Imagine the potential of bringing together the best female mystery writers and then having them create a “Detection Club to include the pre-eminent mystery and detective writers of the time. Them imagine these women being treated like fluff and stuff by the pretentious and overbearing men who keened onto the idea of this club and immediately started carping about the “abundance of women in the ranks.” What’s a girl to do I ask you - well if you are Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy - you are going to solve a murder and show those blowhards how detecting is done and then written.

Like many of Marie Benedict’s book this was a well researched and plotted book. I enjoyed it but wasn’t engaged to the point that I found it a page turner that could not be put down. It seemed like more of a police procedural with a small bit of action. With a nod to the marginalization of women there is a telling comment regarding the devaluation of everyday women by the authorities and others. A bright young woman reminds us that perhaps a woman’s murder needs to be solved by female sleuths because they are the only ones who will “properly credit female witnesses.” A profound and sad commentary on the bigotry of the situation and times in London in 1931.

I am rounding up for the planning, writing and general ingenuity involved in creating this story. Thanks to St. Martin’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for a copy.

THE QUEENS OF CRIME by Marie Benedict received a starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist; it was also a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for February. In her latest work of historical fiction (1930s England and France), Benedict conveys the personalities of five Golden Age mystery writers. She teams Dorothy Sayers with Agatha Christie, plus Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. As part of an effort to impress the male writers at the Detection Club, these women work together to solve a murder of a young English nurse, May Daniels, in France. They trace her stops at the ferry and various shops, often employing their own characters' techniques to learn much more than the local police while still providing plenty of suspense for readers. In the process, they redeem Daniels' reputation and enhance their own. A great historical whodunit. 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this venture into the 1930’s with five famous female mystery writers. I felt like one of their club members as I followed along with their attempts to solve a murder. While there were some wandering paragraphs where I skimmed a bit, the storyline held my attention and kept me guessing. I liked how the story wrapped up and everyone received their just desserts. Read when you want to spend time with a group of unique women who band together to find justice for a murder victim.

The Queens of Crime is the newest historical fiction book written by Marie Benedict. This one is set in the early 1930s and features five well known female detective story authors, including Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. They want to be taken seriously by their male counterparts and have formed a club to help them gain this acceptance. They’ve also decided to solve a real life crime to help up their presence in their club. If you’re a fan of cozy mysteries, then this is the book for you. Read and enjoy!

Marie Benedict has been on radar for a while but this was the first time I read one of her stories.

I found this really well written historical fiction, I really liked the characters and their interactions, as well as the locked room mystery aspect.

But… The Queens of Crime didn’t succeed in pulling me in as fully as I’d hoped. Though I did enjoy it, I felt like something essential was missing.

Though this one didn’t fully work for me , I would read more of the author. ,



Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the DRC

I was given an advance reading copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for a fair review. I have heard a lot of good things about author Marie Benedict, but I have never read any of her work. I so wanted to like this book, but I was quite disappointed. The story centers around five prolific British mystery writers who happen to be women. They want to prove themselves to their male counterparts so they take on an unsolved murder of a female nurse in an attempt to figure out 'whodunit'. The story is told by Dorothy L. Sayers who is the ringleader along with Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. I am not normally a mystery reader so maybe I am being a little too harsh, but I found the writing stilted and boring. Maybe it was written this way on purpose, but I did not enjoy it. Maybe a true fan of the genre will feel differently. I will admit that I have never read one book by any of these ladies and I probably never will. Just not my cup of tea.

This historical fiction from Marie Benedict was a cozy murder mystery solved by, who else, a cast of female murder mystery writers from the 1930s. The writing was charming, and while our writers (the likes of Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie) morph into true crime novice detectives, Benedict also explores themes of female friendships, and the inequitable allocation of resources to solve the murder of a nurse deemed “surplus”. While the dialogue and descriptions of place and time are quaint, it is impossible to miss the undercurrent of feminist power, which gives this story so much backbone. Overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital ARC.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a fun read - the concept of the Queens was interesting, and I enjoyed the female camaraderie and the mystery of May Daniels.

