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The P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries #1
El cas dels bandits assassins
En temps de la conquesta de l'oest nord-americà, un predicador i la seva esposa són assassinats per uns bandits que buscquen el plànol d'una mina de plata que els farà milionaris. Com que no el troben a casa, decideixen buscar el fill adopyiu de la parella, P.K. Pinkerton, un jove amb una gran habilitat per a la supervivència i les disfresses, i un defecte: és incapaç de llegir les faccions de la gent, i no pot saber si li parlen seriosament, en broma, o, pitjor, si l'amenacen. I aquest defecte no és el més recomanable quan et persegueixen d'una ciutat a altra per matar-te. Per sort, en P.K. comptarà amb l'ajut de més d'un personatge inoblidable, entre ells en Sam Clemens, un periodista que serà recordat en el futur pel seu pseudònim Mark Twain.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
25 people are currently reading
966 people want to read
About the author
Caroline Lawrence
64 books320 followersCaroline Lawrence won a scholarship to Cambridge to read Classical Archaeology, then did a degree in Hebrew and Jewish studies at University College London. She now lives in London with her English husband and teaches Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Art and French to children.
Series:
* Roman Mysteries
Western Mysteries
Series:
* Roman Mysteries
Western Mysteries
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
August 24, 2012
The Case of the Deadly Desperado is a TERRIBLE book that Caroline Lawrence should be ashamed of. I am not sure what was added to the story by having the protagonist be half Sioux other than the excuse to include all sorts of offensive stereotypes and racial slurs. I do not care if the use of the word “squaw” was acceptable in the 1860s – it is not an appropriate word to use in 2012, in a children’s book.
The half Native boy, Pinky, is further marginalized because he is autistic. To add another layer of marginalization, he is raised by missionaries. He is also saved very early in the book by his wearing buckskin clothing instead of the canvas and cotton the other school boys are wearing. During another dramatic scene, Pinky is saved by “The Bush Trick” – his “Indian Ma” taught him about how he can become invisible hiding behind a bush.
However, my favorite scene (in the entire 50 pages I managed to read before throwing the book across the room) goes like this:
She said, “No drinkee water. It heap bad medicine.”
I said, “Beg pardon?”
She said, “Oh! You speak English. I thought you were an Indian.” (page 33)
The illiterate whore (really, she cannot read and is identified as a “Soiled Dove”) is talking down to the child because he looks Native. Is this supposed to be funny? Does every character have to be a stereotype?
As you can see, there is sparkling dialogue full of intelligence and genuine quality. The fun doesn’t stop there. Lawrence subjects the Chinese to her racist wit as well. I feel confident that as the book progresses racial slurs, stereotypes and just plain bad writing continue to fill the pages.
What really gets me is the number of positive reviews I have read for this book. Why do people think this book is great? Is there no empathy for the Native American or Asian children who might be subjected to reading this type of trash written about them? Are there really so few children’s westerns that we have to elevate this one to the top ten status on Booklist? I am disappointed in the literary world for praising this book. I am even more disappointed that it was even published. Works like this do nothing to help the Native cause; they set our society back by representing this type of racist attitude as normal and acceptable. My advice would be to pass this book over completely and to keep on looking for a good western.
The half Native boy, Pinky, is further marginalized because he is autistic. To add another layer of marginalization, he is raised by missionaries. He is also saved very early in the book by his wearing buckskin clothing instead of the canvas and cotton the other school boys are wearing. During another dramatic scene, Pinky is saved by “The Bush Trick” – his “Indian Ma” taught him about how he can become invisible hiding behind a bush.
However, my favorite scene (in the entire 50 pages I managed to read before throwing the book across the room) goes like this:
She said, “No drinkee water. It heap bad medicine.”
I said, “Beg pardon?”
She said, “Oh! You speak English. I thought you were an Indian.” (page 33)
The illiterate whore (really, she cannot read and is identified as a “Soiled Dove”) is talking down to the child because he looks Native. Is this supposed to be funny? Does every character have to be a stereotype?
As you can see, there is sparkling dialogue full of intelligence and genuine quality. The fun doesn’t stop there. Lawrence subjects the Chinese to her racist wit as well. I feel confident that as the book progresses racial slurs, stereotypes and just plain bad writing continue to fill the pages.
What really gets me is the number of positive reviews I have read for this book. Why do people think this book is great? Is there no empathy for the Native American or Asian children who might be subjected to reading this type of trash written about them? Are there really so few children’s westerns that we have to elevate this one to the top ten status on Booklist? I am disappointed in the literary world for praising this book. I am even more disappointed that it was even published. Works like this do nothing to help the Native cause; they set our society back by representing this type of racist attitude as normal and acceptable. My advice would be to pass this book over completely and to keep on looking for a good western.
August 25, 2012
The cover has a blurb from the Times that says it is "rip roaring." In other words, hilariously funny. However, what is funny to one may be something else to another...
The protagonist is known as "Pinky" (short for Pinkerton, the surname of his "original pa"). At the time of the story, Pinky is living with his "Christian ma" and pa in a small town in Nevada in 1862. He is twelve years old.
When Pinky was two, his "original pa" left Pinky and his mother to be a railroad detective. Pinky never saw him again. Later, his "Indian ma" (she was "Lakota, which some people call Sioux") took up with another white guy.
When Pinky was seven, his "Indian ma," the other guy, and Pinky headed west to find Pinky's dad. On the way, their wagon train was attacked by Indians. There was a massacre and Pinky ended up an orphan. Pinky has a medicine bag, given to him by his "Indian ma." It is:
made of buffalo hide & decorated with red & blue beads in a little arrow shape. It was as big as my right hand with the fingers spread out. My Indian ma had given it to me before we set out on the wagon train west.
I had been wearing it around my neck during the massacre but I had not seen it since my foster parents put it in the hiding place under the floorboard.
That was in 1857.
When the novel opens, it is 1862. Pinky comes home from school on September 26, and finds his "foster parents lying on the floor in a pool of blood." They'd been scalped and there's a tomahawk in his pa's chest.
He runs to his mother, who is still alive. She tells him that white men dressed like Indians had attacked them, and that those men were looking for Pinky's medicine bag. Before she dies, she tells Pinky that the bag holds his destiny. He is to get it and leave before the men come back.
Pinky gets the bag, but before he can leave, Pinky hears the killers returning and climbs into the rafters to hide. He uses a "Bush Trick" his "Indian ma" told him about. "If you hide behind a small bush and imagine that you are that bush, they say you become invisible."
The men leave. Pinky, wearing a buckskin outfit that his Ma made for his birthday, crawls through the dirt to wait for the stage coach. As he lies in the dirt, he opens the medicine bag. Inside is his "Indian ma's" flint knife, a folded up piece of paper, and a brass button "that belonged to my original pa." That paper will turn out to be a letter from his "original pa," and its contents are the reason he is being chased.
That "original pa" was named Robert Pinkerton. When Pinky's "Christian ma" learned that Pinky's father was a Pinkerton, she wrote to Allan Pinkerton in Chicago to "ask him if his dead brother had ever fathered a child by a Lakota squaw around the year 1850."
Shall I stop?
Or do you want to know about the part where some schoolyard bullies stop punching Pinky when they see "[t]he rest of his filthy tribe" coming to save him. Or, maybe you want to know about Pinky staring in a mirror and seeing "a grubby Blanket Indian with an expressionless face staring back at me."
This humor doesn't work for me.
