I really enjoyed this historical fiction. It was a story of women that I had never known before, some strong women in many different ways. I loved that it told the story of several different women, especially those on both sides of the law. Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for the chance to preview and review this great audiobook.

This historical fiction takes place in the 1920's & focuses on a female gang in London. There are four characters from different walks of life that intertwine throughout the story. I really enjoyed how fast-paced this one is & I'll look for more works by Heather Webb.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, & the author for the ARC of Queens Of London.

We get to follow 4 women in London 1925 and their life slowly becomes intertwine, Diamond Alice the leader of the Forty Elepants gang, Lilian Wyles one of few female police officers, Dorothy a naïve shop assistant and Hira a young girl from the right side of the track that finds herself on the streets.

There were moments when I thought this was going in a “Heat” kind of way and having Diamond Alice and the Office Lilian Wyles squaring up against each other but no.

A little long, a shorter version where the author is willing to turn it up a little and put the characters in some real danger and having to make some hard choices and this would have been great. A little too slow and not much at stake, things turn out alright too quickly.

I had the audiobook and narrator Amy Scanlon does a good job and gives each of the characters their own voice.

Fictional account of Alice Diamond, aka Diamond Annie, queen of the Forty Elephants, a shoplifting ring that was active post-WWI. This was fascinating and fun and starred other actual people, such as Lilian Wiles, female Scotland Yard inspector. Lilian is trying to make a big score of arresting Alice and her gang so that she can keep her job and perhaps stop working the "security" beat. Alice will do anything to keep her title, even if she longs for a better way of life. Real events make up this amazing piece of historical fiction. I loved getting to know these women!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Landmark Sourcebooks for this e-arc.*

I tried to read this book in E Book form, and I could not get into it. I tried again in audiobook form, and I am so glad I did. While the story is not to my taste personally, the audiobook form really adds interest and intrigue to the story, and I enjoyed it.

Quenns of London
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A fantastic book filled with romance & suspense. A gritty great story about the Quenns of London lawless & likable gang of women in 1925 after World War One. I love that the Author tells you the facts in the story since it was written around a true story & characters, Diamond Annie. You will fall in love with Hira the young girl in the story. The story takes on the Sisterhood, the challenges for women, the abuse, & the survival for these strong women. I love how Heather vividly describes the Era & places of London. It is a remarkable city!! It is a GREAT book!!
Thank you NetGallery!

I enjoyed this look at a historical women's gang of thieves. I haven't read about this topic in the time frame in the story and I found it so interesting. The author bases some of her characters on real people and I loved the author's note at the end detailing her inspiration and how it all came together. The audiobook is very well done and it was a fun way to enjoy this book.

This story follows Diamond Annie and a couple of other members of the Forty Elephants, a real-life all-female gang (think Pinky Blinders but women), and an orphaned girl trying to survive on the streets so she wouldn’t be sent to an orphanage.

This was a great historical fiction read on a subject and era I don’t usually gravitate toward. I do gravitate toward Heather Webb’s books, so I knew I would enjoy it (I did!)

Thank you, NetGalley and Recorded Books, for the advanced copy.

In London in 1925, Alice Diamond, AKA "Diamond Annie," is elected the Queen of the Forty Elephants, an all-girl gang. and the first female crime syndicate. Alice is 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". but she also takes really good care of her "girls". Unfortunately for Alice, Officer Lilian Wyles of Scotland Yard. is tired of being assigned "women's work" and is determined to prove herself as a detective & make a name for herself, so she has her sights set on capturing Alice and the rest of the Forty Elephants.

I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover and the premise. I had never heard of Diamond Annie or the Forty Elephants before and was intrigued with the idea of the first female crime syndicate, especially when that same syndicate was being taken down by one of the first female detectives of Scotland Yard. Think about it..... female empowerment on both sides of the law.! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author did an excellent job bringing all of the characters to life. I felt like I was actually there watching it all unfold. The narrator did an excellent job as well with the voices of the different characters - especially Alice and Hira. If you are a fan of historical fiction, or even just love a story with a strong female protagonist, then you definitely need to check this out!

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't realize that there was woman gangs that were famous in history. I loved hearing their story. It was entertaining the entire time. The characters were amazing and the switch between the characters stories were very easy to follow and understand.

Copied from Goodreads:
In 1925, a gang of women known as the "Forty Elephants" or "Forty Thieves," regularly stole clothing and jewelry from London's premier department stores. While most of their heists were not dangerous, the group required unquestionable fidelity. In "Queens of London," its leader, Diamond Annie, crosses paths with a 10 year old half-Indian orphan; Lilian Wyles, one of London's first female detectives; and a shopgirl who aspires to design clothing. This novel had all the makings of an action-packed female dominated read through the Roaring 20s, so why was I so underwhelmed? I think, ultimately, that the book tried to cover too much. The varying locations and characters were so plentiful that we never really got a feel for any one of them. I think the book could have been much more impactful if it were more focused. Some real events and the historical figures of Alice Diamond/Diamond Annie and Lilian Wyles were woven well into the fabric of the book. I would not hesitate to try another Heather Webb historical novel, but I hope I'll find more enjoyment in reading it than I did in "Queens of London."

