Benson's ReView

Strategic Communication
Stories with Purpose

The Girls Who Fought Crime

Corsets, Crime, and the Woman to Change Modern Policing Forever

For fans of Margot Lee Shetterley and Liza Mundy comes an inspiring feminist tale of a woman who dedicated her entire life to the New York Police Department, upending the patriarchy and the status quo for women working in public service.

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The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line

“This brisk and informative survey is a worthy tribute to the trailblazing women of WWII.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Eder’s engaging writing makes these compelling histories read like a suspense novel.”

– Library Journal

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American Cyberscape

“In a world of fake news, cyberspace scams and dizzyingly frequent message, this is the one authentic voice you can trust!”

—Janet M Botz, Botz Communications Consulting

“Now, more than ever, we need the insights, questions and arguments advanced in this book if we are to ‘stay in the game.’ General Eder has given us a tremendour roadmap for that journey.”

—Bob “Pritch” Pritchard, ARP, Fellow PRSA, Captain U.S. Navy (Ret.)

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The Girls Who Fought Crime

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

A LibraryReads August 2023 Notable Nonfiction Pick!

Hardcover edition of "The Girls Who Fought Crime" sitting on a wood desktop with earbuds, a pen, and scissors.
A picture of the cover of The Girls Who Fought Crime by Ret. Gen. Mari K. Eder. Text Description: LibraryReads August 2023 Notable Nonfiction Pick

“An inspiring work about a persistent woman who succeeded in a challenging profession.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“[Eder] has neatly constructed a credible story of Mae’s aspirations and accomplishments, with imaginative episodes of her personal life intertwined with the facts about her police service.”

– Bookreporter

“Eder’s vivid and raucous narrative brings to life the cops-and-robbers jousting of Prohibition-era New York. Aficionados of the city’s underground history should take a look.”

– Publishers Weekly

Now Available at Your Favorite Bookstore!

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History Matters

History Matters

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From my October 2023 Newsletter: In just two weeks, I’ll be in Phoenix, Arizona, where I will be privileged to receive the Historian of the Year Award for 2023 from Historic Hotels of America, part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Historic Hotels...

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The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line

Untold stories of the women who changed the course of World War II

WINNER OF THE LIBRARY OF VIRGINIA 2022 PEOPLE’S CHOICE NONFICTION AWARD

Black and white image of an old reconnaisance plane and the cover of Mari K. Eder's "The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line" with a banner saying "Now Available in Paperback!"

“Eder’s engaging writing makes these compelling histories read like a suspense novel. A highly recommended account that will draw in readers of U.S. history and women’s history.”

– Library Journal

Selected an Amazon Best Book of the Month in History

“Straightforward, eye-opening, and invaluable collection… this group biography offers a breezy tone, historic photographs, and plenty of lively anecdotes to bring its subjects to vivid life.”

– Booklist

“This impressive work can serve as an inspiration to other strong-minded women ready to take their rightful places in the history books of the future.”

– Book Reporter

Selected a Top 10 Read by The Washington Post

“A chronicle of a group of courageous women whose contributions to World War II ‘put comic book heroines to shame.’”

– Kirkus Reviews

“Inspiring stories of women warriors who deserve greater attention.”

– Kirkus Reviews

“This brisk and informative survey is a worthy tribute to the trailblazing women of WWII.”

– Publishers Weekly

Featured in the 2021 Spring/Summer edition of Buzz Books!

“The stories of extraordinary courage, service, and sacrifice by the women she highlights in this book … should inspire all who read this to be grateful Americans…”

– Gary Sinise

“We can’t forget what [the women of WWII] sacrificed and what they’ve given to us, and this book helps us do just that.”

– Michelle Tillis Lederman

“This book fills a historic void about LTC Charity Adams and others who stepped out of line to succeed, because the ‘lines’ did not support race, gender, or mission.”

– Colonel (Ret.) Edna W. Cummings

“Mari Eder helps us to complete our history of the Second World War through voices that had been forgotten until now. A must-read…”

– Michael S. Neiberg

“A fascinating page-turner about a mostly forgotten contingent of people—women who willingly stepped ‘out of line’ to contribute to the Allied victory in WWII.”

–  Admiral James Stavridis, USN Supreme Allied Commander at NATO (Ret.)

“The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line is a must-read… I will be purchasing a copy of this book for each female warrior and hero in my life.”

– Adena Bernstein Astrowsky

“The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line offers accounts of remarkable role models that will inspire future generations of women and men who embark on a career in military service. Highly recommended.”

– G. Kurt Piehler

Order Your Copy Today!

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What Others Are Saying…

Honored and humbled to meet a leader with wisdom and great wit! Your speech today may have been the last but it stole the show.

Cindy Wiesel, Sr. Event Coordinator
Women In Negotiation Summit

Mari K. made a big impression on everyone and so many people raved about how good her Women’s Equality Day presentation was. One of our senior leaders, who especially loves history, became her biggest fan!

Cindy Your, Communications Executive

About Mari K. Eder

Mari K. Eder, retired U.S. Army Major General, is a renowned speaker and author, and a thought leader on strategic communication and leadership. General Eder has served as Director of Public Affairs at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and as an adjunct professor and lecturer in communications and public diplomacy at the NATO School and Sweden’s International Training Command. She served in a number of senior positions in the Pentagon, on the Army Staff, as Deputy Chief of Public Affairs and Deputy Chief of the Army Reserve, and with DoD’s Reserve Forces Policy Board. General Eder speaks and writes frequently on communication topics in universities and for international audiences and consults on communications issues.

Maj. Gen. Eder has an established record of scholarship, research, and publishing. Her book, Leading the Narrative: The Case for Strategic Communication, is used in a number of university communications courses. Her latest communications book, American Cyberscape: Trials and the Path to Trust, was released in November 2020. She is the author of numerous case studies and articles on military ethics, leadership, strategic communications, and two books of children’s stories.

A deeply inspirational book, The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, was released in August 2021. The Library Of Virginia awarded it the People’s Choice Award in October 2022. The second in the series, The Girls Who Fought Crime, was released in August 2023.

Maj. Gen. Eder was recently awarded the Daughters of the American Revolution Medal of Honor, and named the Historic Hotels of America 2023 Historian of the Year.

When not writing, lecturing, or traveling, she works with rescue groups and fosters rescue dogs.

Contact Mari K. Eder

Want to talk with Mari K about speaking engagements, book endorsements, presentations, or consulting? Submit a message using the contact form below!