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The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country's First Female Investigator and Her Crime Fighting Squad
”For fans of Margot Lee Shetterley and Liza Mundy comes an inspiring feminist tale of a woman who dedicated her entire life to the New York Police Department, upending the patriarchy and the status quo for women working in public service”.
Mary "Mae" Foley was a force to be reckoned with. On one hip she held her makeup compact, on the other, her NYPD badge. When women were fighting for the vote, Mae was fighting crime in the heart of New York City - taking down rapists, boot-leggers, Nazis, and serial killers. One of the first women to be sworn into the police force, Mae not only fought crime in the city that never sleeps, but also did something much bigger - challenged the patriarchal systems that continually tried to shut her and other women down. The result of her efforts? A long career that helped over 2,000 women join her auxiliary police force, the 'Masher Squad.' Mae Foley is proof that women can do anything men can do, all while wearing corsets and the perfect shade of rouge.
From renowned author, speaker, and retired U.S. Army Major General Mari K. Eder comes the exciting and superbly researched story of a trailblazer who courageously dedicated her life to public service.
224 pages, Hardcover
Published August 8, 2023
About the author
Mari K. Eder
11 books85 followersMari K. Eder, retired U.S. Army Major General, is a renowned speaker and author, and a thought leader on strategic communication and leadership. General Eder has served as Director of Public Affairs at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and as an adjunct professor and lecturer in communications and public diplomacy at the NATO School and Sweden’s International Training Command. She served in a number of senior positions in the Pentagon, on the Army Staff, as Deputy Chief of Public Affairs and Deputy Chief of the Army Reserve, and with DoD’s Reserve Forces Policy Board. General Eder speaks and writes frequently on communication, ethics, and security topics in universities and for international audiences and consults on communications issues.
When not writing, lecturing, or traveling, she works with rescue groups and fosters rescued Schnauzers.
When not writing, lecturing, or traveling, she works with rescue groups and fosters rescued Schnauzers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
February 24, 2024
" . . . she did take chances, sometimes huge risks. But she never took a bribe, and she never looked away when she was faced with wrongdoing. The terms that were applied to her - trailblazer, Amazon, tough, intrepid - were all true. Far more than clichés, those terms fit this woman who made her own way, leaving tracks for the next generation to follow." -- on page 167
Unexpectedly, this biography missed the mark for several reasons. The crude title was misleading or just irrelevant - the first American woman to attain detective ranking in a police agency will likely never be able to be determined with any certainty, plus the focus of this book was not on the main character's 'crime fighting squad' (because she did actually not HAVE one) - and those abundant recreated family conversations from the 1920's through the 1940's were incredibly distracting to the narrative. The book details Mae Foley's time of service with the New York City Police Department, first as a member in the Women's Reserves unit during the World War I era before finally achieving full-fledged police officer status from 1923 to 1945. At a time when women officers made up less than ten percent of the NYPD's roster - which was and still is America's largest municipal police force - Foley was something of an anomaly, although she was not their first female officer. When the book stuck to the facts of Foley's career - especially during those eventful years of the roaring 20's, the Great Depression, and WWII - it WAS somewhat interesting. (Even more notable was the author discovering that long ago the NYPD jettisoned their pre-1930 records to the bottom of the East River in an attempt to make more storage room in those pre-computer filing days.) However, this bio did not possess the necessary 'hook' - Foley was a good wife, mother, and officer who faithfully served her city (which is very important, and nothing to short-change at all), but the sort of expected moment where she is an integral part of a major investigation or notable case did not occur.
Unexpectedly, this biography missed the mark for several reasons. The crude title was misleading or just irrelevant - the first American woman to attain detective ranking in a police agency will likely never be able to be determined with any certainty, plus the focus of this book was not on the main character's 'crime fighting squad' (because she did actually not HAVE one) - and those abundant recreated family conversations from the 1920's through the 1940's were incredibly distracting to the narrative. The book details Mae Foley's time of service with the New York City Police Department, first as a member in the Women's Reserves unit during the World War I era before finally achieving full-fledged police officer status from 1923 to 1945. At a time when women officers made up less than ten percent of the NYPD's roster - which was and still is America's largest municipal police force - Foley was something of an anomaly, although she was not their first female officer. When the book stuck to the facts of Foley's career - especially during those eventful years of the roaring 20's, the Great Depression, and WWII - it WAS somewhat interesting. (Even more notable was the author discovering that long ago the NYPD jettisoned their pre-1930 records to the bottom of the East River in an attempt to make more storage room in those pre-computer filing days.) However, this bio did not possess the necessary 'hook' - Foley was a good wife, mother, and officer who faithfully served her city (which is very important, and nothing to short-change at all), but the sort of expected moment where she is an integral part of a major investigation or notable case did not occur.
