March new releases, book reviews, and more

Debbi Mack

Mar 23, 2025

This month’s featured new releases include the following:

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. Available for purchase now.

Q&A with Marie Benedict, author of The Queens of Crime. Available for purchase now.

You’re a prolific author of historical fiction but in The Queens of Crime you bring in elements of mystery and true crime. Where did the idea for this book come from?

I was first introduced to Dorothy Sayers (and Agatha Christie) as a young girl by a wonderful aunt — who also happened to be an English professor, a poet, and a rebellious nun. She kept up with my voracious reader appetite, and introduced me to these incredible Golden Age of Mystery writers so I grew up reading and loving them. The idea for The Queens of Crime started with the research for another novel, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie —my fictional take on what happened to Agatha Christie during her infamous 11-day disappearance. I learned that Agatha’s friend, Dorothy Sayers, had been tapped by the police to help locate her. Growing intrigued with the woman behind the books, I began to delve into Sayer’s life and legacy. When I uncovered that she had been involved in a very real murder investigation, I became fascinated with the notion of a writer of detective fiction becoming a detective herself—and perhaps bringing her friends along for the ride. The Queens of Crime imagines what happens if Sayers and her female, mystery-writer friends banded together to solve a real-life murder.

Who are these mystery writer friends and how do they fit into the story?

In my novel, Sayers and Christie are joined by three other talented mystery writers, Margery Allingham (known for her fictional sleuth Albert Campion), Baroness Emma Orczy (author of the Scarlet Pimpernel novels) and Ngaio Marsh (creator of Inspector Alleyn). These writers, who in my book dub themselves the Queens of Crime, all bucked convention in their own ways and (with the exception of Baroness Orczy) were part of the Detection Club–a real club for mystery writers that Sayers co-founded and that is still around today. I wanted to write about the power of female friendship to secure justice when society and the authorities are unwilling to do so. I gave them a dual mission–to gain the respect of their male peers in the Detection Club by solving a real crime and to secure justice for an overlooked young woman.

Tell us more about this real-life murder!

The case of May Daniels is fascinating–and infuriating when you realize how views of women at the time impacted her case. May Daniels was a young British nurse who took a day trip to the French seaside town of Boulogne-sur-mer with her fellow nurse Celia McCarthy, on a rare day off from their work at the hospital where they also lived. Just before their return to England, May went into the bathroom in the train station and never came out. She disappeared in locked room circumstances that seemed torn from the pages of the Queens’ mystery novels! Significant press coverage emerged about this strange disappearance. And then, months later, May’s body was found in a park outside of Boulogne-sur-mer, near where she vanished. A gaggle of journalists descended on Boulogne-sur-mer to cover this strange crime, Sayers and her journalist husband Mac Fleming among them, turning the seaside town into a circus for a while. A flurry of articles were published, some more focused on the facts and others serving up whatever lurid intimations could be made about a young working woman with daring bobbed hair traveling abroad, during a time period when attitudes about unmarried women with jobs — even if they had limited opportunities to marry — were very negative. This flame was fanned into a news coverage fire when police found a syringe near the body, giving rise to unfounded speculations of drug use.

What’s something interesting you uncovered in your research for this book?

I relish excavating critical women from the past–women’s voices and stories are more important than ever. From my readings of Sayers’ novels and what I saw in newspaper reports about May’s death, I believe her murder lived on in Sayers’ imagination, and she noodled on the increasingly cold case in the years that followed. Bits and pieces of the puzzle can be found in her novels, if you are looking. For example, in Unnatural Death, which was published in 1927 after the murder, Dorothy includes a restroom scene very similar to the one that happened to May Daniels and Celia McCarthy. Here, however, she provides a solution to this puzzle. I won’t give away what the solution is, but I will divulge that I used this explanation for May's disappearance in The Queens of Crime!

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MARIE BENEDICT is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Lady Clementine, Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, and with Victoria Christopher Murray, the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian and the Target Book of the Year The First Ladies. All have been translated into multiple languages, and many have been selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder by Brandi Bradley. Now available for sale.

An Interview with Brandi Bradley. Book now available for sale.

