In the 1930s, four female mystery writers, Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh and Margerie Allingham, were dubbed "The Queens of Crime." Marie Benedict tosses in Baroness Emma Orczy in this historical fiction mystery, joining the women in a quest to solve a real murder to raise their stature in the newly founded Detective Club. While the male members don't mind including a couple women, Sayers and Christie, they pointedly ignore the three women that these female members tricked them into acceptance. The novel is narrated by Sayers and definitely includes historically accurate pieces of the lives of the women I was familiar with.

This is, from start to finish, an enjoyable novel, with the nature of each writer brought to the fore as they collaborate, show occasional frustration, cover the tracks the police missed by asking the wrong questions with no follow up and take risks that they should not take. Having been a lifelong fan of Sayers, Christie and Marsh, I could see how Benedict used their writing approaches and plotting style to create this novel, without making it full of references as to feel like it is in your face. Her writing is engaging. The settings in France, rural England and London are also appealing. The mystery is about the disappearance and murder of a British nurse on a day trip to France with a friend. The writers' methodology is sound. The plot is good enough and certainly the clues are all there. I recommend The Queens of Crime in particular to those who love the original Queens of Crime but also to those who just like a good clever amateur sleuth mystery. Especially sleuths with intellects that make them knowledgeable of all things murder and police.

3.5 stars Better than expected historical mystery. Legendary golden age mystery novelists investigate the murder of a young woman whose murder has been written off. The characters are a little superficial but the mystery is solid.

As a fan of Agatha Christie, The Queens of Crime was a lot of fun!

Five well-known female mystery writers come together to prove their worth and earn a place in the prestigious Detection Club. In a bold move, they decide to solve a real crime, the murder of May Daniels, a nurse found dead under mysterious circumstances. While the authorities conduct their own investigation, their efforts leave many questions unanswered and stones unturned. The women, determined to make their mark, work collaboratively to unravel the truth behind the crime, showcasing their unique skills and intellect. While some of the side plots felt unnecessary and the pacing was occasionally slow, I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

A very interesting premise of a novel that combined history and locked room mystery!

Dorothy Sayers has recently become part of a Detection Club with one other female author, the infamous Agatha Christie. She is desperate to include more women amongst their ranks, which is when she decides to gather up three other popular female mystery authors to solve an actual murder and prove their prowess.

As the book is narrated through Ms. Sayer's POV, we get snippets of her life outside of being an author. I would have loved more of this kind of background from each of the other 'Queens' as well. This was a bit slow to pick up but overall a solid historical fiction piece! Agatha is the only referenced author I was familiar with so if nothing else I will use this as an opportunity to explore the works of the others!

“𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 - 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬.”

The Queens Of Crime is a fun historical mystery, for lovers of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction!

Marie Benedict’s historical mystery features authors Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie, alongside Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy attempting to solve a real life disappearance and subsequent murder of nurse May Daniels. Besides a clever mystery, Benedict explores the expectations of females in the 1930s and highlights the judgement society so easily throws upon them. Although Sayers is the narrator, and Christie gets the most time with her, Benedict cleverly finds ways for the reader to spend time with each of the Queens in investigation, getting to know them a bit as individuals. I also loved the way Benedict highlighted Dorothy and husband Mac’s relationship; it isn’t perfect but they have a deep love and respect for one another, and he is nothing but supportive when he finds out what the Queens have been working on. Benedict does a great job at weaving fact with fiction; I didn’t realize that May Daniels’ disappearance is unsolved to this day. The clues the women uncover range from clever to shocking; the way Benedict has the ladies find information and piece it together is worthy of the Detection Club.

The Queens Of Crime is a well-paced mystery with ruthless characters, clever reveals, and positive female friendships. Thank you to St. Martins and NetGalley for the ARC!

This historical mystery brings together legendary crime writers in a thrilling mystery! While the first part of the book was a bit slow for my taste, the crisp writing and intriguing mystery kept me going. The ending? Absolutely worth the wait! I found myself racing to the resolution, eager to see justice served.
Thank you, NetGalley & St. Martin's Press, for the ARC!

This book was interesting - I’d love to read more about it and learn more about what is true versus fiction. Overall, though, I thought it was a little slow - I kept wanting things to move along!

