This was a really intriguing read. I always love a strong female lead, as well as a different take on historical fiction.

I did find some of this book to drag at times, and there were parts that I think could have been skipped.

Regardless, I did enjoy it, and think others would as well.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

This is the perfect setting for a story. Set during the Civil War, this book tells the story of the first female Pinkerton agent. It was compelling from start and the writing was so captivating. At times, I felt bogged down in the details, but honestly that's what makes it an interesting historical story. Kate is a fictional reimagining of the first female Pinkerton agent, and not knowing much about the Pinkerton's I was captivated.

Kate Warner is many things: the country’s first female detective, a Pinkerton agent, and a union spy.
It’s August 1861, and her latest assignment could finally end the bloody war and bring the fractured United States together again. All she has to do is win the trust of her captive: Confederate spy and socialite Rose Greenhow. But with Rose well aware of Kate’s working-class background and belief in abolitionism, it seems an impossible task. Worst, Kate has secrets that make her vulnerable, such as her forbidden love affair with a colleague.
With time running out, Kate faces not only the moral and political divides between herself and Rose but also the ones she made in her own heart and life. Can she make the difficult decision over which divides are worth crossing? Or will she fail the most important assignment of her career?

This was an intriguing story based on the real first female Pinkerton spy! Told from Kate's POV, we get to experience the action, fear, doubt, compassion, and sorrow along with her. I truly admire the person she was and had to be in such a troubling time. The author did an amazing job of bringing the story to life! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Campisi, and Atria Books for the advanced copy.

Set during the time of the Civil War, The Widow Spy takes a look at the Pinkerton. More specifically, the female spy. As she is tasked to gain the trust of a Confederate spy, she must keep her own selects hidden.

The story is told in a good pace that will keep the reader engaged. Also gives a background account of the Pinkerton, which is a subject of American History I was unaware of.

This story is based on true events and people but it is a work of historical fiction that has made me want to dive into the true events.

Overall i give this a solid 3 of 5 stars.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchanged for an honest review.

This historical fiction novel is centered on Kate Warne, the first female detective working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency during the Civil War. As Kate narrates the story, we learn how the detectives operate while on a case. We also learn Kate's backstory. I was totally engaged by both story lines. The plot is fast moving, and the characters are multi-layered and believable. Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book. to learn more about the Pinkerton Agency and the characters.

Thank you, Atria Books and Net Galley for sharing an advanced copy of this book with me.

Kate Warne is the country’s first female detective. She works for Allan Pinkerton, the renowned detective in charge of Abraham Lincoln’s security. In August 1861, Pinkerton assigns Kate the crucial, yet improbable task of gaining the trust of Rose Greenhow, a Virginia socialite and Confederate spy. The detectives know that Greenhow sends coded messages to her accomplices and Kate’s goal is to find the cypher key Greenhow uses. When trust between the two drastically different women becomes impossible, Pinkerton resorts to threats of imprisonment for Greenhow and her young daughter creating a moral rather than political dilemma for Kate. Based on the true story of Kate Warne, the book is very character driven. It is also evident that the author did a lot of research on Civil War era politics, espionage and the role women played in the darkest period in American history. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Atria, for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fictional reimagining of historical figures pivotal to the American Civil War and the beginnings of the Pinkertons, namely Kate Warne, the first female detective hired by Allan Pinkerton. The book title is a play on both Rose O’Neal Greenhow, famous widowed Confederate spy, and Kate, posing as a widow and spying for the Union. Most of the book’s events take place during Rose Greenhow’s house arrest, as the detectives work furiously to get her to confess and give up her secrets.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Yes, this is a fictional story, but filled with facts and name drops.
As the book opens we are looking for the code that was used by an infamous Confederate spy. We are with the Pinkerton's and they have been tasked by the President to arrest and bring justice.
We are with Pinkerton's first woman agent and she is helping look and care for their prisoner, so interesting, Kate, is one smart girl, and we do follower what makes her tick all the way back to her roots.
We also learn some very true facts about what happens to some of these Pinkerton spies, and others who are actual people who helped the cause.
Be sure to read the great author's notes at the end of this book, she did a lot of research!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Atria Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

