I really enjoyed this audiobook! I love historical fiction that is based on real events/people. At some points the story dragged a little, but I kept coming back for more.

The narration was well done. The different characters were fairly distinguishable, which helped with keeping the story straight. I haven’t read much from classic mystery writers, but after this I want to give it a go!

The magic of Marie Benedict is that one starts reading and knows the book is fiction but then there's the realization that the characters are real people and that this is an actual happening. Or a fictionalized version of something that was real to an extent or a probable real situation. Either way, somehow my dense brain didn't clue me into the Queens of Crime being the real group of authors that I've loved, known, read, and admired for years.
When a group was founded of the English authors who all write crime excluded women on the grounds their work wasn't worthy to be included, Dorothy Sayers, a founding member, objects and finds a way to include Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. When they are still treated like second class citizens of the Detective Club, the women set out to solve one of the most prominent closed door murders in the news.
This book touches on each of the controversies of the named authors as well as illuminating how they come to their writing styles but also how easily women were (and frankly still are) dismissed to make life easier. As the book unfolded it was harder and harder to put down.

#arc
#netgalley
#thequeensofcrime

I was so excited to preview this audiobook. I have long been a fan of the Queens of Crime. The title refers to four real life female English novelists from the 1930s, which was considered to be the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction". This group of extremely successful writers contains Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie and the like. These strong-willed crime writers, were often unrecognized, unappreciated, and unheralded. To cement their places amongst men of the same ilk, they came together to solve an actual mystery surrounding the disappearance and death of a young female nurse from England who was on a day trip to France with a friend. It was such a fun read to watch these mystery writers solve the actual mystery.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the audioARC to preview.

When I saw "Agatha Christie," I knew I had to read this book. While the premise had me very excited for the novel, I didn't enjoy is much as I had anticipated. The mystery was an interesting one to follow along with as they solved it, though it wasn't anything particularly mind-blowing. I think the one thing I struggled with was connecting with the characters, which made it more difficult to follow along with the story. I'm not sure why I was so disengaged - maybe because the characters were fictional versions of real people? It's funny because this was the very thing that draw me to the book in the first place, Agatha Christie solving a real life murder. I don't know much about the lives of these authors, so maybe they truly were characterized close to how they were in real life. But I would've liked more of those small, distinct qualities making up their personalities.

Honestly, I think one of the best parts of the story is when the women change their motivation for solving the crime from wanting to be recognized by the men in the Detection Club to wanting justice for May Daniels. I really like the character growth and social commentary provided. It's always nice when characters do something from an intrinsic desire for justice and truth, rather than praise from men.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a free arc of this novel.

A nice whodunnit. I love that the characters are some of the female literary titans of mystery from history. I also enjoyed the feminist aspect of it, even though at times it was quite heavy handed. However, at the end of the day, the plot and writing just felt like something I have read numerous times before.

First line: None of us is as we appear, I think as I watch the woman enter the marble-trimmed lobby of Brown’s Hotel.

Summary: Dorothy L. Sayers has had enough of being considered a second class citizen amongst the men at the Detection Club. She wants to prove to everyone that her and her fellow female crime writers are just as good at what they do, maybe even better. Along with Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy, the form a group calling themselves the Queens of Crime and how better to prove their worth than to solve a real life murder!
A young English nurse, May Daniels, went missing several months ago in France and her body was recently found in the woods outside of Boulogne. It appears that she has been strangled but there is blood everywhere around the body. The police seem to think that this is an easy case of a botched drug deal but the Queens of Crime believe otherwise. As they dig into the perfect closed door mystery they realize that they may become the targets of the murderer before they can solve the case.

My Thoughts: Marie Benedict does a great job of bring her characters alive on the page. I have heard of Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie but it was interesting to meet several other female crime writers of the time.

I found the mystery and history to be very engaging. The pacing was perfect with very little downtime in the story. The plot and historical background brought to the forefront issues of the time for women. These women who have made a name for themselves are still not treated as equals in their field. This leads them to try and do what the men haven’t been able to do. It also addresses how other marginalized women were treated by society. It is a very poignant look at this time in history and the women who lived then.

I knew nothing about Sayers but the author gives a peek into her private life. I definitely want to read some of her novels, as well as the other authors, now that I have been introduced to the woman behind the work. If you love historical fiction or are a fan of the works of Christie or Sayers then I’d highly recommend placing this one on hold today!

What a fun wild ride! I was hooked from the start. The characters really came to life in this book. The main mystery also had a lot of heart to it, and it did a good job of making me care for the victim and outcome. The voice acting in the audiobook was phenomenal!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

I received a copy of this audiobook from netGalley for a honest review.

