The Queens of Crime takes readers into the captivating world of two of the most renowned figures in mystery writing, Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Benedict imagines how their paths might cross and what it would be like for these sharp, pioneering women to connect at a time when crime fiction was still establishing its place in literature. The book combines fact with fiction, offering a behind-the-scenes look at their lives, struggles, and how they helped shape the genre.

The main themes here focus on women making their mark in male-dominated fields, friendship, ambition, and the power of storytelling. At the same time, it shows how personal struggles and public success often intertwine in complex ways.

What works best is Benedict’s talent for creating atmosphere. She brings Christie and Sayers to life in a way that feels both respectful and imaginative. The period details are rich without being heavy, and the pacing keeps you curious about how their relationship will develop. It’s also fun for mystery fiction fans to see nods to their famous works woven into the story.

On the other hand, the book sometimes leans a little too much into imagined dialogue or dramatization, which might not sit well with readers who prefer a clearer separation between fact and fiction. Sometimes, the emotional scenes feel more speculative than grounded.

Even so, fans of historical fiction, classic mysteries, or stories about women making their mark will still find plenty to love here. It’s particularly engaging if you're familiar with Christie or Sayers, since you’ll pick up on more of the references.

Overall, The Queens of Crime is a clever, engaging read that mixes history and fiction with a creative twist. I’d rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Want to read a good historical fiction inspired by real events. Read this book

Great idea, but in practice, I found this overwritten, with too many adjectives and too much explanation. I haven't read a Benedict book before, but I found this too much of a struggle to get through. I started it, got 10% in, then set it down. Months later, I realized I had no interest in going back.

There's nothing better than a Marie Benedict mystery. I love all her books and this was no different. It was filled with some of my favorite things: intelligent women, strong positive female friendships, and an interesting mystery to solve.

The story brings together five iconic female mystery writers—Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh—who band together to form a group aptly named The Queens of Crime. Their initial goal is to solve a real-life murder and prove to the male members of the newly formed Detection Club that women writers are just as capable as their male counterparts.

However, as they delve into the mysterious death of young nurse May Daniels, their mission transforms from a bid for recognition to a genuine pursuit of justice. Along the way, the women discover that crafting fictional detectives is far easier than confronting real-life criminals.

The Queens of Crime were formidable. Nothing stopped them from getting to the truth and justice for this poor woman. It was at times funny, at times sad. I got lost in the story. I need to check out books from the rest of these women now.

If you love a good mystery then grab yourself a copy of this fantastic book.

Marie Benedict is known for writing about real historical women, women too often unknown to most of us. With dedicated research and masterful turns of fiction, she makes the women and their mark on history come alive. In QUEENS OF CRIME, the real life women are 1030's mystery writers. While each of the women, including Dorother Sayers and Agatha Christie, had successful careers, their places in the publishing world always lacked the prestige the male authors received. But what if the five women joined together and solved a real mystery? Much like their fictional sleuths, the women do better than the police and the newspaper reporters in discovering the truth about the horrific death of a British nurse in a small French coastal town. I love both historical fiction and mysteries so this book was a win-win for me. Add in a n attempt to catch a suspect at the famous Savoy Hotel, a place I once had tea, and it makes it a win-win-win!

This was a fun, quick feminist read that mystery lovers will enjoy.

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy aren't treated as equals by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. So, they create a secret society called the Queens of Crime. To be taken seriously, they plan to solve the actual murder of May Daniels, a young English nurse found strangled in a park in Bouloqne-sur-Mer, France.

Benedict gives glimpses into the real lives of the Queens, but the story is narrated by Dorothy as it is based on Sayers' real-life experience solving this crime. How did the killer sneak May's body out of a train station without being noticed? Why is there blood at the scene when May's body has no wounds? Who is the unnamed lover May is referring to in her letter?

I really enjoyed how these women navigate worlds run by men to get to the truth. They take on the case to prove their crime busting capabilities to male crime writers, but as they investigate, they realize this is bigger than them. May was regarded as 'surplus' in life. Men discarded her, and now the police and the press are ruining her reputation in death to make this whole thing go away. In the court of public opinion, May was a "nobody nurse" who was up to no good in France and deserved what she got.

The investigation becomes personal for Dorothy when she discovers she and May have something in common. They both had difficult decisions to make due to the patriarchy's view and treatment of women. This book does a great job tackling how few choices women of a certain societal standing have and how hard women have to work to prove their worth in male-dominated fields.

The Queens find themselves in the position of the detectives in their novels, even identifying red herrings, and must challenge the sexist system to gain acceptance into a boys club but eventually realize there is more at stake if the circumstances around May's murder aren't brought to light.

4 stars

Mystery writer Dorothy Sayers, and her other mystery writer gal friends, create the Queens of Crime group. Dorothy and her husband Mac go to France to investigate the disappearance and death of English tourist May Daniels, and Dorothy recruits her Queens to go along to help investigate. With lackluster results from the local law enforcement in France and in England, as well as extremely flawed reporting from the news, the Queens set out to solve the murder and clean May’s reputation.

With strong characters based in history, like Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, and other notable authors, the book was a fun read. Based on actual events, this bout of historical fiction was a blast to read!

I love her writing! I wasn’t too familiar with some of the other authors/characters in this book so to me they were simply smart, likable women. Loved the cover!!!

