The Girls Who Fought Crime: The Untold True Story of the Country’s First Female Investigator and Her Crime Fighting Squad

History and crime lovers will appreciate Eder’s (The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line) portrait of the NYPD’s trailblazing women police officers. Eder particularly chronicles the life and experiences of Mae Foley, who joined the department in 1923 and was assigned to the “masher squad,” a unit dedicated to addressing predatory crimes against women. Eder explores Foley’s background and career, noting the cultural expectations of the era and Foley’s ever-present desire to serve. Throughout, she describes what women bring to policing and argues that it’s important to recruit more women officers in the present day. Although the book is occasionally repetitive, the account of Foley’s 22 years of service and her experiences before and after joining the police force is exciting and inspirational. Elizabeth Wiley’s narration helps listeners track the different characters through voice changes and transports them to Prohibition-era New York City.