QUEEN OF THIEVES Queen, Book 1

Rachel Atkins's performance is as exciting as this story of a ring of female thieves operating in London after WWII. In 1946, crime was dominated by Billy Sullivan and his gang. But Alice Diamond, resourceful and hardened by life, steps in to become "Queen of the Forty Thieves," a group of women who shoplift high-end goods for resale on the black market. Nell--young, pregnant, and gullible-- connects with Alice, who offers her a job "heisting." Atkins delivers authentic Cockney accents for the heisters, plummy tones for the posh, and recognizable personalities for the main characters. When Nell decides to dethrone Alice, the two women's egos clash. Dirty tricks, betrayals, and heightened tension are all handled with understated finesse by Atkins. Listening fun for everyone. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]