Dnf at 12%

I've realized that I shouldn't waste my time on books that I'm not enjoying. I'm not a fan of the narrator's voice.

Very thankful that I got the arc audio 🫶🏼

I enjoyed this audiobook. Bessie Carter did a wonderful job with bringing Dorothy Sayers to life through her narration. I liked that this was a nice cross between a historical ficiton and mystery (about an actual case that was never solved), which made it very interesting to read. It also made me inclined to read mystery books written by Sayers. As mystery reader, I never heard of her work, so I'm glad that Marie Benedict brought Dorothy to me.

An absolutely exquisite novel! Marie Benedict takes the readers back to a time when some of our favorite classical authors were alive and has them solve a crime for us. It is exciting to walk beside them as they use their gifts, developed in their writings, to give honor to a murdered woman who was cast aside by her killer and the boys of the press and police. I am a fan of this author already but this novel makes me realize what a genuine gift for enveloping the reader and pulling them into the story until they experience every emotion, thought and action as the characters themselves do that Marie Benedict has. Definitely a five star read. Bessie Carter did a wonderful job narrating this fine novel.

I received an audiobook from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

Marie Benedict does it again! What an interesting take on such fascinating women way ahead of their time.

This was so enjoyable to read. I really liked all the big 1930s female mystery writers out solving their own "real life" mystery, and got really invested in figuring it out myself and was able to figure out some things before they were revealed, which is always fun. I also had all these wild predictions that never happened, but I still enjoyed the puzzle of it all combined with the history and the setting. Also, of course, the inherent feminism was just great, especially the theme of "surplus" women who were single and fending for themselves after so many young men died in WWI. I would love for this to be a whole series, honestly. I would definitely read more.

The Queens of Crime was an excellent read. I love Marie Benedict's books. It involves a combinations of some of the greatest golden era classic murder mystery female authors who decide to form their own personal "club" - The Queens of Crime" to include themselves in the current Mystery Writers Club. While doing this, they find themselves involved in a real life murder mystery! Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie were figured prominently as the two main characters of the group, along with Margery Allingham, Ngaio Marsh and Baroness Orczy. This was an enjoyable, well written book and I would love to see it turn into a series.

4.5 stars rounded down to 4.

This is my first book by an author I've been wanting to read for quite some time.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the audiobook. First, I loved the narrator. As someone who reads both physical books and audiobooks I am always extra excited when the narrator does an amazing job. It pulls me into the story that much more.

The Golden Age's 5 best female crime writers come together to solve a murder set in 1930's London (the murder in question is a real life unsolved murder of a woman of the same name as the fictional victim). They've pegged themselves The Queens of Crime.

Led by Dorothy Sayers, and includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. I was only familiar with Christie so it was nice to get some backstory on Dorothy.

May Daniels, a nurse on a trip to France with her friend, seemingly vanishes into thin air right before they're supposed board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods.

This story also touched on topics such as unwed mothers, socioeconomic status, drugs, SA and abortion. Ngaio was my favorite. She was brash, no nonsense and didn't try to conform to societal norms. I wanted more backstory on her, Margery and the Baroness which is the reason I didn't give it 5 stars. I highly recommend this book.

This was my first read/listen to a Marie Benedict novel. It was average. I had no trouble hitting the pause button. It didn’t have me hooked that I couldn’t wait to finish.

Another great story from Marie Benedict! Although the “queens” include Agatha Christie and three other female mystery writers of the day, the focus is on Dorothy Sayers this time. Her character was developed so well and as usual, I appreciate the extensive research done by the author. All five of the women had such strong and interesting personalities! I especially liked how Agatha became such a great support to Dorothy in her personal life. Of course, the highlight of the book is the actual solving of a murder. Anyone who likes murder mysteries will appreciate how creatively the women uncover the clues and work together to trap the murderer. The suspense around the threats to Dorothy’s life adds to the enjoyment of the book. And I have to mention again that the women had such strong personalities - it was almost comical how they outwitted the men.
I listened to the audio version of the book and the narrator did an excellent job with the voices and nuances.

In “The Queens of Crime” Marie Benedict reminds us how far women have come and how recently in history they were marginalized. Narrated by Dorothy Sayers, we join her in 1930 London as she’s organizing the Detection Club. Sayers and Agatha Christie are the only women invited to join the group of like-minded mystery novelists. The men did not want to discredit their club with more female contemporaries but Sayers invited Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy - creating the Queens of Crime. To build credibility, The Queens set out to solve a real murder. By speaking to observant female witnesses and other marginalized members of society, they have success where the police’s narrow view failed.
I both listened and read this book and highly recommend the audiobook. Bessie Carter gave each of the Queens a distinct voice and tells the story with emotion and intrigue.

The Queens of Crime is like a historical Nancy Drew mixed with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Readers will love figuring out the mystery alongside the Queens and join in their unexpected circle of friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Dorothy Sayers was a prolific mystery crime writer and decided to pool her resources to legitimize the genre with other crime writers. There was a concern that too many women would join but Dorothy baulked at that by brining in 4 successful female crime writers, including Agatha Christie, dubbing themselves the queens of crime. Wanting to show their value they set out to solve a real life murder mystery similar to one of their detective novels. Englishwoman and nurse, May Daniels, disappeared from a locked bathroom in France while her friend was waiting for her to be discovered murdered a few weeks later. The police are not investigating the murder to the women's liking so they set out to get justice for the poor woman. Just like the characters in their books these women unlock clues from May's past to discover who murdered her and why.

