The Four Queens of Crime

In 1938 London, four iconic writers of Golden Age crime fiction — Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Ngaio Marsh and Margery Allingham — agree to host a gala to raise funds for the Women’s Voluntary Service in the run-up to war. Baronet Sir Henry Heathcote offers his estate, Hursley House, for the event, and London’s most influential attend. Although the evening seems a success, the next morning the baronet is found murdered in his library. Detective Chief Inspector Lilian Wyles — the first woman detective chief inspector in the CID — is called in alongside DCI Richard Davidson. With the four celebrated authors quietly on the scene, Wyles must navigate high society, hidden alliances and rivalries to expose a killer before another victim surfaces.

“Limoncelli makes a splash with her riotously entertaining debut … A note-perfect Golden Age pastiche with a satisfying metafictional twist.” — Publishers Weekly

“The inclusion of real historical figures adds to the enjoyment … Fans of Christie or Rhys Bowen will appreciate the details of the gala and the prewar intrigue.” — Library Journal