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
—
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.

This book was eye-opening on so many levels. I have always had an interest in Sociology and Criminology, with a particular interest in Feminism. This book was a definite me book that had me gawping from the get go. The book covered many aspects of crime and the women who were at the centre of catching the criminals and bringing them to justice. This book gave voices to the women who risked their own lives to protect their community both in reality and through works of literature and theatre.

They were essential in Victorian Britain at catching criminals where men would not succeed, due to the fact they were men.
However, no matter women’s brilliance in catching criminals, the inequalities were dominant with little to no work stability and pay. In addition for women not even receiving acknowledgement for how vital they were at catching criminals and the false idea that women were unsuited for detective work.

This book was insightful and really made me realise how ignorant I was about women in history. This book only enforces the power society has at reconstructing ideas of what women were like and what they were capable of.

However, throughout its pages, this book elaborates the true power of literature by breaking the societal mould and offering an alternative society where women's capabilities are acknowledged. This book only affirms that women were and are: strong, clever, bold, brave and frankly brilliant!

This book gave me chills. It’s exciting, moving, harrowing, entertaining, and enlightening. Sara Lodge carried out a fascinating, deep-dive investigation to find the female detectives who’d gone missing.

It’s a revealing book that celebrates the courage, intelligence, physicality, wit, social skills, resourcefulness–and in certain cases, acting abilities–of these early detectives. I appreciated her empathy for victims, and that she exposes the context of women's legal and financial status in regard to being prey to men.

Lodge shows that in contrast with their privileged fictional counterparts, these early detectives were largely working class. Tasks such as searching female prisoners and going undercover to expose petty criminals fell to women, with or without pay.

Some of the early roles of women in police stations evolved into paid, yet still largely unacknowledged jobs. Fortunately, Lodge is tenacious and diligent. She unearthed a wealth of contemporary newspaper accounts that give telling glimpses of early female detectives, ranging from women catching criminals on their own and women suffering injuries while performing their duties, to women presenting results of their undercover surveillance in court. With divorce law reform fueling sn increase in private agencies, women became essential for gathering information in places men could not easily go.

There's a connection between the employment of female detectives in London and the ‘Jack the Ripper’ murders.

This delightfully readable exploration of women as detectives is centered in London, with some material from other places. It includes the often uneasy yet fascinated responses to female detectives expressed in newspapers, periodicals, literature, and theater. The illustrations and photos enhance the colorful narrative. Influential actresses in trouser roles as 'lady detectives' embodied the true-to-life gender-presentation fluidity used by women on both sides of the law. Some actresses became detectives.

I highly recommend Sara Lodge's groundbreaking book. It's an excellent choice for aficionados of history, London, gender studies, women's studies, literature, social sciences, and for general readers alike.

Thank you, Yale University Press, for the digital review copy via NetGalley for consideration. These are solely my own opinions. I'll add the link to my review on TikTok.

don’t think this book was meant to be read outside of academia, it’s a little dry and very exhaustive so very repetitive with long lists to make a single point.

It’s a very well-researched book about Victorian female detectives though, an era that invented the profession as a whole and which captured the imagination of mystery writers. Wives of policemen (mostly, almost all of these women had pre-existing ties to the police force) assisted them in various ways (mostly recovering stolen property, watching illegal activities until the police had enough evidence to make an arrest, etc). This book also touches on female criminals and their living conditions in jail (appalling stuff).

It’s an interesting read but I think it could have been a lot shorter. There’s a very extensive bibliography and copious notes if you’d like to read more on the subject.

My endless thanks to NetGalley and Yale University Press for this ARC!

Well-written, well-researched, and a fascinating topic. This book explores Victorian Female Detectives in media and in real life, and their role in detective fiction and on the profession. It was an interesting book that helps to complicate the legacy of gender roles in the Victorian period.

This book looks at both real and fictional female detectives in Victorian Britain. The author looked at specific examples of the female detective in fiction (both writing and theater) and commented on how these women reflected on the time period they were written in and how they were a commentary on their times, too. The author also examined real life examples of women who solved crimes or worked for private inquiry agencies or the official police force and how the reality contrasted with the fictional depictions.

While the book covered some details about the type of work these women really did, a lot of the book (especially near the end) was more commentary on the social context. This was interesting, but I was hoping for more information on what they really did--which, apparently, was often obscured by a tendency to glamorize the job to fit the fictional action heroine stereotype. Overall, I'd recommend this book to those who want to know more about women detectives in the mid- to late-1800s in Britain.