Kirkus gave it a starred review for its pacing, deadpan humor and appealing protagonist. The reviewer for The New York Times Book Review thinks that Pinky has Asperger's syndrome, or, high functioning autism and that "Any child who's felt like a 'Misfit' or 'Freak of Nature' as P.K. does will identify with his despair and cheer him" (review posted at Amazon in Editorial Reviews). Maybe so, but what will Native children make of Native identity as the vehicle that carries the humor?
Did you note the subtitle says "Book One"? With those starred reviews, there will likely be additional books about Pinky (who is, by the way, is a girl, not a boy).
And the contents of that letter? It is a deed to land with silver mines in the mountains of Nevada.
The idea of a half-Lakota Pinky encroaching on lands belong to other Indians doesn't work for me. The Case of the Deadly Desperados? Not recommended.
The protagonist is known as "Pinky" (short for Pinkerton, the surname of his "original pa"). At the time of the story, Pinky is living with his "Christian ma" and pa in a small town in Nevada in 1862. He is twelve years old.
When Pinky was two, his "original pa" left Pinky and his mother to be a railroad detective. Pinky never saw him again. Later, his "Indian ma" (she was "Lakota, which some people call Sioux") took up with another white guy.
When Pinky was seven, his "Indian ma," the other guy, and Pinky headed west to find Pinky's dad. On the way, their wagon train was attacked by Indians. There was a massacre and Pinky ended up an orphan. Pinky has a medicine bag, given to him by his "Indian ma." It is:
made of buffalo hide & decorated with red & blue beads in a little arrow shape. It was as big as my right hand with the fingers spread out. My Indian ma had given it to me before we set out on the wagon train west.
I had been wearing it around my neck during the massacre but I had not seen it since my foster parents put it in the hiding place under the floorboard.
That was in 1857.
When the novel opens, it is 1862. Pinky comes home from school on September 26, and finds his "foster parents lying on the floor in a pool of blood." They'd been scalped and there's a tomahawk in his pa's chest.
He runs to his mother, who is still alive. She tells him that white men dressed like Indians had attacked them, and that those men were looking for Pinky's medicine bag. Before she dies, she tells Pinky that the bag holds his destiny. He is to get it and leave before the men come back.
Pinky gets the bag, but before he can leave, Pinky hears the killers returning and climbs into the rafters to hide. He uses a "Bush Trick" his "Indian ma" told him about. "If you hide behind a small bush and imagine that you are that bush, they say you become invisible."
The men leave. Pinky, wearing a buckskin outfit that his Ma made for his birthday, crawls through the dirt to wait for the stage coach. As he lies in the dirt, he opens the medicine bag. Inside is his "Indian ma's" flint knife, a folded up piece of paper, and a brass button "that belonged to my original pa." That paper will turn out to be a letter from his "original pa," and its contents are the reason he is being chased.
That "original pa" was named Robert Pinkerton. When Pinky's "Christian ma" learned that Pinky's father was a Pinkerton, she wrote to Allan Pinkerton in Chicago to "ask him if his dead brother had ever fathered a child by a Lakota squaw around the year 1850."
Shall I stop?
Or do you want to know about the part where some schoolyard bullies stop punching Pinky when they see "[t]he rest of his filthy tribe" coming to save him. Or, maybe you want to know about Pinky staring in a mirror and seeing "a grubby Blanket Indian with an expressionless face staring back at me."
This humor doesn't work for me.
Kirkus gave it a starred review for its pacing, deadpan humor and appealing protagonist. The reviewer for The New York Times Book Review thinks that Pinky has Asperger's syndrome, or, high functioning autism and that "Any child who's felt like a 'Misfit' or 'Freak of Nature' as P.K. does will identify with his despair and cheer him" (review posted at Amazon in Editorial Reviews). Maybe so, but what will Native children make of Native identity as the vehicle that carries the humor?
Did you note the subtitle says "Book One"? With those starred reviews, there will likely be additional books about Pinky (who is, by the way, is a girl, not a boy).
And the contents of that letter? It is a deed to land with silver mines in the mountains of Nevada.
The idea of a half-Lakota Pinky encroaching on lands belong to other Indians doesn't work for me. The Case of the Deadly Desperados? Not recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2012
Giddyup! A western/detective story for kids with nonstop action, great characters, and nice plot twists. Pull out your imaginary pistols and enjoy this surprising book. Our hero, P.K. Pinkerton begins this tale from the bottom of a cave because he is about to be killed. He has witnessed the murder of his ma and pa who were scalped by Whittlin' Walt and his 'pards in search of a document that will make them rich. Twelve-year-old P.K. holds that document and is on the run as they hunt him down.
P.K. lands in Virginia City where he meets a host of characters who help him and steal from him. While it looks like most are just varying degrees of badness, they are really helping P.K. learn to socialize and read people. P.K. has a problem. He can't decipher people's facial expressions or emotions. He is more than just too trusting and naive. While in the 1860's there was no such thing as Asperger's, it would appear that P.K. is autistic. I didn't pick up on this at first because of the humorous way it is presented and the fact that I miss details like P.K. reads people. There is an excellent NY Times review on the book.
There are some great plot twists especially at the end. I did get a little tired in the middle of P.K. making silly mistakes (if I had thought about the autistic angle then I probably wouldn't have), but they move the plot forward as he learns to socialize. The characters are interesting enough that I kept going but I did put it down just before I got to the part on Jace. Poker Face Jace is fascinating in the way he helps P.K. and it wasn't until I got to his character that I had my "ah-ha" moment and saw what the author was doing with the characters to help P.K. grow up and become more independent.
There is some adult humor that young readers are not going to get and some of the violence unnecessary, but I did laugh. At the humor not the violence... The narrator tones down or filters the cursing saying that he won't write it because it is not fit for publication or misspells the word leaving out vowels. This was on some Newbery prediction lists but it can't win because it was published in the U.K. and Lawrence doesn't live in the U.S. Rats! A terrific book.
Reading Level 5.8
P.K. lands in Virginia City where he meets a host of characters who help him and steal from him. While it looks like most are just varying degrees of badness, they are really helping P.K. learn to socialize and read people. P.K. has a problem. He can't decipher people's facial expressions or emotions. He is more than just too trusting and naive. While in the 1860's there was no such thing as Asperger's, it would appear that P.K. is autistic. I didn't pick up on this at first because of the humorous way it is presented and the fact that I miss details like P.K. reads people. There is an excellent NY Times review on the book.
There are some great plot twists especially at the end. I did get a little tired in the middle of P.K. making silly mistakes (if I had thought about the autistic angle then I probably wouldn't have), but they move the plot forward as he learns to socialize. The characters are interesting enough that I kept going but I did put it down just before I got to the part on Jace. Poker Face Jace is fascinating in the way he helps P.K. and it wasn't until I got to his character that I had my "ah-ha" moment and saw what the author was doing with the characters to help P.K. grow up and become more independent.
There is some adult humor that young readers are not going to get and some of the violence unnecessary, but I did laugh. At the humor not the violence... The narrator tones down or filters the cursing saying that he won't write it because it is not fit for publication or misspells the word leaving out vowels. This was on some Newbery prediction lists but it can't win because it was published in the U.K. and Lawrence doesn't live in the U.S. Rats! A terrific book.
Reading Level 5.8
November 23, 2016
I read this a few years ago with my daughter who was then 11. We both loved it! It's a western, a mystery, a thriller, and a survival story. There was one part I was a bit worried about near the beginning because it was a bit graphic
There are layers of mystery to this one, beginning with the mystery of PK. Just who exactly is PK?
Well, PK is full of life and ready to take on the world to become a private detective.
The story had us giggling and then biting our nails. Now my daughter is turning 14 and for her birthday her aunt is getting her the 3rd book in the series. Although she won't let me read to or with her anymore, I do plan to read it when she's done!
