"The Queens of Crime" is a delightful mystery set in the golden-age of the 1930s where five well-known female mystery writers work together to earn the respect of the other more "respectable" male detective fiction writers by solving an *actual* murder.

A young English nurse was found strangled in a small town in France, but her murder has gone unsolved and Dorothy Sayers (known for the Lord Wimsey mystery series) enlists her fellow female writers (Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy) to use their unique skills to find justice for the young woman.

This creates an enjoyable story for the rest of us--an interesting mystery with a group of fun strong female characters.

And, of course, knowing that the story is based on some truth makes it even more fun.

The audiobook is done well with a solid narrator that really brings the time period to life.

Book: The Queens of Crime
Author: Marie Benedict
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
Places Featured: London, England and France
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has a pretty fascinating premise – legendary real life mystery authors Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie forming a cohort of women mystery writers to solve a murder? That’s a great hook. Sadly, the execution did not quite live up to the promise of the premise. The story never really grabbed me – I frequently found myself going back to re-listen to parts of the audiobook because I realized I had mentally checked out. It wasn’t the fault of the narrator, who did a fantastic job. I never really felt the emotional stakes. I never quite felt the bond between the Queens was as substantial as I would have liked, with the exception of Dorothy and Agatha. I would have liked more development among the group dynamic. The mystery was pretty straightforward, and with my lack of investment in either the emotional core of the story or the mystery plotline, the plainness of the author’s prose wore on me a bit. Overall, I’m going to call this an even three stars – there’s nothing wrong with the book per se, I just found it kind of boring.

Such a fantastic premise for a book is bogged down with slow, stilted writing and characters that are never fully developed so no connection can be made. It started out interestingly enough, with the introduction of the Detection Club but then slows down so much that it couldn’t hold my attention. More character development and less explanation of every little detail would have gone a long way in creating a more well-rounded and captivating plot. This was a DNF for me as not even the mystery of what happened to May Daniels could keep me listening. I think Marie Benedict’s writing is just not a good fit for me.

Agatha Christie’s vanishing for 11 days has remained a mystery. But that is not the mystery that Dorothy Sayers has in mind. However, her true intrigue lies in her plan to assemble five brilliant mystery women writers and form the Detection Club.

Dorothy believes that initiating a murder game will be an ideal way for these five women to bond and get to know each other. Despite their diverse ages, they share a common passion for mystery writing and the camaraderie of a solitary profession for women during that era. This shared interest and the camaraderie of their lonely profession aim to overcome barriers such as age, class, culture, and education.

Thus, the Queens of Crime are born. Dorothy L. Sayers spearheads the club, which also includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. As they embark on their journey, their first case presents itself: May Daniels, found dead, presumably by foul play. The club is promptly called upon to investigate, and these formidable Queens of Crime are determined to solve this perplexing mystery, despite the challenges that lie ahead.

Bessie Carter’s exceptional narration brings the characters, the era, and the crime to life, making it easy for the reader to immerse themselves in the story. Regrettably, the women also face the pervasive misogyny that plagued their lives throughout their endeavors, especially considering their talent. The suspense surrounding the murder is flawlessly delivered, and the inclusion of cameos by other notable historical figures further enhances the book’s appeal.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Benedict uses a twist in her latest historical fiction, The Queens of Crime by putting together several famous mystery writers to attempt to resolve a true unsolved murder of a young English nurse.
This was a unique approach to the story which I found quite enjoyable.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advanced reading copy.

Marie Benedict is a prolific author of historical fiction with a large fan club of dedicated readers. In QUEENS OF CRIME she mixes genre to give us a historical fiction take on the 1930's murder of a young woman that was never solved. The 1930's were not an easy time to be a female mystery writer even though there are so many great authors from the era that happened to be women. The Detection Club was to be a co-ed group of writers, but women were not encouraged in their efforts for equal opportunities. So, five of the most famous women mystery writers would form their own group, The Queens of Crime. Dorothy Sayers waas elemental in starting both groups and serves as the POV in the story.
It was great to see Marie Benedict flex her considerable story telling talents to build this strong character driven mystery as she wove the social restrictions women faced in the era around five women who refused to be restricted by men's expectations of them. An easy 5 stars with the hope that Benedict will turn this group of women into a series. I listened to the book on audio and Bessie Carter does an excellent job of bringing the cast to life. Carter should get 5 stars too.

I absolutely loved this and I need it to be a series. Imagine if Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie and a few of their female mystery writing contemporaries got together to solve a murder. That’s this book. But I need them to like form a crime fighting agency and solve even more.

