I was completely drawn into Madame Queen by Mary Kay McBrayer. It’s such a fascinating mix of history and true crime, centered around a woman I honestly hadn’t known much about before—but now won’t forget.

Stephanie St. Clair, also known as Madame Queen, rose to power in 1920s Harlem as one of the rare female crime bosses of the era. What really stood out to me was that her strength wasn’t built on fear or cruelty, but on intelligence, strategy, and pure grit. She wasn’t ruthless in the way some of her male counterparts were, but she was absolutely sharp and fearless in navigating a world dominated by corrupt cops, mafia thugs, and shady politicians.

As the story unfolds, she transforms from an underground figure into a powerful activist, and her legacy becomes just as inspiring as it is shocking. McBrayer does such a great job telling her story—it reads like a thriller but hits with the weight of real history.

If you’re into true crime with a powerful female lead and a historical twist, I highly recommend picking this one up. It’s a story that deserves to be told and remembered.

Spoiler alert: This book opens with the author visiting a Gangster Museum. While there, she saw a photo of Madame Stephanie and wanted to know more. She tipped the museum guide in hopes to get more info, only to find that what she was given was all there was. In a way, I feel that this what happened to reader of this book. But first, the positives: It is well written and flows, but this is a work of critical fabulation- a combination of using archival information and fictional narrative. I am not unfamiliar with this methodology and would rather have known that going in to manage my expectations, rather than be surprised by it. From the lens of critical fabulation, this book is quite successful. However, with the long imaginative vignettes, I do think this book might have been better received as a re-worked historical fiction of her life. I am aware that there is a relatively successful podcast that did this, so perhaps that is why McBrayer stayed closer to what is actually known-staying firmly in the non-fiction narrative. I do think the printed advertisements that Mme Queen printed in the Amsterdam is something that Black Studies scholars, New York historians, philanthropy scholars, journalists, and people who are interested in civil rights would be interested in what she wrote and the impact of it. As a consequence, this book leads the reader down several rabbit holes that inspire further research-for me it was her role in philanthropy. All told, once expectations are set, this book is a good read and I do recommend it for people interested in America's historical landscape.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was truly disappointed with this read. I think I expected something else, when in turn we got made up conversations, which I think took away from what couldve been a great book. I think the author should have made this historical fiction if she wanted the fabricated conversatioin or just made this an biography, the cross between both was a little frustrating.

Stepanie St. Clair;s story alone would have been great without the made up dialouges. Other than that the biographical information was very interesting.

*Madame Queen* is a captivating, overdue homage to one of Harlem’s most formidable and fascinating figures: Stephanie St. Clair. With elegant prose and meticulous research, the book finally brings this trailblazing woman out of the shadows of men like Bumpy Johnson and Lucky Luciano, giving her the spotlight she always deserved. St. Clair’s journey—from a West Indian immigrant to Harlem’s reigning numbers queen—is portrayed with the complexity, nuance, and reverence it commands.

Where the book truly shines is in its exploration of St. Clair’s layered identity: not just as an entrepreneur operating outside the law, but as a woman of dignity, strategy, and surprising compassion. She operated in a world that demanded ruthlessness, but never lost sight of decency. Her commitment to her community, her resistance to systemic injustice, and her ability to thrive in a male-dominated world make her story not only compelling, but deeply inspiring.

That said, the book’s reliance on fabricated conversations was a noticeable misstep. These imagined dialogues, while clearly intended to dramatize events, often detracted from the rich historical narrative and emotional truth of St. Clair’s life. Her real words and documented actions carry more weight than any fictional exchange ever could—and her story is strong enough to stand on its own without such embellishment.

Despite that flaw, *Madame Queen* is a powerful testament to resilience, intelligence, and integrity. It’s a reminder that greatness is not always loud or recognized in its time—and that being decent, in a ruthless world, is a form of rebellion all its own.

My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this new biography about a woman who came from other shores, and using her own unique gifts and plenty of moxie became a force to be reckoned with amongst the other gangsters in New York City.

