Girl in Disguise

by Greer Macallister

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

Turns out not much is known about Kate Warne, The Pinkerton Agency’s first female operative, but that doesn’t stop author Greer Macallister from writing a compelling tale about a woman and the love of her job.

I was expecting Girl in Disguise to unfold a bit different than it did. I was expecting to read about an unusual woman with a penchant for solving crimes and perhaps be treated to a single mystery with a bit of backstory about Mrs. Warne. The story took on a bit of a different shape connecting several different cases together while building Kate’s character and showing her dedication to her job and her country. It was a pleasant surprise.

Kate ranks right up there, in my mind, with Alexandra Bergson from Willa Cather’s O! Pioneers. A woman willing to deny herself simple pleasures in an effort to survive, overcoming life’s obstacles to find a rewarding self-made life beyond those struggles. I admired Kate’s tenacity and ingenuity. I do wish that many of the case files from Mrs. Warne’s days with The Agency hadn’t been lost in Chicago’s Great Fire as her story is certainly one I wouldn’t mind reading more about.

I have to hand it to Ms. Macallister for taking a few scant details and introducing me to a new historical heroine to admire. Her compelling story gives strength and encouragement in the darkest known part of American history to date.
This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews