The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

London, 1930. In this innovative and compelling novel, five of the greatest women crime writers of all time, led by Dorothy Sayers – including Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Baroness Emma Orczy – band together to solve the real-life murder of a young British nurse strangled to death in a park in France. They call themselves the Queens of Crime and resolve to solve this terrible act of violence against a young woman.

The crime has all the hallmarks of a locked-room mystery from one of their novels, and the press are quick to label the victim a drug dealer and drag her reputation through the mud. But the Queens of Crime retrace the young woman’s steps and find the truth is something else altogether, putting them in great personal danger.

The Queens of Crime is a fabulous tribute to female friendship and equality. This is a mystery that also brings to life these real-life authors, which makes it a fascinating read, imagining the real writers interacting in a fictional way like this. An intelligent and engaging read.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

St Martin's Press