The Four Queens of Crime: A Novel

by Rosanne Limoncelli

In this debut mystery DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, is determined to find a killer with the help of the four queens of crime, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths and Claudia Gray.

1938, London. The four queens of British crime fiction, Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham, are hosting a gala to raise money for the Women’s Volunteer Service to help Britain prepare for war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has loaned Hursley House for the event and all the elites of London society are attending. The gala is a brilliant success, despite a few hiccups, but the next morning Sir Henry is found dead in the library. 

Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson from Scotland Yard are quickly summoned and discover a cluster of potential suspects among the guests, including an upset fiancée, a politically ambitious son, a reserved but protective brother, an irate son-in-law, a rebellious teenage daughter, and the deputy home secretary. 

Quietly recruiting the four queens of crime, DCI Wyles must sort through the messy aftermath of Sir Henry’s death to solve the mystery and identify the killer. 

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 11, 2025

About the author

Rosanne Limoncelli is an author, filmmaker, and storyteller living in Brooklyn. She has written, directed and produced short narrative films, documentaries and educational films. Rosanne also writes plays, screenplays, poetry, games, mysteries and science fiction. Her short fiction first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and her short films have screened in festivals around the world.
Rosanne's debut mystery novel is The Four Queens of Crime published by Crooked Lane Books at Penguin Random House and her book Teaching Filmmaking: Empowering Students Through Visual Storytelling is available on Amazon.
Rosanne is the Senior Director for Film Technologies at the Kanbar Institute and the Martin Scorsese Virtual Production Center, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University, where she also teaches filmmaking, story writing and virtual production. She received her BFA in Film & TV Production at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and her MA and PhD in Teaching Reading, Writing, and Media from NYU’s Steinhardt School. She has been teaching writing and filmmaking to students and professors for more than three decades, and has often served as an educational and technology consultant, and as a speaker at conferences and universities.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this murder mystery which features Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham as well as the very smart D.C.I.Lillian Wyles.

It is 1938 in London and the fabulous four are hosting a gala to raise money for the upcoming war. It all takes place at Hursley House, home of Sir Henry Heathcote and his family. The Gala is a success, but someone ends up dead. The rest is classic Golden Age style with a locked room mystery, a party of guests who are forced to remain under one roof until the murder is solved, and all the trickiness for the police of interviewing the upper classes.

The author writes all of her characters exceedingly well including the four already famous ones. Special mention for D.C.I.Wyles who deserves a follow up book of her own. I highly recommend this to all fans of the genre. Five stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was 1938 in London, and a fundraiser was being held at Hursley House, with four Queens of Crime having been invited as hosts. Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham were those four, and the weekend would prove to be a challenge for the four special guests, along with the family of Hursley House. It was the morning after the ball when Sir Henry Heathcote, baronet and head of the family, was found dead in the library. Immediately Scotland Yard was called, discretion being of the utmost importance. Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson were sent to investigate.

It wasn't long into the proceedings when Lilian realised they needed to use the four crime writers to assist with the investigation. Richard was against it, but Lilian could see the benefits. But would they discover who had killed Sir Henry in such a heinous manner? There was much they had to delve into...

The Four Queens of Crime is an entertaining historical mystery with four great minds at work, along with the detectives. Author Rosanne Limoncelli has written a clever mystery, set just prior to WWII beginning and with some well written characters, mostly likeable. I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful story, and have no hesitation in recommending it highly.

With thanks to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for my digital ARC to read and review.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This April (2025) I read and reviewed “The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict. Review link available below, if interested.

Interestingly enough, “The Queens of Crime” also featured the same real life crime fiction authors within her fictionalized story as this book is also doing: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham.

So, when I heard about this book, I was curious how this author was going to write these same women into her fictional murder mystery. And, I also wondered if I would be as captivated with it, as I was Benedict’s book.

As I opened this book, I was greeted with a 2-page list of 29 characters! Oh no! Will I be able to keep track of all these people?! The good news was that at least the author had provided a list. And, interestingly enough, in the author’s preface, she lets readers know that some of these characters she has listed (other than the ‘queens’ authors already mentioned) are based on real people. So, will this many characters enhance or hinder the story?

It is 1938 London. The sense of pending war is in the air with the recent actions of Hitler’s Nazis. The four queens have been invited to be the centerpiece attraction at a fundraiser for the Women’s Voluntary Service being hosted at the estate of Sir Henry Heathcote, an aristocrat.

As short chapters introduce readers to the various players/guests to the event, and the event itself, the murder of Sir Henry is eventually discovered.

