The Detective's Assistant

In a voice laden with gusto and grit, narrator Christine Lakin sounds just as determined as 11-year-old Nell, who desperately wants to convince her aunt that she's both a worthy detective and a worthy family member. Nell's aunt is none other than Kate Warne, the first female agent of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. She initially has no use for the destitute girl, but persistent Nell involves herself helpfully in cases, embracing the intrigue and solving a case of her own as well. Lakin's performance repertoire makes for good listening. Her feisty portrayal of Nell also has heartfelt moments of wisdom, cheer, and sadness, especially in her letters to her friend, Jemma. Aunt Kate is as icy as they come as she strives to keep tradecraft to herself, and Lakin's Scots brogue brings credibility to Mr. Allan Pinkerton. A.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

February 9, 2015
In the summer of 1859, a recently orphaned girl named Nell is left with her Aunt Kitty in Chicago, her sole living relative. Less than keen on caring for a “gangly urchin,” Kitty immediately begins looking for other living arrangements for 11-year-old Nell (she also blames Nell’s father for her own husband’s death). But Aunt Kitty relents after Nell foils a pickpocket, and Nell begins to help out at the boardinghouse where Aunt Kitty lives, as well as with Aunt Kitty’s work. And what a job it is: Kitty is a detective for Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency (the character is based on Kate Warne, the first female detective in the U.S.). As Kitty and Nell root out thieves and murderers, Nell exchanges letters with her best friend Jessa, whose family used the Underground Railroad to escape slave hunters. Hannigan (Cupcake Cousins) 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. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.