August 8, 2023
Mary “Mae” Foley was born to immigrant parents in 1886, her family lived in the Gas House District a part of Manhattan and an area of New York where gangs ruled the streets and as a child she witnessed fights, assaults and thefts.
Mae grew up fast, she could stick up for herself and after she graduated high school Mae worked as a clerk in the Tenement House Department and as a case worker for the Welfare Department and then she joined the New York Police Reserves.
Mae was a wife and mother but this didn’t stop this from her joining the New York Police Department, a specialty division was formed and it eventually grew to have over two thousand female members and Mae was one of the original sixty seven women who started. Mae was part of the “Masher Squad” they made sure women were safe on the streets, catching the subway and in movie theaters.
Mae wore her police uniform and badge with pride, when she was finally issued with a gun she was given a special purse to keep it in and it also had a compartment to hold her lipstick. While pounding the beat over her career, Mae arrested rapists, owners of speakeasies that popped up all over New York during probation, bootleggers, a serial killer, she attended rallies that were pro German and because during the Second World War they were worried about spies.
I received a copy of The Girls Who Fought Crime by Mari K. Edger from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Mae Foley was a women who helped change societies views about women, they could be a wife, mother, and work and at one of the most stressful jobs. Mae loved her family, her job and going on cruises. She understood women were entitled to have down time, a holiday and her husband wasn’t a keen traveler and so she went on her own. Mae was a real character, strong and I admired her tenacity and four stars from me.
Mae grew up fast, she could stick up for herself and after she graduated high school Mae worked as a clerk in the Tenement House Department and as a case worker for the Welfare Department and then she joined the New York Police Reserves.
Mae was a wife and mother but this didn’t stop this from her joining the New York Police Department, a specialty division was formed and it eventually grew to have over two thousand female members and Mae was one of the original sixty seven women who started. Mae was part of the “Masher Squad” they made sure women were safe on the streets, catching the subway and in movie theaters.
Mae wore her police uniform and badge with pride, when she was finally issued with a gun she was given a special purse to keep it in and it also had a compartment to hold her lipstick. While pounding the beat over her career, Mae arrested rapists, owners of speakeasies that popped up all over New York during probation, bootleggers, a serial killer, she attended rallies that were pro German and because during the Second World War they were worried about spies.
I received a copy of The Girls Who Fought Crime by Mari K. Edger from Edelweiss and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review. Mae Foley was a women who helped change societies views about women, they could be a wife, mother, and work and at one of the most stressful jobs. Mae loved her family, her job and going on cruises. She understood women were entitled to have down time, a holiday and her husband wasn’t a keen traveler and so she went on her own. Mae was a real character, strong and I admired her tenacity and four stars from me.
February 26, 2023
The Girls Who Fought Crime by Mari K. Eder starts with a note that becomes rather prophetic in a bad way. Eder mentions that scrounging up records on the NYPD prior to about 1930 is extremely difficult. Eder attempts to tell the story of Mary "Mae" Foley who was a tough as nails police officer back when that was extremely rare. Mae Foley certainly deserves a book about her, but unfortunately the details to tell her story are missing.
Eder does her best to fill out a full narrative. It seems certain scenes and dialogue are created to flesh out the parts of the story which lack documentation. This makes the book feel stunted as both the history and the characters never get to shine. The reader seems to zoom through scenes, cases, and time periods without leaving a lasting impact.
This book is short when compared to many other non-fiction books. Ultimately, I think Eder had an excellent subject on her hands but needed to pick one of two lanes. Either expand the history and characters covered by the narrative so there are enough details to stick only to the facts or turn this into a historical fiction novel. The combination of both did not come together.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Sourcebooks.)