Who wanted Sir Henry dead and why? Especially when so many within the family could possibly benefit from his death. Still, there were also others who may have been affected by Sir Henry’s actions as an aristocrat that may have been motivation for murder. Could the motive have been…

“Revenge, freedom from oppression, a crime of passion, money and property?”

The four queens decide to put their sleuthing skills together to try and figure out what occurred with the help of Detective Chief Inspectors Lilian Wyles and Richard Davidson.

With many suspects, will they be able to solve his murder?

The author finds a way to weave together the temperament of the time, including political leanings, which add to the eventual understanding of what could possibly have motivated the killer. As well as, provide good character development of the four queens, and the women police assigned to solve the case, based on their own historic real-life resumes. There were also a few more ‘real people’ characters within the story that were well-developed.

But unfortunately, the plot dragged a bit in the beginning and middle as it was weighed down by so many characters entering and exiting the scenes. It wasn’t until close to the end when characters started to be more revealing about what happened that night, that the story lit up and came to an interesting conclusion.

For this one, 2.5 stars for ‘authentic’ character development of the queens and chief inspectors.

Still, I recommend readers read “The Queens of Crime” by Marie Benedict instead. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have been a much better book if it had focused on DCI Lilian Wyles, the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID, and left out the "Four Queens."

This is a classic country house murder mystery, and having Lillian solve it would have been enough of a twist. Instead 4 paper doll versions of 4 great mystery writers are dragged in to make this more noteworthy. I guess it makes a change from the endless books fictionalizing the Mitfords.

Please don't compare this to Elly Griffiths, who has created wonderful, fresh, original detectives. I bet she could have done better work with Lillian. And speaking of better work, if you haven't read books by the Four Queens, rush off to your library and read them instead!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Four Queens of Crime is an engrossing read, in which author Rosanne Limoncelli challenges four of the best-known authors of the "golden age" of crime - Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham with solving a crime.

The "Four Queens of Crime", as they're dubbed in the invitation, have agreed to jointly host a gala fundraising party at Hursley House, home of baronet and businessman Sir Henry Heathcote. But when Sir Henry is found poisoned the morning after the gala, the four writers find themselves witnesses and potential suspects in a real-life murder. While each brings skills she's honed through writing crime fiction, the experience causes them to evaluate why they write in the crime genre and affects how they'll approach fictionalised murder in the future.

Against the background of approaching war in 1938, there are inevitable political and national security undercurrents, as uncertainty about what lies ahead grips the British public. Rosanne Limoncelli also draws in a fictionalised version of Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles, who in real life was one of the earliest female senior officers in the MET's CID (Detective) division.

In format and style, The Four Queens of Crime follows the basic template of a mid-century country house mystery, a trope each of the four crime authors featured in their own writing. A closed group of people, comprising family members, guests and "below stairs" staff are present when one of their number is murdered. Motives and suspicions abound, while locked doors, hidden poisons and withheld evidence cloud who had the opportunity and intent to kill. A series of formal interviews, group discussions and private conversations lead inexorably to the unmasking of the villain as the significance of each clue is revealed.

I'd recommend The Four Queens of Crime to readers who enjoy traditional murder mystery novels, especially those who have a familiarity with the work of Christie, Sayers, Marsh and Allingham. The quality of Rosanne Limoncelli's research into each woman's character and attitudes is makes this a stimulating and rewarding read.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would best sum up this book with one word: Boring. Absolutely nothing happened (except for a murder in a mansion) and the very proper British police solved the crime by asking the houseguests and family over and over and over again to relate their whereabouts at the time of the crime. They probably bored the murderer to death. Not sure what the “Queens of Crime” had to do with anything as they didn’t solve the murder, and one even vowed not to write murder mysteries anymore after her ghastly experience.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! A classic murder mystery. I liked how subtle the details were as the story progressed and how it wasn’t clear at all who was the murderer.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway!

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

The four Queens of crime: Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Margery Allingham and Ngiao Marsh attend a gala fundraiser where many high society folks are attending. The evening is enjoyable until the morning comes when the host, Sir Henry, is found dead in his library, poisoned by a cigar. The four Queens of Crime help solve the crime alongside the first female DCI Lilian Wyles.

This was the second book I’ve read recently involving the four Queens of crime and I happen to like the other book better. This one was fine, but it got a little repetitive when the detectives interviewed each guest from the party, and there were a lot of guests. I liked that the book was based on real people, but I found the story to be a little tedious at times. I almost think this would have been a good audiobook since there were so many characters. I think this book focused a bit more on Lilian than on the mystery writers so maybe the title should have been called something else.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Christian Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rosanne Limoncelli has written a book worthy of the Four Queens of Crime who come to life in this story of what else? Murder.

