Queens of the Underworld
A Journey into the Lives of Female Crooks

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 ma......more

I expected an intriguing and exciting book, but unfortunately it failed to hold my attention, which is probably why it took me 1.5 months to finish. The only reason I did finish is that it was the final book for a reading challenge and I had no alternatives. It did seem very well-researched though,......more

I loved this. A study of female crooks from the Jacobean pickpocket Mary Frith, through the various ‘queens’ of the Forty Thieves/Forty Elephants gangs right up to cyber fraud, this is a series of case studies which aims to put women on the criminal map. An odd ambition when you put it like that, an......more

This is a book devoted to the lives of some of the most famous female criminals in England over the past few hundred years. From the 1600’s until the present day we meet some of Britain’s most infamous women crooks, from pickpockets to fraudsters the book was inspired by a meeting with prolific crim......more

We always hear about the men who made up the seedy underworld, but we never hear about the women. I always found this crazy, as the men are strong and powerful, but the women have to be even stronger and show not one thread of weakness, or they are done for. The first time I saw a women of the under......more