1. What inspired “Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder”?

I often write stories that would make good gossip fodder. And for a while when I would research, I would be drawn to stories about dangerous women: femme fatales, crazy ex-girlfriends, ball busters, etc. This perception of danger because of how a woman looks is pervasive, and it’s not just pretty women, but also women who are considered strong, or in command, or smart. People love to talk about a dangerous woman.

Who do you want to reach with your books?

I want to reach people who are interested in a really juicy story. That’s what so many people – including me – love about a good episode of Dateline. It’s juicy. It’s about lies, scandals, heartbreak, betrayal, and people who are a little ridiculous for thinking they could get away with something. I want to tell those kinds of stories for people who secretly love drama, but don’t actually want drama in their life.

Who are your top 3 favorite authors and why?

Janet Finch – I keep a copy of Paint it Black on my desk when I write. It’s not a crime story, but it’s definitely a family drama that is dark and vicious, everyone stewing in the grief of losing someone unexpectedly.

Julia Heaberlin – We’re All the Same in the Dark is one of those books that made me think, Damn, I wish I had written that! I also loved Paper Ghosts. She writes these amazing crime novels rooted in community and place.

Megan Abbott – This is my noir queen. I love all her books, particularly how all the female characters in her books are physical beings in more ways than just sexual beings. They run, jump, leap, and fall. In her books, ballet is bloody, science is scandalous, and gymnastics is brutal.

What has been your experience with indie publishing? How do you manage your writing time?

As an indie author, I am in charge of all the decisions about what I publish: I pick the editors, the artwork, the release dates, the promotions, as well as attend writing conferences and meet up with other authors. I have to be mindful of what gets my time and attention. I'm a parent, so often I am writing around kid obligations like football practice, packing for camp, driving tests, and making birthday cakes.

Tell us about your creative process. What advice do you have for aspiring writers to help them harness their creativity?

Because I often have to carve out time to write, it feels more like I “get” to write more than I “have” to write. It’s like being a kid who can close their bedroom door and play. When I make the time to write, I put on a playlist that inspires me (I make one for every book I write) and I will either sketch out ideas onto a legal pad or I type up the scenes I sketched the day before.

My advice for aspiring writers is to give yourself permission. Give yourself permission to make that playlist that reminds you of what your characters would listen to. Give yourself permission to spend hours at the library or bookstore just looking around. Give yourself permission to turn your phone on Do Not Disturb for fifteen minutes to write down that poem that’s been rolling around your head all morning.

Your novels have beautiful Southern settings that counterbalance the secrets, crime and drama within the plot. Why do you set your mysteries in the South?

Because the South is full of secrets. There’s the truth but then there’s also the facade. Decisions are made behind closed doors. Relationships are Instagrammable regardless of the seedy drama that happens behind the scenes. Families hold huge reunions even when they’re still mad at some uncle for a bad business deal. I like to poke at this myth of the good Southern family.

Why are libraries so important, not only for authors but for readers too?

I have always loved libraries. If a person loves books, then the library is like the best day of shopping without spending any money. And librarians are thrilled to get you the book you need. I like working in libraries because they are quiet, they have WiFi, and when I hit a creative slump, I can wander over to where the books are and find a little inspiration.

Are you currently accepting writers for your workshops / coaching program? What’s next for you?

Yes, I am. I started offering courses on my website, because of the many roles that professional writers take on, I’ve learned that teaching is one of my favorites. I love being a writing cheerleader and I love teaching, so this is perfect for me. Currently, I have an online program on my website to help writers develop their creative mindset. I also have one-on-one coaching packages available.

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Brandi Bradley is an indie author and educator who lives in the great city of Atlanta, Georgia. She writes short stories and novels about crime, family drama, flea markets, cowboys, rowdy girls, and gossip. She has had short stories and essays published in Juked, Louisiana Literature, Carve, and Nashville Review. She teaches writing at Kennesaw State University. “Mothers of the Missing Mermaid” (2023) is her debut novel of secrets by the sea in Destin, Florida. Bradley’s second book, “Pretty Girls Get Away With Murder” was released in March 2025. Learn more about her life and work at: www.brandibradley.com