only complaint is that the book was sometimes a bit heavy-handed in its messaging and in the fate of the murderer. I really enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it to other fans of historical fiction and mystery. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5!

Thank you to NetGalley for the free eARC; I post this review with my honest opinions. This review is cross-posted to Goodreads, and will be posted on Amazon and social media closer to publication.

Marie Benedict’s latest book is a mystery featuring several of the legendary female crime writers including Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy who called themselves the Queens of Crime. The Queens decide to solve a real murder of a young British nurse who was strangled in France in order to prove to the men in the newly formed Detection Club that they are worthy of full membership. The women are successful solving the unsolved murder by thinking through how their characters in their books would handle the challenge. The story also delves into the lives and personalities of each member of the Queens and the challenges they face as women during this time period. It’s a fun read with an interesting plot line although some of their methods for flushing out clues didn’t seem that realistic to this reader. Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC copy of the book.

How can a lady's detective group prove that they are as good as a group of male detectives?

In the year 1931 women were deemed not as capable as men.

The Queens of Crime decided that if they could solve a "real life" murder, they would be respected.

They all asked themselves where could they find a real life murder to investigate and lo and behold a body of a young woman assumed to have disappeared was found.

They were on the case.

The book dragged and wasn’t a book I was anxious to get back to.

Gorgeous, pull-you-in cover, but I was disappointed because I normally enjoy Ms. Benedict's books. 3/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

The Queens of Crime was a fun read! All your favorite classic murder mystery female authors form a gang to take on the men trying to keep them in their place. And what better way than solving a real mystery! Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie were the most prominent characters in my mind. It was intriguing to see how they went about solving the mystery without all the high tech used today. I wonder if any of today’s mystery writers could manage to solve a real mystery?

Marie Benedict’s latest is a charming mystery featuring several of the legendary crime writers of the 1920s and 1930s, an era known as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham were called the Queens of Crime. In this work, the author has added one additional writer to this group, Baroness Emma Orczy, author of The Scarlet Pimpernel. In this delightful story, these authors, though well known, aren’t respected by their male counterparts in the Detection Club. In order to prove themselves, the group decides that they will solve a real murder to gain the respect they deserve. This venture goes beyond the original intention as it turns into a quest to bring justice to a young nurse who unfairly gets her reputation trashed by the police and the press.

The mystery of who strangled a young English nurse in Northern France is well thought out. It contains the classic locked room device, which is quite fitting since the Queens of Crime used this often. The mystery is both intriguing and frustrating as the Queens are not only matching wits with the murderer, they must also contend with chauvinistic, ignorant, and indolent government officials, policemen, and news reporters.

While the mystery aspect of this novel is first-rate, the friendship among the Queens is truly the heart of the story. As the characters develop, one feels a genuine sense of camaraderie and love between them. The author also deftly weaves true aspects of their personalities into the book. Also, a real life secret that Dorothy Sayers had kept hidden during her lifetime is utilized as a key plot point in this story.

This book can be ranked as one of Marie Benedict’s best novels yet. If you love classic British mysteries or stories involving female friendships, you will definitely want to meet the Queens of Crime! This gets my highest recommendation!

I really liked The Queens of Crime. This was an interesting story about woman Mystery Authors who band together to solve a murder mystery. I loved the characters, Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers were my favorite. I loved the ladies time they spent in France. A true Mystery with twists and turns. Looking forward to reading more of this Authors work.
#TheQueensOfCrime #NetGalley

I give The Queens of Crime 4 stars for its interesting plot.
I would recommend this book to Historical Fiction fans.

I enjoyed this book, it was easy to read and mostly kept my interest. I really admire Marie Benedict's niche of bringing often neglected female historical figures front and center. I'm not sure I'll be thinking of this book much past today, but it certainly entertained while it was in front of me. recommend.

Coming soon Feb 11th, 2025!

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

An all-female group of famous authors turned detective sleuths? Sign me up! This was a fun one to read. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the culprit was in this locked-room mystery.

Synopsis: 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.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.

Pre-order your copy today!


Thank you @StMartinsPress and @NetGalley for sending an Advance Reader’s Copy for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Queens of Crime is about ladies of the Detection Club, in 1930 London. Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy long to be treated as equals by their male counterparts in the Detection Club, and so under the leadership of Dorothy, they decide to investigate a true crime that recently hit the headlines. May Daniels disappeared from a train station lavatory in France, while on a day trip with a good friend. Months later, her dead body is found discarded near a monument park in the same French town. Together the woman channel their mystery know how and work to solve the mystery of May's disappearance and death.
Dorothy is the narrator of the story, with the book told 100% from her perspective. For anyone familiar with the works of Sayers, or Christie, this book follows a similar formula, with the women working together to investigate the crime in a manner that their characters would in their novels. This book is enjoyable and intriguing from start to finish, but there were a few spots in the novel that felt a bit choppy in their execution, however these moments did not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. The conclusion of their investigation was logical, and satisfying, with the clues throughout leading them to the May's killer.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

I received an electronic ARC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley.
Benedict offers a different style novel that still stays in the historical fiction genre. Readers meet five women who were detective/mystery story writers in the early part of the 20th century. Dorothy L. Sayers invites the following women to be part of a Detective Club - Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. She asks their help to solve a real murder. A young English nurse disappeared and has been found murdered in France. The five embark on a real life journey to solve this murder and bring the killer(s) to justice. Though some liberties are taken with historical accuracy, the story captures the era. I appreciate the way these women stand up to their fellow male writers, the authorities, and the men who committed this crime and others. Benedict weaves the women's investigative work together with sensitivity to their real lives. A thoughtful read that lets readers join the writers to search for clues and find answers as well.