There are layers of mystery to this one, beginning with the mystery of PK. Just who exactly is PK?
Well, PK is full of life and ready to take on the world to become a private detective.
The story had us giggling and then biting our nails. Now my daughter is turning 14 and for her birthday her aunt is getting her the 3rd book in the series. Although she won't let me read to or with her anymore, I do plan to read it when she's done!
January 26, 2023
this book was complete chaos, lol. there's a difference between keeping your plot moving and never giving your character a break (my goodness, please cut the kid some slack). there's also weird racist undertones to the whole thing, a mystery that isn't really a mystery (??), and it was just... odd. didn't super love it, but here we are. 3 stars.
Read
July 25, 2012Not really anything wrong with this one, just too many references to "soiled doves" who "spark men for money" that by the time someone called a woman a whore I knew I could never recommend this to anyone I didn't know well at the library.
June 8, 2011
Originally posted at the Book Monkey blog: http://bookmonkeyscribbles.wordpress.com
Caroline Lawrence is most well-known for her very popular series The Roman Mysteries. Lawrence has now swapped Ancient Rome for the Wild West in her new novel The Case of the Deadly Desperados, the first in her new series The Western Mysteries, published on 2nd June 2011 by Orion. This is actually the first title I’ve read byLawrence but I can tell you now it certainly won’t be my last!
I won’t go into too much detail over the plot as if you’ve read the blurb above, you already know it. What I love about this novel is the way that this is exactly how I would imagine the Wild West to be, and Lawrence manages to make you feel like you are right there in the middle of it all, with your hoop skirt on and your pistol never far from your hand! It is clear that Lawrencehas dedicated a lot of time to careful research when writing this novel and it has definitely paid off. There are so many little details, from the misspellings in the language to reflect the time period, to the real-life characters included in the story, that help shape this novel into a great piece of story-telling. One of my favourite characters has to be Sam Clemens (the real name Huckleberry Fin author Mark Twain). We see Sam living inVirginia City working as a reporter, exactly as he did in real life. It’s fascinating to get this tiny window into what his life must have been like back then, before he became one of the most famous American authors in history.
Of course the best character of all has to be P. K. Pinkerton, the young half-Indian boy whose foster parents have been murdered by a bunch of desperados. What is most interesting about P.K. is the very subtle hints of him having autism. He doesn’t like to be touched by other people, and he has a lot of trouble deciphering when people are being genuine in their facial expressions or not, and in understanding their emotions. It is never said outright that this is what P.K. has, but of course back in those days they probably didn’t know this illness existed! There are also other questions which must be asked regarding P.K. later on in the novel, which I have to admit I simply didn’t see coming at all, but I will not spoil it for you! I think it’s important to start the novel without knowing certain potential ‘spoilers’.
Poker Face Jace has to be my next favourite character, and not just because I love his name (which I really do!). He is such a brilliant character. As with most people P.K. meets inVirginia City, we must be suspicious of him. When P.K. first encounters him, Poker Face Jace definitely seems like on of the bad guys, set on bringing harm to P.K. But eventually Jace shows his softer side and helps P.K. distinguish between when a person is lying and when they’re not. This proves to be more invaluable to P.K. than he ever thought possible, and in the end I looked upon Jace as an almost father figure for P.K.
Many things get in the way of P.K. and his mission to get his letter (the deeds to some land with a silver mine) to the recording office, so he can have enough money to find his uncle, who runs a detective agency.Virginia Cityin 1862 is a very tough place to live. Everyone is looking out only for themselves – even those we think may be nice at first, those who P.K. chooses to trust. It is a harsh lesson for P.K. to learn that he must grow up fast if he chooses to stay inVirginia City. Not everyone is as kind as they seem, and there’s certainly a shortage of the Christian morals P.K. has been brought up with.
This is authentic Western storytelling at its very best. Caroline Lawrence has created a wonderful piece of storytelling here, and I hope every teenage out there jumps on the bandwagon and gives it a go! I honestly can’t fault it and I’m already very excited for book two in the series. I can see many further developments happening already – with regards to P.K.’s family, his friends such as Poker Face Jace, and I’m crossing my fingers for some good old fashioned cowboy and Indian action!
Caroline Lawrence is most well-known for her very popular series The Roman Mysteries. Lawrence has now swapped Ancient Rome for the Wild West in her new novel The Case of the Deadly Desperados, the first in her new series The Western Mysteries, published on 2nd June 2011 by Orion. This is actually the first title I’ve read byLawrence but I can tell you now it certainly won’t be my last!
I won’t go into too much detail over the plot as if you’ve read the blurb above, you already know it. What I love about this novel is the way that this is exactly how I would imagine the Wild West to be, and Lawrence manages to make you feel like you are right there in the middle of it all, with your hoop skirt on and your pistol never far from your hand! It is clear that Lawrencehas dedicated a lot of time to careful research when writing this novel and it has definitely paid off. There are so many little details, from the misspellings in the language to reflect the time period, to the real-life characters included in the story, that help shape this novel into a great piece of story-telling. One of my favourite characters has to be Sam Clemens (the real name Huckleberry Fin author Mark Twain). We see Sam living inVirginia City working as a reporter, exactly as he did in real life. It’s fascinating to get this tiny window into what his life must have been like back then, before he became one of the most famous American authors in history.
Of course the best character of all has to be P. K. Pinkerton, the young half-Indian boy whose foster parents have been murdered by a bunch of desperados. What is most interesting about P.K. is the very subtle hints of him having autism. He doesn’t like to be touched by other people, and he has a lot of trouble deciphering when people are being genuine in their facial expressions or not, and in understanding their emotions. It is never said outright that this is what P.K. has, but of course back in those days they probably didn’t know this illness existed! There are also other questions which must be asked regarding P.K. later on in the novel, which I have to admit I simply didn’t see coming at all, but I will not spoil it for you! I think it’s important to start the novel without knowing certain potential ‘spoilers’.
Poker Face Jace has to be my next favourite character, and not just because I love his name (which I really do!). He is such a brilliant character. As with most people P.K. meets inVirginia City, we must be suspicious of him. When P.K. first encounters him, Poker Face Jace definitely seems like on of the bad guys, set on bringing harm to P.K. But eventually Jace shows his softer side and helps P.K. distinguish between when a person is lying and when they’re not. This proves to be more invaluable to P.K. than he ever thought possible, and in the end I looked upon Jace as an almost father figure for P.K.
Many things get in the way of P.K. and his mission to get his letter (the deeds to some land with a silver mine) to the recording office, so he can have enough money to find his uncle, who runs a detective agency.Virginia Cityin 1862 is a very tough place to live. Everyone is looking out only for themselves – even those we think may be nice at first, those who P.K. chooses to trust. It is a harsh lesson for P.K. to learn that he must grow up fast if he chooses to stay inVirginia City. Not everyone is as kind as they seem, and there’s certainly a shortage of the Christian morals P.K. has been brought up with.
This is authentic Western storytelling at its very best. Caroline Lawrence has created a wonderful piece of storytelling here, and I hope every teenage out there jumps on the bandwagon and gives it a go! I honestly can’t fault it and I’m already very excited for book two in the series. I can see many further developments happening already – with regards to P.K.’s family, his friends such as Poker Face Jace, and I’m crossing my fingers for some good old fashioned cowboy and Indian action!
June 15, 2011
Caroline Lawrence is extremely well known for writing The Roman Mysteries which has helped lots of children embrace the Romans and find a love of history at the same time. Caroline has now embarked on a new journey and has presented us with the first book in The Western Mysteries series, which takes us back to the Wild West of America, Virginia City in 1862 to be precise.