This book is a Dorothy Sayers showcase more than any other one of the female authors. The way the author built a fictonal story around real facts about the authors was the best part.

However, I feel like other than Agatha and, of course, Dorothy, the other 3 'Queens' come off a little underwhelming with deductions and basically require Dorothy to hold their hand throughout the investigation. Maybe Sayers and Christie would have worked better as a duo.


This book has increased my TBR pile, though!

Cozy historical mystery that was filled with mystery writers as characters… such as the elusive Agatha Christie. I enjoyed this nod to 1930s feminist sleuth style.

Thank you Net Galley, St Martins Press, and Marie Benedict

So pull up a chair and sit a while.

This one has great bones set in place by a highly talented author who can write with a capital "W".

Having read many books by Marie Benedict, I had to grab this one. Benedict takes us back to an era of remarkable sleuths.......all played by smart women. She sets things in high gear and we're locked in for a journey that taps on the brain and the intellect.

It's London in 1930 and just like libraries have the familiar whiff of aging books, the Detection Club has an all too recognizable aura of male testosterone. Dorothy, Agatha Christie, Ngaio, Emma, and Margery, who are famous female authors, barge their way into the upscale gathering of male authors. None receives a welcoming gaze from the crowd except from G.K. Chesterton.

So our little cluster of smart women decide to bridge the waters into their own group. They'll call themselves the Queens of Crime. Indeed.

What's more is the decision to take on a real unsolved crime and run it through the minds of these talented women. Fiction meets true crime. And the results will be mindblowing.

The Crime: A missing 21 year old nurse from the UK who disappeared after visiting Bourgogne, France on a getaway day back in October of 1930. (Actually based on a real happening)

May Daniels and her friend and fellow nurse took a ferry and a train across to France. Only one of them will be returning to the shores of the UK. May's body will be found months later in a park not far from where the women visited. The French police label this a suicide and soon the young woman is defamed and ridiculed. But the Queens believe that May's death deserves a second look and vow to search out the real facts.

Marie Benedict creates quite the mystery here and unravels all the twisted threads through the efforts of her little pack of women. These female authors write within the corridors of fiction, but their literary skills produce immediate results. They know crime and they are just the ones to search out the depths of the criminal mind.

The Queens of Crime is a crafty journey into crime solving of the 1930's. Although limited in the early stages of forensic science and criminology, these creative women know their stuff about human nature and it shows. The Queens of Crime is a jaunty trip into the past that does grab your attention from the onset. Bravo, Marie Benedict, just bravo.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Marie Benedict for the opportunity.

I am a tremendous fan of Marie Benedict, always eager to get my paws on her latest novel about a "forgotten" woman in history. This one was a little different, in that instead of focusing on one woman's story, it features a group of them - and within a much shorter timeframe. I enjoyed getting to know these female writers of Golden Age Mysteries, a couple of whom were brand new to me, and I loved the way they approached solving a real life mystery using their writing/fictional detectives' techniques. This story has some heart-wrenching, difficult moments, but is handled with care. It's as much an homage to detective stories as it is a commentary on society.

I've always been a fan of Marie Benedict, so let me add my thank you to Net Galley & Marie Benedict up front for this advanced copy!
While you don't need to have read The Mysterious Mrs Christie (Benedict's last book) to read this one, you might find it extra- interesting if you have. Mrs Christie (the famous Agatha) is one of the Queens of Crime, a group of female mystery writers. The protagonist for this book, however, is Dorothy Sayers. In an effort to get more respect for female crime writers, she and her friends attempt to solve a real life murder of a young nurse. As always in Benedict's book, each character is fleshed out & compelling, & the mystery unfolded well. I definitely found myself wanting to read books by each of the Queens of Crime, too! This is great for a fan of mysteries or historical fiction.

Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers have helped found the (real-life) Detection Club, but are dismayed to realize that they are the only two women in the organization. They contrive to get Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy into the group as well, but the women are still ignored by the rest of the members. Looking for a way to garner the attention they feel they deserve, they decide to solve a real-life, cold case murder on their own.

Set in 1931, this book bounces between events in France and in England, but it was pretty easy to keep it all straight. I loved the way the ladies worked together on the case, picking up on clues even the police missed and making connections that hadn't previously been considered. None of them told their spouses/families what they were doing, and when Agatha's husband commented that they were meeting frequently and wondered if the five women were collaborating on a book, I thought "Wouldn't that have been marvelous?!"

Mostly because they were working on a cold case, there weren't a lot of suspects to consider at first, but as their investigation continued, several names were added to the list. I kept changing my mind about who the culprit was, but didn't nail it down until just before it was revealed in the book. The motive made sense for that character, but I didn't figure that out either.

I was given an ARC of both the ebook and the digital audio version of this book, but I focused primarily on the audio. The narrator did an excellent job with the storytelling and the pacing, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys audiobooks and books by Ms. Benedict.

Five women crime mystery writers team up in 1930 to solve the murder of a young British woman whose body was discovered in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France while on a short visit there. Both British and French authorities don’t give the case much attention and are rather dismissive, which make the five women crime writers all the more determined to pursue their investigation and see that justice is served for May Daniels. I found this to be a slow-paced book and kept hoping it would move along with a bit more excitement. I much preferred another book by the author - The Personal Librarian - than this one. Overall this was an average read for me. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book is inspired by a true story in Dorothy Sayers life. In London in 1930, the five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society within the legendary Detection Club, aiming to show the men in the club that they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens. Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. dub themselves The Queens Of Crime. They decide to solve a real life murder mystery, 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. 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. So how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing?

I always love this author's books. This one was a lot of fun. Agatha Christie has always been one of my favorite mystery writers, and I loved seeing her in action with four other legends. It was like Miss Marple had come to life! This mystery will keep you guessing until the very end, and you will have a great time, trying to solve it along with the crème de la crème of female mystery writers. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. This one didn’t quite intrigue me like other Benedict novels. I did enjoy it but I felt like something was missing….can’t quite place it. I did like the wittiness of the 5 main characters. Seems like it could have wrapped up sooner in my opinion but it was worth finishing.

If you love historical fiction + Agatha Christie, then you get the best of both worlds with @authormariebenedict ‘s upcoming new release, THE QUEENS OF CRIME, out February 11, 2025. Thank you @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my early reading and listening copies!

The audio narration is well done! I highly recommend, if you are busy and looking for a great historical fiction story with a cast of female leads, grab this one, your airpods, and cue it up!

I loved this story- it has a group of women who set out to solve the mystery of a young girl’s death in France after the police give a decidedly half-hearted effort. There’s mystery, intrigue, peril (but not too much!) and a club of mystery writers!

This club is where we meet several of the historically accurate members and even includes Agatha Christie- loved learning more about this time period, these women and the mystery they delve into. Of course, as always, listen to the author’s note AFTER you’ve read the novel.

I enjoyed this semi-cozy mystery with female writers at its heart. The murder of a young nurse, May Daniels, remained unsolved until Agatha Christie and four fellow female mystery writers band together for some serious sleuthing. As they set out to show their male counterparts they deserve a seat at the Detection Club's table, they also forge lasting friendships. I think most readers will figure out the culprits easily, but the cleverness of the ladies will keep readers turning the page.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Marie Benedict is one of my favourite authors!! The idea of four great mystery writers coming together is ingenious. Terrific!!

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is a captivating locked-room mystery that showcases the expertise of the genre's leading ladies. This novel is a delightful puzzle that kept me engrossed from start to finish, making it impossible to put down.