Review by Booklist Review
Kate Warne made history by becoming the first female detective in the U.S., and this beautifully illustrated biography offers details of her early career. After impressing Allan Pinkerton with her argument for the importance of women detectives, she's assigned an embezzlement case, and she poses as a society lady to earn the trust of a suspect's wife. With her quick thinking, cool attitude, and superior observation skills, Kate befriends the woman and learns key details about the crime. Thanks to her excellent work on her first case, she eventually heads up Pinkerton's women's division. Chu's full-bleed, antique-toned illustrations have a cinematic flair, which nicely heightens the dramatic tension. An author's note offers more details on Warne's life and career, though the opening line Kate Warne's real name and history are a mystery undermines the book's opening pages, which call her Kate Carter and describe her childhood raised by a single father in a print shop. Still, kids fascinated by detective stories might appreciate this tale of a real-life sleuth on her first case.--Lock, Anita Copyright 2017 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In a story infused with mystery, Moss (the Amelia's Notebook series) introduces Kate Warne, who became the first woman detective in the U.S after being hired by the Pinkerton Agency in 1856. The brunt of the book follows Warne through an early case involving $40,000 in stolen funds, during which she adopted an alias and befriended the wife of the prime suspect. Chu (Ada Bryon Lovelace and the Thinking Machine) amplifies the story's intrigue in shadowy scenes that capture the unfolding game of cat and mouse, though some readers may find it difficult to track the details of the case. Moss relies on invented dialogue throughout, and the book's assertion that Warne's former surname was Carter contradicts the author's note, which says that her "real name and history are a mystery." A thorough bibliography is included. Ages 5-13. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Moss (America's Tea Parties: Not One but Four!) has created another engaging U.S. history volume for children. Moss focuses on the dramatic career of Kate Warne (1833-68), a woman who successfully joined the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Warne overcame stereotypes and social expectations by becoming the first female detective in the United States. With wit and subterfuge, she played a critical role in bringing to justice Nathan Maroney, who stole $40,000 from an Adams Express Company railroad car. This is an exciting mystery, complete with buried money, clandestine handoffs, and courtroom surprises. The book uses fictionalized yet believable dialogue to move the narrative along. Moss appends an informational page on Warne's life. Because this work deals with complicated concepts, such as embezzlement and deception, adults may have to explain a few points to young readers and listeners. Chu has a gift for smooth shading and creating simple yet expressive facial features. The abundant earth tones are accented by strong reds and blues, a dress or uniform standing out from the background. The attention to period hairstyles and dress is also particularly noteworthy. Pair this latest with Moss's Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero for a dynamic portrait of women in early U.S. history. -VERDICT A smart, clever look at a real-life 19th-century female detective-perfect for interactive storytimes with small groups.-Jeffrey Meyer, Mount Pleasant Public Library, IA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Moss tackles an important incident in the life of Kate Carteraka Kate Warnethe first female professional private detective in the United States.Accompanied by Chu's historical-period visuals, Moss begins with Allan Pinkerton's hiring of Kate Warne, an ambitious, adventurous white woman who talks her way into the job, before getting to the nub of this story: Warne's undercover work in disentangling the theft of $40,000 from a courier's secure pouch. The sinuous trap laid by the detectives involved in the caseall Pinkerton men and one Pinkerton womanis colorful enough to withstand the necessarily telegraphic narrative that Moss employs to fit the story into picture-book format. There is double-dealing and spying and subterfuge, close calls and traps and brain work, melding the story into a thriller and highlighting the talents and qualities that a woman brings to what is misconceived as a man's job. Moss has picked a special moment in time as well as a special woman, spelled out in an author's note: Pinkerton's beginnings marked the turning of detective work to professionals. In Chu's sepia-toned illustrations, Warne wears a determined expression, matched by the scowls of the villains, which recall such great historical yarns as The Great Train Robbery. A cinematic treatment of derring-do and yet another testament to the importance of women in the historical evolution of the United States. (bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
