I am delighted to share my review today for Queens of the Underworld: A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks by Caitlin Davies. There are many books around about male criminals, so it was a great book to read that focused on women. I can honestly say after reading this, they should have their own books because my goodness some of the women were evil!

My huge thank to Anne at Random Things Tours for arranging my paperback copy of this fabulous book from the publisher The History Press.

Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, Ronnie Biggs, the Krays … All have become folk heroes, glamorised and romanticised, even when they killed. But where are all the female crooks? Where are the street robbers, gang leaders, diamond thieves, bank robbers and gold smugglers?
Queens of the Underworld reveals the incredible story of professional female criminals from the 17th century to today. From Moll Cutpurse who ruled the Jacobean underworld, to Victorian jewel thief Emily Lawrence and 1960s burglar Zoe Progl, these were charismatic women at the top of their game.
But female criminals have long been dismissed as either not ‘real women’ or not ‘real criminals’, and in the process their stories have been lost. Caitlin Davies unravels the myths, confronts the lies, and tracks down modern-day descendants in order to tell the truth about their lives.
‘A riveting dive into the criminal underworld and the women who queened it there’ – Helena Kennedy QC

‘A rollicking account of all kinds of crime committed by women, who have not only been forgotten or ignored, but who put their male counterparts to shame’ – Julie Bindel, The Spectator

MY REVIEW

There are many books, documentaries, films and online features about crime. When you look many or most are about the men in the world that commit those crimes. Women are mentioned but they are often thought of as trophies, a bit of fluff or an accomplice. Most of the time they are not seen as the masterminds behind the crime or the gangs that are involved.

The author takes several women who, over the centuries, committed crimes that would have been serious, dangerous and downright shocking. They may have sweet angelic faces but beneath this veil, there is a shrewd and often deadly woman.

These women are mostly from around the London area and the author gives details about the women, their crimes, families, what made them stand out, when they were caught and how they then passed out of sight and mind. In some respects, you could say that these are the most notorious but are they the Queens of the Underworld as there are so many accounts that have been lost? There is also something else to consider… what about those who have not been caught!

The way women are seen in society plays heavily in this book and from the early accounts women are seen as not having any reason to be educated in any form as they are there to look after the home, and the children and maybe do chores or cleaning for others or they are prostitutes. They are not deemed worthy of being able to handle the intellect to plan and carry out a crime. Even in the modern day and at the turn of our century women are not classed as the worst of the worst. This mantle of the worst criminal always seems to go to the men.

Are women who commit crimes wanting to be seen in the same respect as their male counterparts or are they looking to make a statement? Or is it because they are responsible for raising and providing clothing and food for their children? There are mentions of women of different ethnicities, social classes and backgrounds to give a well-balanced mix. It has been difficult for the author though to find the information and gather all the details she would have liked. Again this is something where the male criminal has another advantage as such, there are so many more books and theories and documentaries about them, and you find yourself sifting through to find the women.

This is a fabulous book and I do like how the author links and then at times comes back to the women she has already mentioned. From pick-pockets to armed robbers and swindlers to contraband smugglers the author takes the reader on a journey through history. It is a fascinating book and has made me realise how little I know or have been aware of as regards women and crime are concerned. It has opened my eyes and it is a book I would definitely recommend.

About the Author

Caitlin Davies is the author of six novels and eight non-fiction books, many of which have a criminal theme. The Ghost of Lily Painter was based on the true story of two Edwardian baby farmers, while Bad Girls: The Rebels and Renegades of Holloway Prison was the first comprehensive history of Europe’s most infamous female jail. It was nominated for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, 2019.

Caitlin is a trained teacher, who started her writing career as a human rights reporter in Botswana. She currently works as a Royal Literary Fund writing fellow at NHS Kent & Medway.

Queens of the Underworld tells of her journey into the lives of female crooks from the 17th century to today. Her upcoming book, Private Inquiries: the secret history of female sleuths, to be published in October 2023, reveals the true tales of female private eyes from the 1850s to the present. Caitlin trained as a private investigator as part of her research, but wasn’t nearly as observant as she hoped she’d be.
 

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