The Queens of Crime: five women, one murder case and a chance to prove themselves

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict is a story of four women fighting for a place in literature as they race to solve a murder. It’s London, 1930, five women crime writers band together to form a second society with the goal to prove they deserve to be recognized, the Queens of Crime are Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Nagio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. How do they prove they are worthy of recognition? Solve the real life murder of May Daniels was a young English nurse who discovered during a trip to France with her friend, seemingly vanishing into thin air. When her body is discovered months later in nearby woods. There are so many questions and inconsistencies that the women know that someone is hiding something. As they get deeper into their investigation, the killer targets Dorothy Sayers with a dark secret from her past. 

The only Queen of Crime I am familiar with is Agatha Christie. I have heard of Dorothy L Sayers by name only. The other ladies I had not heard of. I was looking forward to a fictionalized story of a true story from Sayers’ life, especially her unique relationship with Agatha Christie as a professional “rival” and friend. Unfortunately, I struggled with this story. I had no interest in the murder investigation and the constant girl-power, “I can’t believe he thinks that” attitude was annoying. I was also surprised there was no author’s note at the end of the story giving some insight into the author’s inspiration or thoughts on the real women. Author’s notes are usually very insightful and add more to the story. It was disappointing not to see it there. By the end of the story, I felt I did not know more about these women. I do not recommend The Queens of Crime. 

The Queens of Crime is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Christie Affair: an disappointing retelling of Agatha Christie's mysterious disappearance

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont is a story centered around the famous disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926. Agatha Christie is one of the most famous mystery writers of the 20th century. When she was last seen on December 3, 1926, her disappearance was the type of mystery you would expect Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple to be able to solve. She would be located on December 14, 1926 at the Swan Hydropathic Hotel with no memory of how she got there or why she was there. Those eleven days would be debated for years as Christie refused to answer any questions about that time. Perhaps the greatest mystery wasn’t her disappearance at all, but what she discovered. Nan O’Dea was Archie Christie’s mistress. A woman who lured him away from his devoted and very famous wife. But why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage? Why hatch a plot years in the making? Why resort to murder? How was Nan tied to Agatha Christie’s disappearance? A story of star-crossed loves, heartbreak, revenge and murder. 

Agatha Christie was the first mystery writer I had read and her disappearance has always been a point of fascination. And I looked forward to reading The Christie Affair as a possible explanation of what happened. Ms. de Gramont’s story is marketed as a “brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.” However, it fails to deliver. I was bored and confused from the start. The story is told from the perspective of Nan O’Dea, the fictionalized version of Nancy Neele, the real life mistress and second wife of Archie Christie. An omnipotent narrator, Nan is able to tell the reader about scenes where she is not present and the thoughts and feelings of other characters, which was very off-putting. In my opinion, the 2008 Doctor Who episode, “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” did a much better job at an fantastical and imaginative explanation about the famous author’s disappearance. The Christie Affair is less about Agatha Christie and more about Nan. I do not recommend The Christie Affair . 

The Christie Affair is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

The Woman on the Orient Express: an adventure story featuring Agatha Christie

The Woman on the Orient Express by Lindsay Jayne Ashford is a story of Agatha Christie and her journey on the Orient Express and the adventure she has while in the exotic Middle East. Its 1928, she is still reeling from the fall out of her divorce from her husband, Archie, and her mysterious disappearance which she has no memory of. Her trip is in hopes to travel incognito and a fresh start. Along the way, she meets Katharine Keeling, a young woman who has worked as an archeologist who is traveling to join her fiancé, Leonard Woolley. One night, she saves a young woman who attempts suicide from the back of the train. The young woman turns out to be Ann “Nancy” Grandfield, wife of the Viscount Felix Nelson. The three women soon becomes friends as they journey on the train, visiting the sights along the way.  From Venice to Istanbul to Baghdad, the three women become friend, each with their own secret they are desperately trying to hide. Will their secrets be revealed? Will they be able to stop running from their past and build a new future?

The Women on the Orient Express is a great story about three women in a world which often didn’t appreciate their intelligence ot their very existence. At first, I thought the woman in the title referred to Agatha Christie but I soon realized that the woman could also refer to Katharine or Nancy as it is their story as much as Agatha’s. Ms. Christie really did travel the Orient Express and toured the dig sites of the Ur with the Woolleys. There she would meet her second husband. The book also gives the insight on the inspiration for the books that followed this journey. If you are a fan of Agatha Christie, even if you aren’t, I highly recommend The Woman on the Orient Express was an adventure story which will introduce Ms. Christie to you in ways you may have never seen her before.

The Woman on the Orient Express

is available on Amazon in paperback and on the Kindle

and

on Barnes and Noble in paperback and audiobook