Queens of London by Heather Webb is a fascinating and tantalizing historical fiction novel. Set in London in 1925, she has brought to life the notorious Alice Diamond, the leader of The Forty Elephants, an all-female gang, as well as Lillian Wyles, a Scotland Yard detective who would love to stop the thieving gang in their tracks. These are two fascinating women, neither of them all good nor all bad. Two other important characters in the book are a runaway girl and a department store saleswoman, whose lives become ensnared in the actions of both Alice and Lillian. Readers are taken on quite a ride with this book, as Alice and Lillian try to stay one step ahead of the other, up and down the streets of London. With memorable characters and a scintillating story, readers are sure to enjoy this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fascinating read set during 1925, that highlighted the ins and outs of the gang, Forty Elephants, run by women who operated a shoplifting ring in London, police work from a woman’s perspective, and what it was like to be orphaned as a child living on the streets of London. This fast paced book will definitely keep you turning the pages to find out who ultimately wins in the end! I loved how the author included what was Fact vs Fiction and further details on The Complicated History of Women Police in her author’s note. If you like a Cat/Mouse detective story, then this is a must-read! A great book club pick as well!

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, I was provided an ARC of Queens of London by Heather Webb via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Diamond Annie (Alice) is leader of the Forty Elephants, the all-female crime ring in 1925 London and she will do anything she needs to in order to protect her position and her girls. Lillian is the only female cop and needs to prove herself, and nabbing Diamond Annie would be the perfect way to do that. Dorothy is a shopgirl at one of the fancier shops in London and it is one of theForty Elephants favorite marks. And then there is Hira, a young girl who has run away from her horrible wealthy uncle who wants to send her to an orphanage now that her parents have died - Hira is trying to survive on the streets - Dorothy gives her food and friendship but Alice gives her a home and a possible new career (as a member of the Forty Elephants). All these women’s (and girl) lives converge as Diamond Annie tries to pull off her biggest heist yet.

This book took me a while to get into, the first 25% took longer than it should (I think I read 3 or 4 books before I got past this point). But once I got into it, I read the whole thing in an afternoon. I enjoyed the female characters and I thought that the author allowed Alice’s character to really stay true to who she was and not succumb to some soft female concept. I do think the book moved a bit too slow at times and I can’t put my finger on why but a fun read in the end.

3.75 (rounded up to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC to review

[arc review]
Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Queens of London releases February 6, 2024

Set in London in 1925, this female-centered historical fiction novel is told through 4 main pov’s:

Alice is the leader of the all women crime syndicate in London called the Forty Elephants. Whether she is with her blood family or her found family, she is always surrounded by the life of crime.

Hira is a half Indian, 10 year old orphan who ran away from her uncle’s home to avoid being sent to an all girls school. She quickly makes a life for herself on the streets by thieving, which gains some attention and lands her in the hands of the Forty Elephants with Alice.

Lilian works for the Metropolitan Police and has just been upgraded to detective; tasked to keep an eye out for gang related thefts and orphaned kids.

Lastly, we have Dorothy who is employed at one of the department stores that the Forties like to steal from, and has also befriended Hira from time-to-time.

As the story unfolds, the characters become more entwined with each other. Lilian and Hira end up switching roles quite frequently between being followed or being the one tailing the other.
The youthfulness in Hira inspires Alice to find a place to serve as a permanent headquarters for the Forties that would also double as a place where they all could live and find an escape from abusive partners, should they choose to want it.

Lilian is racing to collect anything solid enough to arrest the leader of the Forty Elephants while also finding Hira again to inform her of an inheritance left to her by her late parents.
At the same time, the Forties must orchestrate their largest job yet in order to secure enough money before the year is up for the property they want.

Will the women come out unscathed? Or will they lose some along the way to stubbornness and lack of trust and loyalty?
In a world where women are constantly overlooked, it’s sometimes the most unlikely alliances where strength is found.

This was a bit too slow-paced at times for me, and as with the nature of having multiple leading characters, some end up being more fleshed out than others. I would have liked a bit more of Lilian and Dorothy!

cw: physical abuse, some racism + racial slurs, cheating

I am giving all the stars for this phenomenal read. I was quickly enthralled and could not stop thinking about the book. Thanks to work, I had to take a few days to read it. The characters are fantastically written. Each character is vastly different, each adding richness and depth to the book. The plot is well thought out and you can tell Heather Webb has done her research. Off course I went down a deep google rabbit hole looking everything up. I love it when I learn something new. I knew from the synopsis that I would be able to sink my teeth into this story.

Ten-year-old Hira is being raised by her horrible, rich uncle. She knows he cannot stand her, and she is just biding her time until her parents come back from India. The day she is told the news that both of her parents have passed, and her uncle tells her of his plans to send her to an orphanage. She decides that living on the streets of London would be better. She may be young, but she is smart, picks up on things quickly, and is an asset to anyone who helps her. She runs into Alice Diamond, The Queen of The Forth Elephants. The all-women's gang who runs the streets of London. Alice has a kind heart but is teetering on the edge of destruction. She wants to make sure all her girls are loyal to her and that she will always be there for them. She cares for Hira, she cannot let this show. She is worried the others would see it as weakness. The woman who is watching all of this from a distance is one of the first female police officers, Lilian. She wants to make women in uniform the norm and she needs to make an arrest. All these women weave together to make for one heck of a ride.

This is an astonishing book that spotlights extremely strong women. They are determined and steadfast in their cause. For Hira to have a family that will love her, keep her warm and safe. Alice wants to be able to show her true power and to be respected. Lilian to make women in the police force a norm. I will think back on this book fondly and Hira is my absolutely favorite character of 2024 so far. Thank you to Heather Webb and Sourcebook Landmark for my copy.

I made it about 65% of the way through this one. It just wasn’t for me. It felt like I’d read it before - it just wasn’t holding my interest. I believe it has a place and there will be many that enjoy it.

Queens of London by Heather Webb includes an interesting and perhaps unexpected cast of female characters for a novel set in London in 1925. Alice Diamond, better known as “Diamond Annie,” runs an all-woman gang called the Forty Elephants. Lieutenant Lillian Wyles is a female detective trying to earn respect in a male dominated police force. Hira is a young orphan who would rather live on the streets than with her cruel uncle. Dorothy is a sweet and naive shopgirl. Hira’s life collides with each of these woman who are each just trying to survive as best they can with the circumstances they have been dealt. An adventure of a story.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, NetGalley and the author for an eARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Webb has done it again! I absolutely loved Queens of London. It's a bold and brash combination of fascinating women, Roaring 20s London, and a series of ever-more-intricate capters. Brava!

Queens of London
By: Heather Webb
5👸👸👸👸👸

1925-London

Alice Diamond known as “Diamond Annie” runs her all-woman gang the Forty Elephants. She wants the best for her girls and a lot of them are not in the best of circumstances. These girls are her family!

They meet on a regular basis and plan their next heist. They appear at high end department stores looking for lingerie, stockings, jewelry, clothes and anything they know will make a profit.

A local female detective with Scotland Yard, Officer Lillian Wyles is wanting to be acknowledged for more than being a female. She is asked to find runaways and if she can catch Diamond Annie and her girls, this would get her noticed!

I loved the part of her story where Diamond Annie takes in a little runaway and shows her the ropes, but finds her heart is not as tough as she leads everyone to believe. Diamond Annie’s girls each have their stories and Dorothy is one that tugged at my sleeves.

Will Detectives Wyles get what she desires? One major heist changes the course of everyone. Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and Heather Webb for this advanced copy. This novel is available February 6, and you won’t want to miss reading this one.

#queensoflondon, #heatherwebb, #booksconnectus, #sourcebookslandmark, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50

I'm not surprised for even a second that I loved this book. I'm a fan of all of Ms. Webb's novels. And what a fun premise we have in Queens of London. I loved the different POVs: 1) Alice Diamond -- head of the Forty Elephants, 2) a young runaway girl who gets wrapped up in the gang, 3) a female detective trying to prove her mettle and bring down the gang, and 4) a shopkeeper (the department store in which she works a target by the Forty Elephants) who is trying to find her worth. The stories of course intertwine in a wonderful way and kept me entertained from start to finish. A quick and compulsory read!

It's the roaring 1920 and we meet Alice, otherwise known as Diamond Annie, who runs the Forty Elephants gang of female thieves. Her notorious gang is known for stealing from the department stores but have yet to be caught. Lillian, a female detective, is hoping to catch her and bring her in to earn the respect of the male-dominated police force who doesn't take her seriously. And then, there is little Hira, recently orphaned, who runs away from her cruel uncle and finds a friend in Alice who takes her off the streets. But Hira also finds herself drawn to Dorothy, the sweet salesgirl at the store where Alice's gang has repeatedly targeted. These 3 women and little Hira's lives will all collide spectacularly in this novel about female camaraderie and loyalty and finding a sense of purpose and identity in their lives.

This was an enjoyable read! Hira was such a sweet little character and tough Alice showed that she had a heart underneath her rough exterior. Lillian also realized that not all is black and white as she grapples with right and wrong where Alice and Hira are concerned. Dorothy was sweet but also so darn naive it drove me bonkers. But I enjoyed the story and kept flipping the pages to see how it was all going to pan out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital review copy of this novel. It will be available on 2/6/2024.

This is my sixth book by the amazing author Heather Webb. I really enjoyed reading about all of these wonderful characters. The little girl named Hira Wickham and her little dog Biscuit, it was so exciting to see what they go through. You meet three women, Dorothy McBride, Lilian Wyles, and Alice Diamond (Diamond Annie) they become part of Hira's adventure in the streets of London. It felt like "Annie" meets "Oliver Twist". This book will bring out all emotions, have a tissue handy.

I enjoyed learning the truth from fiction that the author gives you in the end, it's something I love. To learn that two of the characters are factual and certain events actually happened is amazing.

I highly recommend this 5 ⭐ , fast past, fun, sad, adventure of a story, unbelievable. I loved it. Enjoy ❤️.

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark, NetGalley, and Heather Webb for this advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheQueensofLondon
#NetGalley
#HeatherWebb
#SourceBooksLandmark

A wonderful historical fiction. Set in London, 1925 we see the life of the Queen of the Forty Elephants. Diamond Annie is in charge of the girl gang in London. They swindle and steal and are being watched by the first woman inspector, Lilian Wyles. Although, this is a fiction it is based on real people and events. Such a great read that will put you in the past and feel a part of the action.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hira is a young girl who's parents live in India, but have unfortunately passed away due to illness.
She is living with her uncle and once news of her parents' death, her uncle wants to ship her off to a school. She has no control over her life, so she decides to run away from her uncle. She hides in a tiny spot to sleep for the night, and she meets a stray dog who watches over her. She decides to name him Biscuit and the two of them become inseparable.

Since Hira has no money, she has no other choice but to pick pocket to survive. Alice, aka "Diamond Annie" sees Hira in action and decides to take Hira under the wings. For those who don't know, Alice Diamond the Queen of the Forty Elephants, an all girl gang who pull off many well planned out heists.

Officer Lilian is one of the frist female detectives who has to prove herself to her force. She decides to win big by trying to arrest Diamond Annie. This will break up the gang and she will get the respect she deserves from her coworkers.

Does Hira follow in Diamond Annie's footsteps? Does Officer Lilian catch Diamond Annie?

I really loved reading this book and it was interesting to learn at the end of the book that most of the characters and gangs are true, but the stories are fictional. This book flowed really well and I was curious as to how Hira's life would turn out.

I like the concept of the book, but for a book that sounds so exciting, it moves at snail’s-pace. And there are just too many characters that I don’t care about.

"Diamond Annie" is the Queen of the Forty Elephants, an all girl gang know for shoplifting. She has become the focus of Officer Lilian Wyles, one of Britain's first female cops. When Lillian hears rumor of a big heist the girl gang is going to pull, she is ready to finally put Annie behind bars.

This book is set in London in 1925. This is not a time period I have read much about. It was fun learning about Diamond Annie and Lilian Wyles. The story kept me interested from beginning to end. Heather Webb always writes a story that is well-worth the read.

I really wanted to get into this book, but I could not keep with it. I think if I had an audiobook, I would be more into it. There were too many characters and it just did not hold my attention. The premise seems interesting, but it just didn't deliver the way I had hoped it would.

Queens of London
A Novel
by Heather Webb

Queen of London by Heather Webb is an incredible historical fiction set in 1920s London. The story is about strong women and also about their vulnerabilities - the story is based on a real all-girl gang called The Forty Elephants, and I feel that Healther Webb did a fabulous job of depicting these women.

