Strong friendships, intelligent females and a mystery to solve count me in!
This was such a fun and clever suspenseful book. I absolutely love how this is inspired by Dorothy Sayers own life. The dynamics between the characters and how each woman brought something different to the story was perfection. I really enjoyed the pace of the story with little to no fillers. It kept you guessing til the very end and didn't disappoint.
This was my first Book by Marie Benedict and I can't wait to read more of her work.

5⭐️s - This was such a fun and enjoyable read this weekend! Marie Benedict cleverly unfolds a murder mystery where a team of famous female crime authors solve an impossible case. The “Queens of Crime” team consist of Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie, who lead with Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh all helping with the investigation of a murder in France. Boulogne-sur-Mer and London are the backdrop of this book and I loved all scenic descriptions. Also loved all the literary references to the “Queens of Crime” books. Highly recommend to all who enjoy classic crime mysteries! I was lucky enough to receive the ARC and just pre-ordered a signed copy from Buxton Books. Can’t wait to add this gem to my library!

Expected release: 2/11/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin Press for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie are part of a five women group called the Queens of Crime. The men in the detection club still don’t respect these five women. Their plan? Solve a real life murder to command respect. May Daniels is a young nurse that had gone missing several months before and now her body had turned up dead. The police don’t seem interested in solving this, & right it off as just another young woman with a drug problem. This is far from the truth and the Queens are out to prove it. Told through Sayers eyes, we get to know a little about each of the five women. It was interesting to see how successful these women were and, yet, still had to prove themselves. I liked the story and the real life aspect of these women.

This was my first Marie Benedict novel and I am of mixed minds about it. I loved the premise of it: these famous female mystery novelists coming together to solve a real life murder. The plot was great. However, I did find my mind wandering as I was reading. The novel was told with a first person perspective which told us most about Dorothy Sayers, but fell a bit short when it came to the other female sleuths. I thought that the dialogue, which was intended to reveal character, was a bit flat. I might have been more invested had there been multiple perspectives or it was told in third person, delving more deeply into each of the characters, who were working together to solve this mystery. I also felt like there were moments where the author was delivering a lecture on women's rights and thought this message should have been delivered more subtly, since it was a message worth getting.
I received the audio and after reading the text, I shifted to the audio, which helped. The narrator was excellent and engaging and helped me to get through a book that I might have otherwise given up on. Thanks to MacMillan Press and MacMillan Audio as well as to NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this novel before publication in exchange for my honest review.

Think “The Woman’s Murder Club” but based on a true story. The Queens of Crime are all crime writers, Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. The goal? To show the men they can do what they can and to solve an actual murder, of a young woman found strangled in a park in France.

I only put this book down last night because it was almost midnight, and I fell asleep, and my kindle fell and hit my head. I only had 25 pages left! I wanted to finish it! It was soo good. Too early to claim my favorite book of February?
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy. #queensofcrime #netgalley

Marie Benedict stays being one of my favorite historical fiction writers and we’re lucky enough to have another book that stars Agatha Christie in it along with four other Queens of Crime.

Queens of Crime follows mystery authors Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy as they attempt to solve a murder of an Englishwoman killed just across the channel in France in 1930. It’s all Dorthy’s idea and when her husband Mac gets assigned to report on the case in France, she knows they have an in to do their own investigation.

The women deal with period typical misogyny from reporters, police, husbands, sisters, and rich men while piecing together the crime by traveling all around England and going over to France.

There’s secrets of both the main characters and the side characters that brilliantly tie this together.

Why 4 stars instead of 5? I think this one had a very slow start. It’s for sure a slow start with a great finish.

In the end it’s still a great historical fiction with the usual Benedict special - following important women of history and bringing stories to light. Plus it has a locker room mystery spin.

Big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Queens of Crime in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. True to her style, she brought to life extraordinary women who may not have been well known. I loved the strong female friendships in this book, and their coming together to prove that they can do everything that a man can do.

The book was fast paced and well written. The mystery was well done, and so unique to be solved by mystery authors.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you love historical fiction and strong female characters!

Again, many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Marie Benedict for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Crime solving in London in the 1930s was primarily a man’s job, but not for long. When May Daniel’s disappears in plain sight, Dorothy Saylor, Agatha Christie, and friends, form the Queens of Crime to find justice for May and to prove women can solve a crime as well as a man. This is not an easy task. The twists and turns of this crime, suspects you won’t believe, and attacks on one of the members, will keep you reading at a fast pace. This book was easy to read and written so that you didn’t want to quit reading. I look forward to sharing this book with my book club friends.

I have really enjoyed Marie Benedict’s historical fiction about famous and not so famous women and this was another good one!Put five women mystery writers together led by Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie to solve a locked room murder and you have a great cozy mystery!May Daniels is a nurse who disappears in1931 on a day trip to France with a woman friend.The crime is not important enough to be solved by the male members of the Detection Lub so the Queens of Crime take on the task.The story kept me interested and I enjoyed learning of some women mystery writers I have not read!Another winner for Marie Benedict!Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC for my review!

