The Queens of Crime: A Novel

by Marie Benedict Narrated by Bessie Carter

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Five of the cleverest women in all of London are faced with an impossible case — and they're just the people to solve it. Sharp, witty and puzzling, this is a glittering locked-room mystery we can't wait to solve.

This program is read by actor Bessie Carter, best known for her role as Prudence Featherington on the Netflix series Bridgerton.

“Bessie Carter's excellent dialect work makes the banter between feminist New Zealander Marsh and Hungarian-born aristocrat Orczy both fun and revelatory.” -BookPage

“Bessie Carter's subtle changes in tone foster a growing sense of intrigue as the plot thickens.” - AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)


From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie-a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for The Queens of Crime:

USA Today Bestseller

Indie Bestseller

“A delightful blend of historical fiction and suspense.” —People magazine

“Benedict presents an irresistible premise for fans of classic detective fiction.” —The Washington Post

“Catnip to fans of golden-age mysteries … Benedict lets her characters’ distinct personalities bloom as their literary skills translate into a genuine investigation.” —Air Mail

“Danger and intrigue come alive in this tale set in 1930s London and inspired by a true story.” —Woman’s World

“Clever and engaging … The Queens of Crime demands readers rediscover these masters’ works, which continue to inspire new generations of writers. It is a meticulously researched novel based on historical fact and featuring real people.” —South Florida Sun Sentinel

“An ingenious idea goes a long way in The Queens of Crime ... Benedict has something special with her quintet.” —The Minnesota Star-Tribune

“Absolute tour de force.” —Hank Phillipi Ryan for BookTrib

“Spellbinding, a surefire hit ... Equal parts historical fiction and compelling whodunit, The Queens of Crime is Marie Benedict at her best, a lively takedown of the patriarchy backed by real-world examples and true grit.” —Bookreporter.com

“Mystery fans may know the classic novels by the real queens of crime; now, thanks to historical-fiction star

Benedict’s cleverly realized portraits of women committed to friendship and feminism, readers will know the wise, empathetic, and resourceful people who wrote them.” —Booklist, starred review

“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

“Benedict continues to display her skill at bringing historic figures fully to life … with vivid period details and lively conversations … Riveting.” —Shelf Awareness

“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

“In this marvelous locked-room puzzle, we’re treated to a masterclass in solving mysteries from the grand dames of the form … A delight from beginning to end.” —firstCLUE reviews

“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

“Faithful to history and at the same time wonderfully inventive, The Queens of Crime is a brilliant, irresistible, and page-turning delight, as well as a rallying cry for what women can accomplish when we stick together. If I always had a new book by Marie Benedict, I would do nothing but read sixteen hours a day.” —Nina de Gramont, New York Times bestselling author of The Christie Affair

“I loved Marie Benedict’s stellar The Queens of Crime....[it] will move you with its themes of female friendship and equal justice, which resonate so powerfully even today.” —Lisa Scottoline, New York Times bestselling author of The Truth About the Devlins

“Marie Benedict takes her formidable talents to a new level in The Queens of Crime... Breathtaking suspense and female friendship make for a heady combination in this wonder of a book, which will have fans of both historical fiction and thrillers torn between racing through the pages and wanting to savor every word.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire

“Full of Benedict’s richly textured language, complex moral questions and delicious historic detail, The Queens of Crime reads with the urgency of a mystery and the charm of a captivating, character-driven narrative —this is one to savor. ” —Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of Finding Margaret Fuller

Praise for Marie Benedict:

"A powerful and unforgettable story of female strength and the triumph of the human spirit." - Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Woman with the Blue Star on The First Ladies

"Fast-paced and eye-opening." —Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Magnolia Place on The Mitford Affair

"Fans of historical fiction will devour this complex portrait of a brilliant and trailblazing genius." —Beatriz Williams, New York Times bestselling author of Our Woman in Moscow on Her Hidden Genius

"A stunning story... The ending is ingenius, and it's possible that Benedict has brought to life the most plausible explanation for why Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926." —The Washington Post on The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

"[A] fascinating fictionalized account of the consummate political wife." —People magazine on Lady Clementine

"A ready-made thriller as well as a feminist parable." —The New York Times on The Only Woman in the Room

Kirkus Reviews

2024-12-11
Five real-life luminaries from the Golden Age of detective fiction team up to solve a murder.

Five months after nurse May Daniels disappeared during a day trip in October 1930 from a railway station near Boulogne-Sur-Mer, a farmer finds her bloody body strangled to death. The French police, unconcerned about the damage they’re doing to the victim and her family, announce on scant evidence that May—whose companion, nurse Celia McCarthy, last saw her entering a ladies’ room she never emerged from—was a drug addict who deserves few tears. By that point, the title quintet—Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham—have already sprung into action. Their original motive for traveling to France, proving themselves the equals of G.K. Chesterton and the rest of their condescending male counterparts in the newly formed Detection Club, has morphed into a deep sense of connection to the dead nurse and “an urgent quest to do right.” Working mostly with the reticent, brainy Christie, Sayers, who serves as narrator, methodically retraces May’s last movements and works backward to figure out what she was doing before she and Celia embarked on their trip. Their most promising leads implicate Louis Williams, the son of Mathers Insurance founder Jimmy Williams, as May’s benefactor, beau, and killer. But no reader who’s spent time with any of these writers’ own books will believe that the actual solution will be as simple as that.

A routine whodunit enlivened by the byplay among the author sleuths and their determination to stand up to the patriarchy.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940192469361
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	02/11/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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