Author: Marie Benedict
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: Kindle ARC and Audiobook ALC
Narrator: Bessie Carter
Length: 10 hrs 28 mins
No. of Pages: 320
Date of Publication: February 11, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
DESCRIPTION:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie returns with a thrilling story of Christie’s legendary rival Dorothy Sayers, the race to solve a murder, and the power of friendship among women.
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.
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.
MY THOUGHTS:
Agatha Christie’s vanishing for 11 days has remained a mystery. But that is not the mystery that Dorothy Sayers has in mind. However, her true intrigue lies in her plan to assemble five brilliant mystery women writers and form the Detection Club.
Dorothy believes that initiating a murder game will be an ideal way for these five women to bond and get to know each other. Despite their diverse ages, they share a common passion for mystery writing and the camaraderie of a solitary profession for women during that era. This shared interest and the camaraderie of their lonely profession aim to overcome barriers such as age, class, culture, and education.
Thus, the Queens of Crime are born. Dorothy L. Sayers spearheads the club, which also includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy. As they embark on their journey, their first case presents itself: May Daniels, found dead, presumably by foul play. The club is promptly called upon to investigate, and these formidable Queens of Crime are determined to solve this perplexing mystery, despite the challenges that lie ahead.
Bessie Carter’s exceptional narration brings the characters, the era, and the crime to life, making it easy for the reader to immerse themselves in the story. Regrettably, the women also face the pervasive misogyny that plagued their lives throughout their endeavors, especially considering their talent. The suspense surrounding the murder is flawlessly delivered, and the inclusion of cameos by other notable historical figures further enhances the book’s appeal.
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Her books have been translated into thirty languages, and selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List.
Up next is the February 11, 2025 release, The Queens of Crime, the thrilling story of Agatha Christie’s legendary rival, mystery writer Dorothy Sayers, the race to solve a real-life murder, and the power of friendship among women.
And in April, her first children’s book will released, a middle grade historical adventure co-written with Courtney Sheinmel called The Secrets of the Lovelace Academy.
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