Queen of Diamonds (Queen of Thieves)
This book consists of two alternating storylines, set initially in 1898 and 1923. The earlier tale is Mary Carr’s, closely mirrored a generation later by Alice Diamond’s, who appears to emulate Mary’s life; both are factually based according to the afterwords. The two girls grow up similarly in London’s Victorian squalor, but instead of resigning themselves to a life of miserable poverty, both decide to right the wrongs of social inequality by “hoisting” gloves, dresses, furs and jewellery from prestigious West End stores and selling on the stolen goods, or indeed, keeping them. Both are attractive, confident women, sly enough to pass themselves and their ‘girl-gang’ mates off as wealthy shoppers, a deception which allows them to rub shoulders, and other body parts, with the upper classes, resulting in truly awful consequences, again for them both. As the storylines gradually converge, gruesome descriptions of incarceration display not only both women’s strengths and determination to survive, but also vividly contrast the calamitous present with their carefree past.
This cleverly worked prequel is a must for those familiar with Marsh’s later-set novels, yet as a stand-alone story, presents sufficient interestingly detailed drama to satisfy any newcomer.
