So many historical fiction novels can really get bogged down with all the history, but I really enjoyed how this one focused more on the story. I loved the premise of a group of fiction writers wanting to prove themselves by solving a mystery, and the varied personalities of the group made for some entertaining interactions. It also remains accurate to what a group of non-police women at the time would have been able to do and find out. While it was not action packed, the plot progressed at a steady pace towards solving the mystery. And the final murderer was someone that made sense, based on the evidence, but was not someone that I had already guessed, which is always a satisfying conclusion.

The audiobook narrator for this had the perfect voice and tone for this kind of novel, with minor adjustments to portray all of the necessary characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing the ARC!

Thank you to #Netgalley # St.Martin'sPress and #MacmillanAudio for the ARC of this book!

I never know what to expect when I read a Marie Benedict book, but I love the surprise and it is always worth my time! This novel was no exception! While I knew this book was about 5 successful female mystery writers of the early-to-mid 20th century, I did not expect for them to team up to solve a real, unsolved mystery! The reader is invited into the minds of these authors as they dialogue about clues, what ifs, potential danger, persons of interest, as well as how these pieces would have been woven into their own writings. I felt like I was on the trail of the killer along with them! I loved the voice of each writer and learning more about them all. This was another treat from Marie Benedict!

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 Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read, just not my favorite. More of a historical mystery and it focused on a group of women who write mysteries when they find themselves trying to solve one. It took me a little bit to get into it. The narrator was good, I just wasn't the biggest fan of the story.

This was a fun womens historical mystery. Full of ambiance and locational feel, I enjoyed following these womens stories an through the mystery.

A missing persons case that happened in real life that the author takes a fictional take telling a tale of what "might" have happened. I enjoyed this jaunt into history and to England. I think this will be widely liked. My first of the author-I need to read more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

Mystery writers solving a mystery. The overlooked women in the mystery writing field decide to solve a real mystery to prove themselves. They set out to make a place for themselves but somewhere along the line they remember that there is a real missing woman who deserves justice. Shifting from classic detective writers to real crime solvers, creates a fun narrative mystery lovers will relish.

In the world of Queens of Crime, the real magic is not in the details of murder, but in the camaraderie and intellect of the women who investigate it. Imagine five of the greatest female mystery writers of all time—Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham—coming together to form a detection club.

Benedict assembles these literary titans, each renowned for their unparalleled knack in weaving intricate tales of suspense and intrigue. Faced with the condescension of their male counterparts and the dismissive gaze of the publishing world, these queens decide to demonstrate that their prowess is not confined to the realm of fiction.

They employ strategies to resolve a real-life case that law enforcement has dismissed as trivial. But make no mistake, the true heart of this story is in the shared insights and methodologies these authors borrowed directly from their own novels. Watching them piece together clues—discarding red herrings—is a delight, far surpassing the importance of the actual crime at hand.

For me, the narrative thrives in the collaboration, where these minds meld and clash in the creation of their deductions. Each woman brings her unique genius, and as they unravel the mystery, they also elevate their craft.

In essence, Queens of Crime isn't just a murder mystery; it’s a celebration of the art of deduction, the strength of female intellect, and the enduring power of storytelling.

I’ve really enjoyed other books by Marie Benedict but this one wasn’t for me. I tried to listen to it in December and could not get into it. I switched to something else and then came back to it this week. 6 hours in and I’m still not interested in any of the characters, or the story and was having to force myself to continue. Narrator was wonderful but this one was a snooze fest for me. I cannot force this anymore. Giving it a 2 because the Personal Librarian was fab.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This was a great story, especially since it is based on a real unsolved murder, and the characters are five real-life queens of mystery writing from the 1930s. Benedict did an excellent job of distinguishing these exceptional women so you really felt their individual personalities and the period that they lived in. Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy come together as part of the Detection Club for mystery authors, but after facing sexist attitudes from the male members, the women set out to solve a real crime. The story was engaging and showcased intelligent, strong female characters who became friends while working out the crime they set out to solve. I was familiar with Sayers and Christie, but not the other authors, so it was nice to get to know them.

This was a quick and interesting read that kept me wanting to read "one more chapter." I also appreciated the author's note at the end highlighting this real-life crime, these powerful women, and how she became interested in writing this novel. This would be a perfect read for someone who loves historical fiction and a good mystery, especially anyone who loves reading about the Golden Age.

A wonderful historical fiction mystery. Whenever I read a historical fiction, I like to look up facts to see what is true and was thrilled to see that this group of ladies really did have this group. A great mystery that was laid out perfectly and a look into the process of how to solve a crime. Excellent

I bit cozier than I expected it to be but still fun.
light and entertaining. Bessie Carter does an amazing job narrating.

As a fan of The Personal Librarian, I knew I had to get my hands on this, especially given how many people have been talking about this book. 4.5 stars! This gave me Thursday Murder Club vibes, in the best way. This was charming, clever, feminist.

The most epic way to end a book: "We are all queens".

I was excited to receive this as an ALC.