Female friendship and power are on display in this intriguing historical mystery by Marie Benedict!

When famous novelist Dorothy Sayers is snubbed by male members of the Detection Club she helped found, she brings together the five most formidable female minds in mystery fiction: Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. Their goal: to solve a real life murder and prove their place among the men.

As the Queens use their sleuthing skills and female energy to track down the killer of May Daniels, a nurse who seemed to vanish into thin air, they bond and learn to trust each other. But the killer targets Dorothy herself, threatening her life and a secret she’s long kept hidden.

The story is well-written and intriguing, if a touch slow paced. The settings in England and France are fun to imagine, and the themes woven in highlight issues women faced in the past and still struggle with today. It’s a good mystery bordering on cozy and would be enjoyed very much by sleuths of the classic works.

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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Plot
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Premise
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pacing
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Impact

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE QUEENS OF CRIME by Marie Benedict is a historical fiction/mystery story featuring The Queens of Crime, their founding and friendship, and a locked room mystery they work together to solve in 1930 London and Boulogne-sur-Mer. Told solely from Dorothy Sayer's perspective this is an entertaining story with an intriguing mystery.

Mystery writers Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham band together as The Queens of Crime to be recognized as equals to the male members of the legendary Detection Club. To receive that recognition, they plan to solve an actual murder straight out of the headlines.

A young nurse takes a day trip to Boulogne-sur-Mer, France with a friend and disappears. She went into the ladies room at the ferry terminal and never came out. Her body is discovered several months later in a park with signs of strangulation. Determined to solve the mystery, the ladies use their skills to investigate. As they get closer, Dorothy is threatened with the revelation of a secret from her past and attacked. Will they be able pull all their skills and talents together to solve the mystery before anyone else becomes a victim?

I was really looking forward to getting this book, and while it is an entertaining read, with an excellent locked room mystery intertwined, the Queens are not as fully developed as individual characters as I was hoping for. I felt Dorothy was developed as a good lead character, but the other ladies were lacking. There is a heavy emphasis on their clothes and food, with in my opinion, only minimal emphasis on their personalities. I enjoyed the history surrounding the WWI "surplus girls" and the mystery plot itself, though it started slowly it was filled with interesting twists and red herrings.

Overall, an enjoyable historical fiction/mystery book, just not my favorite by this author.

What if the best female detective story writers of the 1930s teamed up to solve a real murder mystery?

Dorothy Sayer and Agatha Christie are the only female writers in the Detection Club and the men in the club think 2 are more than enough. Of course, Dorothy thinks not, and as a founder of the club she decides to create a club within the club just for female writers. She and Agatha identify 3 other women mystery writers: Baroness Emma Orczy (Scarlet Pimpernel), Ngaio Marsh (Chief Inspector Alleyn), and Margery Allingham (Lord Peter Wimsey). The men aren't fans so Dorothy decides the women need to solve a real-life murder mystery and she knows just the case: A young nurse went missing while on a day trip to the coast of France.

I recognized Dorothy Sayer (though I don't think I've read her series) and Agatha Christie. I recognized the Scarlet Pimpernel but I didn't know the author. The other two authors were unknown to me. The Queens of Crime was a real group, but when I looked them up, Emma Orczy was not listed in any of the entries that mention the Queens of Crime. Otherwise, a lot of the details about the women and the Detection Club are accurate. There is no evidence that the women ever teamed up to solve a murder.

The story Benedict crafts is a lot of fun and there are enough facts about the women that it feels like they could have done this. I wanted to read big chunks at a time unfortunately my schedule didn't allow for that If you want spend the day reading, this would be an excellent choice.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/03/can-you-solve-these-murder-mysteries.html

📖 Book Review 📖
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
Genre: murder mystery
3 🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♀️🕵️‍♀️ out of 5
This was a good story. Nice lil murder mystery in London in the 1930s. If you like Agatha Christie novels, I think you’ll really like this.
#netgalley #bookreview #goodreads #bookstagram

Writing a mystery that ends up being solved by the queens of mystery writing is such a fabulous idea. I absolutely devoured this book. I would love for this to become a series!

