  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 04/01/2017 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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 06/01/2017 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. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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