Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆(4/5)
Genre: True Crime / History / Biography / Women's Studies

Book Review:
The Women Behind the Men of Infamy
In the annals of American crime history, the spotlight has always shone brightest on the gangsters themselves—the Capones, the Dillingers, the Barrows. But what about the women who stood beside them, who shared their beds, their dangers, and their spoils? Susan McNicoll's ''Gangster Women'' finally gives these fascinating, complex, and often forgotten figures their due.

This book is a captivating journey into the lives of the so-called ''gun molls'' of the 1930s and beyond. McNicoll profiles a diverse cast of characters, from the iconic Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) to the glamorous Virginia Hill (associate of Bugsy Siegel) and many others whose names have been lost to history. She delves into their backgrounds, exploring how they came to be involved with gangsters, and what they got out of the relationship. Was it the money and the furs? The thrill and the danger? Or was it, as the title suggests, simply love?

McNicoll does not shy away from the darker aspects of their stories—the violence, the betrayals, and the often tragic ends. She also includes the contemporary perspective of J. Edgar Hoover, who famously described these women as more dangerous to society than the gangsters themselves. The book is well-researched and engagingly written, offering a fresh and much-needed perspective on a well-trodden era.

''Gangster Women'' will appeal to true crime aficionados, history buffs, and anyone interested in the lives of women who defied convention and lived on their own terms, however dangerous those terms might have been. It is a fascinating and enlightening read that sheds new light on the dark side of the American Dream