Five real-life mystery writers--Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Emma Orczy--join to form the Queens of Crime. Despite their considerable success, they bristle at still not being taken seriously by male writers and decide to gain their respect by solving a real-life mystery. May Daniels, an English nursing student, disappeared while on a day trip to France with a friend. When she is discovered with a hypodermic needle close by, her death is treated as an accidental overdose, despite considerable inconsistencies in that story. The Queens of Crime begin investigating, initially helped by the fact Dorothy Sayers's husband is one of the reporters following the case. But when Mac is reassigned to another story, the five women continue.

As Dorothy Sayers becomes the target of an unknown assailant, the five women realize they must be getting close to solving what they now believe to be May's murder.

I loved the period details, but found the story a little slower than I would have anticipated. And I'm embarrassed to admit that Agatha Christie is the only one of the authors I've read, which I need to remedy. #TheQueensofCrime #NetGalley

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn't work for me. It seemed like it dragged and kind of meandered throughout the storyline. I have enjoyed other books by Marie Benedict so I'm guessing it was just my own mindset. I did enjoy the idea of the group of women mystery novelists working to solve a crime in that era, and it also made me appreciate even more the female authors that worked so hard to secure their place in the literary world. The fact that this book was inspired by a true story from author Dorothy Sayers life was not lost on me. I received this book courtesy of the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Queens of Crime, there couldn't be a better group of women to push their way in! Of course having Agatha Christie in the group was an extra treat. The great wardrobes of the 1930's are well observed, kudos to the vivid picture. Great story, another win for Benedict! Thank you@stmartinspress@mariebeedict@netgalley

✨book review✨
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This cover is so beautiful, but I actual read this on my kindle thanks to @netgalley !

This novel set in 1930s England follows a group of five female mystery writers who attempt to break the mold and be accepted into the Detection Club, predominantly a boys club. While not respected as equals due to their gender, the women task themselves with solving a real life murder to prove their competency and legacy to the rest of the club’s members.

As a huge Agatha Christie fan, this was one I couldn’t resist! It follows Christie as well as Dorothy Sayers and three others in this historical fiction piece. The ladies are witty and it’s entertaining to see how their minds and interactions could unfold when presented with a mystery like those in their own writing. While fictitious, this still presented in a unique and tantalizing manner as the case within the story is interesting and well developed. The characters’ interactions with the case make it more exciting and creates an opportunity for readers to join in the chase for truth.

While not always fast paced, the story is one to keep you reading from the first page to the last, guessing the whole time. I would recommend this read to any huge mystery fan or fan of 1930s mystery writers such as Agatha Christie.

This was such a great mystery with all of the queens of cozy mysteries as characters. I loved that they all came to life on the page. Marie Benedict does an incredible job with bringing people from the past to life!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict!

In 1930 London, mystery novelist Dorothy L. Sayers invites fellow mystery authors Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy to join the Detection Society - which has traditionally been a group for men. As the women bond, they decide to work together to solve a real life murder mystery of a young British nurse who was murdered in France.

I wanted to read The Queens of Crime because I love historical fiction and love mysteries. I found the idea of these classic mystery authors working together to solve a crime intriguing.

This novel starts at a leisurely pace, which gives the reader time to get to know Dorothy Sayers and the other authors. I was surprised at the slow pace, but it picked up a great deal mid-way through the novel when more details of the life and death of May Daniels are introduced. At that point the Queens of Crime begin working together in earnest, and their sleuthing - and the mystery itself (set in London and France, including a glimpse of the London theater scene) - was absolutely fascinating.

I recommend this novel for other fans of historical fiction who also enjoy mysteries.

Marie Benedict does it again!! I really enjoyed her latest submission about women who history ignores. When male authors try to prevent more women from joining the Detection Club they are taken down a few pegs by the women in their midst. Enter the Queens of Crime based on real life authors Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Emma Orozcy, and Margery Allingham who band together to solve a real life crime, and put men in their place while they do it. The story is told from the view of Dorothy Sayers who organizes the women; and we learn a lot of her personal history as the book goes along, and find ourselves rooting for her in particular. I liked the storyline alternating between solving the mystery, and the camaraderie between the women. The Queens persevere through arguments, dead ends, and even an attack in order to bring justice to one young woman. I highly recommend this book!