As far as I know, this favorite author of mine has not written a mystery like this one before. Well, here is yet another tour de force by Ms. Benedict. It feels like she is skilled at writing both a detective story and historical fiction. I recommend it highly.
Many know who the Queens of Crime were. This group included Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Baroness Orczy, and Margery Allingham. They all have prominent roles in this enjoyable story that is narrated by Dorothy Sayers.
At the time that the story was set, a number of male writers of detective fiction decided to band together in a society. Well, the women wanted a part of this too and pushed their way into the Detection Club.
In this story, these women want to prove their worth by solving a real case. They become involved in figuring out what happened to a British nurse who was murdered in France. They are intrepid in following clues, making hypotheses, and working to bring matters to a resolution.
Along with the crime story, readers are given insight into who these women of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction were. I enjoyed these parts of the story and also what was shared about the creation of their novels.
All in all, this is a most engaging read that fans of historical crime fiction and Benedict will enjoy. I think that Benedict will find some new enthused readers as well.
Note: I am a fan of toggling between the audio and reading editions of titles. They complement one another and add to my enjoyment. In this instance, the audio book narrator did a wonderful job of speaking in the voices of each of the main characters. This added to my pleasure in this title.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this title. Also, thank you to Macmillan Audio for the audio book. All opinions are my own.
Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
From the Publisher
Praise for The Queens of Crime:
“In this excellent novel, Benedict vividly brings to life real Golden Age mystery novelists … Fans of Benedict’s previous novels and those who enjoy historical whodunits will find this hard to put down.” ―Library Journal, starred review
“A shrewd speculative whodunit … Benedict easily brings each of her five distinct writer/sleuths to life, and honors their literary legacies by providing plenty of ingenious, fair-play clues to help careful readers follow along and solve the central mystery. This is a treat for fans of golden age whodunits.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Benedict brings both the twisty mystery and the legendary ladies to life with impeccable style, taking us full circle from the Golden Age and back again.” ―CrimeReads
“I was riveted by this quintet of mystery writers… Smart, biting, and a tribute to female friendship and loyalty. An absolute delight!” ―Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Spectacular
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 
Her publisher used to love me but now they don’t, and I can’t get the ARCs for any of her books. I’ll just have to get a copy of this one in print.
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It is funny with the publishers. It took years before I ever got an approval from Berkley though I get some now. Every request is like writing to Santa. Never sure if you will get what you hope for.
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I think that after many complaints, Berkley decided to change the person who was giving and denying ARCs.
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That is interesting. I did not know.
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