The setting is England, 1938 and the world is inching closer to war. In the early hours following a gala to raise money for the Women's Volunteer Service, it is discovered that Sir Henry Heathcote has been murdered.

Scotland Yard is called to investigate and Detective Lilian Wyles (another fictionalized real life personality) employs the help of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh & Margery Allingham to help uncover the culprit.

This whodunnit written in the style of its central characters was an enjoyable read that kept me guessing until the end of the story.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Rosanne Limoncelli's Preface, she introduces the real-life people she is portraying fictionally. I was already familiar with the four best-selling crime writers of their day-- Christie, Sayers, Marsh, and Allingham-- but I'd never heard of DCI Lilian Wyles, and I enjoyed watching these five characters work with each other. Wyles had a particularly difficult time of it because her male counterpart thought the four writers would have absolutely nothing worthwhile to add to the investigation. The five women had to learn how to work around him.

The mystery revolved around a typical British aristocratic family in a large country house just before the start of World War II. Although the whodunit was rather easily deduced, the upstairs-downstairs tension worked well. Those who are familiar with the four authors' books will also find amusing moments along the way, as in Agatha Christie getting the germ of an idea for And Then There Were None.

All in all, The Four Queens of Crime was a pleasant way to spend a few hours, but I really didn't find it to be a standout.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

In “The Four Queens of Crime” we experience a who-done-it in a classic fashion. The twist is that 4 of the guests are Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh – the Queens of Crime – who are known for their own mystery stories.

The time is during Hitler’s reign in Germany but before the UK has entered the war. In preparation for that future possibility, Lady Stella plans a gala ball to generate donations for the Women’s Voluntary Service. The main attraction to the gathering is that the 4 Queens of Crime will be there. The ball is a huge success, but there were many tensions that the ladies picked up on. The next morning, the host, Sir Henry Heathcote is found dead. Scotland Yard is called and a team of detectives, including the first woman to receive the rank of C.I.D. (Chief Inspector Detective), arrive to solve the case.

What is truly fun about this story is that many of the people involved were actual individuals who lived during that error. The story is fictional but it’s interesting learning about them and thinking about how they would behave. The preface tells you more about the real-life situations of Lilian Wyles (CID), Dorthy Peto, Lady Stella, Sir Samuel Hoare, and of course the 4 authors.

The mystery is a satisfying one, where you are given many motives and suspects. I’m not sure a person could truly “solve” it, but you could have a good guess at the point the murderer is revealed. I found it to be engaging and kept me wanting to read.

The point of view does change a fair bit throughout the book but that is actually helpful and not confusing.

My only minor negative is that I found that we went over the timeline a lot in the book. Each time, something new was found out, and I suppose it gave a good orientation to the reader, but it also became a bit redundant. I do appreciate that it was simplified as we went on.

I liked the hit of a romance between two of the characters. I won’t say which characters, for it might be thought a spoiler.

I want to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me early access to this book.

An extra note, I'm not sure the author intended this, but parts of the story had me thinking about current times. It was mentioned how good people can have their ideas and ideals twisted by clever propaganda. We have a situation now where folks are polarized, at least in the USA, based on the media they consume. I think it has led to good people making bad choices. Hopefully, this won't have the same outcome as back in 1938.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is 1938 and the four queens of crime - Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham - have been invited to be co-hosts of a fundraiser for the Women's Voluntary Service. The event is set at the home of Sir Henry Heathcote who is a Baronet and industrialist and is attended by society's and industry's movers and shakers.

The four women arrive the afternoon before the event and note that there is some tension among the family members. Tensions escalate during the ball when Sir Henry manages to have acrimonious encounters with most of his family.

However, all are surprised when Sir Henry's body is discovered in his always-locked library the morning after the event. It is apparent to all that he was killed while smoking a poisoned cigar. Because one of the guests is the Home Secretary, Scotland Yard is called in and DCI Richard Davidson and DCI Lilian Wyles are called in to discretely investigate.

The queens of crime are also investigating by being sympathetic ears for the family and staff. Wyles is willing and eager to use what the writers learn. Her partner is less enthusiastic. The investigation is full and landmines and most of the family have motives to do the family patriarch in.

This was an entertaining mystery. I liked the insights of the authors and the mentions of their work. I liked the setting and the combination of real and fictional characters who make up the cast of this story.

[Homerun2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

It's 1938 and the four Queens of classic mysteries (Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham) have gathered at an aristocrat's estate to help sponsor a fundraiser. The four are admirers of each other's work.

