What’s your gangster name?!

Clem Fatale has been betrayed

Written by: Eve Wersocki-Morris @MzEvieMo

Illustrated by: Honie Beam #honiebeam

Published by: Little Tiger @LittleTigerUK #ClemFatale

Published on: 3rd April 2025

Price: £7.99

Age: 9+

First line: Beneath the pearly lights of the big city, in the alleyways and alcoves painted black with smog, you can bet there will be crooks and criminals, gangsters and no good ‘uns making mischief in the midnight hours.

Genre: Mystery, Adventure, Gangs, 50s London

Thanks to Toppsta for the review copy.

What’s it all about? Clem Fatale is a part (a young part) of one of the greatest crime families in 1950s London. However, her dad (the renown Jimmy Fatale), the leader of their gang (known as the Spiders) has disappeared. What could be worse? He disappeared during a raid on a house, where the Spiders were looking to nab the exquisite and expensive jewel, the ‘Fool’s Canary’. Not only did dad disappear, but they didn’t get their loot and they have also been lumbered with a hostage (Gilbert). Clem is determined to rescue her dad, with or without the help of the Spiders, her mum or possibly even Gilbert. She delves deep into the smoky underworld of London in her quest, finding friends and enemies alike, trusting her instincts, and using her criminal lingo like a native.

Why should I read it? I absolutely love Eves description and use of language to create the atmosphere and sense of London in the 1950s. The character Gilbert is really helpful in this sense as, as he is a cocooned rich boy, who has no sense of the 1950s underworld like me, is exploring the language at the same time: ‘”Hey! That’s no way to talk to Clem,” said Gilbert. “You ought to be a bit more polite seeing as she’s holding your ticket to an awful lot of money – I mean cabbage.”‘ He’s also so passionate about helping out and fitting in that it’s sweet and funny at the same time. As I mentioned above, the description really puts you into 1950s London: ‘The wide mansion blocks and blossom trees of Hampstead and Belsize Park were soon behind them in a puff of exhaust fumes as they plummeted downhill back into the heart of the city. The streets got shabbily, broken up by sticks of scaffolding and the remains of bombed-out homes, like missing beads in a necklace.’ If I was teaching this in class, I would want children to emulate this in their writing! As a Londoner, I love this description and can feel what I have already seen. For those new to London, you would definitley be able to picture it. Clem is also a really likeable character: strong, passionate and proud of her dad. You root for her, even if she is a part of the criminal underworld. The story is a bit like Robin Hood in that way; take from the rich, and give to the poor’. Hopefully, young readers will see that this is not the right approach and take things with a pinch of salt. The baddies, as you would expect, are hard and tough, but in just the right way for this age range of 9 and up. The story arcs brilliantly from sadness to action to sweetness and love. I look forward to reviewing the next installment. Perhaps we could learn more about Jimmy, as he’s hardly in this one!

I realise now that this is the second of Eve’s books that I have read. In 2023, I read The Wildstorm Curse, and I would highly recommend that too!