The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
ARC from Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for an honest review
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. 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? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together.
My Review: 4 stars
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict offered so much more than I was expecting because I’m not a huge mystery reader and this book focuses on five renowned mystery writers. I know, I know, why read a mystery book if you’re not a mystery fan? My answer is no idea but I’m darn glad that I did. It reads at a quick pace and was just delightful.
When women writers are very much excluded from the celebrated Dectection Club, a group of the best female mystery writers in London band together to solve a real-life mystery to prove their skills at sleuthing. Even though Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie are known to be rivals, the two of them, along with Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy create the Queens of Crime club.
I loved how fast paced this book is so that the reader never loses steam as the queen’s detective work plows on. The murder they’re investigating took place in France, so it was fun to visit one of my favorite cities. As mysteries go, the reader never knows who is lying or being truthful as they meet many characters along the way.
I loved the deep and meaningful way these very different women came to be friends and confidants. Their trust became second nature as they knew they’d always be seen as less than, unless they could prove their value as women writers to the men that harshly judged them. GO girl power.
Note: The audio narration was perfect. Well done!
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