Author: Marie Benedict
Expected Publication: February 11, 2025
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 320 Pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Blurb: 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.
My Opinion: 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.
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.
My Opinion: 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.
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