This is a fascinating book about an all women’s gang in London during the 1920’s. Readers will enjoy being immersed into the beginnings of the feminist movement as seen through the lens of gangs, police officers and shop workers. The intersectional stories of Diamond Annie and her gang, little Hira, and Officer Lilian will have you questioning your loyalties as you decide who to root for! Morality and paternalism are major themes in this book and you will find yourself seeing many sides to different stories! I have never read or heard about Diamond Annie and her gang and really enjoyed living inside this novel for a while, Thanks to NetGalley for a ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Webb’s The Queens of London is a fictional account of the woman gang known as The Forty Elephants whose heyday was in the 1920s. Her research shows that all the gangs she refers to in the novel were in existence, that Alice Diamond, leader of The Forty Elephants (also known as The Forty Thieves) was a real person with an empire covering London, Brighton and Bristol and she had a real romance with another gang leader, Bert McDonald. Webb provides Alice with another romance, based on a mention of ‘Simon’ in her research which may or may not be fictionalised. However, true, too, is the depiction Lilian Wyles, one of the first female police officers in the Criminal Investigations Department, and one of the first woman chief inspectors. Her role in the capture of Alice is fictional, but an important adjunct to the story of women making their way, although rather differently, in the hierarchies of law and crime in 1920s England. The Queens of London makes a tremendous read, with its commitment to women’s cause, recognition of their failures and reasons for these, and sensitive approach to racism in the period – again with women at the centre of the story.

Two other woman characters are fictional – Hira and Dorothy McBride. Hira lives in splendour with her uncle, her governess and servants; Dorothy is a salesperson at Marshall & Snelgrove – the store that Alice and her gang have just divested of silk lingerie, jewellery and furs amongst the many luxury items stuffed into the gang’s clothing and reticules as Dorothy has served Alice, a seemingly legitimate customer. Hira and Alice are to meet as Hira leaves home upon learning she is to be set to boarding school. Hira becomes a waif on the streets and is taken into the gang. Hira and Dorothy also meet under unhappy circumstances also, as Hira becomes embroiled in the gang’s activities. Complexity is added to their stories as Dorothy is pursued by the store’s owner and dreams of marriage and Hera’s parentage becomes apparent. She is the child of an officer in India and his Indian wife.

Webb weaves a beguiling story around these seemingly simple elements – a gang queen, a shop assistant with dreams, a runaway child, and a police officer. However, the main features of the story are not so simple, and the complexity, along with the social commentary Webb interweaves with the characters, their aspirations and environments is adroit. Alice’s home life is instrumental in her desire to become and remain the queen of the gang, her fictional romance being at odds with this determination and leading her into speculation about her past and future. As well as being the dupe of the store owner Dorothy designs women’s clothing of merit. Hira’s parentage and her uncle’s treatment of her raise the racial issues that are dealt with by Webb with sensitivity and understanding. Hira’s introduction to Indian cuisine and clothing is a lovely recognition of the sumptuousness of her culture. Lilian Wiles’ story is also that of the introduction of women into the police force, their aspirations, the sexism they faced and the work they undertook.

The Queens of London is an excellent read. The combination of fact and fiction works well, and the social commentary woven throughout the story is a valuable addition to a story that is at once, lively, poignant and engaging.

A story of Britian's first women's crime gang, post WWI. And the detectives of that time. Good history and interesting read.

Hira, a 10 year old who loses her parents and the only relative is an uncle who has no interest in her, Alice who builds a business and maintains her independence being the leader of an organized women’s shoplifting ring, Dorothy who works in a department store while dreaming of designing and selling her own clothes, and Lillian- a female “copper” struggling to prove herself in a man’s profession - love how their worlds come together, their bravery and at times the kindness they show in lifting up and protecting other women. Easy to read, well written story of hard times in London after WWII - loved it!

Thank you to Sourcebooks London for the ARC! #netgalley

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and the FB group Bloom With Tall Poppy Writers for this ARC which doesn't come out until February of 2024. I was honored to read it.
A really good read and different than my usual.

Queens of London is a new historical fiction twist on the infamous "Diamond Annie" who lead a team of female thieves. Queens of London also follows one of the first female detectives in London, who is trying to stop "The Forty Elephants nee Thieves" from their shoplifting. Also in the mix is Hira, who has found herself on the streets of London, having been orphaned, and the head of a department store.

I recently read another fictionalized book about this band of shoplifters, so it seems to be a re-discovered part of history. Heather Webb has done another great job fictionalizing a time of history that has been unknown to the current generation of readers.

I received an advanced reader copy via NetGalley.

this is set in 1925 London, Lilian Wyles is one of the first female detectives at Scotland yard. very interesting historical novel.

A great story that kept me hooked and i found fascinating. Hard women, crime syndacate, the undersworld of London after WWI
I'm not a fan of gangland but i liked this novel as it's well plotted and it doesn't describe the characters as sort of anti-hero
Well done and well written
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Net Galley and to Sourcebooks Landmark (my go-to publisher with a wonderful facility in Naperville, Illinois) for providing an early copy of Queens of London by Heather Webb.

