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The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan
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The Detective's Assistant

$26.24

Get for $14.99 with membership
Narrator Christine Lakin

This audiobook uses AI narration.

Weโ€™re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.

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Length 6 hours 28 minutes
Language English
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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.

Kate Hannigan is the author of the Cupcake Cousins series, the League of Secret Heroes series, The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes, and The Detective's Assistant. She is a former journalist and lives in Chicago with her family.

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Shop the sale

In celebration of Independent Bookstore Day, shop our limited-time sale on bestselling audiobooks from April 22nd-28th. Donโ€™t miss outโ€”purchases support your local bookstore!

Shop now

Reviews

* "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."โ€”Booklist (starred review) "Nell is an irrepressible character: spirited, thoughtful, and intuitive...Recommend to readers who enjoy adventure, history, and stories featuring independent, strong-minded girls."โ€”SLJ * "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."โ€”The Bulletin (starred review) A Booklist Editors' Choice
A Chicago Public Library Best Book
A Nerdy Book Club Award Winner
A Bank Street College Best Children's Book
An SCBWI Golden Kite Winner
An ALA Amelia Bloomer Project List for Feminist Books Selection
A Mighty Girl Top Books for Tweens and Teens Pick "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."โ€”Publishers Weekly "A rousing fictional account of the remarkable career of a pioneering woman."โ€”Kirkus Expand reviews
Celebrate indie bookstores with our limited-time sale! Shop the sale