Women writers in the 1930s in England were a special group, so they formed one. This group of top-notch mystery writers -- including Mrs. Agatha Christie -- were fast friends and feminists. In The Queens of Crime, they advocate for a missing girl who shows up murdered. They won't stop until they get some answers, and they won't let anything get in their way. This is a wonderfully written story about the power of friendship and curiosity.

Let me start by saying, I love this cover!

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime.

I enjoyed reading about these queens of crime, especially Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie. Marie Benedict wove a murder mystery that felt just like an Agatha Christie novel…Full of deductions and whodunits!

I love that this story is based on a real crime. Add in these fabulous women and this is a pretty good tale! And no, I did not guess who did it until the author wanted me to!

Need an old timey murder mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

A cozy mystery involving history’s best female cozy mystery writers!

Guys, the way this book was plotted and written was just genius! It is a brilliant combination of historical fiction, real people, real events, and mystery.

In 1930 London, Dorothy Sayers helped found the Detection Club, a group that has become the oldest society of crime writers in the world. The club boasted several male members, but soon Dorothy was joined by Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. These well-known female mystery writers became known as the Queens of Crime.

In October of 1930, May Daniels, a young British nurse, went missing in France. Her body was discovered months later, but the case was closed without a thorough investigation.

Enter the Queens of Crime. Hoping to gain more respect as women mystery writers, the Queens in this book set out to solve the case of May Daniels and cement their place in the Detection Club. What starts as a project soon turns to a mission, as they discover ways authorities repeatedly ignored obvious red herrings, destroyed Miss Daniel’s reputation, and blamed her for her own murder.

As she always does, Marie Benedict wove the historical facts seamlessly with the fiction in this book (be sure to listen to the author’s note!). You’ll likely find yourself in a deep internet hole discovering more about the real life Detection Club, Miss May Daniels, “surplus women,” and the Queens themselves. When you do, look for me – I’ll probably still be hanging out on the interwebs reading all about them, too!

As someone who enjoys an occasional cozy mystery but seldom reaches for one, I not only loved THE QUEENS OF CRIME, but it has encouraged me to add several of these characters’ (a.k.a. real-life female mystery writers’!) books to my reading list!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Loretta Ellsworth for the complimentary copy! It was my pleasure to write this candid review.

I'm sorry to say - but I DNF this at around 30%. I tried, really tried. I've always been drawn to a story like this, especially with women in crime like this. Every element of this book was such a pull for me, yet somehow I just couldn't get into it. It dragged and dragged to where I realized I wasn't paying full attention to it.

I was excited to read that a band of women were getting together, against whatever odds, but also there was an actual crime to solve rather than just meeting up. You get all the wit and cleverness from these women from the get-go, yet I just couldn't hold my attention enough to really enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for an audio copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and MacMillian Audio for the gifted audiobook version of "The Queens of Crime." All thoughts are of my opinion based on the book and the narration work.

Marie Benedict is one of my favorite historical fiction writers and I knew when I saw "The Queens of Crime" this one had to be intriguing. The book cover is eye-catching with the bits of gold glimmer and female camaraderie. I also thought it was interesting to see Agatha Christie as one of the characters. The plot was a slow-burning engine but once the "mystery" train started moving forward I was delighted to see where it was going. The writing had a good balance of details and dialogue. Marie Benedict held nothing back when it came to the inequality of women during the 1930s era. Without it, I don't think the setting would fit the storyline.

I believe Bessie Carter did fine work in vocalizing the personality of Dorothy Sayers and the other "Queens of Crime." Carter provided excellent work in reflecting Dorothy Sayers' thoughts and her dialogue that I could tell what parts were Sayers' thoughts and what were her outspoken words. I recommend listening/reading the Author's Notes. I found it shocking that the murder "Queens of Crime" set out to solve was based on a real life murder.

I find the relationship between historical fiction and mystery compatible and Benedict's new novel is proof of this. Overall, this story started to grow on me once I arrived in the middle and then I was hooked all the way to the end..

👑 The Queens of Crime - Marie Benedict

3.5 ⭐️ - I liked this one! I’m a historical fiction fan and I’ve read a few books written by Marie Benedict (usually when she teams up with Victoria Christopher Murray) so I was excited to dive in. It’s a strong female lead story and we all know I love those.

I really enjoyed that this was based on a true story. I loved listening to the women band together and do whatever they needed to do to be taken seriously, accomplish their goal, and work in a man’s world. A little mystery, historical fiction and some names you’ll recognize, I enjoyed following along with this lovely told story. Something felt wordy about this one, or maybe a little distant but that’s a me thing. This is a really well written story and I think any historical fiction or crime fan will enjoy it!

Thanks Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin Press for the early arc and audio of this book! This one is out now!