Up until reading this book, my only real knowledge of the Wild West was through the last film in the Back to the Future trilogy. So I was extremely pleased to be given so much more information about that time period within this book. Caroline Lawrence has obviously researched the Wild West meticulously as the attention to detail is unbelievable. Caroline Lawrence knows what she is talking about. I felt like I had stepped instantly back into Virginia City, right into the middle of a gun fight. I could almost hear the gun shots from the Double Deringer.
The narrator for the story is P.K. Pinkerton. Don't ask me whether the character was a boy or girl, because quite frankly I am not quite sure. The author twisted the plot backwards and forwards with this mystery leaving me confused (on purpose I believe) as to the sex of the narrator. I think it is a boy, so I will call him that for now, but who knows. All I do know is the narrator was 12 years old, was half Indian and half America and that his mother had died, leaving him with a set of foster parents. He is also a very brave child to come up against such deadly character so fearlessly as he does.
I am certain that P.K. Pinkerton is slightly autistic, by his inability to decipher people's emotions and his quickness with numbers. However, the author never makes that public knowledge, so I could be wrong. Although in that era, they wouldn't have have had a medical term for the condition. The book begins with Pinkerton's 12th birthday, where he arrives home to find his foster parents dying, after being brutally attacked by Whittlin Walt, a rather nasty character who appeared on Wanted posters around the town. He is desperate for an item that he believes P.K. to own and will stop at nothing to get it. P.K. quickly leaves his home in search of a safer haven in Virginia City. However he will not be going alone, as Whittlin Walt is quickly on his trail. He will kill P.K to get what he wants.
You have to feel sorry for P.K. as his dangerous journey, the constant hiding and his attempts at double crossing Whittlin Walt, leave you feeling breathless. There is no time for him to stop and rest. Every time he thinks he has done the right thing, someone comes along and double crosses him, creating a fast paced thrilling ride.
I was extremely excited to see Sam Clemens hiding amongst the pages. Sam Clemens was better known by his pen name of Mark Twain, and appears within the story as a reporter, which he actually was before he became a writer and provided us with such characters as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He is brilliant portrayed within the story and it felt like I had found my own golden nugget whilst reading the book.
This book is extremely detailed and keeps you on your toes the whole way through. The chapters are short, sharp and each one is finished off with an excellent cliff hanger. All the characters come alive, each one solid and easy to remember, with their own back story being provided in snippets here and there. There is even a glossary at the back to help you grasp the Western language used within the book. Caroline Lawrence is leading the way in Western fiction while everyone else is left trailing behind. This book has quenched my first for Western fiction and I look forward to the next installment in the series.
Up until reading this book, my only real knowledge of the Wild West was through the last film in the Back to the Future trilogy. So I was extremely pleased to be given so much more information about that time period within this book. Caroline Lawrence has obviously researched the Wild West meticulously as the attention to detail is unbelievable. Caroline Lawrence knows what she is talking about. I felt like I had stepped instantly back into Virginia City, right into the middle of a gun fight. I could almost hear the gun shots from the Double Deringer.
The narrator for the story is P.K. Pinkerton. Don't ask me whether the character was a boy or girl, because quite frankly I am not quite sure. The author twisted the plot backwards and forwards with this mystery leaving me confused (on purpose I believe) as to the sex of the narrator. I think it is a boy, so I will call him that for now, but who knows. All I do know is the narrator was 12 years old, was half Indian and half America and that his mother had died, leaving him with a set of foster parents. He is also a very brave child to come up against such deadly character so fearlessly as he does.
I am certain that P.K. Pinkerton is slightly autistic, by his inability to decipher people's emotions and his quickness with numbers. However, the author never makes that public knowledge, so I could be wrong. Although in that era, they wouldn't have have had a medical term for the condition. The book begins with Pinkerton's 12th birthday, where he arrives home to find his foster parents dying, after being brutally attacked by Whittlin Walt, a rather nasty character who appeared on Wanted posters around the town. He is desperate for an item that he believes P.K. to own and will stop at nothing to get it. P.K. quickly leaves his home in search of a safer haven in Virginia City. However he will not be going alone, as Whittlin Walt is quickly on his trail. He will kill P.K to get what he wants.
You have to feel sorry for P.K. as his dangerous journey, the constant hiding and his attempts at double crossing Whittlin Walt, leave you feeling breathless. There is no time for him to stop and rest. Every time he thinks he has done the right thing, someone comes along and double crosses him, creating a fast paced thrilling ride.
I was extremely excited to see Sam Clemens hiding amongst the pages. Sam Clemens was better known by his pen name of Mark Twain, and appears within the story as a reporter, which he actually was before he became a writer and provided us with such characters as Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. He is brilliant portrayed within the story and it felt like I had found my own golden nugget whilst reading the book.
This book is extremely detailed and keeps you on your toes the whole way through. The chapters are short, sharp and each one is finished off with an excellent cliff hanger. All the characters come alive, each one solid and easy to remember, with their own back story being provided in snippets here and there. There is even a glossary at the back to help you grasp the Western language used within the book. Caroline Lawrence is leading the way in Western fiction while everyone else is left trailing behind. This book has quenched my first for Western fiction and I look forward to the next installment in the series.
June 3, 2011
The Case of the Deadly Desperados is the first book in Caroline Lawrence’s new series The Western Mysteries and if you ask me, it is a work of genius!
P.K. Pinkerton or Pinky to his friends is a half-Sioux half-American boy or quite possibly girl. One of the delights of this book is the fact that you never get to know Pinky’s gender. One minute I was absolutely certain that Pinky was a boy. The next I was thinking how empowering that Pinky was a girl. The author creates this uncertainty through Pinky’s love of disguises. For the purpose of this review, I am going to assume that P.K. is a boy but future books in the series may well prove me wrong.
So, twelve year old Pinky is the narrator and hero of this story. The novel is told in retrospect in Pinky’s own words as he recounts the experiences which lead him to being trapped down a silver mine. The novel is set in and around Virginia City. The year is 1862. The story really begins on Pinky’s birthday. He comes from school to find that his foster ma and pa have been scalped by a dastardly villain, the outlaw Whittlin Walt. P.K. has something that the famous outlaw wants and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it. There are several threads of mystery running through the novel: the true identity of Pinky, the mystery of his parentage and the circumstances of the item that Walt is desperate to obtain.
The Case of the Deadly Desperados was a joy to read. Pinky’s voice felt truly original and quirky. I loved the fact that he had a very rational grasp of his hero’s weakness. That which the reader may think of as a flaw, Pinky thinks of as his Thorn. But like all great heroes, Pinky also has a gift. It was the perfect relationship between these two opposing character traits that made him so likeable and convincing a character. I also loved his interpretations of the shenanigans that go on in Virginia City. The author could easily have crossed the line making him overly religious and alienating but she actually uses his background to comic effect and yet with sensitivity.
The other feature of this book that worked superbly was the very short chapters. I think younger readers will speed like a runaway stagecoach through this book. There are lots of cliff hanger endings and use of foreboding which will keep them on the edge of their seat. Last year I was told that westerns were going to be big business in children’s fiction. This is surely the book to make such a grand statement happen. The Case of the Deadly Desperados is thrilling, funny and hugely entertaining. To top it all off, this book is incredibly well-written and its vibrant narrative voice is a complete hit with me. Fantastic.
