The Blurb (by Goodreads)
London in the 1920s is no place for a woman with a mind of her own. Gang wars, violence, and an unforgiving world have left pickpocket Alice Diamond scrambling to survive in the Mint, the gritty neighborhood her family has run for generations. When her father goes to jail yet again and her scam artist brother finds himself in debt to the dangerous McDonald crime syndicate, Alice takes over. Fighting for power at every turn, she struggles to protect her father's territory and keep the people she loves safe from some of London's most dangerous criminals.
Recruited by the enigmatic Mary Carr, Alice boldly chooses to break her father's edict against gangs and become part of a group of notorious lady shoplifters, the Forty Elephants. Leaving the Mint behind, she and the other girls steal from the area's poshest department stores, and for the first time in her life, Alice Diamond tastes success. But it's not long before she wants more--no matter the cost. And when her past and present collide, there's no escaping the girl from the Mint.
My thoughts:
A swift-paced and gritty page turner set in 1920s London, The Forty Elephants was inspired by the true story of the first all-female gang of London. This is a world of pickpockets and con-artists, razor fights and gang wars. The heroine Alice Diamond has to take her father’s place as the leader of the Mint after her father is sent to gaol, but it’s tough proving herself when you’re both young and a woman. Alice is clever and ruthless, though, and soon she has a plan to score bigtime …. If she can survive.