It took one rainy afternoon into early evening to complete Queens of London which was a choice I made when I could not put the book down. The multi-dimensional characters along with a "grab and go" plot kept me reading and wondering how a gang of women thieves (the Forty Elephants) in post World War I could overcome so many obstacles and reap success from their crimes.

At the heart of the story is the leader of the gang, Allce Diamond (a real historical figure) who views her life of large-scale thievery as the only way to survive in a world so tough on women. Annie is not all good or all bad, and over the course of the action there are glimmers of a caring woman.

Completely on the side of the law is Metropolitan Policewoman Lilian Wyles (also a real figure and one of the first female police in England) whose frustration with the system toward women in law enforcement makes her a true heroic figure.

When a young girl Hira runs away from a nasty uncle in whose care she is placed with her parents in India and who later due of cholera, she becomes the catalyst that brings all of the strong characters together. Something of Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens is in fact mentioned several times in the book) and a bit of The Secret Garden both add to the strength of Hira's personality. One of the female employees of the large department store targeted by the Forty Elephants and a secret, budding clothing designer, Dorothy, will befriend Hira and will add to Hira's complicated feelings about the aid she gives the group of thieves.

Two things could plainly be said as events played out: A. sometimes children are wiser than adults and B. there are times when a person cannot or will not seek redemption.

It is hoped that author Heather Webb will continue writing of Lilian Wyles as she continues to break through the glass ceiling in the London Police Department. Queens of London certainly set the stage for further reading on her career.

this was so detailed and a perfect book for people that are just getting into historical fiction. This is how it is done!

Thank you to @netgalley and @SourcebooksLandmark for this ARC. Hira is running from a verbally abusive Uncle after she finds out her parents have died in India and he wants to ship her off to a school in Northumbria for orphans. After living on the streets for a time, she befriends three quite different ladies. Annie Diamond is a queen of a theft ring called the Forty Elephants. Detective Linsey Wyles meets Hira while she is trying to pickpocket and finally Dorothy, head saleslady for a prominent department store. Torn between her allegiances, she has to pick sides. But which one? Annie who has given her a bed and shelter? Linsey that has her best interest at heart and wants to find out her story or Dorothy that only wants to feed and take care of this little girl? #TheQueensofLondon #HeatherWebb #Feb2024

Queens of London
by Heather Webb
Pub Date: 6 Feb 2024

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.

Not normally the type of book I pick up for myself.

But it was interesting! This book seems to be based around true events, which I love!
And led me to do research of my own.

If you love strong women and historical fiction scoop this one up immediately!

Strong female characters all over the place in this book! This was a quick read with fast paced action and tense situations. I struggled to choose sides for most of the book because both sides of the law were so compelling and even Alice had her redeeming moments!

✅ Great age spectrum! I loved seeing the different views and priorities of Hira versus Alice and Dorothy.
✅ We love a heist! The 40 Elephants were incredibly fun to follow around and I caught myself rooting for the "bad guys" frequently.
✅ A tidy happy ending that makes you feel warm inside!

❌ Dorothy/Hira book discrepancy. It was mentioned early in the book that Dorothy bought Hira a book but she didn't actually buy the book until chapt 23. Probably just an editing mistake!
❌ I would love to know what happens between Simon and Alice after the epilogue.
❌ I think the cover art could be more in line with a grittier London gang vibe. Not entirely sure what that looks like.

Overall, a great book with a lot of complex characters just trying to survive! 4/5 ⭐

This was an engaging story set in the 1920 in an area of London that challenges even the most stalwart of people, and the four main characters of this story prove their grit by surviving.

Alice, AKA Diamond Annie, is the leader of the infamous group of women thieves, The Forty Elephants. At times Alice is a harder-than-nails leader and enforcer of loyalty, but she also has a soft side. That soft side lets her befriend young Hira, who has run away from her uncle and the prospect of going to an orphanage because he no longer wants to support her.

The gang robs high-end department stores and that's where Hira encounters another friend, Dorothy, who is a clerk at one of the stores.

Then there's Lilian, one of the first female detectives at Scotland Yard, who constantly has to prove her worth. She's relentless in her efforts to solve a big crime so she can do more that patrol streets and chase orphans. She's after Diamond Annie.

All these character's lives intertwine in an absorbing tale of challenges met, relationships formed, and justice served. They all have strengths and weaknesses that propel the fast-moving plot, and at times it was hard to put the book down.

Of all the characters, I really liked Hira the best. It takes a lot of courage to run away from a life of luxury and end up on the streets, and her spunk in finding a way to survive was a great aspect of her characterization. I actually breathed a sigh of relief when Hira and Alice connect, and then later when she befriends Dorothy.

If you like stories that showcase strong women, and a look at a slice of history, I highly recommend Queens of London. It's a page-turner.