Queen of Thieves is an unusual story set in unusual times.
Queen Of Thieves
Gangland was a man’s world – but the women knew different
London, 1946.
Alice Diamond, the Queen of the Forty Thieves, rules over her gang of hoisters with a bejewelled fist. Nell is a slum girl from Waterloo, hiding a secret pregnancy and facing a desperately uncertain future.
Sensing an opportunity to exploit Nell’s vulnerabilities, Alice takes her under her wing and, before long, Nell is experiencing the secret world of hoisting, with all the dangers – and glamorous trappings – that comes with this underworld existence.
Alice has a longstanding feud with Billy Sullivan’s all-male gang in Soho, and thinks Nell could be a useful weapon in her vendetta. But Nell has a secret agenda of her own, and is not to be underestimated. And the more she is exploited by both Alice and Billy, the more her hunger for revenge grows. As she embraces the seedy underbelly of London, will she prevail in carving out her own path to power and riches…
…and crown herself the Queen of Thieves?
From Sunday Times bestselling author Beezy Marsh comes a thrilling new crime saga series, perfect for fans of Sam Michaels, Martina Cole and Jessie Keane.
My Review
Set in London just after World War II, when times were tough and rationing was the order of the day, this story tells of the dark underbelly of the city. Gangs operated in the city – robbing from stores and godowns to sell things on the black-market.
Alice Diamond was the much feared Queen of the Forty Thieves gang, that she ran with an iron fist. I like how the story moved from her, the reigning Queen of Thieves to Nell, the young girl whose circumstances draw her to start working for Alice.
Alice sensing Nell’s vulnerabilities as well as her capabilities uses her. When Nell is thrown into prison for shoplifting, there is no help from Alice. In prison, Nell has to give up her baby for adoption and she comes out a hard woman and determined to get even with Alice some day.
Will Nell be able to seize the title of Queen of Thieves from Alice? She sees a chance when she starts to work for Billy Sullivan and spy on him for Alice.
I can’t give more details without giving away the story, but suffice to say it’s an interesting read that I enjoyed.
Meet The Author
Beezy Marsh is a top ten Sunday Times bestselling author, who has also held the coveted No.1 slot in Canada for three months. She puts family and relationships at the heart of her writing. She is an award-winning journalist who has spent more than 20 years making the headlines in newspapers including The Daily Mail and The Sunday Times. Beezy is married with two sons, and lives in Oxfordshire.
What other reviewers are saying:
Thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
