Queens of London is set in the 1920’s from the perspective of four women and a child. Alice Diamond is head of the Forty Elephants women gang and is a force to be reckoned with. Hira is a young runaway who is just trying find her place in the world without her uncle’s control. Officer Lilian is a strong, smart woman who knows her intelligence and worth. And Dorothy is a kind and compassionate woman who wants to find love and liver her dreams of becoming a designer. I loved how strong, yet vulnerable all of these women were and how at the end of the day, they supported each other directly or indirectly. I really liked the narrator’s voice and reading of this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley & RB media for the arch audiobook for review!

I genuinely enjoy this books. It was well thought out and the characters are very compelling. I really enjoyed reading about a women at the head of a heist ring. Although she was considered the "bad guy", you could not help but like her.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this audiobook! I loved reading about Alice and the 40 Elephants. I feel like so many books like this are told about men or from a man’s perspective and I loved reading about powerful women, even if they were technically criminals! There were so many restrictions on women and I loved seeing how all of these characters pushed back against that. I loved Dorothy!

It was okay. Not something I would read again. Interesting characters and storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Don't judge a book by it's cover!

I was gifted this copy by Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley and am under no obligation to provide a review.

I'm not a fan of the headless woman fashion for book covers, so I wasn't sure when I noticed this one. I'm glad I gave it a try.

I won't rehash the book, since anyone who's interested in it can read the blurb on what it's about.
Pros and cons
* What characters! I really, really loved Hira, the little girl, and of course Diamond Annie. These two have stayed with me, and I actually rooted for Alice, and her gang for a bit. What good writing to make me want to do that. Lilian Wyles was also captivating.
*Fascinating time period. I knew nothing about the 40 Elephants. Now I have to learn more.
*I listened to this on audio. The narrator was very, very good. The only place she really fell down was with Lilian's voice (to nasally and it makes her sound villainous) and with the lawyer who seeks to help Hira. Same complaint.
* Dorothy McBride - I really rooted for her as well. What a wonderful character. In my minds eye she looked like the actress Amy Beth Hayes who played Kitty Edwards in the tv series Mr. Selfridge. I did want to shake her several time and tell her to THINK about what she was going through, and not to be so dumb. She ended up doing that, so that made me happy.

As I said above, I listened to this on the NetGalley app, and last night on my way home from work I sat in the car for the the last half hour because I had to see how it would end, I just couldn't wait for the morning ride. It was rainy and cold, but it was worth it to hear the end. I've thought about this book many times in the time I listened to it. Many books don't do that, so that's how good it was.

I really enjoyed this book. At the beginning I did feel like the different storylines were hard to keep track of but once I sorted out who was who, I really got into it. The story was exciting and moved at a nice pace. The characters were likeable for the most part and I think this was really well written.

I gotta say, I haven’t read a historical fiction novel quite like this one before! I’m used to wartime stories where the men are behaving badly, but certainly not the women! I truly appreciate a novel with feminist undertones that’s centered around strong, independent women—especially in the 1920s! A looting and scheming all-girl gang? Yes, please! Queens of London was such a refreshing read, and extremely well-researched. I couldn’t get enough of Diamond Annie and the Forty Elephants. Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this audiobook! I didn't really love the narrator, but the story was good.

Queens of England follows four female main characters, but my favorite one of all was the little girl, Hira. She was sweet and smart, cunning and cute. Her pup, Biscuit, was probably my favorite character of all and anytime he was in the narrative my ears perked up a little bit, excited to see how he was there for Hira when she needed him. They were two little besties and I loved it haha. My favorite character development was the police officer, Lilian Wiles. She reminded me a lot of myself, primarily interested in following the rules and holding others accountable to them, too. However, at the end, she seemed to realize that sometimes justice and "the right thing" might not always be accomplished and carried out if they never bent the rules.

This book was full of action and kept me engaged all the way through the end. I was excited to see what was around each turn! I'd definitely recommend it :)

This historical fiction book takes place in London in 1925. Alice Diamond is the head of an all-female gang, The Forty Elephants, and she has big plans for the group. Unfortunately for her, Lillian Wyles, the first female detective at Scotland Yard has her eye on the gang and she is looking for a way to bring them down.

Two other females are also central to the story – Dorothy, a naive shopgirl, and Hira, a young girl who runs away from her cruel uncle only to end up in Alice’s care.

Why We Liked it: Initially, the four narrators were hard to keep track of, but eventually this mob story came together with all the stories weaving into one. I couldn’t help but root for Hira, my favorite protagonist.

