Review: The Girls Who Fought Crime by Maj. Gen Mari K Eder

Synopsis: 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.

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Unfortunately, this failed to hit the mark for me.

Whilst to narrative had more of a conversational flow, which was easy enough to follow, it lacked specific details, which were probably not readily available. In fact, author Eder alerts the reader to this from the very start. Based upon that fact alone, Eder might have done better to focus on the "girls" of the title and include more on those she has mentioned the text, using Foley and key points in Foley's life with which to anchor the narrative.

Further reading: 

Annual Report. New York Police Department. 1918. p. 85.

More publication can be found at the same website by New York (N.Y.). Police Department.