Queen of Thieves, Beezy Marsh

Beezy Marsh has crafted a fun tale about a real time in London’s history. Queen of Thieves is set in the aftermath of war torn London where people were told to tighten their belts in an economy where there was hardly anything left to tighten.

Nell, a young, unwed woman finds herself in the family way with a less than reliable boyfriend. She hooks up with Alice, known as the leader of the Forty Thieves, the all female group of holsters who make a living nicking fine clothes, furs, and jewelry from posh stores of the city. Following a short stint for being set up and collared, Nell has her sites set on revenge.

Once released from jail, and at Alice’s request, Nell moves over to Soho to take up with King of Soho, who is the proprietor of gangland in that area. From here, Nell is poised to take over not just the Queen of Thieves, but the King of Soho.

From a reader’s perspective, the strong accent and slang used in the first two-thirds of the book was, at times, tough to understand. It was, however, more disjointing when the last third was written with less of the slang and accent. This is a good book and a fun read.