The Detectives Assistant, Kate Hannigan
The Detectives Assistant, Kate Hannigan
1 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

The Detective's Assistant

Author: Kate Hannigan

Narrator: Christine Lakin

Unabridged: 6 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/07/2015


Synopsis

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.

About Kate Hannigan

Kate Hannigan is a noted author with a special passion for stories that empower girls and women. Her picture book biography, A Lady Has the Floor, received four starred reviews and was named a Junior Library Guild Selection. In addition to the 2016 Golden Kite Award for Middle Grade Fiction, The Detective’s Assistant also received two starred reviews and was a Booklist Editor’s Choice, among many other accolades. Hannigan presented at NCTE on “Our Mighty Girls,” about girl power in middle grade fiction, and was a judge for 2018’s Golden Kite Awards. Between her active presence on social media (@KateChicago), her work as founder of the Hyde Park/South Side Chicago chapter of SCBWI, and as a busy conference speaker, Kate is an involved, vocal, and respected member of the kid-lit community. Visit her online at KateHannigan.com.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lovely Day on February 17, 2023

4.25⭐️ My Favourite quote from the book: “Family means taking the ones we’re stuck with and choosing to love them anyway”......more

Goodreads review by Rachel on July 12, 2023

This middle-grade fiction book that is a great way to introduce younger folks to real-life heroine Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective. The book follows Kate's (fictional) orphan niece Nell Warne, a spunky and clever 11-yr-old who, over the course of the next two years, proves to be a v......more

Goodreads review by Lesley on August 17, 2016

Loved this story of an orphan finding refuge (and employment) w/ her last living relative. Not quite the story I thought I was going to read...this was more exciting & intense! With mysteries to unravel, including the biggest one about her uncle's death, 13 year old Nell learns the ins and outs of b......more

Goodreads review by Travis on January 25, 2018

This book was okay. It was cool that it was based on a true story's about spying. I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in true story's.......more

Goodreads review by Hunter on January 25, 2018

I liked it because it was back then and everyone was once real but Nell. There was a lot of action which I really liked because those are my favorite types of genres. And I loved how they were in different places and wrote letters to each other.......more


Quotes

A Booklist Editors' ChoiceA Chicago Public Library Best BookA Nerdy Book Club Award WinnerA Bank Street College Best Children's BookAn SCBWI Golden Kite WinnerAn ALA Amelia Bloomer Project List for Feminist Books SelectionA Mighty Girl Top Books for Tweens and Teens Pick

* "Accessible and captivating...With skilled writing that conveys the excitement of detective work, the appeal of history, and Nell's authentic, good-humored personal growth, this is one for the ages."—The Bulletin (starred review)

* "Hannigan keeps a strong narrative hand on the several stories she has going on simultaneously: the mysteries surrounding the deaths of Nell's father and uncle; Nell's correspondence with her best friend, who traveled the Underground Railroad to safety in Canada; and several Pinkerton adventures that involve chicanery, American history, and lots of excitement."—Booklist (starred review)

"Hannigan makes skillful use of period details, bringing the novel's threads together in a nail-biting conclusion. Nell is a fearless, no-nonsense heroine, and her dry-witted narration drives this rollicking historical escapade."—Publishers Weekly

"A rousing fictional account of the remarkable career of a pioneering woman."—Kirkus

"Nell is an irrepressible character: spirited, thoughtful, and intuitive...Recommend to readers who enjoy adventure, history, and stories featuring independent, strong-minded girls."—SLJ