With Girl in Disguise, Greer Macallister brings us a rip-roaring heroine caught up in a tense and fast-moving world. I read the book in just over 24 hours, which is not normal for me. Definitely a fun, unputdownable choice!

Kate Warne is a widow in Chicago just before the Civil War. She’s not interested in the typical jobs available to support herself. Good thing, because they wouldn’t have made for such an interesting book. Instead, Kate applies for an operative’s position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency. “The Boss” accepts her, and trains her himself. This much we know is actually true. Records also exist about a few of her cases. Macallister adds a few other characters who are historically accurate as well. The rest of the details in Girl in Disguise are historical fiction.

Kate’s is a crack investigator, who works hard to develop her skills. At times she acknowledges how lonely she is, but ultimately remains with few confidantes. She’s a career-driven woman in a time when that’s the rarest of aberrations. Macallister writes Kate as an intriguing character, and moves the plot from case to case at a perfect pace. While I found a few plot points somewhat predictable, that didn’t change my overall enjoyment of the book. I’d also enjoy reading more Kate stories in the future.

This marks the third book I’ve read this year set in the years just before the Civil War. It’s also the second book with Abraham Lincoln in it. Maybe I’m discovering a new trend, as I’ve found this era to be quite interesting historically. In the meantime, I’ll pick up the nonfiction book Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott from my Kindle shelf.