P.K. Pinkerton or Pinky to his friends is a half-Sioux half-American boy or quite possibly girl. One of the delights of this book is the fact that you never get to know Pinky’s gender. One minute I was absolutely certain that Pinky was a boy. The next I was thinking how empowering that Pinky was a girl. The author creates this uncertainty through Pinky’s love of disguises. For the purpose of this review, I am going to assume that P.K. is a boy but future books in the series may well prove me wrong.
So, twelve year old Pinky is the narrator and hero of this story. The novel is told in retrospect in Pinky’s own words as he recounts the experiences which lead him to being trapped down a silver mine. The novel is set in and around Virginia City. The year is 1862. The story really begins on Pinky’s birthday. He comes from school to find that his foster ma and pa have been scalped by a dastardly villain, the outlaw Whittlin Walt. P.K. has something that the famous outlaw wants and he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it. There are several threads of mystery running through the novel: the true identity of Pinky, the mystery of his parentage and the circumstances of the item that Walt is desperate to obtain.
The Case of the Deadly Desperados was a joy to read. Pinky’s voice felt truly original and quirky. I loved the fact that he had a very rational grasp of his hero’s weakness. That which the reader may think of as a flaw, Pinky thinks of as his Thorn. But like all great heroes, Pinky also has a gift. It was the perfect relationship between these two opposing character traits that made him so likeable and convincing a character. I also loved his interpretations of the shenanigans that go on in Virginia City. The author could easily have crossed the line making him overly religious and alienating but she actually uses his background to comic effect and yet with sensitivity.
The other feature of this book that worked superbly was the very short chapters. I think younger readers will speed like a runaway stagecoach through this book. There are lots of cliff hanger endings and use of foreboding which will keep them on the edge of their seat. Last year I was told that westerns were going to be big business in children’s fiction. This is surely the book to make such a grand statement happen. The Case of the Deadly Desperados is thrilling, funny and hugely entertaining. To top it all off, this book is incredibly well-written and its vibrant narrative voice is a complete hit with me. Fantastic.
July 16, 2011
In the first book in her new Western Mysteries series Caroline Lawrence takes us back in time to Virginia City in 1862. We follow the story of P.K Pinkerton who is being chased by a gang of desperados, they already killed and scalped his foster parents and he is next on their list. I say HIS foster parents but throughout the entire book we're never quite sure if P.K is actually a boy or a girl. The author has done a fantastic job of keeping P.K's gender a secret, he adopts numerous disguises throughout the story and I was constantly changing my mind about whether he is a boy or a girl. Either way he was a character I loved and I can't wait to get my hands on the
I'm sure P.K. is autistic, the way he thinks reminds me a lot of Christopher, the main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Both characters are extremely intelligent but have trouble understanding facial expressions, don't like to be touched and aren't comfortable when their routines are changed. Of course there would have been no way of identifying autism back in the Wild West so this is never confirmed but I would be very surprised if it wasn't true. P.K. finds it very hard to work out who is telling him the truth which makes it very difficult for him to decide who to trust and leads to him getting into trouble on more than one occasion.
The Wild West is a harsh and violent place where everyone is out for themselves and most people will only help you if they're going to get something out of it. Caroline Lawrence has captured the atmosphere perfectly and it feels like you are walking through Virginia City beside P.K. with the desperados not far behind. We are introduced to a wide range of side characters, some of whom will surprise you completely and I'm looking forward to finding out more about them in future installments of the series.
If you're looking for something a bit different and fancy going on a Western adventure look no further than The Case of the Deadly Desperados. The story is fast paced with short chapters and an incredibly easy book to fly through in one sitting, I'm sure even the most reluctant reader would enjoy it. This may have been the first book I've read by Caroline Lawrence but it definitely won't be the last and I'm looking forward to checking out her Roman Mysteries series in the not to distant future.
I'm sure P.K. is autistic, the way he thinks reminds me a lot of Christopher, the main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Both characters are extremely intelligent but have trouble understanding facial expressions, don't like to be touched and aren't comfortable when their routines are changed. Of course there would have been no way of identifying autism back in the Wild West so this is never confirmed but I would be very surprised if it wasn't true. P.K. finds it very hard to work out who is telling him the truth which makes it very difficult for him to decide who to trust and leads to him getting into trouble on more than one occasion.
The Wild West is a harsh and violent place where everyone is out for themselves and most people will only help you if they're going to get something out of it. Caroline Lawrence has captured the atmosphere perfectly and it feels like you are walking through Virginia City beside P.K. with the desperados not far behind. We are introduced to a wide range of side characters, some of whom will surprise you completely and I'm looking forward to finding out more about them in future installments of the series.
If you're looking for something a bit different and fancy going on a Western adventure look no further than The Case of the Deadly Desperados. The story is fast paced with short chapters and an incredibly easy book to fly through in one sitting, I'm sure even the most reluctant reader would enjoy it. This may have been the first book I've read by Caroline Lawrence but it definitely won't be the last and I'm looking forward to checking out her Roman Mysteries series in the not to distant future.
October 28, 2016
Deadly Desperados is good book for readers, it is a historical fiction ,and was published in 2011 the setting is 1862 Nevada Virginia city. My opinion is it has a good plot to it, also it uses old buildings or mines or old places that existed in the past and i like reading books that talk about the past so you can have a better understanding about how life was back then, but the only thing i don't like about it is that the characters aren't real their made up but other than that it is a really good book.
The main character P.K. Pinkerton is a brave smart 'boy' the reason i said boy like that is because P.K. is actually a girl and this is where it makes her smart because in the book a man named Walt tried claiming P.k. as his son but P.K. actually being a girl told him and he was shocked and didn't believe her, how P.K. is brave is because she stands up against the most deadly group in the west. The conflict of the story is P.K. is being hunted by Walt and his deadly friends the reason is because P.K. has a letter that he is going to use to go see his uncle. The plot of the story is the P.K. was a Indian girl but her real mother and father died and her foster parents also so she is alone but she meets friends on the way that help on her quest to get the letter to a safe place ans turn it in so she can go see her uncle but has the most deadly man after her. The story is based on a historical event but the characters aren't real. The story is believable expect the characters because maybe someone was getting chased or had something important to turn in or got stuck in a mine shaft. My recommendation is eight and sixth graders, and i would give this book a five star rating
The main character P.K. Pinkerton is a brave smart 'boy' the reason i said boy like that is because P.K. is actually a girl and this is where it makes her smart because in the book a man named Walt tried claiming P.k. as his son but P.K. actually being a girl told him and he was shocked and didn't believe her, how P.K. is brave is because she stands up against the most deadly group in the west. The conflict of the story is P.K. is being hunted by Walt and his deadly friends the reason is because P.K. has a letter that he is going to use to go see his uncle. The plot of the story is the P.K. was a Indian girl but her real mother and father died and her foster parents also so she is alone but she meets friends on the way that help on her quest to get the letter to a safe place ans turn it in so she can go see her uncle but has the most deadly man after her. The story is based on a historical event but the characters aren't real. The story is believable expect the characters because maybe someone was getting chased or had something important to turn in or got stuck in a mine shaft. My recommendation is eight and sixth graders, and i would give this book a five star rating
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2012
A real page-turner, this mystery novel is set in 1862 in Virginia City, Nevada, and is told from the point of view of a young boy P.K. Half Sioux and half white, his foster parents are murdered in the first chapter and he tries to find a way to evade the killers, and keep his inheritance. The boy also has a form of autism, but the author never uses that term; he can't "read" people's emotions or expressions. He is helped by several adults, including reporter Sam Clemens, a poker player Jace, and a few others. The author uses the term "Chinaman" which is historically accurate, but more often refers to Ping and the others as Celestials or Chinese. In future episodes, I look forward to P.K. and Ping teaming up more so we get to know Ping better. It will also be interesting for P.K. to further explore his Sioux relatives. The historical setting works perfectly for 4th and 5th grade classes, and this is the type of book that will compell "non-readers" who can read but don't, to finish a novel.