No one can quite figure out why Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote has offered his mansion since he's known to be irascible and not particularly philanthropic. He manages to fight with all of his children the night of the event quite publicly. But still, no one expected his dead body to turn up the next morning.

Scotland Yard sends two detective chief inspectors including DCI Lilian Wyles, an actual historical figure who was the first woman DCI at the Yard. Her interactions with her male counterpart are interesting -- they are cordial and collaborative but they don't operate the same way. This is obviously a tricky case, involving not only a bunch of aristocrats but also the Home Secretary and four celebrity authors on the scene. Wyles is all for recruiting the authors to help ferret out information behind the scenes but her male co-worker is hesitant.

The writing is well done with lots of (speculative) interaction among the authors, with the servants, and within the family. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jody]

DNF. Flat writing and badly paced.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm sort of torn about this book. It felt to me like the author was writing a mystery with DI Lilian Wyles as her main character, but needed something to set her mystery apart and sell more copies, so she titled it The Four Queens of Crime. The trouble is, there is very little delineating Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, or Margery Allingham from each other, or, honestly, any other female character that one might come across that takes place during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. I never felt that any of the writers had any sort of characterization. I really did feel that all the characters in the book, even Lilian, were very flat feeling and uninteresting.
I came across this book while searching for another book called The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict, which was published one month before this book, and has Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, plus Baroness Orczy. I will be reading that book next, and I hope it is better than this one.
2 1/2 stars, rounded up to 3.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw a book where the queens of crime fiction were playing detectives of their own... I POUNCED.  Though I may only have read Agatha Christie so far, each mystery author / character's voice shone through. Now I'm so curious to read more and compare the styles to see how they match with the way they are described in this book.

I also loved reading a fictional account of the real life Lillian to be fascinating.  I honestly expected more kickback and undermining, especially from the men in this book and it was surprising to see that they actually listened to her (for the most part). 

There were also a lot of very timely themes from history that are unfortunately still relevant (probably unintentional, but still interesting). I had an inkling of what happened but I really enjoyed following along and especially how each mystery author acted as an unobtrusive sleuth in her own way.
This book embodied how creative, smart, and cunning women are, despite how they are/were treated especially at this time. I would LOVE for this to become a series and see more of these collabs.

Note: I listened to the audiobook and it was lovely.

Thanks to the publisher for a free ARC; my thoughts are review are my own.

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're going to have a closed room murder at your English country estate gala, then you may be glad that you have the "Four Queens of Crime" on your guest list.

At the request of Lady Stella Reading, founder of the Women's Voluntary Service, the "Four Queens of Crime", (crime writers Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Margery Allingham), are hosting a fundraising gala for the service. Sir Henry Heathcote - Baronet and Lord of Hursley House has surprisingly volunteered the use of his home for this event. Aside from Sir Heathcote's family, there are a number of notable attendees and some not so keenly appreciated businessmen. The gala carries on into the wee hours of the morning. By 8:00 AM, a body is discovered. With Home Secretary Sir Samuel Hoare on site, Scotland Yard is soon brought in to investigate. With a number of female witnesses, real life DCI Lillian Wyles was part of the investigative team. She recognizes the delicate nature of an investigation among members of the Ton. She calls upon the "Four Queens" to note their observations of all those present at Hursley House with the thought that the others would be more amenable to talking with them and divulging more than they might with CID.

This was a fun historical cozy mystery with solid writing and spectacular setting of scenes. Author Rosanne Limoncelli, has done a spectacular job of delivering the individual personalities of the well-known writers as they cheerfully engage in the investigation. I find myself wanting to go back and re-read their foundational crime novels. They truly were the "Four Queens of Crime".

I am thankful to Crooked Lane Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: Mar 11, 2025
Number of Pages: 320
ISBN: 979-8892420600

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Memoir category is pseudo-memoir in this case. The four most famous female crime writers of the late 1930s have been asked to take part in a fund raising event to benefit the WVS, the newly formed Women's Volunteer Service. The idea of having Christie, Allingham, Ngaio Marsh and Dorothy Sayers together and available to consult on a real case is a great concept but it is difficult to bring off when you have to make each of the four ladies real and recognizable to the reader. We don't really know these authors well as people, except Agatha Christie, perhaps, and it leaves the author with quite a load of people to introduce, especially as the event at which a baronet is murdered is a full on ball with government figures (the Home Secretary!) and all of society attending. It was interesting reading about the first female DCI and society balls are always fun whether you laugh at pretentions or enjoy the entre into a different class. I feel MS Limoncelli took on a little too much all at once

[Kyrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Britain teeters on the brink of war with Germany, four legendary mystery writers are invited to a gala house party to raise money for the Women's Volunteer Service. Their host is found dead the next morning, and the authors are confronted with a real mystery to solve. Their ally is Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles who utilizes the women's ability to mingle with the suspects, to the dismay of her co-Detective Chief Inspector Richard Davidson.

