While the story is based on the Pinkerton National Detective Agency's beginnings and the notable detective work of its first female detective, Kate Warne, the pages dedicated to the restoration of family through testing fortifies this tale's telling. Hannigan weaves parallel stories -- of Underground Railroad workers and undercover detective agents whose survival depends on wits, disguise, truth-seeking, courage, and trustworthiness. But when identity is hidden, the truth is not so easily revealed and false accusations create barriers of mistrust that only proof and trustworthiness over time can tear down. A fascinating setting that provides a colorful backdrop for meaningful conversations about redemption, freedom, and love. Based on the extraordinary true story of America's first-ever female detective, this fast-paced adventure recounts feats of daring and danger...including saving the life of Abraham Lincoln!

Eleven-year-old Nell Warne arrives on her aunt's doorstep lugging a heavy sack of sorrows. If her Aunt Kate rejects her, it's the miserable Home for the Friendless.

Luckily, canny Nell makes herself indispensable to Aunt Kate...and not just by helping out with household chores. For Kate Warne is the first-ever female detective employed by the legendary Pinkerton Detective Agency. And Nell has a knack for the kind of close listening and bold action that made Pinkerton detectives famous in Civil War-era America. With huge, nation-changing events simmering in the background, Nell uses skills new and old to uncover truths about her past and solve mysteries in the present.