Eder does her best to fill out a full narrative. It seems certain scenes and dialogue are created to flesh out the parts of the story which lack documentation. This makes the book feel stunted as both the history and the characters never get to shine. The reader seems to zoom through scenes, cases, and time periods without leaving a lasting impact.
This book is short when compared to many other non-fiction books. Ultimately, I think Eder had an excellent subject on her hands but needed to pick one of two lanes. Either expand the history and characters covered by the narrative so there are enough details to stick only to the facts or turn this into a historical fiction novel. The combination of both did not come together.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Sourcebooks.)
September 20, 2023
3 stars
Mary 'Mae' Foley was the first police woman in New York City. She covered a number of precincts and job titles, including Detective, during her lifetime of criminal justice work. Known as "a trailblazer who courageously dedicated her life to public service" Foley not only fought crime, but also fought for the rights of women. She was instrumental in helping over 2000 women join the police force, some of them obtaining a very rank. And she did this while still maintaining a household, raising two daughters and being a world traveler.
As the author points out in her Prologue, information on this time period and women in the police force, especially Foley, was very hard to come by. There are no NYPD personnel records available at all before 1930. So a story sadly needing to be told does appear to be piecemeal at some points. However, overall, Eder did a good job of bringing this courageous woman back to life.
Mary 'Mae' Foley was the first police woman in New York City. She covered a number of precincts and job titles, including Detective, during her lifetime of criminal justice work. Known as "a trailblazer who courageously dedicated her life to public service" Foley not only fought crime, but also fought for the rights of women. She was instrumental in helping over 2000 women join the police force, some of them obtaining a very rank. And she did this while still maintaining a household, raising two daughters and being a world traveler.
As the author points out in her Prologue, information on this time period and women in the police force, especially Foley, was very hard to come by. There are no NYPD personnel records available at all before 1930. So a story sadly needing to be told does appear to be piecemeal at some points. However, overall, Eder did a good job of bringing this courageous woman back to life.
March 10, 2024
I found this interesting and informative. Written in story form the writing was not dry like a research paper thankfully.😆
There is a general overview of the women who first started in the NYPD, but the majority of the book follows the life of Mae Foley who stayed in the department from 1923-1946.
📕What I found interesting:
➡️ Detectives first started using women in cases as they could gather information unsuspectingly better than men.
➡️ As women joined the force they were more aware of the safety of other women and children thus improving their lives.
➡️ A man could be arrested for just saying something inappropriate to a woman. 👏 (one man spent 3 months in the workhouse for this)
➡️ Foley worked through the Depression and it didn’t affect her financially very much. Her job was secure. 🙂
➡️ Foley worked on some high level cases. One was protecting women witnesses in the case against mob leader, Luciano. (This took me back to Killing the Mob by O’Reilly. I enjoyed making these connections.)
➡️ She went undercover during WW II into the American Nazi group to stop the rise of German infiltration. She couldn’t even attend the world’s fair in NYC to keep from being recognized.
➡️ She took long vacations from work, went on many cruises traveling the world.
FYI:
⚠️ There were about 5-6 words, mainly in quotes.
I believe society has benefited from women working on the police force. The end of the book shares how there’s a push for cities to have 30% of their officers to be women. However, I’m all about hiring people according to their ability and skill level, not based on gender, etc. 🤗
There is a general overview of the women who first started in the NYPD, but the majority of the book follows the life of Mae Foley who stayed in the department from 1923-1946.
📕What I found interesting:
➡️ Detectives first started using women in cases as they could gather information unsuspectingly better than men.
➡️ As women joined the force they were more aware of the safety of other women and children thus improving their lives.
➡️ A man could be arrested for just saying something inappropriate to a woman. 👏 (one man spent 3 months in the workhouse for this)
➡️ Foley worked through the Depression and it didn’t affect her financially very much. Her job was secure. 🙂
➡️ Foley worked on some high level cases. One was protecting women witnesses in the case against mob leader, Luciano. (This took me back to Killing the Mob by O’Reilly. I enjoyed making these connections.)
➡️ She went undercover during WW II into the American Nazi group to stop the rise of German infiltration. She couldn’t even attend the world’s fair in NYC to keep from being recognized.
➡️ She took long vacations from work, went on many cruises traveling the world.
FYI:
⚠️ There were about 5-6 words, mainly in quotes.
I believe society has benefited from women working on the police force. The end of the book shares how there’s a push for cities to have 30% of their officers to be women. However, I’m all about hiring people according to their ability and skill level, not based on gender, etc. 🤗
March 31, 2023
Police woman May Foley became a female cop when prohibition in the dustbowl were recent events she would go on to be a detective a mother a wife a world traveler and her biggest critic. She was held at the end of the gun got in fist fights and took down criminals both male and female an in this book The Girls Who Fought Crime we learned all about her and other females who either were or claim to be the first female to do… In her pictures she seems to have a quiet dignity to her put things in the book that she said made her seem like someone I would’ve loved to hang around she seemed funny nice but mostly she loved being a police woman in from all accounts he definitely got the job done. Her husband was a big supporter of hard-working in at a time when most women would look down on for holding your job she did it anyway. I love this book and loved reading about such a pioneer female who did what she wanted to do and live her life by her standards and not societies what a great book! Mary Kay a bear has done such a stellar job telling Miss Foley‘s story and feminist everywhere should be flying her flag I highly recommend this book even if you read it just for the True Crime aspects or historical reasons you will not be able to put this book down it is so good and I thought the author did such a great job I loved it it is a definite five star read. I received this book from NetGalley and a publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
August 30, 2023
“She was a policewoman, a detective, a crime solver, a meticulous investigator, a wife, and a mother….She never considered she couldn’t have what she wanted, be what she wanted. She just decided she would. And she did.”
In The Girls Who Fought Crime, Mari Eder documents the early history of women working in the New York Police Service with a focus on the trailblazing career of Mary “Mae” Vermell Foley.
Born in 1886, Mae was eleven years old and rescuing her younger brother from a bully when she first announced she wanted to be a police officer. At the time, barely a handful of women were employed by the New York City Police Department as precinct ‘matrons’, older women who essentially acted as housemothers. It was 1915 before Mae got her foot in the door, playing an instrumental role in the establishment of the Women’s Police Reserve, but her opportunity to officially join the NYPD as a sworn officer didn’t arrive until 1923, by which time she was a 36 year old wife and mother of two.
Eder shares some of the highlights of Mae’s extraordinary and varied career until her retirement in late 1945. Among the more standard tasks assigned to female police officers such as dealing with runaways, pickpockets, and prostitutes, Mae arrested frauds, pimps, thieves, rapists, mashers and murderers, raided speakeasy’s, protected mob witnesses, and spied on Nazi’s during World War 2. She was a tough, skilled and courageous woman who served with dedication and integrity.
In telling Mae’s story, Eder also details historical milestones and significant figures who had a role in the early years of women policing, like Isabella Goodwin who was the first woman to be awarded a first-grade detective shield, and Captain Edna Pitkin, a former broadway star, who was the first to volunteer to test the bullet proof vest.
Eder admits she found it difficult to gather information for this book. There was little written about women in the NYPD in the early twentieth century, and no NYPD personnel records are available at all before 1930. I think this contributes to the somewhat scattered narrative, and timeline, of the book as Eder attempts to both tell a story and document history.
Nevertheless, I found The Girls Who Fought Crime to be fascinating, revealing interesting information about the history of woman policing in New York, and I’m really glad Mae, and her contemporaries, receive the recognition they deserve.
In The Girls Who Fought Crime, Mari Eder documents the early history of women working in the New York Police Service with a focus on the trailblazing career of Mary “Mae” Vermell Foley.
Born in 1886, Mae was eleven years old and rescuing her younger brother from a bully when she first announced she wanted to be a police officer. At the time, barely a handful of women were employed by the New York City Police Department as precinct ‘matrons’, older women who essentially acted as housemothers. It was 1915 before Mae got her foot in the door, playing an instrumental role in the establishment of the Women’s Police Reserve, but her opportunity to officially join the NYPD as a sworn officer didn’t arrive until 1923, by which time she was a 36 year old wife and mother of two.
Eder shares some of the highlights of Mae’s extraordinary and varied career until her retirement in late 1945. Among the more standard tasks assigned to female police officers such as dealing with runaways, pickpockets, and prostitutes, Mae arrested frauds, pimps, thieves, rapists, mashers and murderers, raided speakeasy’s, protected mob witnesses, and spied on Nazi’s during World War 2. She was a tough, skilled and courageous woman who served with dedication and integrity.