What a clever story! I really enjoyed it. The Queens of Crime referred to in this story are Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh. These women were trailblazers of their time in the writing field.

Set in the 1930s, the story begins with the women coming together to form a detective club, and Dorothy Sayers is the primary voice in the story. They decide to try to solve a real life mystery, the disappearance and death of a young English nurse.

‘You saw what I wanted you to see, and what you expected to see. Things are not as they always appear.’

I enjoyed learning more about the inequities in women’s rights regarding their professions and social status of the time. I found it quite interesting that nursing was deemed ‘unseemly’. It’s not a really fast-paced novel, it’s more of a cozy whodunnit. The narration is very well done and brings the story to life. I have read several of Agatha Christie’s books and loved The Scarlet Pimpernel last year. I’m very interested in reading books by the other ‘Queens’ now. If you enjoy historical fiction and mysteries, I think this is the book for you.

4.25/5 stars

[Thanks to the publisher, St. Martins Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced audio of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

The Queens of Crime AUDIO and print by Marie Benedict is a cozy throwback to the Golden Age of crime writing and featuring women authors from that time: Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. They have been treated as second-class citizens by the male members of the legendary Detection Club and they vow that the time has come for that to end. They decide to solve a crime and they select one in which a young woman was murdered, but has been written off by both the English police and the French (English girl, the crime took place in France). Not only are they second-class citizens, but so is this unlucky young woman.

This is a historical novel and is based upon a situation in Sayer’s own life as well as opening up the personalities of theses famous women, beyond their detection skills. They are focused on solving this crime and use all means open to them, which include misrepresentation and downright lying, to get what they need. They also discover that women are discounted as witnesses, gaining valuable information from overlooked women witnesses. It was an ugly crime and the killer must be brought to justice, whatever it takes. Putting police forces and newspaper reporters to shame, they solve the crime, although things end badly. Do they get their recognition?

The reader was Bessie Clark who did an excellent job keeping the women separate, using voices of the young and older as well as using voices of less educated and French women. She was an excellent choice to bring these women to life, years after they are gone.

I was invited to read The Queens of Crime by St Martin’s Press and to listen by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #MacMillanAudio #BessieClark #MarieBenedict #TheQueensOfCrime

The Quenns of Crime
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was Fantastic! It was so fun. I loved how she once again took a true event & weaved it into a Master piece. It was so interesting, thrilling, heart felt, powerful, & unique. You will want to finish it in one day!
Thank you NetGalley

Inspired by a true story in Dorothy Sayers' life, NYT bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life in this captivating novel, THE QUEENS OF CRIME, the lengths five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.

About...

From five of the most remarkable women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery, a riveting story to solve a real-life murder.

Set in London in 1930, five women form a group called The Queens of Crime, Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. They are the greatest crime writers and have banned together to form a secret society with a single goal in mind:

These women, refusing to be relegated to the sidelines, are determined to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club.

They plan to solve an actual murder 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 as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods.

Let the detective games and clues begin!

My thoughts...

THE QUEENS OF CRIME is a spellbinding narrative that follows the five women as they embark on their own investigation. They demonstrate their strength and determination as they meticulously examine all the clues, including the meaning of a secret letter, and discover they are stronger together. Even when the killer targets Dorothy, threatening to expose a dark secret from her past that she wants to keep hidden, they remain resolute.

Marie Benedict skillfully brings to life the struggles and challenges faced by women during the Golden Age of Mystery. She vividly portrays their creative minds in a male-dominated world and the strength of their female friendships, enhancing the reader's appreciation of the novel.

We are invited to accompany these women on their journey to England, where they are determined to solve the murder of the nurse and restore her name.

Get caught up in a whirlwind of five strong crime authors with grit, determination, courage, and wit in this highly entertaining story from a master storyteller.

Audiobook...

For those who prefer to listen, the audiobook, narrated by Bessie Carter, offers a truly immersive experience. Carter's outstanding performance brings all the voices to life, vividly capturing the characters, setting, and period. The actor is best known for her role as Prudence Featherington on the Netflix series Bridgerton.

Recs...

THE QUEENS OF CRIME is a must-read for women's crime mysteries fans and those who appreciate engaging characters, strong women, and a clever plot. It is a compelling read for mystery lovers, fans of the author, and those who enjoy biographical fiction, women's detective stories, and 20th-century historical fiction.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. #MacAudio2024

blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 11, 2025
Feb 2025 Must-Read Books
Feb Newsletter

Dorothy L Sayers (yes of Lord Peter Whimsy fame), a founding member of the Detection Club realizes this is a perfect time to highlight the works of other women in the genre. Forming a side club called The Queens of Crime the group - consisting of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy - decide to solve an actual murder in order to prove their worth to their contemporaries.

