The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is a great mystery set in England in 1930. Five women crime fiction writers (Agatha Christie being the most well known but all real in history) band together as the “Queens of Crime” and use their powers of sleuthing on the page to solve the real life murder of May Daniels, a young British nurse found dead in a park in France(she had taken a day trip there with a friend). Authorities seem resigned to call it an accident rather than the foul play these women see right away.
This was so much fun to read, with red herrings and locked door mysteries.
Benedict does a good job of pointing out the disparities between women and men during this time and I appreciated that these women writers were trendsetters before their time. I love when a book gives some true historical facts and weaves in a fictional story to go along with it. I was not aware that May Daniel’s death was a true story as well, being a long lost unsolved crime, and I like that she put her own twist on the who done it.
This is a very classy and proper mystery. Besides possibly an Agatha Christie novel itself, I find it hard to compare it to other books out these days. It isn’t humorous or outlandish but just straight up old school mystery. If you enjoy that sort of experience, you will enjoy this.
I listened to this audiobook as an ARC from NetGalley and Macmillan. The narrator Bessie Carter was excellent, with her posh English accent that was easy to follow. She managed several different accents and voices that helped to differentiate characters and make it an enjoyable listen.

A good, old-fashioned mystery story! Old-fashioned, in the best possible way, of course. Marie Benedict is a master of historical fiction and she has outdone herself once again, dipping a toe into the murder mystery game featuring an assemblage of notorious crime-writing Queens in 1930s London. As only she can do, Benedict brings these women to rich, three-dimensional life. I loved every word. And cloche hats off to Bessie Carter for providing excellent, nimble narration—that was a lot of characters (and accents!) to juggle and she acquitted herself beautifully.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book The Queen's of Crime is a wonderful journey into the world of crime writing in the 1930;s. It follows five women writers who band together to create a secret group to solve a real murder so that they may prove their worth to their male counterparts who overlook them because of their gender. I always love a book with a strong female lead and this one had five! Loved seeing the power of friendship among these women and all that they were able to accomplish.

As far as I know, this favorite author of mine has not written a mystery like this one before. Well, here is yet another tour de force by Ms. Benedict. It feels like she is skilled at writing both a detective story and historical fiction. I recommend it highly.

Many know who the Queens of Crime were. This group included Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Orczy, and Margery Allingham. They all have prominent roles in this enjoyable story that is narrated by Dorothy Sayers.

At the time that the story was set, a number of male writers of detective fiction decided to band together in a society. Well, the women wanted a part of this too and pushed their way into the Detection Club.

In this story, these women want to prove their worth by solving a real case. They become involved in figuring out what happened to a British nurse who was murdered in France. They are intrepid in following clues, making hypotheses, and working to bring matters to a resolution.

Along with the crime story, readers are given insight into who these women of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction were. I enjoyed these parts of the story and also what was shared about the creation of their novels.

All in all, this is a most engaging read that fans of historical crime fiction and Benedict will enjoy. I think that Benedict will find some new enthused readers as well.

Note: I am a fan of toggling between the audio and reading editions of titles. They complement one another and add to my enjoyment. In this instance, the audio book narrator did a wonderful job of speaking in the voices of each of the main characters. This added to my pleasure in this title.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this title. Also, thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio book. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 11 February 2025

This book was so much fun. A blend of fact and fiction. What happens when well known female crime writers decide to solve a mysterious death? Nobody believes it was suspicious and the men don't take them serious.. Marie Benedict has done an outstanding job writing this and Bessie Carter did a fantastic job of narrating it.

Marie Benedict is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. While this was not my favorite work by her, it was still an enjoyable historical mystery based on real-life female authors of the 1930s in the UK.

The book features Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and a few other legendary mystery writers of that period, who are part of a social group known as The Queens of Crime. When a young working class nurse is found dead in a French park, the police fail to do their due diligence into investigating those who may have played a hand in her demise. The Queens suspect foul play, but their concerns are dismissed by the sexist male law enforcement officers. Despite this, the plucky group launch their own investigation, because who better than to solve this case than a group of intelligent crime writers?