In telling Mae’s story, Eder also details historical milestones and significant figures who had a role in the early years of women policing, like Isabella Goodwin who was the first woman to be awarded a first-grade detective shield, and Captain Edna Pitkin, a former broadway star, who was the first to volunteer to test the bullet proof vest.
Eder admits she found it difficult to gather information for this book. There was little written about women in the NYPD in the early twentieth century, and no NYPD personnel records are available at all before 1930. I think this contributes to the somewhat scattered narrative, and timeline, of the book as Eder attempts to both tell a story and document history.
Nevertheless, I found The Girls Who Fought Crime to be fascinating, revealing interesting information about the history of woman policing in New York, and I’m really glad Mae, and her contemporaries, receive the recognition they deserve.
January 22, 2024
This was a Christmas gift and the subject really interested me. I was hoping for a historical book that covered beginning of women in the police force. Instead this book is a meandering trip through the history of New York and nominally through the life and career of Mae Foley.
This reads very much like a "Who Was..." book geared towards middle school readers. They chose a historical figure and weave together a story based on the facts know about the person. Yes, the facts in this book are accurate but they feel very thin and far between. The book also lacks a firm focus and jumps around from how the city of New York changed over time to women in the police force to the personal life of Mae. I understand that the author found many documents were destroyed when researching this book. I feel like that should have lead her to writing a historical fiction book based on the life of Mae Foley. There are aspects of that included already with conversations and Mae's feelings about events that couldn't possibly have been preserved in such detail. With historical fiction Mae could have truly been the star of the book and any gaps in facts could have been artfully filled in. Instead this is a meandering mess of a book that does not do any justice to Mae Foley or any of the other pioneering women of the New York police force.
This reads very much like a "Who Was..." book geared towards middle school readers. They chose a historical figure and weave together a story based on the facts know about the person. Yes, the facts in this book are accurate but they feel very thin and far between. The book also lacks a firm focus and jumps around from how the city of New York changed over time to women in the police force to the personal life of Mae. I understand that the author found many documents were destroyed when researching this book. I feel like that should have lead her to writing a historical fiction book based on the life of Mae Foley. There are aspects of that included already with conversations and Mae's feelings about events that couldn't possibly have been preserved in such detail. With historical fiction Mae could have truly been the star of the book and any gaps in facts could have been artfully filled in. Instead this is a meandering mess of a book that does not do any justice to Mae Foley or any of the other pioneering women of the New York police force.
September 18, 2023
It didn't catch my interest, and the way conversations and body language were fictionalized (I assume, since records were hard to come by) bothered me. I think it would have worked better as a historical fiction. However, I did admire and enjoy her love of travel and ability to juggle motherhood and police work.
February 24, 2024
Very interesting and readable- read like a novel..
August 14, 2023
I’m struggling a little with what rating to give this title. The topic was wonderful. Mae and then other female officers of NYC absolutely have a fascinating story. The execution of the book though was lacking. Interspersed around the nonfiction narrative we’re scenes and dialogue. It’s very unclear if these were imaginings from the authors mind as to what might have taken place or potentially from journal entries that could have been rewritten. I’m assuming the first.
The shift was out of sync with the rest of the writing style. I think the author really needed to pick a lane. Either do more research to flesh the novel out. (The book does mention that information was hard to come by) Or write a “fiction” story based on historical events.
I did learn a lot of information and enjoyed learning about Mae, but the authors style was somewhat lacking.
Thank you to Libro.fm and Tantor Media for my ALC copy of this title.
The shift was out of sync with the rest of the writing style. I think the author really needed to pick a lane. Either do more research to flesh the novel out. (The book does mention that information was hard to come by) Or write a “fiction” story based on historical events.
I did learn a lot of information and enjoyed learning about Mae, but the authors style was somewhat lacking.
Thank you to Libro.fm and Tantor Media for my ALC copy of this title.
August 8, 2023
The Girls Who Fought Crime by Mari K. Eder is a fascinating look at female members and roles of the New York Police Department in its early days, particularly that of Mary "Mae" Vermell Foley. Mae was a wife, mother, police officer, spy and detective from which she retired in 1945. Her expertise in jujitsu came in handy several times. She was stoic and had to put up with abusive and dangerous criminals as well as gender disparity in her field. She infiltrated Nazi movements and was a proud member of the "Masher Squad". Medical fraud was rampant. Her passion for international travel really appeals to me as an avid international traveler myself.
