First published 2019
Marie Carrara works as a police matron in the Bronx during 1958, stuck guarding female prisoners while dreaming of detective work. The Policewomen's Bureau gets no respect from male officers, even when they crack cases the men cannot handle. Marie comes from a sheltered immigrant family and carries herself with shy uncertainty, but she throws herself into dangerous undercover assignments without pause. She uses her natural innocence as a weapon, fooling drug dealers and criminals who see her as harmless prey. Each new undercover role teaches her to be stronger, and these fictional personas begin changing who she becomes off duty. Marie battles daily sexism at work and returns home to a troubled marriage, yet she refuses to quit. She wants to prove herself worthy of the badge and show her young daughter what determination can accomplish. Her fight for recognition in a male world becomes a fight for her own identity.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, detective
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, strong-female-lead
Setting: Bronx, New York
Period: 1958
432 pages · Hardcover · Arcade
Content warnings: sexism