I think fans of historical fiction, women in history, and just readers in general will enjoy this one.

Thank you so much Sourcebooks Landmark, @bookmarked and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

By the author of THE NEXT SHIP HOME and THREE WORDS FOR GOODBYE. Heather Webb is a very good author. I read and enjoy both of those. THE NEXT SHIP HOME was my favorite of hers.

This is the story of three women and a little girl. Each play a very important role in this book.

Alice Diamond is the Queen of London's streets. The infamous leader of a gang of female thieves called The Forty Elephants. They are notorious for the things they steal and resale. But they tend to get away with it a lot. While some do get caught and spend time along with hard labor, mostly they do manage to get away. Alice does not put up with anything from her girls either. They must remain loyal and be there for each other. Sometimes that doesn't happen and she has to dole out punishment. She always defends her girls though and even strangers if they need her help.

Lilian Wyles is a female detective who wants nothing more than to move up in her field. To be respected by her fellow coworkers and her boss. She's one of a few female officers and she wants her break to prove she's up for the job. She's after Alice. If she can bring her down she will have proven herself. Also there is the young girl Hira Wickham who is missing. She is out to find her also. To rescue her from the streets and return her to her Uncle Clyde. She has no idea why Hira ran away but she will find out.

Dorothy McBride is a sales girl at the department store where The Forty Elephants do a lot of their stealing. She wants to be taken seriously. She designs clothes but does not have the courage to show them to anyone but her mother. She's been dating the boss. I saw the outcome of that coming right off. I liked Dorothy and thought she was a very bright young woman. She has a heart and deserves good things.

Hira Wickham was living with her uncle. He was not a kind man but didn't hit her either. Hira wanted nothing more than to be loved. She wanted her parents. When Uncle Clyde told her she was to be sent away she ran. She had nowhere to go and didn't know anyone but she learned quickly how to survive. She found a true friend in a dirty little pup she named Biscuit. Because he loved biscuits. In a round about way she joined Alice's gang. Alice was not cruel but she also was not that kind either.

This story is based on an actual gang set in London and known as The Forty Elephants lead by Alice. A lot of it really happened but some did not. Some of the characters are actual people from that time and others are not. Dorothy and Hira and Biscuit are fictional but also the most lovable of characters. I really admired Dorothy. She finally stood up for herself and made a decision that was best for her. She was kind to Hira always and even treated Biscuit very well. I didn't much care for Alice. I thought she was petty with certain things. It was good how she took up for women in distress but not so good how she treated people in general. She had a hard life and was abused by her dad but that should have taught her a bit of compassion too. I liked Detective Wyles for the most part. She was just trying to make her mark in the world of men. And do her job.

This book was a fun read though at times had me holding my breath. I feared for Hira a lot but she was a very resilient little girl. The story is well written and you will learn some things from it. At least I did. I had no idea about female gangs in that era.

Thank you #NetGalley, #HeatherWebb, #SourceBooksLandmark for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

4/5 stars and a high recommendation.

"Maybe women can have it all, as long as they're willing to steal it.

1925. London. When Alice Diamond, AKA "Diamond Annie," is elected the Queen of the Forty Elephants, she's determined to take the all-girl gang to new heights. She's ambitious, tough as nails, and a brilliant mastermind, with a plan to create a dynasty the likes of which no one has ever seen. Alice demands absolute loyalty from her "family" - it's how she's always kept the cops in line. Too bad she's now the target for one of Britain's first female policewomen.

Officer Lilian Wyles isn't merely one of the first female detectives at Scotland Yard, she's one of the best detectives on the force. Even so, she'll have to win a big score to prove herself, to break free from the "women's work" she's been assigned. When she hears about the large-scale heist in the works to fund Alice's new dynasty, she realizes she has the chance she's been looking for - and the added bonus of putting Diamond Annie out of business permanently.

A tale of dark glamour and sisterhood, Queens of London is a look at Britain's first female crime syndicate, the ever-shifting meaning of justice, and the way women claim their power by any means necessary, from USA Today bestselling author Heather Webb."

Everybody is getting on the Alice Diamond trade!