It would be easy to assume that being a detective in the Victorian era was a purely male preserve. But as this revelatory book tells us, this was not at all the case. The traditional image of the Victorian detective is indeed a man, (think Sherlock Holmes et al) but in fact women detectives were hard at work too, in a variety of roles, working for both the police and private agencies. Sara Lodge delves deep into Victorian fiction, and in particular into theatre, where female detectives are often portrayed in sensational ways and compares these representations with real life detectives and their roles. Well researched and well written in a lively and accessible style, the book nevertheless is perhaps more for the serious or academic reader rather than the general reader, but the author successfully brings the lives of these early detective pioneers to life and uncovers a previously hidden (to me at least) aspect of Victorian life. Illuminating, informative and entertaining, I found this a compelling read.

“The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective,” by Sara Lodge (ASIN: B0DGXB2Q4X), ISBN: 9780300277883), Publication Date: 24 September 2024, earns five stars.

I have long been a fan of English detective mysteries…the characters, the language, the plots, and the general sensibilities. I confess, in all of that, the principal character, the detective, was invariably male. When I came across this book, it was as though I entered another room, well-let, and totally pleasing.

The book differs from those other detectives in that the characters are real people, well-described and researched, and totally up to even the most challenging of tasks and conundrums. Because the characters are real people, the authors meticulous research and deftly wielded pen brought them to life once again…and I was better for it.

Sincere thanks to the author and Yale University Press for granting the reader the opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible.

I won't be reading this. I've tried multiple times and haven't gotten into it. Thank you though for the opportunity. If I read it in the future I will come back and change this review.

In The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective, author Sara Lodge presents a compelling exploration of the often-overlooked women who served as detectives in 19th-century Britain. Challenging the traditional male-centric narrative epitomized by figures like Sherlock Holmes, Lodge delves into historical records to uncover the real-life contributions of female detectives who operated both within official police forces and private agencies.

Lodge's research brings to light figures such as Clara Layt, an undercover private detective involved in investigating harassment cases, and Emily Oxley, who conducted inquiries into adultery for divorce proceedings. These women navigated a society that was often hostile to their involvement in law enforcement, yet they played crucial roles in addressing crimes, particularly those affecting other women.

The book also examines the portrayal of female detectives in Victorian literature and theater, highlighting how these characters both reflected and influenced societal attitudes toward women in investigative roles. Lodge's analysis reveals that, contrary to popular belief, women were actively engaged in detective work during this era, often bringing unique skills and perspectives to their cases.

The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective is a significant contribution to the understanding of gender dynamics in law enforcement history. Lodge's meticulous research and engaging narrative shed light on the pioneering women who defied societal norms to pursue careers in detection, offering readers a nuanced perspective on the evolution of detective work in Victorian Britain.

A fascinating read that shows the history of the women detective. What seems like an occasional story or one off was a thriving genre in Victorian England. I really enjoyed the background, cultural history and general breadth of research. A must read for anyone who thinks Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie were the start of detective fiction

I really should’ve known better. This book has been published by an academic publisher, but the topic and the title lured me, and here we are.

If you’re a historical fiction writer or an academic interested in the subject, you will probably love this book. There are plenty of facts about both real and fictional female detectives from the era, and it’s a great source of information. I learned a lot, and I’m proud of myself. I will be a terrible show-off now because I earned that right.

It’s actually well written too, and I was enjoying it initially. It’s just that the amount of facts was overwhelming, and it all felt repetitive at some point, so three stars.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A fascinating look into an often ignored part of our history. Gender roles, cross dressing and the like are not a modern trend, but as the author proves, a very real part of our history, even in the Victorian age, a time people normally consider to be very formal and strict. Instead, the roles dissolve and shift, moving in tune to the beat of everyday people.

The author expertly weaves the fictional in with the fact, comparing and contrasting, showcasing how each fed upon the other, and in turn, inspired the other. From the 'Lady Detective' of the stage to the grim reality of a female 'searcher' - a man could not possibly search a female suspect, the author gives each their due and brings them more into the spotlight.