I've always enjoyed Marie Benedict's books but this one was by far superior to the rest. I was fully engaged with Dorthey Sayers and Agatha Christies lives and the other characters too. I wanted to know what happen to the girl not only for them to solve the crime and be recognized by their peers but for the mystery it presented in itself. All in all a wonderful book.

Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy star in this fun mystery that takes us into what it was like to be a female author in the 1930's. While I did find the use of 'red herring' about excessive, it wasn't enough to detract me from traveling on an adventure to solve the crime with some of my favorites. Thank you, NetGalley!

The Queens of Crime was a Macmillan Audio pick and while I knew who Agatha Christie was, I barely had a notion of Dorothy Sayers, let alone Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, or Baroness Emma Orczy. I keep saying I don’t read mystery, but after this book, I have to admit, I do enjoy mystery! This was a fictionalized story of these real-life friends and a true unsolved crime that Marie Benedict took some liberties in “solving.”

This book was a lot deeper than the mystery at its surface. The number one thing I took away from this book was the power of women: the power of female friendship, the power taken from women by men, the power of connecting with women from all walks of life, and the power that women have to take back their power!

The sleuthing in this book was spectacular fun; there were disguises, alibis, dark streets, and mysteries within mysteries! The differences between Dorothy and her friends made them such a strong group together while standing apart as their own individual characters. The cast of women who witnessed May Daniels on her last day but were ignored by the police set a stark stage for women that the Queens of Crime turned into their theater of illumination!

I loved this book, every little bit down to the narration by actress Bessie Carter (of Bridgerton), she did an incredible job with so many different accents and voices. Five stars!

"Never forget that we women aren't what you call us, witches or crones or mad women...or nobodies. We are Queens."

The Queens of Crime, by the clever awesomeness that is Marie Benedict, is the historical fiction mystery we need now. A well crafted puzzle, being solved by the best mystery writers of the time, with a dash of positive female friendships and empowerment, has never been more relevant.

Inspired by true events, this writer has created an entertaining mystery with the most inspiring writers in this genre's history. Dorothy Sayer was Agatha Christie's literary rival in the 1930s but she appreciated Agatha's brilliance and that, despite her unprecedented success, she still had to maneuver her way around a male dominated society, in order to maintain her career.

Dorothy helps Agatha and 3 other women writers of the time, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orgczy, join the Detection Club. Though Dorothy is a founding member of the famed mystery writers club, she was the only woman. To prove their worth they decide to solve a real murder.

Listening to the actress Bessie Carter become these iconic women was just a delight. Dorothy's fierceness and Agatha's assuredness shines throughout the story.

The real murder of English nurse May Daniels on a trip to France is a tantalizing locked room conundrum of sorts. She disappeared from a train station bathroom, her body found months later, strangled in a pool of blood with no cuts on her. As the 5 newly formed sleuths solve what the police fumbled, their own truths are revealed and, like the queens they are, they uplift and hold tight to one another. It would be a crime if we don't get more from these queens of mystery.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. Opinions are my own.

This was a fun read. I was intrigued by the premise, where read historical figures, specifically authors, came together to solve a fictional crime. I was especially excited that one of the characters was Ngaio Marsh. I listened to the audio and appreciated that the author used a distinctly New Zealand accent for Ngaio, instead of the typical broad approximation of an Australian one.

In 1930, five prolific female mystery writers come together to determine how they can join the elusive Detectives Club; a club for mystery writers that they have been shut out of due to the fact they are women. They decide the way to ensure their entrance is to solve a real crime, and decide to solve the case of a young, British nurse who went missing on a short trip to France.

This was such a fun book to read set in the perfect place given the plot: London, England. Five female mystery writers are fed up with being treated like second class citizens, and Dorothy Fleming (or Sayers, her pen name) had been largely responsible for helping organize the Detection Club, a club where mystery writers of Great Britain could meet to "champion their genre." The five female authors (all of the women were real authors in real life), Ngaio Marsh, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, and Margery Allingham, under Dorothy's guidance decided to infiltrate the Detection Club and call themselves The Queens of Crime. The problem? It was basically male authors who were not accepting of the women.

The way they felt they could prove their worth/sleuthing skills was to solve a crime. They decided to solve the disappearance of a young woman named May Daniels. As they were investigating the disappearance became a murder. The Queens were women authors ahead of their time. They found that women were most often "forgotten" or considered "whores" and thus didn't dig deep to give them justice. Such was the case of May Daniels.

The detective skills these women illustrated was so fun to read. It made me feel proud to know that women stand up for women's rights and have for 100's of years. Realizing that we women still have a way to go in order to be equally treated in society in what is still often called "a man's world" made me think/wonder just what I might be able to do in order to stand up for my rights as a woman and in so doing possibly helping other women.