The novel picks up pace when the women soon learn that they are in danger themselves, as someone is intent on preventing them from digging deeper and unraveling this mystery. I appreciated how Benedict touched upon the differences between these authors (age, background, etc) while demonstrating their unique bond as unconventional and successful women in a time when men ruled society.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martins Press for an advanced copies of this book for my review.

🔍 The Queens of Crime are real life authors Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy who lived and wrote during the “The Golden Age of Detective Fiction”.
🔍 These witty and smart ladies are determined to prove their worth and place in the male dominated world of mystery fiction by solving a crime themselves. But their mission quickly changes to finding justice for a young woman whose murder was not properly investigated and largely dismissed by authorities.
🔍 After a slower start, this one just swept me away. I loved being part of the world that brought these real life mystery superstars to life and the style of the story was an ode to the works of these famous women.
🔍 While the main mystery that brings the ladies together is largely fictionalized, it was fun to find the pieces of the story that were based on truth! I enjoyed reading about these women asserting themselves in a society that didn’t always see their value.

What is a lady to do when she’s
A) a lady
B) a mystery writer
C) the literary world doesn’t even take mystery writers seriously, much less men?
Answer: The ladies join the exclusive mystery writer’s club and form a club within that club, called "The Queens of Crime"! Please note, in the 1930’s (okay, even today), it was misogynistic and the men did not relish having women in their clubs. The women are thought to be beneath them and therefore, treating the ladies like they were the plague.

These five legendary female crime writers: Dorothy L. Sayers (the protagonist), Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy are not having it when they joined the men’s club and decided to team up to solve a real-life murder of a young nurse, May Daniels, who is abroad in France. They felt this would force the men in the club to take them seriously. As the police and the newmen are all writing off that Nurse May Daniels was an addict and that she was purchasing drugs when she was killed. The main question nobody is asking except for Dorthoy Sayers and the rest of the ladies, “Why would a nurse outsource drugs when she has it readily available?” As Sherlock Holmes would declare, “The game is afoot!”

This exceptionally fun novel is a murder mystery and the narrator's reading style enhanced the story. Each of the characters are brought to life! I cannot wait to get my hands on the novel and relish rereading it.

I really enjoyed the combination of historical fiction and murder mystery here. It managed to be a great mystery and heartwarming at the same time.

This was so fun on audio, and the narration really allowed me to connect with the story. Well done.

My thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Queens of Crime" and all opinions expressed are my own. I listened to the audio book. The story was ok. It followed a group of ladies trying to solve a crime. It just didn't catch my attention.

Set in England (and bits of France) in the 1930s - you’ll be captivated by 5 of the greatest female mystery writers in history as they try to uncover the truth in a real life murder!

I love how Marie Benedict intertwines true history with fiction and I spend much of her books taking time to learn about the real events, people, and times. It makes everything that much more real and sucks you into the story all the more!

The Queens of Crime follows Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christy, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Emma Orczy as they work to be taken seriously among their male counterparts. How? By solving the real murder of a young nurse, of course.

As the women follow one clue after another, the full story begins to unravel and with each new revelation the women find themselves in more danger than they thought was possible.

Benedict did a wonderful job in bringing to life each of these women and their personalities. Her writing imitates the who-done-it’s of the past and I loved it!

A huge thank you to @netgalley and MacMillan Audio!

Bessie Carter was perfect to narrate this and her use of different accents made it so much fun to listen to! If you don’t feel like you have time to sit and read, the audiobook is perfect!

LOVED this book so much! Marie Benedict truly doesn't miss. Top notch story, brilliantly woven in mystery and no-nonsense female characters; was drawn in from beginning to end. Top notch accent work in the audiobook, too - it really brought the characters to life!

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.