I liked this one about a female Pinkerton detective and her efforts to end the civil war . It was a good book about a little known part of history

Drawn from the annals of U.S. Civil War history, this was an engaging and most interesting read about Kate Warne - the first U.S. female detective/Pinkerton agent and Union spy. Hers was an amazing and challenging life's journey from famine laden Ireland to a factory mill of Tremont, Massachusetts by the age of seven. Then on to Chicago where she convinced Pinkerton to take her on. As an avid abolitionist, she was driven to serve the nation and offer her best at all times. Yet, with chinks in that armor it could make or break her and risk the chance of staying alive. She was amazing, courageous, and not afraid to step outside society's constrictive expectations of women.

Ms. Campisi has given us a compelling and interesting story, all based in historical fact. She brings Kate Warne alive through her rich character building and the use of Kate as narrator. The scene settings are cinematic and transporting. The tension hold steadily throughout the story. If well written historical fiction with a strong female protagonist appeals, then this may well be the book for you.

I am grateful to Atria Books for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication date: April 9, 2024
Number of Pages: 256
ISBN: 978-1668024850

Historical fiction based on the true story of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and its role in helping the Union during the Civil War through acts of espionage and undercover work. The story is told through the eyes and voice of Kate Warne, the first female detective in the United States. The parts of the book that focus on espionage and intelligence gathering are fascinating and make me want to learn more about this aspect of the Civil War. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Action and espionage, danger and romance, The Widow Spy was intriguing historical fiction that I didn’t want to put down. I went into this with zero expectations and was so happily pleased by how immediately engaging and highly interesting it was 😍

I don’t want to share anything that could be construed as a spoiler, so will simply say that this one is a definite recommendation.



Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the DRC

A gripping historical fiction novel about the first female Pinkerton detective and her courageous efforts to end the Civil War. Recommended!

The Widow Spy is a historical fiction story set during the Civil War, following Kate, a female Pinkerton agent as she navigates the start of the war. Kate is a well-developed, likable character who the author uses as a vehicle to consider gender, race, nationality, and poverty at the time of the Civil War.

As a historical fiction fan, I found the time period of the Civil War to be a refreshing change of setting for me. I learned a lot about other historical events, including the famine in Ireland, and industrialization through flashbacks into Kate's past. Particularly, I appreciated the author's attention to the human impact of these historical events. The plot is quick moving- no small feat when the first section of the book takes place in a home. The cast of characters from the other Pinkerton agents, to the prisoner, to Pinkerton himself create a rich backdrop for Kate's story.

Thank you to Megan Campisi and Atria books for the opportunity to review this ARC, which was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Widow Spy is an excellent double entendre title for this story based on the true story of the first female Pinkterton detective agency set during the Civil War.

The main character, Kate, narrates the retelling of the capture of Confederate Spy and socialite Rose Greenhow while flashing back to parts of her life that have lead her to this moment and how they impact her interrogation of Rose.

Both Kate and Rose must use all of their experiences and traits during their battle of wits and grit each carrying a perspective vastly different from the other and their station in life.

“The Widow Spy”is a historical fiction book by Megan Campisi. This book has a compelling story - the first female detective for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Kate Warne, is trying to get information (in this case a cypher) from a suspected rebel (Southern) spy during the Civil War. Part of Warne’s job is to befriend the spy in order to get the cipher more quickly as time is limited. The spy is crafty and while in the end is captured, Warne’s questioning many things. There’s action, there’s danger, there’s working under pressure and with co-workers you don’t always like but working for a common cause. There’s also introspection, a lot of backstory, questioning tactics, and a love interest. On many levels this story worked … on so many other levels I felt this story had too many extra threads thrown in that it took away from the main storyline. Knowing that the author is a playwright helped explain some of the flow - at times it felt like I was watching a play unfold (which isn’t bad). If you know the history of the Pinkerton Detective Agency and of Ms. Warne, if you can suspend what you know and read this as a story, this book may work for you. If you know little of Pinkerton, Ms. Warne, and the other first agents, you may find this book exciting and enthralling. Overall, I’m going to give this book four stars - it was an engaging, for the most part, read and it was also a fast read.