Unknown female trailblazers such as Mae are enlightening to read about. I had not heard of her before. She seems like she was a humble woman who did not wish to draw attention to herself or her contributions.
My criticism is that the title doesn't compute with the topic as the focus was mainly on one woman with brief mentions of a few others. But what a life Mae lived! The inclusion of photographs adds a welcome personal touch.
My sincere thank you to SOURCEBOOKS and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this interesting book.
Unknown female trailblazers such as Mae are enlightening to read about. I had not heard of her before. She seems like she was a humble woman who did not wish to draw attention to herself or her contributions.
My criticism is that the title doesn't compute with the topic as the focus was mainly on one woman with brief mentions of a few others. But what a life Mae lived! The inclusion of photographs adds a welcome personal touch.
My sincere thank you to SOURCEBOOKS and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this interesting book.
August 12, 2023
Mary “Mae” Foley is one of the more interesting women I had never heard of. A policewoman in a time when there were few women on the force [she was one of the original 67 women who made up the first policewoman force in Manhattan], Mae was also a mother, a wife, and eventually, a world traveler. Her story is an amazing one and the things she did and was able to accomplish is nothing short of astonishing [her ability to go off and travel, ALONE, in a time when women didn't go anywhere alone, is nothing short of awe inspiring]. While I wish this book was longer and more fleshed out, what I DID read what well written, and the story told in such a way that I was never once not engaged with Mae's life and all that she was accomplishing [can you imagine having to infiltrate the Nazi party in the US? UGH. She did it though and many were brought to justice for the hate they were spreading]. I really enjoyed listening to her story.
Thank you to NetGalley, Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder [U.S. Army - Retired], and SOURCEBOOKS [nonfiction], for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder [U.S. Army - Retired], and SOURCEBOOKS [nonfiction], for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2023
The previously untold story of Mary "Mae" Foley, the stereotype-busting woman who worked for the NYDP from 1923 to 1946 and even in retirement was a big supporter and tireless fundraiser for the force. As told by another strong woman, Maj. General Mari K. Elder (retired) it's also a study of police women in the 20th century. Mae Foley battled muggers, mashers, rapists, petty crooks and Nazi agents while carrying on a private life filled with adventurous ocean cruises and friendship with Broadway stars, playwrights, actors and actresses. A fascinating bit of history. - BH.
September 5, 2023
Mae sounds incredible. Tough, strong, and everything you would imagine a woman in her position would be. But what I really loved about her was her love of travel and luxury cruises. Girl needs a break sometimes!
September 27, 2023
A career police woman with a travel bug to balance out a work environment not quite ready for women, but Mae Foley isn't waiting for society to catch on, she just makes up her own rules and takes to the street bringing down the worst of the worst in some of the most unsuspecting ways.
November 3, 2023
This was a really interesting account of Mae Foley, one of the first woman police officers in the NYPD, and her contemporaries. I learned a lot.
January 4, 2024
We're eating tenderloin tonight!
November 4, 2023
Book 4 of #NonfictionNovember
April 5, 2023
It appears that you wouldn't have wanted to mess with Mae Foley, trailblazing woman detective of the NYPD who was both renowned and respected for her cocky, savvy, and always empathetic policing style. It was the early 20th-century in New York City when this intrepid widow and mom of two young daughters doggedly fought her way into a less-than-welcoming (to put it mildly) male police force. Mae's exceptional street smarts were acquired the hard way--by the seat of her pants--and she lent unique insight into the circumstances by which women, in particular, came afoul of the law. The author brings to vivid life this undeservedly little-known real-life superheroine with her fascinating portraiture of Mae the fiercely loving mother, consummate detective, beloved co-worker, unlikely social hobnobber, and indefatigable world traveler. She even infiltrated Lucky Luciano's crew! Page-turning real-life crime drama, in spades.
January 29, 2024
Painful. This was not a history book. This was a folksy tale putting made up words into the mouths of people who are deceased. Would not recommend.
