Popular culture is littered with famous criminal men – from Robin Hood to Ronnie Biggs they’ve become folk heroes. But what about all the criminal women? Where are the highwaywomen, jewel thieves, bank robbers and gold smugglers? Did they never exist, or have they just been forgotten? The Queens of the Underworld broke down barriers in their pursuit of crime, whether wearing trousers, driving racing cars or running illegal empires. But crime has been seen as a male pursuit and so female criminals have been dismissed and their stories have been lost.
In December, Caitlin Davies talked to the Friends of Highgate Library about her book and the women featured in it.
Order Queens of the Underworld by Caitlin Davies or buy it at your local bookshop.