October 16, 2019
I am really disappointed with this book. I was interested in reading the book because I saw the series on a few book lists with other series my kids and I have enjoyed. But I can not recommend this to my kids or any other. The author wrote a middle grade story but forgot their audience and added mature situations/themes.
I wonder if the author was dared to write a middle grade book about prostitution. The phrase *Soiled Dove* is said 30+ times. Men and women sparkin' is mentioned a few times. The soiled doves and saloon dancers are described multiple times. The main character talks about seeing a man and a women "mating" in an alley. They are not needed in this story, even to help set the time period/setting.
I found the over all story entertaining. I do think that the violence is a little too intense. It's nice to see a main character with high functioning autism, although I didn't always agree with how the main character was portrayed.
I wonder if the author was dared to write a middle grade book about prostitution. The phrase *Soiled Dove* is said 30+ times. Men and women sparkin' is mentioned a few times. The soiled doves and saloon dancers are described multiple times. The main character talks about seeing a man and a women "mating" in an alley. They are not needed in this story, even to help set the time period/setting.
I found the over all story entertaining. I do think that the violence is a little too intense. It's nice to see a main character with high functioning autism, although I didn't always agree with how the main character was portrayed.
January 26, 2016
If you ever watched Deadwood and thought, "It's good, but I wish it were funnier. And that the hero was a twelve-year old, half-Native kid with Asperger's tendencies." then this is pretty much the perfect book for you. And I mean that in the best possible way, because I do love myself some Deadwood. And this? I enjoyed it ever so much. Like, actually glad it's going to be a series because I want more adventures with this crew, so much and I say things like that very rarely. Just really fun (but also informative!) and a quick pace and actual, legitimate adventure.
July 19, 2015
While this book was entertaining, I'm rating it only 2 stars because I felt it was inappropriate for the intended audience (8-12 year olds). Too much language, innuendo, and tasteless humor.
July 25, 2017
Loved it!
September 22, 2012
In The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence, P.K. Pinkerton's parents are murdered by the infamous Whittling Walt and his band of desperados who want a deed to silver rich land near Virginia City which P.K. has. P.K. goes to Virginia City to get away from the outlaws, but he is found there. Walt relentlessly pursues P.K. until he is forced to run into a mine to get way from the outlaws.
The Case of the Deadly Desperados is the first of a series. The book is set in in Virginia City, Nevada during the year 1871 C.E. I would recommend this book to boys between the ages of 10 and 13.
The Case of the Deadly Desperados is the first of a series. The book is set in in Virginia City, Nevada during the year 1871 C.E. I would recommend this book to boys between the ages of 10 and 13.
September 26, 2015
I thought the book was great I like how skirt boy came to save PK Pinkerton from Belle Donne and when he needed to try on disguises to hide from Whittlin' Walt and his gang of ruthless desperados. The sad thing is that he found his foster parents dead in a pool of blood what a sad event in his life. The ending was also good because PK Pinkerton didn't want to go to Chicago because Belle Donne said she was also going to Chicago so he decided to be a detective in Virginia City. Belle Donne you should ashamed of what you've done to PK Pinkerton.
October 10, 2022
P. K. ("Pinky") Pinkerton is a wonderful, complex, and very sympathetic character. He's 12 years old, the story is told in the first person, through his eyes.
Caroline Lawrence does a great job telling the story with a 12-year old's voice: it's totally believable, and at times, funny and cute. When Pinky writes about a "Sweet of Rooms," I laughed out loud. And when he describes his "thorn," that's exactly the way a 12-year old would talk.
Also, the story's plot is inventive, unusual, and I wasn't bored at all, even though this is a book for young adults, and I am 55 years old. All in all, I really liked this book!
The writer frequently uses ampersands ("&") instead of writing the word "and," which I find a bit weird, but I got used to it.
But I don't think that this book, which is marketed to children and teenagers, is suitable for young readers, due to graphic descriptions of violence (I couldn't find out the exact age group, for which this book was written).
Spolier alert:
Pinky's foster parents are murdered in a gruesome manner, a man's finger is cut off in front of Pinky, and there's a pony whose existence can only be described by using the words "animal cruelty" -- I would recommend this book to teenagers who are 15+ years old, but not to younger children. It's perfect for older teenagers, but not for younger readers.
At the back of the book, there's a glossary where Caroline Lawrence explains a few words, including "celestials" - a "slang" for Chinese people; I think the word "slang" doesn't convey properly that this word was used as a derogatory ethnic slur; and the words Indians, Injuns, and negro are also used throughout the book. These words were all used in the 1860s, but I think today's young readers need additional information/context, when such words are used for dialogue in historical fiction books. Or maybe the use of these words could've (should've) been avoided at all?
I think that issue could've been handled better, or at least more information could've been included in the glossary about the fact that these are all derogatory words from the past, and should not be used in this day and age when talking to or about other people.
The writer uses the terms "soiled doves" and "hurdy girls" as synonyms for prostitutes, and in the glossary only explains that these terms describe women who worked in saloons or brothels (without explaining what a brothel is). I do think it's very funny that she's coy about prostitution, but depicts acts of extreme violence in detail. I think that the issue of prostitution was handled age-appropriately, and that's how I wish she would've described acts of violence: a little more vaguely.
One more thing: Do not enter the URL listed at the back cover of this edition of the book, which is a URL dedicated to the book series. The publishing house let the rights to this URL go, and it's now used by a porn site. If you buy this book as a gift to a child, use a black marker to make it invisible, or just tear the part of the back cover off, which lists the URL.
Caroline Lawrence does a great job telling the story with a 12-year old's voice: it's totally believable, and at times, funny and cute. When Pinky writes about a "Sweet of Rooms," I laughed out loud. And when he describes his "thorn," that's exactly the way a 12-year old would talk.
Also, the story's plot is inventive, unusual, and I wasn't bored at all, even though this is a book for young adults, and I am 55 years old. All in all, I really liked this book!
The writer frequently uses ampersands ("&") instead of writing the word "and," which I find a bit weird, but I got used to it.
But I don't think that this book, which is marketed to children and teenagers, is suitable for young readers, due to graphic descriptions of violence (I couldn't find out the exact age group, for which this book was written).
Spolier alert:
Pinky's foster parents are murdered in a gruesome manner, a man's finger is cut off in front of Pinky, and there's a pony whose existence can only be described by using the words "animal cruelty" -- I would recommend this book to teenagers who are 15+ years old, but not to younger children. It's perfect for older teenagers, but not for younger readers.
At the back of the book, there's a glossary where Caroline Lawrence explains a few words, including "celestials" - a "slang" for Chinese people; I think the word "slang" doesn't convey properly that this word was used as a derogatory ethnic slur; and the words Indians, Injuns, and negro are also used throughout the book. These words were all used in the 1860s, but I think today's young readers need additional information/context, when such words are used for dialogue in historical fiction books. Or maybe the use of these words could've (should've) been avoided at all?
I think that issue could've been handled better, or at least more information could've been included in the glossary about the fact that these are all derogatory words from the past, and should not be used in this day and age when talking to or about other people.
The writer uses the terms "soiled doves" and "hurdy girls" as synonyms for prostitutes, and in the glossary only explains that these terms describe women who worked in saloons or brothels (without explaining what a brothel is). I do think it's very funny that she's coy about prostitution, but depicts acts of extreme violence in detail. I think that the issue of prostitution was handled age-appropriately, and that's how I wish she would've described acts of violence: a little more vaguely.