February 15, 2024
3.5 stars. This is all about one woman, so the title is a bit misleading. Others are mentioned but only briefly. There are some strange scenes of invented dialogue between May and her daughters throughout the book, but never enough to fully get to know them.
I did enjoy learning about May as a person, feisty policewoman and adventurous traveler.
I did enjoy learning about May as a person, feisty policewoman and adventurous traveler.
November 17, 2023
More like a 3.5; it has some nice bits, very well researched. Should have been structured differently, though, imo. Review next week at bestevidence.fyi.
June 10, 2023
In 1923 Mae Foley and a small group of brave women join the prestigious New York City Police Dept. Beginning with Teddy Roosevelt's reign as Police Commissioner, women had gotten their toe in the door but still had an upward battle to prove themselves to their male counterparts. Mae began her career searching women who had been arrested and watching over subways to protect female passengers from lewd behavior and pickpockets but graduated to closing brothels and speakeasys during Prohibition. Once she made detective the fun began and Mae was very successful at undercover work even protecting female witnesses from gangster Lucky Luciano before trial and attending Nazi rallies. Anecdotes and hair raising stories of high speed chases and near misses with arrested women packing heat make this a historical romp that is entertaining and encouraging for women breaking into traditional male roles. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.
November 19, 2023
A particularly good read, as I have had officers in my family over the years. My grandfather joined the force during the depression, so those details were very interesting.
April 16, 2024
buddy married someone with a 20 year age difference 🤨🤨
April 29, 2023
The Girls Who Fought Crime caught my eyes since I saw the cover. The premise to know more about how women at early years served as investigators and crime detectives especially in the NYPD really intrigued me. This book following a woman name Mae Foley. She was a social girl, a dedicate wife, a great mother. Later she added with public service to the city too.
I never knew about this super woman and her team before and such delightful to read her story. I saw the author did her research to gather so much informations to write this one. This book was mixed between biography and also historical fiction for help reader get the picture of events and the main character to flesh out. Readers who want to know more about other women being mentioned at here suppose make continuing research because this book focus on Mae Foley. The writing style was okay and easy to follow. I think it's an read.
3.7
Thank you Sourcebooks NF and Netgalley for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions always become my own
I never knew about this super woman and her team before and such delightful to read her story. I saw the author did her research to gather so much informations to write this one. This book was mixed between biography and also historical fiction for help reader get the picture of events and the main character to flesh out. Readers who want to know more about other women being mentioned at here suppose make continuing research because this book focus on Mae Foley. The writing style was okay and easy to follow. I think it's an read.
3.7
Thank you Sourcebooks NF and Netgalley for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions always become my own
February 22, 2023
The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country's First Female Investigator and Her Crime Fighting Squad by Mari K. Eder is an excellent nonfiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I found this book completely fascinating. I had never came across Mae Foley before, and to learn about her trailblazing position in NYC and the police force. To learn so much about Mae, the challenges she faced, all that she overcame, and her “Masher Squad” was just amazing.
I can’t believe that I didn’t know about this impressive woman before now. I highly recommend.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Sourcebooks nonfiction for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/8/23.
I found this book completely fascinating. I had never came across Mae Foley before, and to learn about her trailblazing position in NYC and the police force. To learn so much about Mae, the challenges she faced, all that she overcame, and her “Masher Squad” was just amazing.
I can’t believe that I didn’t know about this impressive woman before now. I highly recommend.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Sourcebooks nonfiction for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/8/23.
April 21, 2023
The title is more in keeping with the language of the early years of having women in the NYPD, this is notably the biography of one very notable woman police detective. She was a very real and exemplary person who loved to travel for leisure to balance the very real policing she did. Not a desk jockey, but a police investigator of the first order and one who would be proud of the NYPD for reaching its goal of 20% women by 2020 and encouraging of the department's goal of 30% by 2030. There is also included a potted history of women who made a real difference in policing from before the turn of the 20th century until the present.
Did you know that in the first half of that century the WOMEN recruits were required to have a college degree? But not the men?
I requested and received an EARC from Sourcebooks via NetGalley. Thank you!
Did you know that in the first half of that century the WOMEN recruits were required to have a college degree? But not the men?
I requested and received an EARC from Sourcebooks via NetGalley. Thank you!
