Book Review: The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Pages: 320

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: February 11, 2025

Publisher: St. Martin's

Source: Publisher for review

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

 

Goodreads says, "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. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that 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 into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which 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."

Dorothy Sayers, a crime writer, has banded together with other phenomenal mystery writers of her time: Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. They want to prove to their male counterparts that they have what it takes, which was a difficult feat in the 1930s when women were treated much differently than they are today. What better way to gain some respect than solving a real-life crime? May Daniels, a nurse, disappeared after a day drip and her body was found by a local farmer; she appears to have been attacked and strangled. The French police did a shoddy job of investigating and even implied she wasn't worth their time as she was a drug addict. So, the ladies leave London for France and they are determined to solve this case. Fans of historical mysteries will enjoy The Queens of Crime, an immersive who-done-it from Marie Benedict.

I have read several books about Agatha Christie, so I was excited to dive into The Queens of Crime. This novel is presented from Dorothy Sayers's perspective, which was a refreshing approach, especially since Christie has been the focus of numerous recent novels, including Benedict's previous work, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie. I really enjoyed how Benedict incorporated the sleuthing aspect into the story, and I appreciated the novel's feminist twist. It’s worth mentioning that this novel is based on a true event, which definitely enhanced my enjoyment.

As the ladies figure out who killed May, it looks like all the clues point to a particular person in May's life, but if you have ever read a Christie novel, things are never what they initially appear. I think Benedict did a good job bringing characteristics of a classic mystery novels to the forefront in The Queens of Crime. Who doesn't love a bunch of strong women really showing the patriarchy what they are capable of? I recommend this one to fans of historical mysteries and Benedict's previous novels.

Have you read The Queens of Crime? Is it on your TBR list? Are you a fan of Marie Benedict? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.