Actually enjoyed this book tremendously. The writing was rich and really brought out some of the things I love about some of the classic female authors. A great listen. P

I absolutely loved the audiobook of The Queens of Crime written by Marie Benedict and narrated by Bessie Carter. While it is historical fiction, I could easily imagine real life mystery authors Agatha Christie (detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple), Ngaio Marsh (detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn), Dorothy Sayers (detective Lord Peter Wimsey), Margery Allingham (detective Albert Campion), and Baroness Emma Orczy (The Scarlet Pimpernel) banding together as “women in arms” to form a subgroup of the Detection Club, after being treated as second class citizens by the men in the club. They call themselves the Queens of Crime, and they use their mystery writing skills to solve a real case: the strangulation of an English nurse who is found in a park in France. They investigate the crime thoroughly after the police and authorities on both ends of the pond consider the matter closed on flimsy and circumstantial evidence. Even after one of their own is threatened repeatedly, they do not stop until justice is obtained for the victim.

I remember my grandmother reading books by most of the Queens repeatedly and was eager to listen to this book (thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for providing me a copy of it in exchange for my honest review). It was well written with several red herrings, which is befitting the style of Agatha Christie herself. I highly recommend this audiobook as I found it hard to put down!

Marie Benedict is always popular and with the combination of mystery and historical fiction in The Queens of Crime, this is sure to be big. The library's Mystery Book Club is already interested.

My rating reflects my enjoyment of the narration, which is slightly better than how much I enjoyed the story.
The narrator handles accents well; there is more than one in the story, and she was a delight to listen to.
I am from the US, so I was unaware of all real-life female mystery writers, the queens of crime, who were the subject of this historical fiction, except Agatha.
You follow 5 women writers in the 1930s, as they formulate a plan to join a mostly male-dominated detective club. They not only want to join but want the respect of the male members. To do this, they decide to solve a real murder. We follow their investigation and the challenges they face in a male-dominated industry of crime-solving.
The story shows that the issues they faced in the 1930s are no different today. Not much has changed when women are victims of crime, victim blaming, shaming, and questioning their behavior instead of the perpetrator of the crime.
We get a little hint into one of the writer's personal life. But we don't get a well-rounded view of the other 4 members of this crew. That is one of my disappointments with the story, in addition to the mystery's ending which was a little formulaic.
I have read other works from this author, Personal Librarian and The Other Einstein, which I enjoyed immensely and recommend to readers interested in historical fiction.
This book is missing character development, maybe because of the number of writers who are the subject of the book.
I appreciate the author's research into the real-life events that inspired this work of historical fiction.
Overall 3.5, rounded up to 4 because of the wonderful narration.
Thank you to Netgalley for the audio ARC.

Five of the most prominent female mystery writers of the 1920s and 30s band together in an attempt to solve a real life mystery in hopes of garnering acceptance from their male counterparts. As they retrace the movements of their victim and piece together clues the Queens inch closer to answers, justice, and acceptance.

I love the way that Marie Benedict weaves fact and fiction together in her writing; it never fails to engage and educate. This one did start a tad slow for me but it picked up quickly and held my interest. Bessie Carter's narration is incredible; she was the perfect choice for the audiobook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced audiobook. This was my first Marie Bennett book and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more from this author and reading her backlist. The audiobook was great and it felt like you were back in time.

My first historical fiction book for 2025 and what a way to start! This book was so much fun and I was sad when it ended. This year one of my reading goals is to read more Agatha Christie and this book was nice side read. I can’t believe that this was inspired by real life adventures! These women were fabulous and the narrator was brilliant. She did a fantastic job at giving each character a unique voice, and I was especially impressed by her kiwi accent.. not easy to do without sounding awful!

It is the early 1930s and women are still trying to be taken seriously. 5 incredible crime writers are on a quest to have them seen as equals to their male counterparts. Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham, Baroness Emma Orczy and Ngaio Marsh form their own society and decide to solve a real life murder and show the men what they are made of. A young nurse, May Daniels went missing in France months ago and now her body has been discovered. They use all their research and knowledge of crime fiction to work together to solve this case.

The Queens of Crime were formidable. Nothing stopped them from getting to the truth and justice for this poor woman. It was at times funny, at times sad. I got lost in the story. I need to check out books from the rest of these women now.

If you love a good mystery then grab yourself a copy of this fantastic book. Publishes on February 11th. Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for my advanced copy to listen to.

Five historical mystery novelists come together as the Queens of Crime to help solve the disappearance and murder of a young nurse in the 1930's. This is a nice blend of history and mystery as these real yet fictional characters work together to try to solve this crime. I enjoyed how certain challenges of the past, including society's views of women, were also highlighted as strengths at times and allowed the women to work through things at a different angle than their male counterparts. This book made me want to know more about this period of time but also these iconic authors.

The pace of this was a bit slow at first as the characters and story were set up. However, things progressed quickly as they got settled into their process and as things heated up with the investigation. Ultimately I enjoyed it and think it was worth the wait and setup. I thought the narration was done well and the voice/tone perfectly fit the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.