5 Sparkling Jewels: The Best Books from the Queens of Crime
By Marie Benedict
February 10, 2025
How to pick the best mystery novels from the five Queens of Crime, those legendary writers from the 1920s and 1930s Golden Age of Detective Fiction at the heart of my latest book? It’s no easy task. After all, these authors are not simply masters of the genre; they helped create it. Not to mention each one of them left behind a canon of mysteries from which to choose. Still, needs must, and I do my best here.
Have His Carcase, Dorothy Sayers
The beachside murder at the core of this locked-room mystery comes to light when mystery novelist Harriet Vane (a stand-in for Dorothy Sayers herself, in my opinion) stumbles across the body while on a hiking trip. The bright, plucky Harriet begins an investigation into the seemingly unsolvable murder — made trickier when the body disappears — when Dorothy’s recurring character, Detective Lord Peter Wimsey appears on the scene to assist. The two grow closer as they pick apart the Gordian knot of the complicated murder, and while Harriet reciprocates Wimsey’s feelings, she resists his proposals, wanting to remain independent. Some would choose Dorothy’s masterpiece, Gaudy Night which also stars Harriet Vane, but the coastal British setting and the banter between Harriet and Wimsey here are just too compelling.
Vintage Murder, Ngaio Marsh
Set in Ngaio’s homeland of New Zealand, this novel stands out and not only for the unique scenery and glimpse of culture. The murder strikes a British theater company touring New Zealand, and fortunately for everyone, aristocratic Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn happens to be in the neighborhood, as he’s vacationing in New Zealand. The marriage of two of Ngaio’s passions — her home and the theater — bring this well-crafted classic murder mystery alive.
Death of a Ghost, Margery Allingham
Margarey’s detective, the appealing and pleasingly complex Albert Campion, really reaches his stride in this mystery, which evokes elite English society in the interwar years. Invited to an annual soiree in which a painting by a deceased famous artist is unveiled, Campion becomes embroiled in solving a murder. When the murderer’s identity is revealed, Campion must hunt down and secure the killer, which adds a thrilling layer to this classic mystery.
The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Emma Orczy
Initially created as a wildly successful stage play, the book adaptation isn’t exactly one of Emma’s mysteries, but it’s certainly a classic deserving of inclusion. Set during the French Revolution, this historical adventure focuses on the escapades of Sir Percy Blakeney, who has a hidden identity. He disguises himself as the heroic Scarlet Pimpernel and delivers aristocrats from certain death at the guillotine.
Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie
How can I possibly select just one of Agatha’s books to highlight? My favorite aunt made them the staple of my childhood and they served as a gateway to the books of many other Golden Age of Crime novelists. If I must choose a single book, I’ll go with this one — one of Agatha’s most famous starring Hercule Poirot. I’ve long had a fascination with ancient Egypt and at one time, thought I’d become an archaeologist, so a murder mystery set in and around those renowned monuments is too delectable to pass up.