America loves its outlaws. People will talk endlessly about them, women want to marry them, talk about their good looks and the way they act. Men wish they could be them, driving fast, shooting guns, being literally killers with the ladies. America loves it outlaws, but they have to be of a certain type. As one can tell from the the previous lines the outlaws we still talk of today are white males. The same types who foreclosed on farms, own hedge funds that destroy communities, and are currently abetting the White House. Outlaws are cool when they are Robin Hood. Women can be outlaws, but their backstory needs a little spice, a little S-E-X. From Bonnie robbing banks, to the latest child killer, S-E-X is always the selling point. Minority outlaws barely get a mention. A minority women never. Yet for a short period one woman controlled one of the most powerful numbers gangs in the City of New York. A woman who kept her word to her customers, dealt roughly with people who did her wrong, and helped the people in her community. And always acted like a lady. Madame Queen: The Life and Crimes of Harlem’s Underground Racketeer, Stephanie St. Clair by Mary Kay McBrayer is a history of a time of gangsters, corrupt cops, bad policies and a woman who created her own empire with brains, gumption, and poise.

Stephanie St. Clair was an American success story that this nation loves to tout, except when it is about a women, a minority, or based on criminal actions. St. Clair was born in the French Indies and was a bright young woman, but her mother's health limited her options. At the age of 13 St. Clair took a boat to America to enroll in a program to teach women how to be domestics, ie maids. After graduating, St. Clair traveled to Montreal, where she learned how to design dresses. Returning to America, St. Clair found a job in a factory, possibly a husband, and an interest an that American love of gambling, the numbers racket. St. Clair began to play the numbers, winning based more on probability then possible luck, and moving into the business as a banker, and soon, starting her own syndicate. St. Clair dealt with untrustworthy employees, competition, the Mafia, and corrupt police and politicians with aplomb. At the same time St. Clair did what she could for the community, informing them of their rights with the police, fighting landlords and out of control rents. And never letting anyone forget she was a lady.

Portrayals of women doing bad are seldom this interesting or fascinating. The author makes it clear from the beginning that not much is known of the day-to-day life of St. Clair, and much has to be imagined from conversations and news reports of the time. As a famous television show once said, no on should make notes on a criminal conspiracy. As such there is a little, this could have been, or I imagine it went like this. While this might make it a little creative nonfiction, this is still a very well-told story about a woman who seemed ahead of her time, and ahead of many others. Even when she left the game, St. Clair still wrote about the rights of people against the police, or blasted politicians for not following up on their promises. McBrayer is very good at explaining things, especially how the numbers racket worked, and even breaking down the dice game craps into its mathematical probability.

A interesting read, about a character that should be better known, and appreciated. A very well written story that holds the reader from beginning to end.

I had heard the name Stephanie St. Claire, or "Madame Queen," mentioned several times, usually in passing when discussing other figures of Harlem's storied past. However, I knew very little about this infamous woman who allegedly ruled the streets of Harlem. I was excited to dive into this book, hoping it would provide more insight into her life and legacy.

While I did learn some new information about St. Claire, I found that the book didn’t quite deliver the in-depth exploration I was hoping for. The author offers a disclaimer early on, acknowledging the difficulty of finding concrete information about St. Claire, which set realistic expectations. However, what followed were several moments where the narrative seemed to shift into speculation, with the author stating, "This is what I believe happened, knowing her." These passages felt less like solid research and more like assumptions, which left me feeling unsatisfied.

Additionally, there were sections of the book that felt like they dragged on, leading me to skim through portions of it. Despite the intriguing subject matter, the pacing and occasional lack of clarity in the narrative left me feeling somewhat underwhelmed by the end.

While this book offers a decent introduction to St. Claire’s life, it falls short of being the comprehensive and engaging account I was hoping for. If you're interested in her story, this book may provide some value, but it may leave you craving more detailed and grounded information..