Most mystery readers recognize Agatha Christie as the Queen of Crime, and Ellery Queen was America’s favorite detective for most of the 20th century. So, what other Queens of Mystery can be found on mystery lovers’ shelves? Following are three titles with a regal pedigree.
All the Queen’s Men by S. J. Bennett
In this follow up to the best-selling The Windsor Knot, Bennet imagines a second sleuthing adventure for amateur detective (and literal Queen of Mystery) Queen Elizabeth II. Poison pen letters, a missing painting, and a dead body in Buckingham Palace keep the beloved monarch on her toes in this truly entertaining whodunnit.
Murder at Queen’s Landing by Andrea Penrose
If you love Rhys Bowen or Jacqueline Winspear, Penrose may be a treasured find. Lady Charlotte Sloane and the Earl of Wrexford navigate Regency-Era London in search of a missing mathematician while trying to outmaneuver a hidden mastermind threatening the stability of the British Empire. Queen’s Landing is a lush period mystery and a quick read.
Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood
Life is never simple for Phryne Fisher. Heroine of the hit Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries series, Phryne only wants to enjoy her reign as St. Kilda’s seasonal Queen of the Flowers. As usual, a complicated love life and a dead body stand in her way. Each Fisher book is a dazzling window into 1920s Europe through the eyes of an intelligent, independent heroine.
Love a good murder? Be sure to take a stab at Thou Shalt Not Kilt, a traditional Southern whodunnit with Scottish flavor. For my latest news and updates, follow me on Instagram and TikTok. Sign up for Fatal Fiction, my monthly mystery newsletter, and you’ll get a free download of Masters of Murder, my concise guide to the authors of mystery’s Golden Age.
