The Queens of Crime

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of gender discrimination, graphic violence, and death.

“No matter how beautifully written a mystery book is or how important and profound its themes, mainstream reviewers lump us in the ‘genre’ category and refuse to consider our work as literature. They think of our books as pulp fiction, and as one who reviews detective novels for the Sunday Times, I am keenly aware of the difference in treatment.”

The exclusive nature of the literary community is an important message in the novel. This passage suggests that other writers are judgmental of mystery writers, often excluding them from the ranks of “real” literature. Ironically, male mystery writers attempt to exclude their female colleagues from professional groups.

“Words float over my head like clouds—‘bobbed hair’ and ‘full-time nurse’ and ‘stockings’—and I want to reach out and grab them, make them solid on the page. I resist the urge to jot all these tidbits down in my notebook.”

The novel suggests that Dorothy’s career as a mystery writer makes her uniquely suited to solving the real-life mystery of May Daniels’s disappearance. Here, Dorothy visualizes her literary depiction of May Daniels, which allows her to see May as a full human, not just a victim. The repeated reference to writing in this passage reflects how Dorothy’s career influences her worldview.

“I meticulously map out the method, the motive, and the murderer. Then I layer in clues and red herrings before the details about the suspects and the victim begin to creep into my mind. Only at that point do the characters begin to take shape.”

Each of the five members of the Queens of Crime has a different writing process, which their unique investigative styles reflect. Here, Agatha Christie explains that she prioritizes developing the plot details of a mystery over character development. This style is evident in Agatha’s attention to detail during the investigation into May Daniels’s disappearance.