Marie Benedict returns with another great historic female driven fiction novel. I am a huge fan of her previous works and this one does not disappoint. The story is loosely based on the real story of these famed novelists working to solve a murder. It is told from Dorothy's perspective but paints a nice portrait of each of the women. Benedict takes great care in rounding out her characters to make them real and relatable. Since Dorothy is the main character she is a bit overly involved in all aspects of the sleuthing. The pace is good with enough action and lead discovery to keep the story moving. It felt like being inside one of their detective novels. I highly recommend picking this one up if you are a fan of historical fiction and a good murder mystery.

I had the audio version read by Bessie Carter who has an excellent performance. She is easy to listen to with good characterizations and timing. I would enjoy listening to more of her narrations.

THE QUEENS OF CRIME is a captivating historical fiction adventure that delves into the intriguing world of crime and mystery.

Step back in time to the 1930s, a period of societal change and female empowerment. Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy, five of the most influential female writers of the era, are the stars of this historical fiction. They form the 'Queens of Crime' group, a collective of mystery authors who, in a society where men still opposed the admission of women, set out to solve an actual murder to gain men's respect. Under Dorothy Sayers' leadership, they investigate the locked room murder of May Daniels, a young British nurse whose case was not thoroughly investigated by the authorities for a variety of reasons.

Benedict offers a resolution to what was actually an unsolved murder. It is loosely based on an incident in Dorothy Sayers' life. She skillfully combines the "Queens of Crime" club with the murder. This mix results in a well-crafted, delightful, and engaging narrative.

For those who prefer an auditory adventure, Bessie Carter's performance is a treat. Her narration skillfully brings the story to life, and her ability to portray a variety of voices for the numerous characters is excellent, enhancing the audiobook's immersive experience.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with the audio copy of THE QUEENS OF CRIME in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Marie Benedict for crafting such a captivating story. Each story is a testament to your storytelling prowess, and I can't wait to see what the next book holds.

I really enjoyed this. The Narration gives it the perfect Downton Abbey type feel.
The story flows easily and was a delight. For me this is a bit out of my typical genre but I found myself invested and enjoying the story.

Marie Benedict's book was inspired by a true story from crime writer Dorothy Sayers. These five famous crime writers come together as women who could approach a crime and look at it in a different way than the authorities.

These writers and friends meet for lunch to discuss solving a real crime. Once they all agreed to work on this together, they became the "Queens of Crime".

London 1930 - a young nurse is found dead, strangled with a lot of blood under her body. Last seen at a train station in France, headed back home to England, but her body is found in the woods nearby. How was she killed if she was in a train station? Did anyone see her? What clues were left?The Queens begin asking questions of the authorities and then take it from there as to who to talk to next.

I enjoyed this story - solving the crime and the thought processes of these crime writers which were quite different than the police. I also enjoyed the revelations of a couple of these Queens who shared some secrets with each other. One of which sent me to the internet. Always a good sign of a good book that I loved when I want to know more!

I really enjoyed the narrator, Bessie Carter, who sounded so much like Julie Andrews lovely but strong voice!
My thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press and Macmillian Audio for an advanced copy of this e-book and audiobook.

This was a very enjoyable story. It was filled with some of my favorite things: intelligent women, strong positive female friendships, and an interesting mystery to solve.

This story is based on a true unsolved murder of a young English nurse as well as real female novelists. I love Benedict's writing and her take on a possible scenario. She blends the murder, the Detection Club, and the "Queens of Crime" quite seamlessly. This combination made for a wonderful story. I really enjoyed getting to know the different personalities of the different characters and trying to work out the mystery along the way.

I was fortunate to have the audio in addition to the ebook of this novel. The audio was fabulously narrated by Bessie Carter and I highly recommend it. She somehow managed to even bring the time period to life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy to listen to in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know why I keep sleeping on Marie Benedict books. I have loved every single on. I'm really in an Agatha Christie era and this was such a fun read that fits perfectly into my current reading obsession. I loved reading about other female authors of crime who were from the same time. I also enjoy going down the rabbit hole of looking up the characters and learning more about them and their work. The mystery in this novel really highlights how women were (mis)treated and understood in the past. A great read with a lot of good content and food for thought.

At first I didn’t like this book but it grew on me to the point that I truely adored this!!

We meet 5 women in London England in the 1930’s who are famous crime writing authors, they are part of the first ever detective club full of women. When a women is found dead the queens of crime, it’s what they call them selves, decided they are going to get to the bottom of this and find out the truth! How ever during this time, women are looked down upon, can’t work if they have children, reputations are tarnish if they do and public opinion is what matters the most, surprising of all nurses are looked down on as a disgrace of service. I was stunned!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this lovely little gem look forward to more of her work!!!

The Queen of Crimes by Marie Benedict is an absolute gem of a read! Set in 1930s London, it follows the fascinating story of five iconic women crime writers—Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy—who form a secret society to solve an actual murder and prove their worth in a male-dominated literary world. The murder mystery itself is intriguing, with a young woman found dead under mysterious circumstances that echo the locked-room mysteries these authors are famous for. Benedict does an excellent job of bringing these legendary women to life, portraying them as strong, clever, and determined to be taken seriously. The mix of real-life history with fictional intrigue is seamless, and I thoroughly enjoyed the way the women come together to uncover the truth. The Queen of Crimes is a compelling, well-written read that will captivate fans of historical fiction and mystery alike. Highly recommended!

A wonderful book of a collections of top women detective story writers. The story brings them all together to solve a murder in each of their different ways and roles. Highly recommend this to anyone who loves murder mysteries and these writers

I could not put this book down - finished in a day! The Queens of Crime include some amazing female crime authors including Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczyavorite. These women become members of the legendary Detection Club and they join forces to investigate the murder of a young nurse May Daniels.

The story takes into 1930's Europe and you experience the challenges the women had navigating in society trying to taken seriously as they uncover clues and use their skills to solve the murder.