Starts slow, but glad I stuck with it. The center of the story is Hera, not female gangsters of female police. And Hera is such a fun, compelling charecter. Good narration as well.

This was my third read by this author. I absolutely loved The Next Ship Home. There were parts about this one that I enjoyed and others that I didn’t. Characters that I enjoyed until I didn’t. This was filled with a lot of morally gray characters and actions. The good gals are not always good or do the right thing and the bad gals aren’t always bad.

I enjoyed getting to know the character of Alice AKA “Diamond Annie” and her band of thieves as she prepares to pull off the biggest heist of her career to provide an option to the females under her that may be living in abusive situations. I was rather frustrated with her supposed reputation that put fear into others yet very few around her were scared to cross her and she often let them with no consequences. She genuinely cared for the girls in her employ, but I found her to be an inconsistent character.

That was ultimately my problem with most of the female characters in this book. It’s told in third person and follows several women including Alice, a female police investigator at Scotland Yard in Lilian, Dorothy who worked at a local department store and Hira, a young girl who ran away from her guardian and encounters all of the women in some capacity. What they said, believed and their actions often contradicted each other. While I enjoyed the story, their inconsistency over the course of the book was frustrating.

The audiobook was narrated by Amy Scanlon. It was my first audiobook listen by this narrator. I thought she did a fantastic job voicing the different female main characters. I had no problems distinguishing their voices or following the different storylines.

Recommended to readers of historical fiction who enjoy complex, strong female characters that operated in shades of gray.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and Recorded Books for a copy provided for an honest review.

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧
𝐁𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐛
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟐.𝟔.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒



Set in the 1920s, Officer Lilian Wyles is the first female detective at the famous Scotland Yard, but she’s been delegated to do primarily women’s work. Finally, she is given a new assignment to patrol the department stores for the notorious all-girl gang, the Forty Elephants, and their leader, Alice Diamond.

I enjoyed that this story was filled with strong, feisty women who want to rule the streets of London. Although Lilian and Alice are on opposite sides of the law, they both try to prove themselves in a man’s world.

The pace moves quickly, with plenty of action and emotions as you are drawn into the lives of these characters. There are several other well-developed characters, such as Hira, a runaway orphan and her dog, who Alice takes in but soon becomes a pawn in the war between Lilian and Alice.

Please don’t skip the Author’s Note; she adds some interesting information and insights.

Thank you @recordedbooks for a gifted audiobook.
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @msheatherwebb for a spot on tour and a gifted ebook.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an arc!

The Queens of London follows notorious female thievery ring the Forty Elephants during the 1920s. Alice Diamond, known as Diamond Annie, serves as the queen of the forties, leading heists on all of the best department stores in London. Alice and her girls are hard to catch and are mostly successful in their endeavors, up until detective Lillian Wyles takes an interest in them.

Wyles is a female detective for the Scotland Yard focused on proving herself to be assigned to more serious cases. Wyles wants to help women who are victims of crime or prostitution rings, but instead is put on the thankless work of monitoring department stores or chasing after orphans on the street. While watching the stores, Wyles makes a connection between an orphan that’s stealing from people off the streets and the forty elephants. Wyles knows that if she can take Diamond Annie down, then the force won’t be able to deny her skills and abilities. But challenging the forty elephants can be very dangerous, as these women are tough and unforgiving.

Meanwhile, the actions of the forties are impacting many people, including department store clerk Dorothy McBride. Dorothy has sketches of clothing designs she’s created and dreams of pursuing a career. She is tired of being called dumb, and all she wants is the chance to prove herself. When Dorothy meets Hira, an orphaned girl running away from her uncle, Dorothy brings extra food for the girl every week. Dorothy continues to form a friendship with Hira and show her kindness and generosity, having no idea of Hira’s connection to Alice Diamond- the very person who has been stealing from Dorothy’s department store.

This book was really interesting and I was shocked to learn how much of it was factual. The concept of an all female crime ring is very interesting, and the setting being the 1920s in London only made my interest grow. I felt conflicted rooting for Alice and the Forties even though they were criminals, but learning about the lives of these women makes it hard to not be angry on their behalves.

I enjoyed having multiple point of views from Alice, Detective Wyles, Hira and Dorothy. They all added such different perspectives and really helped to show how women were treated in society during the time period. I think that most women could relate on some level to at least one of our characters.

I would recommend Queens of London to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or just wants to read a book about some badass women!