TW: death, violence, physical and sexual assault, though none are explored too deeply.

"Queens of London" is available in the US on February 6, 2024. Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Recorded Books, and Netgalley for this audio ARC given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Net Galley for the advanced read.

This book was super interesting and clearly well researched. I didn’t know about the women run gangs or history of police women in London. I decided on 3 stars because I had a hard time relating to the main characters and getting invested in their stories. I felt like some of the history element made it hard to get into the story. All in all an interesting read and I was glad to see some sort of happy ending.

The audio version of this book was amazing. Narrator did a great job with all of the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and RB Media for the chance to listen to this wonderful book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley to review for my honest review.

Queens of London follows four captivating characters through 1920s London. The book follows a police women, a gang leader, a shop girl, and a recently orphaned child. The author, Heather Webb, did a great job of creating multi-dimensional characters that you feel the need to root for even with their flaws. I really enjoyed the different POV’s and how they all intertwine with each other.

One of the things I love about Historical Fiction is that it introduces history ( especially strong women leaders) that I’ve never learned of before. Diamond Annie and the forty elephants were a real gang during the 1920s in London. All of the women in this book are underestimated because of their gender and it was interesting reading the experiences each of these women had trying to succeed in their respective careers/lives.

I would recommend this to any reader that enjoys historical fiction and multiple POVs.

I listened to this an audiobook and I believe the narrator did a great job distinguishing the characters from each other and was pleasant to listen to.

Queens of London was my first audiobook. I know, crazy right? But, I am and always have been a huge reader and I love my books in hand or Kindle and have stuck with them. My kids are always listening to audiobooks and I celebrate that so I figured I had to try at least once.

Cue Queens of London. The book has a great strong cast of women who are all on different sides of life in London during the 1920's. The red-headed thief named Diamond Annie runs a gang of women thieves, a young orphan girl trying to figure out how to survive, a woman cop fighting the stereotype of her gender in the police department, and a sales worker in a department store seeking out a decent wage and life.

They all converge and weave into each other's stories beautifully. The narrator had a great voice for each character and was fun to listen to.

I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a new historical fiction read.

#netgalley #queensoflondon #heatherwebb

Queens of London by Heather Webb
Narrated by Amy Scanlon

Thanks to this audiobook I've learned of real people I didn't know existed. There is Alice Diamond, AKA "Diamond Annie", Queen of the Forty Elephants in 1925 London. The Forty Elephants was an all girl gang and Diamond Annie wanted to take it to new heights, get it out from under the men's gang, and be a force to reckon with all on its own. I'm going by what I learned in this story so I'm not sure of Diamond Annie's real motivations but according to this story she wants to move her gang from a crummy empty warehouse to nice accommodations where her girls can live if need be, can rest and relax even if they have their own places to live, and can feel safe, fed, and warm. A place where the girls can escape men who might want to beat them, take from them, and demean them. Lest you think that Annie has only the best intentions towards her girls, that isn't so. She rules them with threats of violence if they don't toe the line, it seems she might be as willing to slice their faces as she is to slice the face of a man.

Another real person in this book is Officer Lilian Wyles, one of the first female detectives at Scotland Yard. A former nurse during the war, she's had her heart set on being the best of police officers. I want to learn more about her because she went on to great heights in the police force in real life. Here she is shown wanting to not only shine a light on what women police officers can accomplish, if only allowed to work unfettered, but also to really help women who have been forced to live in the most demeaning ways. So much of the work Lilian is forced to do in this story are things the men officers don't have to do on a daily basis, such as guard stores and chase orphans. Lilian is good at whatever police job she tackles but she has to do so much on the sly since the important jobs are reserved for the men.

We see the story from four POVs and the other two POVs come from Dorothy, as beautiful shop girl who has grown up knowing that because she's pretty she can't be smart. That's not true, the not smart part, but it'll takes some serious figurative slaps in the face for her to finally break free and show her brains and creativity. The author brings to life the characters and this shows in the fictional character of Dorothy.

And then there is my favorite of the four, ten year old Hira, being raised by a cruel but powerful and wealthy uncle. Her parents had entrusted him to raise Hira while they continued to live in India. Hira's mother is Indian, her father British, and even though she doesn't even remember them, she longs for them since she's never shown love in her uncle's cold house. Then comes a time when she loses everything and must live on the streets.

