A little more research yielded several articles not only in the British press but also in international newspapers from countries as far afield as America, Australia and India, which provided further details about Maud, and her sensational career. She claimed in advertisements published in 1909 to be the principal of a high-class firm with both male and female staff, offering services to those in need of private enquiries into delicate matters. Maud West, Stapleton was to learn, was a lady detective in London who established her agency in about 1905. An online search eventually revealed the name of one, Maud West. While reading a novel set in the ‘Golden Age of Crime Fiction’ featuring a female sleuth, Susannah Stapleton, a former bookseller, archeologist, and historical researcher, began to wonder if there really were lady detectives working during the early 20th century. I have Cleopatra Loves Books to thank for putting this fascinating title on my radar. Title: The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective: Secrets & Lies in the Golden Age of Crime
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