During their heyday, they were considered the most powerful criminal organization in London. Disciplined and dedicated, the all-female, working-class gang, known as the Forty Elephants, not only matched their male counterparts in daring exploits, but outdid them in ingenuity, adaptability, and organization. In their trademark fur coats, bloomers, and cleverly altered clothing, with numerous fake pockets, they ran a complex and diverse operation that extended from pickpocketing and blackmail to shoplifting, fraud, and jewelry theft—and earned themselves a fortune. 

 The Forty Elephants’ reign lasted for twelve decades—a testament to their many remarkable leaders, including Mary Carr, their groundbreaking founder in the 1890s the charismatic Alice Diamond, who took over the gang at the age of nineteen and authored their famous “Hoister’s Code,” the elusive Lilian Kendall who was known as the “Bobbed-Haired Bandit,” and Shirley Pitts, nicknamed “Queen of the Shoplifters,” who led the gang until her death in 1992.

  Despite their longevity and successes, the astonishing story of the Forty Elephants has been diminished and their achievements largely ignored. Now, drawing on previously untapped sources, award-winning author Nikki Vietz finally gives voice to these extraordinary, defiant women in an eye-opening, thrilling narrative of ambition, rivalry, feminism, and resilience.