There are a lot of characters in this story, the four main characters and many side characters. Amy Scanlon does a great job of giving each character a distinctive voice. As we see things through each POV, I was interested in all the POVs. The one person I could never warm up to is Diamond Annie, with her too selfish goals and cruel demeanor. Being inside her head made me like her even less since it feels as if she's all lame excuses for the havoc she brings on to others, her own gang, and even a ten year old girl.

Thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books, and NetGalley for this ARC.

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐛
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫: 𝐀𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you Soucebooks Landmark and RB Media for my #gifted copies of Queens of London!

Queens of London was such a beautifully researched historical fiction centered around Alice Diamond and the Forty Elephants. I was unfamiliar with this group, who were known as Britain’s first female crime group, but I loved learning more from a historical fiction perspective. I found the characters to be so well-developed and I truly loved everything about how the stories of Alice, Lillian, Dorothy and Hira were woven so well together. I highly recommend this dynamic novel!

Alice Diamond, also known as Diamond Annie is the queen of the Forty Elephants, an all female crime group who are known to shoplift, and are planning their biggest heist yet to help fund the purchase of a property that can be a safe haven for their members. Officer Lillian Wyles is one of the first female detectives at Scotland Yard and is trying to prove that she can do more than ‘women’s work.’ When she is gets word of the planned heist, she knows this is her opportunity to not only prove herself, but put an end to Damond Annie. Hira is a recent orphan with an adorable partner in crime, a dog named Biscuit, who is just trying to make it on her own. Finally, Dorothy is a kind department store clerk who striving to earn new opportunities in the workplace to better utilize her talents and passions. All four women play a vastly different role in this story, but all are connected to one another. You will definitely want to read this one to learn more!

I found this to be so fast paced and while I was not sure at first how all four women would intersect, I was so happy with how everything fell together. I honestly could not put this one down.

I placed a tab on the following quote while reading, because I found it to be so profound and paramount to this book:
“Sometimes a woman looks out for her own. Even if they’re not from the same…school of thought.”

🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Amy Scanlan. I thought Scanlon NAILED it! She truly brought so many emotions and I loved how she was able to easily differentiate between characters. She was perfectly cast for this role and found her to just be so dynamic!

Make sure you read or listen to the Author’s Note at the end! I always love hearing more about what’s fact vs. fiction and really enjoyed how Webb broke everything down!

Posted on Goodreads on February 1, 2024: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144922955?ref=nav_profile_l
**Posted on Instagram - Full Review- on or around February 6, 2024: http://www.instagram.com/nobookmark_noproblem
**Posted on Amazon on February 6, 2024
**-will post on designated date

Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books, for the free audiobook in exchange for my honest review. This is narrated by Amy Scanlon who does a fantastic job!

I loved this historical fiction tale about a gang of women thieves, a cute little orphan girl with a dog named Biscuit, and a female copper trying to prove herself to her male sargent. Set in the early 1920s in London, the all female cast was a refreshing change!

Hira is a 10 year old orphan that runs away from a very nasty uncle who plans to send her to a orphanage for the poor upon learning of her parents death. Hira runs away and quickly develops her gift of relieving others of the their money. This catches the attention of Diamond Annie who takes her in and uses Hira in her gang. Diamond Annie leads the Forty Elephants, the best all female gang of thieves.

Officer Lilian Wyles is one of the only female detectives at Scotland Yard and she needs to make a big arrest to make the men believe in her and keep her job. So, she sets her eyes on bringing in Diamond Annie.

The pace is fast, the characters are well developed, and the plot is solid. Definitely a fun read that I highly recommend!!!

What a fun adventure! This enjoyable historical fiction meets crime drama taught me about a new person in history, Alice Diamond aka Diamond Annie, Queen of the Forty Elephants, England's most notorious female gang. Other main characters were Lillian, a female police officer trying to make her way in a male-dominated workforce, Hira, an orphan and runaway from a mean uncle who wants to be loved, and Dorothy, a lovely shop girl who learns the hard way how to trust others.

The audiobook narrator was great except with Lillian's voice. It was annoying and haughty, which made me want to root against her, but I don't think that fit her true character. Overall, this was a fun one! Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for the audiobook version of the book. I am not affilliated with or compensated in any way for my review. Everything I write is my own personal thoughts, feelings, and opinions.
I again was going to DNF this book. The reason being I was having a hard time getting into the four different aspects of the dialog. Once I got over that I had a hard time putting the book down.
This book follows four characters the main one being a little girl who has run away from her uncles care after learning her parents have passed away. Then it follows a street gang leader who Hera finds herself living with for a short time. then it follows a woman who finds herself caring for the little girl Hera. then the book follows a police officer. The four characters intertwin to build this beautiful story about women who find a way to make it.