One more thing: Do not enter the URL listed at the back cover of this edition of the book, which is a URL dedicated to the book series. The publishing house let the rights to this URL go, and it's now used by a porn site. If you buy this book as a gift to a child, use a black marker to make it invisible, or just tear the part of the back cover off, which lists the URL.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2022
Plot
Quote from pages 1 and 2:
"My name is P.K. Pinkerton and before this day is over I will be dead. I am trapped down the deepest shaft of a Comstock silver mine with three desperados closing in on me.
My foster ma Evangeline used to say that when God gives you a Gift he always gives you a thorn in your side to keep you humble. My gift is that I am real smart about certain things. I can speak American and Lakota and also some Chinese and Spanish. I can shoot a gun and I can ride a pony with or without a saddle... I can tell what a horse has been eating just by the smell of his manure...
But here is my Problem: I cannot tell if a person's smile is genuine or false. I can only spot three emotions: happiness, fear, and anger. And sometimes I even mix those up. That is my Thorn: people confound me. And now my Thorn has got me killed."
PK has been twice orphaned. His birth mother is dead, and he came home to find his foster parents dead. Murdered, in fact. There's something in his medicine bag and there are three murdering desperados who want it. PK can run, he can hide, he can dress up like all sorts of people, but the desperados won't stop until they have his secret and PK is dead.
Review
This book was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I enjoyed the historical Western setting, the characters, and PK especially as a character for all the things he adds to the story. On the other hand, Lawrence seems to have no faith in the ability of children to google definitions! The amount of defining done in the book is ridiculous. In elementary and middle school we would often have to find new-to-us words in books, look them up in the dictionary, and define them. This author just defines EVERYTHING. Example, p91: "What is a Printer's Devil?' I asked. "Just another name for an apprentice printer." They are all succinct explanations, at the very least.
PK likely has some form of autism. He cannot recognize faces or facial emotions in other people, and has a difficult time displaying them himself. His memory is quite good, he has a tendency to trust people, and give away too much information. PK is half Sioux and half white, and I hope the big secret at the end was true because that adds a good twist. I will not likely listen to the next two books, but I will assume PK is honest about that like with everything else.
For reasons, this book was put into our library as YA, but it is definitely not. I assume it is because the book contains things like a "soiled dove" and the word "whore." But as mentioned above, the writing of this book and aggressive use of definitions put this into elementary/middle grades.
Quote from pages 1 and 2:
"My name is P.K. Pinkerton and before this day is over I will be dead. I am trapped down the deepest shaft of a Comstock silver mine with three desperados closing in on me.
My foster ma Evangeline used to say that when God gives you a Gift he always gives you a thorn in your side to keep you humble. My gift is that I am real smart about certain things. I can speak American and Lakota and also some Chinese and Spanish. I can shoot a gun and I can ride a pony with or without a saddle... I can tell what a horse has been eating just by the smell of his manure...
But here is my Problem: I cannot tell if a person's smile is genuine or false. I can only spot three emotions: happiness, fear, and anger. And sometimes I even mix those up. That is my Thorn: people confound me. And now my Thorn has got me killed."
PK has been twice orphaned. His birth mother is dead, and he came home to find his foster parents dead. Murdered, in fact. There's something in his medicine bag and there are three murdering desperados who want it. PK can run, he can hide, he can dress up like all sorts of people, but the desperados won't stop until they have his secret and PK is dead.
Review
This book was a mixed bag for me. On the one hand I enjoyed the historical Western setting, the characters, and PK especially as a character for all the things he adds to the story. On the other hand, Lawrence seems to have no faith in the ability of children to google definitions! The amount of defining done in the book is ridiculous. In elementary and middle school we would often have to find new-to-us words in books, look them up in the dictionary, and define them. This author just defines EVERYTHING. Example, p91: "What is a Printer's Devil?' I asked. "Just another name for an apprentice printer." They are all succinct explanations, at the very least.
PK likely has some form of autism. He cannot recognize faces or facial emotions in other people, and has a difficult time displaying them himself. His memory is quite good, he has a tendency to trust people, and give away too much information. PK is half Sioux and half white, and I hope the big secret at the end was true because that adds a good twist. I will not likely listen to the next two books, but I will assume PK is honest about that like with everything else.
For reasons, this book was put into our library as YA, but it is definitely not. I assume it is because the book contains things like a "soiled dove" and the word "whore." But as mentioned above, the writing of this book and aggressive use of definitions put this into elementary/middle grades.
February 5, 2023
My fourth graders love this book, and we use it to cover many of our Nevada state history standards.
The book includes a good description of the Comstock Lode, and the Virginia City of the time (when Virginia City and San Francisco were the two largest cities in the Western USA, and Virginia City was the largets city in the Nevada Territory). It references real people and institutions, including stories about lost and disputed mining claims - priming students to research who the real histroical figures were and what parts of the story are factual, instead of just historically plausible.
Yes, Virginia City had a lot of gambling and drinking - we still have a lot of those things in Nevada - they are part of our leading industry (Hospitality/Tourism).
Yes, there were opium dens in Virginia City - and we currenty have a public health crisis with people taking opiods and other drugs.
Yes, there was violence in the past - just as there is now.
Yes, Indians and Chinese were discriminated against in the 1860s - such discrimination is illegal now, and the language used would be considered rude in modern times.
Tes, this discrimination included white criminals blaming non-whites for crimes that they themselves committed.
Yes, there were people who struggled with disabilities in our past - and also in our present.
And yes, prostitution was part of the history of Virginia city - and is currently legal in our state, so is nothing to be ashamed of
While some prefer to whitewash history and pretend that nothing bad ever happened in the past, Caroline Lawrence includes enough of the history to make this more than just an exciting story.
This is an exciting story that is full of history, and that inspires discussion among readers.
The book includes a good description of the Comstock Lode, and the Virginia City of the time (when Virginia City and San Francisco were the two largest cities in the Western USA, and Virginia City was the largets city in the Nevada Territory). It references real people and institutions, including stories about lost and disputed mining claims - priming students to research who the real histroical figures were and what parts of the story are factual, instead of just historically plausible.
Yes, Virginia City had a lot of gambling and drinking - we still have a lot of those things in Nevada - they are part of our leading industry (Hospitality/Tourism).
Yes, there were opium dens in Virginia City - and we currenty have a public health crisis with people taking opiods and other drugs.
Yes, there was violence in the past - just as there is now.
Yes, Indians and Chinese were discriminated against in the 1860s - such discrimination is illegal now, and the language used would be considered rude in modern times.
Tes, this discrimination included white criminals blaming non-whites for crimes that they themselves committed.
Yes, there were people who struggled with disabilities in our past - and also in our present.
And yes, prostitution was part of the history of Virginia city - and is currently legal in our state, so is nothing to be ashamed of
While some prefer to whitewash history and pretend that nothing bad ever happened in the past, Caroline Lawrence includes enough of the history to make this more than just an exciting story.
This is an exciting story that is full of history, and that inspires discussion among readers.
June 11, 2019
I always want my students to read interesting books from all different genres, so I was excited when I saw this book at my school's book fair. A western, a mystery, and a main character who is bi-racial and probably has what would now be termed in the 21st century as Asperger's!! This is going to be a fantastic addition to my classroom library. It's enjoyable and I think elementary school-aged kids will enjoy it. Well, those are mature enough to handle some of the more sordid aspects of the story.