I’m a big fan of Heather Webb stories and this one was simply fastastic. A fun and action-packed adventure set in 1920s London about a gang of female thieves who robbed London's best high-end department stores. Reading the authors notes at the end and learning that it was inspired by real life characters just made it so much better.

𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗢𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 by Heather Webb, Author released February 6, 2024.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

I have never lead nor run a gang, incited a riot, commandeered a heist, or robbed a department store as not many folks have, but Heather Webb has created such vivid, believable characters that the reader is right in there with the Forty Elephants. I love the contrasting world Hira moved in simultaneously - unlawful and dangerous with Alice and kind and loving with Dorothy. My favorite character was Biscuit, and the narration on the audible version was excellent. Webb certainly put in the time on her research; it shows in every scene. Fabulous read!!!!

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for this month ARC. I positively adored immersing myself in this past era. The audiobook is perfection itself - Amy Scanlon has on point accents while not overdone. It makes it really easy to distinguish female from male character, or young from old. The story is propulsive and one finds oneself rooting to all of them, even if for a time they seem to working towards different goals. Definitely recommended if you're a history lover like myself.

Queens of London is historical fiction set in the 1920s. I love historical fiction and have not read much set during this time period. I was delighted to learn from the author’s note at the end of the book that it was based on a real female gang. The author did a great job creating interesting, well developed characters. It was great to see the story and events through the different perspectives of the four main women involved. I definitely recommend this book for fans of historical fiction! The narrator was fantastic as well, she did a amazing job of using different accents/voices while really helps you keep the characters straight as you listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the advanced copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

<b>Queens of London</b> follows four female characters during post WWI, 1920’s London, as their lives become intertwined.

Alice Diamond, AKA “Diamond Annie”, Queen of the Forty Elephants, Britain’s first female crime syndicate who specialized in shoplifting, and planning the heist of a lifetime.

Hira Wickham ♥️ - a 10 year old runaway living on the streets with her adorable dog, Biscuit, and the star of the book IMO.

Lilian Wiles - one of the first female detectives at Scotland Yard. She is out to prove herself as a capable detective.

Dorothy McBride - a very kind but naive department store clerk.

I love when characters are flawed and you are able to see the good and bad in them, but that also makes it difficult choosing sides especially when characters have opposing objectives.

I requested this book based on the lovely cover and ended up with a very entertaining story as well. I couldn’t wait to get back to the story every chance I got. When reading historical fiction, I prefer knowing which parts and characters are real. In this case, the author’s note at the end clarified fact vs fiction which I greatly appreciated.

I listened to the audiobook. Amy Scanlon did an excellent job with the narration overall, but with so many extra characters to voice, a few of the male voices felt overdone which I found a bit distracting initially.

This was my first Heather Webb novel but will definitely not be my last. She is clearly a great storyteller and I look forward to checking out her backlog of books. 4 stars.

Thank you Recorded Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and RBmedia for an advance copy of the audiobook Queens of London by Heather Webb and narrated by Amy Scranton.

Queens of London was published February 5, 2024. I picked this book because it is set in London 1925. I am interested in reading books set in London right now because we are planning a trip there in Spring.

The Queens of London is about Women standing up for Women. Of course there are women like Diamond Annie who have a heart but the rules of the street and her reputation are more important to her than doing the right thing. There is Officer Lilian, who is trying to prove to the men in the police department that she can do the same job as them. Dorothy, who everyone thinks is an dumb woman who cannot think for herself just because she is kind to everyone. Then there is the little runaway girl, Hero, who gets tied up with all of them. However she must decide for herself what is right and who she wants to be loyal to.

I enjoyed this ⭐️⭐️⭐️ star story. I thought the story focused a lot on the exciting life of Diamond Annie. However, I was more interested in the relationship between Dorothy and Hero and Officer Lilian.

I would recommend this story to those readers who like Oliver Twist and Annie. It has the same vibes as an rags to riches story.

The Queens of London is based on the real life all female gang, The Forty Elephants. This notorious gang of thieves, led by "Diamond Annie," stole goods and clothing from the top stores in London for decades. I found this whole story quite fascinating, as most women of this time are portrayed as meek and subservient. This gang of women were tough, strong, and not afraid to speak their minds. I greatly enjoyed the narration by Amy Scanlon. She did an excellent job bringing the characters and time period to life. The story also had a bit of an "Oliver Twist" feel to it with the character of Hera, a young Indian runaway.