I had both the ebook and audiobook, thanks to NetGalley. I loved the book, and I would have to say that either version would be enjoyable. That being said, the audiobook version was very well-done and the voice inflections, pacing, and stress on certain words or phrases definitely increase my pleasure reading it.

Maybe my expectations were too high for this book. I really enjoyed The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray so I thought I’d enjoy this one as well. The premise of this book was really interesting; it’s the 1930s and a group of female mystery authors join forces to solve a real life murder. These women are supposed to be strong and independent but unfortunately they are only trying to solve the murder in order to get the approval of a group of male authors. The plot was slow paced and didn’t have a lot of intrigue. I wish the characters had bigger personalities and evoked more emotion. In the end the mystery was wrapped up all too easily and nicely.

I really liked the historical aspects of this novel. The audiobook was well paced and narrated. Some of the finer details were lost on me and it seemed it could have been about an hour shorter than it really was.

I had an absolute blast reading <i>Queens of Crime</i>! This book was the perfect mix of history, mystery, and good old-fashioned sleuthing, with a refreshing dose of feminism and girl power. Based on true events, it dives into the lives of the pioneering women crime writers who helped shape the genre, and I loved how their stories were woven into a clever, bookish mystery.

Not only was the mystery engaging, but the writing had a sharp wit that made me chuckle more than once. It felt like a love letter to classic detective fiction while still bringing something fresh and fun to the table.

I also have to give a shoutout to the audiobook—it was fantastic. The narration featured multiple accents, which made the characters feel even more alive. I honestly felt like I was sitting in on a real-life detective story, and it added so much charm to the experience.

If you love a well-crafted mystery with strong female leads, Queens of Crime is a must-read. It was smart, fun, and thoroughly entertaining—the kind of book that makes you want to recommend it to everyone you know!

Marie Benedict’s The Queens of Crime brings together five legendary female mystery writers—Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy—as they set out to solve a real-life murder. Set in 1930s London and France, the novel follows this fictionalized version of the Detection Club as they investigate the death of May Daniels, a young nurse whose body turns up months after she vanished. What begins as an effort to prove themselves equal to their male counterparts turns into a dangerous pursuit when Sayers herself becomes a target.

The historical setting is richly drawn, and Benedict’s research shines through, especially in her portrayal of these literary icons. The premise—famous crime novelists solving a mystery—had great potential, but the execution fell a bit flat. The pace was slower than expected, and despite the impressive lineup of detectives, the investigation felt like a solo effort by Sayers rather than a true group endeavor. The character development was weak, making it hard to fully connect with these brilliant women.

That said, the book does a great job evoking the feel of classic detective fiction, and fans of Golden Age mysteries will appreciate the nods to Sayers, Christie, and their peers. The novel reminded me of Maisie Dobbs, with a similar historical mystery feel. Though not as gripping as it could have been, The Queens of Crime is still an enjoyable jaunt into the past.
4 stars

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for comps of the eBook and audiobook. The opinions are my own.

Loved the premise and this author is great at recreating historical characters. I wish the mystery involved a little more puzzle aspect, and the side characters were a little more fleshed out. Enjoyed the story overall!

Marie Benedict weaves a story including mystery crime writers of their time including Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Emma Orczy, Margery Aligham, and Ngaio Marsh. A murder needs to be solved that the police are not spending the time needed to discover the real killer. One of the female writers is invited to join the all=mens club of mystery writers and she brings her female mystery writer friends along. Soon the women realize they are not taken seriously so they create their own "Queen of Crime Club," to solve the murder of a female nurse in France. Dorothy Sayers is most prominent as this well-crafted story unfolds seamlessly, maintaining constant engagement. Based on a historical crime, Ms. Benedict introduced this avid mystery reader to two writers I was not aware of but look forward to discovering their writings.
Thank you NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange of my honest opinion,

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵𝑺 𝑶𝑭 𝑪𝑹𝑰𝑴𝑬 𝒃𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕 came out this week and I am so glad I got to listen to Bessie Carter narrate this @macmillan.audio through @netgalley!

I was really fascinated by this idea since I do enjoy the AG stories I have read. I am a bit embarrassed to admit I have not read Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, or Baroness Emma Orczy. I have some work to do! I do think this would have been even better had I known these characters better.

I did enjoy learning more about these amazing women through this fictionalized account. What brought me the most fun, however, was the imagined banter of the women about the men surrounding them who utterly underestimated their abilities. I found their manipulation of those moments to be both witty and brilliant, and left me taking notes! How much has changed, and yet remains the same.

This audio was narrated really well, giving each woman a clearly distinct voice making this a superb choice if you enjoy audiobooks.

I would recommend this for historical mystery fans, especially those who enjoy seeing the women rise above the challenges!