This is my first read by Benedict and will not be my last. I felt this was well written and enjoyable even if it had me raging on the victim’s behalf. I loved the found family/girl power aspect of the women crime writers who joined together. They also had some truly great banter between the characters. I also felt the mystery itself was well written. I did find myself falling for a red herring during the story, which made me appreciate mystery even more. The narration by Bessie Carter more than did justice to these characters. She brought them to life and kept my focus fully invested on the story. I would definitely recommend picking up this book.

The Queens of Crime is a beautiful written story about five well-known mystery authors, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. Marie Benedict uses details about a real life unsolved murder of a young nurse to weave together this lock-room mystery. These female authors have determined to solve this mystery and in doing so they will be more accepted into the newly created Detection Club, a gathering for mystery writers dominated by men. Together they use their individual writing styles and story building techniques to get to the bottom of the murder of this young nurse.

In 1930s London, five celebrated female crime writers—the “Queens of Crime”—form a secret society to challenge male dominance. Their investigation into the murder of a young woman leads them into a dangerous game, with a killer targeting their own ranks and threatening to expose a dark secret from Dorothy Sayers’ past.

This is a fun and clever mystery with an endearing assortment of characters. It has the feel of a novel from the Golden Age of mystery, but goes more deeply into the emotions of the characters. I’d love to see this become a series! I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

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

i found this awesome! the choice to add Baroness Orczy to the list of "Queens of Crime" made sense and would NOT have bene something i thought of. Christie, Sayers, Orczy, Marsh, and Allingham all felt very real and well-written, and the mystery itself was cool. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

What a fun premise! Gather the best of the best mystery writers together to solve a true crime. Each author uses their mystery writing skills to investigate an actual crime. They work together to solve it and catch the killer.

Dorothy Sayre, Agatha Christie and a few others are in on the action. The sense of place and time is very true to history. What makes this story even more interesting is that it is inspired by a true story in Dorothy Sayre’s life.

Enjoyable read, fun sleuthing and a great read all around. Highly recommend!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend the book to other mystery lovers.

Marie Benedict’s The Queens of Crime is an intriguing and cleverly crafted novel that weaves real-life mystery into a fictionalized narrative. Featuring Agatha Christie as a character, the story is both a tribute to her legacy and a gripping tale in its own right. Benedict skillfully brings Christie to life, blending her iconic brilliance with a touch of vulnerability, making her feel authentic and compelling. The plot, layered with twists and historical intrigue, kept me hooked from start to finish. While some moments felt slightly rushed, the overall pacing and rich characterization made it a satisfying read. Fans of historical fiction and mysteries will find this a delightful homage to the queen of crime herself.

I read Marie Benedict’s “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” a few years ago and had so much fun with it, so I was excited to read her newest, which involves not just Christie, but also Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy, all golden age mystery writers. The women, wanting to make their mark in a male-dominated world, work to solve an actual murder to prove their mettle. I was mildly disappointed with this, but I also think I set my expectations too high. The writing felt forced, in the sense that this was historical fiction, and in order to write characters in a way that feels familiar to how they were known as people, makes the dialogue feel too on-the-nose and overwrought. I did enjoy the actual mystery of this and I liked the concept. I also don’t really know how else the author could have written it in a way that felt authentic to who these women actually were, but this might be why I struggle with a lot of historical fiction. If the concept sounds interesting to you and you like a golden age mystery, I’d give this one a shot.

The Queens of Crime brings us the amazing crime writers: Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy as they form their own crime fighting group called The Queens of Crime to show. They are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. They decide to solve a real crime and prove their worth. A young nurse named May Daniels has recently been found dead, police say it was a drug overdose, but the Queens of Crime don’t believe that for a second. They decide to ban together to try to solve the crime. The women use their knowledge of crime to find out what really happened to May.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved our cast of characters and I want to read more from the authors. I’m very familiar with Agatha Christie, but I want to read books from the other authors. I liked how all the women brought something different to solve the crime and worked together harmoniously. This is the perfect read for someone who enjoys Agatha Christie, a historical mystery, and some good old fashioned sleuthing.

Thank you St.Martin’s Press for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction meets cozy murder mystery at its finest. The women authors of 1930’s crime fiction band together to create a small subgroup of the Detectives Club, and then take on solving a real life murder mystery instead of just writing fictional ones. These queens of crime, as they refer to themselves, go through twists and turns and various literary devices to try to find the murderer before one of their own is threatened. Fans of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers will definitely enjoy this fictional take on their lives.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is a thrilling historical novel about five female authors who write detective novels banding together to show their male counterparts they deserve respect. Dorothy Sayers heads up the group, and they decide to solve the mystery of a murdered woman who news reporters have given up on as a drug addict. Throughout the twists and turns of the investigation, they don’t give up, but what will happen when Dorothy becomes the target?

I enjoyed reading this story, although at times I became frustrated with Dorothy’s inner thoughts. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing until the end. I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for access to an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I love all the history Marie Benedict weaves into novels & always want to learn more about the people she has crafted into characters in these stories. This book captures so much backstory of the authors, and the mystery they work to solve is intriguing. The plot is fantastic and I loved working “with” them to get justice for May.
Unusually, didn’t hook me right away, but I knew I would be drawn in soon - and after a couple chapters I was there!
Already awaiting Marie’s next novel!