In the 1860's theatre goers enjoyed a woman fighting off men, shooting, speaking out of turn, wearing trousers and everything that the 'modern' female fictional detective does.

A highly enjoyable read.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

Sara Lodge, The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective, Yale University Press, November 2024.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with this uncorrected proof for review.

The combination of a history of the female detective as a working part of the police force during the Victorian era, and her depiction in fictional accounts of the time makes for a fascinating read. Questions that immediately come to mind, and are answered include – how active were the real women detectives? What were their roles? Did they capture criminals or leave that to the male detectives? Were they courageous and killed on duty? What was the attitude in the police force and wider society towards these women active on behalf of law enforcement? And then, moving on to consider how these women detectives and the cases they worked on in the real world were depicted in fiction, there are more questions. Did fiction portray women’s contributions in an exaggerated form or were they always seen as secondary to those of men? Were any fictional characters based on real women and their activities? What did fiction say about women detectives and how did this impact the audience for these novels?

Sara Lodge answers these questions in this stimulating read which blends so much information about the police force and women’s role in it, the depiction of women detectives in fiction and the social conditions which were so vividly described in print – fictional and factual. At the same time as being an academic work, with copious citations, an amazing bibliography and index, Lodge has produced a great read.

What a wonderful contribution this work would have been to my studies about women detectives in literature many years ago. I can only envy those for whom this is a text for such studies. In Lodge’s book such readers are given a wealth of information, great insights, and with fact and fiction woven together so invitingly it is also a tremendous read. For those, like me, who read the book only for pleasure and interest, the challenges it provides in so graphically describing the conditions under which the women detectives worked, their cases and the social conditions associated with their work enhance the reading. The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective remains an engaging read, but the solid grounding in the reality around the fiction, painful and enlightening though it is, completes the narrative.

A deep dive into the fiction and real life intricacies of the Victorian female detective? Sign me up! This book was a fascinating and well researched examination of how the Victorian female detective has been pushed under the rug due to misogyny and in favor of men. A fantastic read for anyone who is remotely interested in this topic.

Shining a brand new light on Victorian women detectives
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Revealing yet another sphere of women’s invisible work, Lodge sleuths through contemporary newspapers, court records and books to reveal real life women detectives during the origins of police work. Lodge leans on the work of other scholars in a cross-disciplinary approach that looks at female detectives in fiction and in real life, exploring the social standing of women in detecting and prosecuting crimes, and expanding our knowledge of women’s roles in Victorian society.

With a fine turn of phrase, Lodge’s book gives a rounded look at women, particularly working class women, bringing the era to thrilling life, and giving us whole new heroines to refer to.

A brilliant five stars, with plenty of gore and adventure.

This is a fascinating deep dive into the history of the Victorian female detective - in real-life and in fiction. Sara Lodge has researched extensively and it shows - while very accessible, this is thoroughly researched and verging on the academic. I really enjoyed learning about how women entered the detective spaces and how they were portrayed.

Thank you to Yale University Press and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An in depth look at the figure of the female detective in history and its impact on literature. This book is filled with information about the female detectives in the Victorian period, detailing true historical figures and how they were then portrayed in writing and on the stage.
It is a fascinating read for crime and history fans.

Book received free via NetGalley

The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective by Sara Lodge offers a fascinating and richly researched glimpse into the life of Isabella Montagu, the first female detective in the UK. Set against the backdrop of Victorian society, this book uncovers the trailblazing work of Montagu, a woman who defied the gender norms of her time to make her mark in a profession dominated by men.

Lodge’s writing blends historical research with engaging storytelling, bringing Montagu’s journey to life through a combination of personal writings, case files, and newspaper reports. The book delves into Montagu’s career and how she navigated the challenges of being a female detective in the late 1800s, providing a window into the broader cultural shifts of the era, especially regarding women’s roles in public life.

One of the book’s strengths is Lodge’s ability to contextualize Montagu’s work within the evolution of detective fiction during the Victorian era, highlighting how women like Montagu helped shape the genre. While the book can be slow in parts—particularly when it dives into detailed case studies or the social dynamics of the time—the thorough research makes it a rewarding read for anyone interested in history, crime, and gender studies.