The book follows the adventure of P.K. Pinkerton whose foster parents are killed at the beginning of the story. This immediately sets him off on a race out of town as three desperados are hot on his tail, hoping to snatch a piece of paper from him that is the key to a fortune. Over what I think is only three or four days, P.K. finds himself in a mining town, interacting with all sorts of people who either lie, steal, or manipulate him to their whims because P.K. is unable to read clues from people such as their faces or body language to determine if he is being swindled.
The book is filled with prostitutes, murderers, liars, opium-den smoking Asians, and many other characters. Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemens even pops up in the story! I was actually a little surprised by all of this. It felt at times this was Deadwood for children. I think it gets the details of the old western mining towns well and the story moves briskly. I was just surprised by all the death, violence, and action, as well as some of the religious undertones that appear.
I would recommend this book for 6th grade and up. I'm not sure younger readers would enjoy this.
The book follows the adventure of P.K. Pinkerton whose foster parents are killed at the beginning of the story. This immediately sets him off on a race out of town as three desperados are hot on his tail, hoping to snatch a piece of paper from him that is the key to a fortune. Over what I think is only three or four days, P.K. finds himself in a mining town, interacting with all sorts of people who either lie, steal, or manipulate him to their whims because P.K. is unable to read clues from people such as their faces or body language to determine if he is being swindled.
The book is filled with prostitutes, murderers, liars, opium-den smoking Asians, and many other characters. Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemens even pops up in the story! I was actually a little surprised by all of this. It felt at times this was Deadwood for children. I think it gets the details of the old western mining towns well and the story moves briskly. I was just surprised by all the death, violence, and action, as well as some of the religious undertones that appear.
I would recommend this book for 6th grade and up. I'm not sure younger readers would enjoy this.
March 2, 2020
NOT really for kids! I really enjoyed this book, but I wouldn't give it to the target audience. The eponymous desperadoes murder and scalp people, and torture others by cutting off bits. One leading character is a prostitute. This is told very matter of factly although the latter is done with period-appropriate euphemisms. There were a multitude of references that would fly over a kid's head (mark twain quotes, biblical references such as a frequently repeated "thorn in my side", etc), and swearing such as use of the word "hore" (sic) and "d-mn" (with dash). The protagonist, Pinky, uses period-authentic racial terms and several racial stereotypes in descriptions and conversation, despite being half-Lakota. To be fair, though, the actual characters representing various races are written without stereotypes.
As an adult, those things lend a good period flavor to the book, but they would take ages to explain/mitigate if i was reading aloud, and I would want to address them if the kid was reading on their own.
The main character appears to be on the autism spectrum, and that is well explained, presented as a frustration but also accepted as normal and just something to work around for Pinky.
Again, I found this book charming and would love to read more, but I just can't recommend it for a middle grade audience, at least without heavy parental involvement.
As an adult, those things lend a good period flavor to the book, but they would take ages to explain/mitigate if i was reading aloud, and I would want to address them if the kid was reading on their own.
The main character appears to be on the autism spectrum, and that is well explained, presented as a frustration but also accepted as normal and just something to work around for Pinky.
Again, I found this book charming and would love to read more, but I just can't recommend it for a middle grade audience, at least without heavy parental involvement.
September 2, 2018
It probably isn't fair for an adult to review a book for young readers, but it can be revealing and I learned a bit about me in this "kid thriller." I read some of the negative reviews, that it uses derogatory words, has violence, etc. To write a book about any era with our phrases and present day biases (and we all have fashionable biases) wouldn't be true to the era or characters. Sometimes slipping in modern mores helps round out matters, but it needs to be used with care. Those who use P.C. attacks ought to ease up. Today's trends may become tomorrow's sins, will change with time.
The story itself becomes repetitive, cliffhangers of the boy's impending death in final sentences, but the tale itself entertains. To have the boy be a bit of a savant and autistic is a stretch, but at least gives some depth to one of the few non-cardboard characters. It's an okay book for kids, but nothing special. Three stars for kids, and maybe one and a half for adults fits.
The story itself becomes repetitive, cliffhangers of the boy's impending death in final sentences, but the tale itself entertains. To have the boy be a bit of a savant and autistic is a stretch, but at least gives some depth to one of the few non-cardboard characters. It's an okay book for kids, but nothing special. Three stars for kids, and maybe one and a half for adults fits.
June 7, 2020
Narration feels hollow, even accounting for the glibness I hope was intentional. Ping could have been a great ally for PK but his dialogue is flat and occassionally clipped in a stereotypical way that annoys the heck out of me. I thought to see if PK is served a bit better towards the end of the book but I could already tell I wasn't going to love the book, so...to the DNF shelf.
For all its faults, the book is STILL better than The Gilded Age but...that's a low bar for me.
I wanted to write this review to direct readers dissatisfied with this book to other books:
Looking for a historically sourced mystery involving a smart girl? Read The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan instead.
I unfortunately don't have a western equivalent for children. Is the genre underserved? I'm not sure. Maybe we will get an #ownvoices MG/chapbook western like the world needs.
Grownups looking for Weird West goodness? try Railsea by China Mieville or The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
For all its faults, the book is STILL better than The Gilded Age but...that's a low bar for me.
I wanted to write this review to direct readers dissatisfied with this book to other books:
Looking for a historically sourced mystery involving a smart girl? Read The Detective's Assistant by Kate Hannigan instead.
I unfortunately don't have a western equivalent for children. Is the genre underserved? I'm not sure. Maybe we will get an #ownvoices MG/chapbook western like the world needs.
Grownups looking for Weird West goodness? try Railsea by China Mieville or The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis
February 17, 2020
This is a juvenile/young adult fiction book of average length but I struggled to get through it, and I was listening to the audiobook version. Pros- I appreciated the fact that the main character had (or seemed to have) autism. Representation is so important to normalization of diversity. That being said, the constant generalizations and racist comments made by characters was exhausting. I honestly think it was done with the intent of highlighting the ignorance of the characters, but it was so constant that the positive message was somewhat lost in my opinion, and I’m 34. But heck, if I were reading it as a 12 year old, maybe the message would have seemed more clear. My other issue is just that the pace was slow, and the entire book was like, PK gets found, PK finds a new hiding place, then PK finds a new hiding place over and over again.
October 10, 2017
I have not been this angry with a book in a long time. I believe the author was trying to create a "true to time period" feeling but it comes across as ignorant, racist, and confusing. Yes, there are nods to actual history (racial slurs, "slang," Pinkerton Detective Agency) but the intended audience doesn't need the wildly random spelling, caricaturization of "Wild West" language, racial insensitivity (ignorance?!), and innuendo. And I'm not going to even address the "Thorn." UGH! This could maybe at a long stretch be presented as a satire for an older audience but it is completely and totally inappropriate for middle school.
July 15, 2018
This Historical Fiction takes place in the Nevada Territory of Virginia City during the 1860's as 12 year old P.K. Pinkerton eludes the killers of his foster parents, and tries to unravel the mystery of a document he has, and that everyone seems to want from him. Laced with notable historic figures within the pages, this funny, revealing, and at times dangerous adventure will keep the reader turning the pages of PK's Ledger Sheet.
April 2, 2020
This book is extremely exciting. It is jam-packed full of action and there is never a moment when there isn’t anything exciting going on. There are many twists and turns in the plot which makes you want to read on. The characters are fun and interesting and they change through ought the story which makes it interesting. I love how characteristically western it is and all of the action that is involved!
May 23, 2018
P.K. is my hero, once again Caroline Lawrence creates another fictional character who is utterly unique and whom I would die for, plus the attention to detail and historical accuracy without dragging the whole story down (and actually making the story a lot more interesting) takes unbelievable skill
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