The Widow Spy by Megan Campisi

 

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 in this spellbinding and moving new novel from Megan Campisi?

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About The Author

 Megan Campisi is a playwright and novelist. She has previously received the French Alfa and ADAMI prizes for her plays, which have been performed in France, China and the United States. In 2019 she received a Fulbright Specialist Award to give master classes at Tatbikat Theatre in Turkey. She holds a BA from Yale and a Diplôme (MFA) from L’Ecole de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

 

My Reviw

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.