I always enjoy Marie Benedict’s books. This was one of my favorites as I enjoyed the characters and storyline immensely.

I really enjoyed reading The Queens of Crime, by Marie Benedict, whose previous novels are favorites of mine. The Queens are 5 women writers from the Golden Age of Mystery Writers: Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. Because they are dismissed by male mystery writers as just women and thus insignificant, these 5 women decide to use what they know about writing detective fiction to solve a real murder, one that the p0lice have no real interest in solving.

The 5 Queens decide to focus on the disappearance and subsequent murder of May Daniels, a British nurse, who was murdered in Boulogne, France, while there only a few hours. The Queens of Crime begin interviewing people in Boulogne, London, and Birmingham. In part because they are women, the Queens are able to successfully interview witnesses the police barely examined. These 5 mystery writers use their knowledge of creating characters and plots to reverse a terrible injustice. There are many details and the plot is carefully constructed. Readers will not want to rush through this novel. There is a lot to unpack.

I would read this novel a second time. It was that terrific a novel. Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC, in exchange for my honest review. My comments do reflect my personal appreciation of The Queens of Crime.

5 stars

The story is set during the inter-war years as five famous mystery writer solve the murder of a young nurse. Each of women are successful writers from The Golden Age of Mysteries, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Emma Orczy, and Margery Allingham. Another great story by Marie Benedict. The characters and the mystery in the book are real, the actually plot is fictional.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I love Agatha Christie and I love Marie Benedict so it was absolutely a must read for me. Now another main character on this book is the famous Dorothy Sayers and I have never read anything by her but that must change soon. I found this book utterly delightful as a group of famous crime authors of their time get together to solve an actual murder of a woman found in a park. While this mystery is fine, its the actual characters who shine and I wanted more of the interactions between them. The three other authors I didn't know much of before this book and unfortunately they don't get too much page time as most is devoted to Sayers (as should be since its based on a true story about her) but they were colorful enough that I did wish to learn more. This was a super quick book I finished in a less than two days. If you like Sayers, Christie or this wonderful author, you will enjoy this one and want to pick up a copy.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I have loved all of Marie Benedicts books so far, and this one is no exception. This book was just fun. When five real historical mystery writers try to solve a real-life crime, will they have success?

I can definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves Historical Fiction or just a good mystery.

Being a big fan of Marie Benedict books, I usually devour her new novels, however this one was a little bit different for me. 5 women authors band together to form a society that will bring show others (ie men) that their work should be taken more serious. As the women work the murder of May Daniels, they uncover details and clues that will bring danger to their own lives.
The premise of this book sounded fun to me, and I always like Ms Benedict's stories, as they usually follow strong women leads, however this story really drug out. I found myself casually skimming pages, and not really picking up on much of the story, then I would set the book down and a week would pass by before I realized I hadn't picked it back up. Unfortunately this one had potential, it just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

This book is an engaging and inspiring tribute to the pioneering women who shaped the mystery genre. Benedict brings to life the stories of legendary authors like Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and others, highlighting their influence, struggles, and achievements in a male-dominated literary world. The book combines compelling storytelling with historical insights, offering readers a captivating look at how these women broke barriers and created timeless classics. Benedict’s writing celebrates their legacy and underscores their importance in both literary and cultural history.

I loved this! The characters were well thought-out and the plot was really fun. I loved the female friendship and empowerment aspects of this one and the way the girls outsmarted the guys (per usual!).

Thanks, St. Martin’s Press, for the arc!

I enjoyed THE QUEENS OF CRIME by Marie Benedict! It would be a fun read, but I’m so glad I listened to it as the narration by Bessie Carter was incredible!

It’s the type of historical fiction I love - real people and places with made-up stories. I’ve also found I really love it when books are mysteries, and Agatha Christie herself is a character in the book. So, this plot was perfect for me!

Then add the terrific narration by Bessie Carter in, and it felt like I was right there in the 1930s on the case with the legendary Detective Club: the Queens of Crime.

I think this is a book that is equally fun to read with your eyes or ears, but if given the option, I would choose ears!

I really like how Marie Benedict takes real life people and real life events and using them to inspire her historical fiction stories. She weaves the fact and fiction together so well I usually end up looking things up after the fact so I can know for sure what was true and what was creative license. This one continued with her formula. It just did not resonate with me as much as others.
I felt like it was more surface with the characters. The primary focus of the story was the mystery, but I just didn't feel the depth and connection to the Queens of Crime.
It was still a great story by a wonderful writer. Just wasn't my favorite of hers.

I was so excited when I was approved to read the Queens of Crime as Marie Benedict is one of my very favorite authors. But when I heard that the audio version was done with different "voices" (which turned out to be accents), I decided I would wait until I could listen to it--and it took forever. But I think it was worth the wait. It was fun to hear the New Zealand and Hungarian accents; the way Bessie Carter could change her voice to be the different characters made the book come alive and define the characters. The plot is simple--solve a crime, but the twists and turns the clues lead the ladies to is fun and looking at how they describe their writing methods was interesting, which a little more added the book could be a "how to be a mystery writer". I'm sure this book is a gem for reading and the amount of holds indicates that. The only thing that could have made it better- is if Angela Lansbury was still alive and could insert her Jessica Fletcher character into the group and become the sixth "queen".

I love when women are powerful and use their skills for good. I loved reading this book. Marie Benedict is one of my favorite historical fiction writers.