The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict: Book Review

The Queens of Crime is the latest book by best-selling author Marie Benedict. It was released on February 11, 2025, and takes readers to 1930s England. A young woman, whom society sees as unnecessary, disappears. Her body is discovered several months later, and no one seems to care. Dorothy Sayers wants to be taken seriously by her male counterparts. What better way to do that than to solve a real mystery?

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of The Queens of Crime. However, all opinions expressed here are solely mine.

Synopsis from Goodreads

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 Opinions

The Queens of Crime caught my attention and interest because of one of the main characters, Agatha Christie. I am a huge fan of her books, and I love seeing her pop up in books as a character. I have heard of the other four women in the book but have never read any of their works. After reading The Queens of Crime, I also look forward to reading their works.

The story is told through a single POV, that of Dorothy Sayers. However, she is with the other Queens throughout the book. I fear it would have been confusing if the book had been told through multiple POVs.

The mystery was well constructed, and offered several twists and turns along the way. While I had my suspicions of the culprit, it wasn’t until the end that they were confirmed. There was enough evidence that pointed in other directions to ensure you weren’t 100% certain who was behind the mystery.

While The Queens of Crime is the first book I’ve read by Marie Benedict, it will not be the last. I have one of her other books languishing on my TBR, and I feel I will pick it up sooner rather than later.

Who do I think will enjoy reading The Queens of Crime? Everyone! The book is set in the Golden Mystery era and features five strong women trying to find justice for a woman society deemed a “surplus.” There’s drama, tension, and travel. What’s not to like?

Are you looking for some more books to read? Check out my bookish lists, book reviews, and monthly reading wrap-ups.