The book starts slowly. Very slowly. I had no trouble setting it down to read other things. BUT once it got going, it was entertaining. I particularly liked catching things I'd read in the actual authors' works, and getting some insights into their writing.

[Emily H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun premise: four real mystery authors (Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham) are confronted with a real murder and must help the police investigate in 1938 England.

[Elisa Martins · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ A funny and cozy mystery, something that I usually wouldn’t go for but really enjoyed. Very well written with brilliant characters (fictional and non fictional).
A truly brilliant book

[Meg Rowat · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ slow slow burn but loved all the characters

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off really clunkily; it felt like Limoncelli did a lot of research and REALLY wanted to make sure the reader knew that - but didn't think how to make sure the story didn't suffer for the mass amounts of information dumping. It was a fun concept, but not an engaging read and it took FOREVER for the mystery solving to actually start. It should've taken me a day to read it with how short it is, but it took much longer with how boring certain parts were.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-done whodunit with a great cast of characters, including four real-life authors - Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham - and real-life detective Lilian Wyles. The short chapters had me turning pages until the classic reveal of the murderer at the end.

[Lorri · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is 1938, and war is bearing down on Europe. The four most popular authors in England - Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham - are asked to be celebrity hosts at a grand ball thrown to raise money for war relief. But the morning after the ball their host is found dead, murdered inside a locked room. This book is an outstanding homage to the classic Golden Age mystery written by these mystery authors themselves. It had a country house setting, a locked room murder, multiple suspects all with good motives, and a nonviolent denouement with all the suspects gathered together to see the murderer exposed. The investigation is officially led by two detectives (one of whom, Lillian Wyler, was the real life first female detective chief inspector in Scotland Yard history), and the authors report what they see and hear from the suspects to help the investigators build their case. Each mystery author was perfectly portrayed as a separate and interesting character (there may have been a little bit of blur between the characters of Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham, but it was minor), and the author of this book also described their books enough to intrigue someone who hadn’t yet read them. I am very familiar with the works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers but now I plan to delve deeper into the worlds of Marsh and Allingham too. And the plot measured right up to what you might read in any of these classic novels. I usually complain that a book felt too long for its story but this time was the opposite. I wish there had been another 50-100 pages that we could have had more time with each author. I really hope there will be a sequel.

[emily *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
overall i thought this was a good book. it's not something i would typically go for but, i really enjoyed it. when 4 crime writers get together for a fundraiser gala- the next morning in the mansion a man is found dead in the library. a classic who's done it. my only complaint about this book is i felt there were too many characters and i kept getting confused on who is who.

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this ARC!

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

To help Britain prepare for war, the four queens of British crime fiction – Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham – host a gala to raise money for the Women’s Voluntary Service. A baronet offers his home for the event, but when he is found dead the next morning, the DCI in charge of the case recruits the Queens to assist in the investigation, to the consternation of many of her fellow police.

This is the second book I’ve read in the past couple of months featuring these crime writers, although the other book also included Baroness Emma Orczy in the group. Both are very good books, and each has a different take on having these women solve a murder, so both are worth reading.

This book provides a good look at the ‘upper crust’ of London in 1938, although I was appalled to read how many of them thought England should not go to war with Germany. Then again, hindsight is always 20/20, and I might have felt differently back in 1938. I loved watching the ‘queens’ work on solving the case despite the attitudes of many of the characters involved – “You’re just female writers, what do you know about murder?” They each had their own method to gather information, and each was successful to some degree.

There were a lot of potential suspects to consider for this murder, and their possible motives were as varied as they were. My list kept changing as the story proceeded, but I wasn’t able to narrow it down to just one person until just before it was revealed in the book. I wasn’t entirely surprised by either the motive or who the culprit was.

I enjoyed this book and will look for more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection! If you like classic, Golden Age, locked room mysteries you will enjoy this book immensely

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Kept getting feelings of deja vu as I recently read a book called The Queens of Crime about the very same mystery authors! What are the chances that two different authors would publish books about these 4 characters within weeks of each other? And with such similar titles too. Anyway I give this one the win! Liked the addition of Lilian Wyles.