August 13, 2023
In THE GIRLS WHO FOUGHT CRIME, Mari K. Eder offers a vibrant, refreshing look at the life and accomplishments of Mary “Mae” Foley. Mae was one of the first women to serve as a police officer for the NYPD and among the most prominent of her times.
The daughter of an Irish father and a French mother, immigrants to the US in the late 1800s, Mae and her family resided in a slum area known as the Gas House District. Eder recounts in her lively narrative that 11-year-old Mae stymied a known school bully and vowed to be a cop one day. The path would be a long one, as Mae married in her teens, had two daughters and cared for two sons of her husband from a previous marriage. The family struggled for every penny, bolstered somewhat when Mae offered her daughter Grace as an “actress” on Broadway at age two.
Mae took work for the city, gradually moving into a position on the police force, but without the status of a police uniform. Initially her job entailed assisting women and children affected by social deprivation in the newly formed “settlement houses” that catered to the homeless and helpless. One part of her job was locating and apprehending “mashers,” men who seduced and robbed unsuspecting females. She eventually would serve on the force --- in uniform --- fulfilling her long-held ambition, and pushing for and organizing a squad of like-minded women.
Widowed while still young, Mae raised her daughters while working endless shifts. She was born with true grit, always sustaining her conviction that she could and would succeed. Her exploits with the criminal element included work as a detective and, during World War II, going undercover to ferret out pro-Nazi operatives. Her status was such that the force specially honored her birthday, and the attendance at her funeral was a mile long.
Eder, a retired U.S. Army Major General with many distinctions to her credit in that realm, served for 20 years as a military police officer. She has neatly constructed a credible story of Mae’s aspirations and accomplishments, with imaginative episodes of her personal life intertwined with the facts about her police service. There are few records accessible from the NYPD in the early years of Mae’s rise through that organization, and not many photos are available. But Eder brings to light and life in a manner both engaging and cinematic as much as is known about this dynamic female, who assumed and demonstrated dominance in a man’s world at a time when women were not even allowed to vote.
In current times, Eder points out, women are sought as law officers, often being better educated and practicing more equitable strategies than their male counterparts. Mae Foley quietly and effectively rebelled against patriarchy, and won out to her satisfaction and the admiration of her peers. As Eder boldly states, “Her lessons are fresh for us today.”
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
The daughter of an Irish father and a French mother, immigrants to the US in the late 1800s, Mae and her family resided in a slum area known as the Gas House District. Eder recounts in her lively narrative that 11-year-old Mae stymied a known school bully and vowed to be a cop one day. The path would be a long one, as Mae married in her teens, had two daughters and cared for two sons of her husband from a previous marriage. The family struggled for every penny, bolstered somewhat when Mae offered her daughter Grace as an “actress” on Broadway at age two.
Mae took work for the city, gradually moving into a position on the police force, but without the status of a police uniform. Initially her job entailed assisting women and children affected by social deprivation in the newly formed “settlement houses” that catered to the homeless and helpless. One part of her job was locating and apprehending “mashers,” men who seduced and robbed unsuspecting females. She eventually would serve on the force --- in uniform --- fulfilling her long-held ambition, and pushing for and organizing a squad of like-minded women.
Widowed while still young, Mae raised her daughters while working endless shifts. She was born with true grit, always sustaining her conviction that she could and would succeed. Her exploits with the criminal element included work as a detective and, during World War II, going undercover to ferret out pro-Nazi operatives. Her status was such that the force specially honored her birthday, and the attendance at her funeral was a mile long.
Eder, a retired U.S. Army Major General with many distinctions to her credit in that realm, served for 20 years as a military police officer. She has neatly constructed a credible story of Mae’s aspirations and accomplishments, with imaginative episodes of her personal life intertwined with the facts about her police service. There are few records accessible from the NYPD in the early years of Mae’s rise through that organization, and not many photos are available. But Eder brings to light and life in a manner both engaging and cinematic as much as is known about this dynamic female, who assumed and demonstrated dominance in a man’s world at a time when women were not even allowed to vote.
In current times, Eder points out, women are sought as law officers, often being better educated and practicing more equitable strategies than their male counterparts. Mae Foley quietly and effectively rebelled against patriarchy, and won out to her satisfaction and the admiration of her peers. As Eder boldly states, “Her lessons are fresh for us today.”
Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott
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