Ultimately, The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective is an eye-opening exploration of a forgotten historical figure. It’s an essential read for anyone intrigued by the intersection of history, crime, and the contributions of women in the detective world. Sara Lodge’s insightful writing style and dedication to uncovering a lost piece of history make this book an enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.

I was very much looking forward to reading this book but using the NetGalley app I couldn’t increase the print size and therefore I was unable to read the text.

Fascinating review of the "lost" female detectives in the Victorian era. Spoiler: the were never lost, only overlooked by history and male-centric narratives. This book is well-researched and easy to read, as well as simply fascinating.

4.25 stars

I believe the Victorian Age holds a certain fascination for most of us - many of the current social institutions we are used to today had their start during Queen Victoria's lengthy reign. This includes the formation of formal police departments (as well as various other forms of social organisations designed to help uplift and/or control the population at large but that is not the focus here). In this book the primary focus is the concept of the "Female Detective" a term that I think, quite frankly, most people would not associate with this time period, and for that they would be incorrect.

Author Sara Lodge brings considerable evidence to the table to show that the idea of women working for the police - or even getting justice on their own - was not unheard of and that women had actually been helping the police behind the scenes for quite some time to gather evidence, help secure convictions, give testimony at trials, etc. The female detective genre could even be considered quite a popular form of entertainment in the arenas of theatre, newspapers and other publications. There is so much research to go through here, so many examples of the public clamouring for stories of crime and justice (and in many cases the more lurid the better). Our rather morbid fascination with true crime is not new and you can trace some of its roots back to this age with stories of female empowerment through detection and policework. The Victorian Age was a time when most women had been struggling with terrible domestic situations having little to no power or autonomy; the Divorce Act of 1857 shone an especially harsh light onto what was really happening behind closed doors. I think a lot of these stories were a form of escapism for the general population, pulled from various headlines of the day to create powerful female fantasy figures that could uncover crimes men could not and empower themselves in ways that were not readily available to the average woman.

It's a fairly heavy read due to all the research and stories included therein, but overall it is a well written, densely packed account of the era's fascination with the curious notion of The Female Detective.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Sara Lodge, and Yale University Press for giving me free access to a digital ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided here voluntarily.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

What a fascinating deep dive into a part of history that’s rarely talked about! The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective completely exceeded my expectations. Sara Lodge does an incredible job of unearthing the real stories of women detectives in Victorian Britain and pairing them with the larger-than-life fictional heroines that captured the public’s imagination.

The writing is accessible, the details are vivid, and the subject matter is endlessly intriguing. If you’re a fan of history, crime, or the evolution of gender roles, this is an absolute must-read.

a well detailed and researched book on the topic of women in murder mysteries of the Victorian age. If I was doing academic research this would be a good resource.

Sara Lodge's The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective is a meticulously researched exploration of the overlooked contributions of women to 19th-century policing. Lodge brings to light the courageous and complex roles female “searchers” and proto-detectives played in Victorian Britain—often operating in dangerous and unacknowledged circumstances.

Through vivid storytelling and historical anecdotes, Lodge recounts how these women's unique positions in society allowed them to infiltrate criminal networks, conduct sting operations, and testify effectively in court. Women like Ann Lovsey and Elizabeth Joyes shine as examples of working-class women who transcended societal expectations to perform pivotal law enforcement duties.

This engaging account not only corrects historical oversights but also links these pioneers to modern conversations about gender and representation in policing. While occasionally dense with detail, the book’s combination of academic rigor and narrative flair makes it both informative and compelling.

A must-read for history enthusiasts and advocates for recognizing women’s contributions to male-dominated fields.

Absolutely fascinating! Sara Lodge has certainly done her detective research. I had no idea that women had played such a role, not just as private detectives and agents, but also as part of the police, in Victorian times. This book also shines a light on the history of women as seen through the law. It read like a novel in places, truly page-turning. I think anyone with an interest in crime, true crime, women's history, Victorian times, and detectives in general will love this book.