There's a current wave of Agatha Christie stories about, in fact I also read Marie Benedict's own iteration of the popular mystery writer, so I was drawn to the fact that this one would seem to focus on another great in the genre Dorothy L Sayers. Although Christie herself does feature - as listed above along with some other notable female mystery writers of the time - the book does focus on Dorothy Sayers and is told entirely from her point of view.

As is typically the case with historical fiction - especially that which features well-known individuals - I oftentimes go in not knowing where the line between fact and fiction is drawn. Doing a very preliminary deep dive, I did like discovering that the women did in fact have a side club within the Detection Club calling themselves The Queens of Crime. Although I found no mention of Baroness Emma Orczy being amongst their ranks.

At first I was skeptical of how this story was going to proceed. I thought more emphasis would be placed on the women carving out their place in the detection club. When the narrative switched to the women solving an actual murder mystery everything clicked together. Seeing the pieces come together as well as the women themselves look for justice and move beyond their own initial self-serving purposes for beginning the investigation, it all did become very intriguing.

I think the audiobook narration was fantastic. Despite being told from Dorothy's point of view, each of the Queens had such a distinctive voice and Bessie Carter did such a great job bringing those voices, which included different dialects and accents through perfectly. And this was throughout the story, secondary as well as tertiary characters. It simply made the entire listening experience of the book very well-rounded and whole.

The mystery took over everything, even the fact that our women sleuths are actually famous mystery authors. This was only brought back again toward the end, which gives an indication of it being less about who you are and more about your drive to, in this case, solve the crime. We get to see how they have their processes of solving a fictitious murder, but when faced with the real thing they quickly realize it's an entirely different ballgame. Doubly so because they are women at a time when it was more the exception to the rule that Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie, et al. were publishing and successful under their own names.

I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying this one. It took a little time to establish itself and really hook me in, but once it did I was as invested in figuring out the mystery as our Queens of Crime.

The premise of this book was what made me pick it up, along with the reputation of the author. Five accomplished female mystery writers in 1930/1931 England get together to solve a real murder: Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They decide to call themselves The Queens of Crime. I knew about all of them with the exception of Margery Allingham. Somehow her books had escaped my notice all these years. They decide to take a crack at solving the case of a young English nurse who was murdered while on a daylong excursion from Brighton (England) to Boulogne-sur-Mer in France, since both the English and French authorities seem to have given up on the case.

At any rate, I was disappointed in the book. The first half (or so) was rather slow and I nearly DNF’d it. But I’m glad I stuck it out because the second half was much more interesting. There was a lot of repetition (how many times did I need to hear the contents of a mysterious letter? and how many times did I need to hear about how women were not valued?). I never really got the feel for the different personalities of each woman - with perhaps the exception of Ngaio Marsh, who was described as favoring trousers, and who spoke more bluntly than the others. The story was told by Dorothy Sayers, whose idea it was to band together to prove to the male mystery writers of their time that they were worthy of being in their Detection Club.

One of the reasons I kept going with this book was due to the excellent narration of the audiobook by Bessie Carter, who handled a lot of different accents beautifully.

Thank you to St, Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book and to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to a review copy of the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

3.5 / 5 stars

Blending fact and fiction, in The Queens of Crime, Marie Benedict imagines a collaboration between five of the greatest women mystery writers of the Golden Age—Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. Frustrated by the exclusion of several female writers from the male-dominated Detection Club, the so-called Queens of Crime form a secret society with one goal: solving a real murder. When a young Englishwoman is found strangled in a French park under puzzling circumstances, Sayers encourages the other women to investigate the case, only to find themselves entangled in a dangerous web of secrets. As they close in on the truth, the killer threatens to expose a secret from Sayers’ past—one she would do anything to keep hidden.

While the novel is an excellent period piece that examines the plight of the "surplus women" of the inter-war period, I did not find that the book especially deepened my understanding of Sayers as a woman or writer. Perhaps as an artifact of her previous novel, I honestly felt I had a better sense of Agatha and her relationship with her sister Madge than I did of Dorothy. She was a complex and interesting woman, and I think that Benedict missed an opportunity to plumb some of her depths.

Bessie Carter's narration was a highlight for me as I appreciated the range of accent work she provided for the various characters.

In short, The Queens of Crime was a fun Golden Age mystery novel that imagined five female writers getting to play the role of actual sleuths. The crime discussed in the book was a real case that Sayers examined, but Benedict provides a conclusion that history has not. While I enjoyed the setting and the sleuthing, I found Sayers lacking as a main character due to missed opportunities to examine her inner life.