Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh

Queen of Thieves
by Beezy Marsh

Reviewed by Valerie Palmer

I received this book from a friend who won it on Goodreads and we decided to buddy read this book. I also had not read a historical fiction book in quite some time. Beezy Marsh is a new author for me, and I was intrigued by the premise of the story. If you like a strong female lead role, then this may be a good book for you.

Summary
An electrifying historical adventure about a ring of bold and resourceful women thieves in post-World War II London.

Gangland was a man’s world. Or so they thought. The women knew different.

London, 1946. The city struggles to rebuild itself after the devastation of the Blitz. Food is rationed, good jobs are scarce, and even the most honest families are forced to take a bit of “crooked” just to survive.

Alice Diamond, the Queen of Thieves, rules over her all-female gang with a bejeweled fist. Her “hoisters” are expert shoplifters, the scourge of London’s upscale boutiques and departments stores. Their lucrative business stealing and fencing luxury goods always carries the threat of violence; Alice packs a razor, and has been known to use her heavy rows of diamond rings like brass knuckles.

Young Nell is a teenager from the slums, hiding a secret pregnancy and facing a desperately uncertain future when Alice takes her under her wing. Before long, Nell is experiencing all the dangers—and glamourous trappings—that comes with this underworld existence. Alice wants Nell to be a useful weapon in her ongoing war against crime boss Billy Sullivan’s gang of rival thieves. But Nell has a hidden agenda of her own, and is not to be underestimated. The more she is manipulated by both Alice and Billy, the more her hunger for revenge grows.

As Nell embraces the rich spoils of crime and the seedy underbelly of London, will she manage to carve out her own path to power and riches? Might she even crown herself the Queen of Thieves?

What I Liked
I liked the story a lot as it gave a unique perspective of how tough times were following WWII. I also enjoyed that the main characters were independent females which was a rarity during that period. I would say that the themes of this book are around female power and revenge. I felt bad for Nell, as she fell on her luck, pregnant and alone. Feeling emotions and connecting with a character makes a strong impression on me as the reader.

What I Didn't Like
I felt like the story started off a bit slow. It took me awhile to get into this book. I did not like Alice Diamond's character throughout the story. Although, I did find out why I did not like her that much in the last quarter.

Rating⭐⭐⭐⭐
I gave this book four stars on Goodreads. I was thrilled by the ending and got the ending I wanted overall. But there were parts of the story that were a bit slow, therefore I could not give it five stars.