The Widow Spy

by Megan Campisi

The author of the “magnificent…complex, vivid” (New York Journal of Books) Sin Eater returns with a rousing and propulsive novel based on the astonishing true story of the first female Pinkerton detective whose next assignment could end the Civil War.

Kate Warne is many things--the country’s first female detective, a Pinkerton agent, and a union spy.

It’s August 1863, 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 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?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Adult Fiction, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2024

About the author

Megan Campisi is a playwright, novelist and teacher. Her plays have performed in China, France and the United States. She has been a forest ranger, sous chef in Paris and a physical theater specialist around the world. Originally from California, she attended Yale University and the L'École International de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her family.

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the premise was fascinating, the story itself did not flow well; it seemed like a bunch of snippets cobbled together to form a story, which made it confusing and lacked structure. I found it difficult to follow and eventually gave up despite being intrigued by the first female Pinkerton detective.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part 1, pitting Pinkerton agent Kate Warne against Confederate spy Rose Greenhow, is well done, but the ending scenes are ridiculous. Part 2, Kate's further spy adventures, is uneven and full of flashbacks and backstory, and closes with an unbelievable (sort of) happy ever after ending. There isn't much really known about Kate Warne, so Campisi was free to make up her background, and to give her a romance with a character who may or may not have existed.

All in all, something that had potential, but in the end it's just another disappointing book.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s lot for historical fiction fans to enjoy here and it was fascinating learning about the Pinkerton operation in the Civil War. It was also striking how being a widow was the identity that had the most freedom for women during this time (as long as they had money or a job, of course).

Kate isn’t a widow but willingly takes on the mantle in order to be the first female Pinkerton detective. She’s hiding much more than her real status. Over time we learn why and uncover more of the heartbreak and opportunities that shaped her character.

The novel is at its best when revealing the details of spycraft and how to read people. But I found the story itself not as engaging - it came across as a patchwork of scenes stitched together. I just didn’t get quite the immersion that I experienced with other stories. And some parts I just found hard to believe. There was one crucial part of the story towards the end when I wondered “Why didn’t they check there earlier?” But then again, I wasn’t a Union spy risking my life in enemy territory!

Kudos to Megan Campisi for all the research and shining a light on the role of female Pinkerton detectives.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was so refreshing to get engrossed in a historical fiction book not set during either WWI or WWII (not that I don't enjoy those too, I definitely do) but the American Civil War is decidedly an era I haven't read too often and Megan Campisi's Pinkerton/female spy book was excellent!!

Great on audio, this had a strong female lead, a forbidden interracial romance between an Irish immigrant and a former slave both working for Pinkerton to help track down anti-revolutionaries. Compelling, fast-paced and utterly enjoyable. This was my first book by the author and I look forward to reading more in the future!

[Deanna (she_reads_truth_365) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately intrigued when I read that The Widow Spy was based on a real life female detective in the Pinkerton Agency. A female who worked outside the home during the late 1800s was rare and even more so to be employed as a detective. This riveting story took place during the Civil War and the author did a wonderful job of developing her characters. Recommend this one if you enjoy strong female characters, historical fiction, and a bit of suspense.

I received an advanced electronic (eARC) copy from @thoughtsfromapage Early Reads Program. Thank you to Cindy Burnett and publisher Atria books. I appreciated the opportunity to preview this book.

[Carole Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The nation’s first female detective matches wits with a formidable Confederate opponent.

Kate Warne, born in Ireland as Mary Kate Heaney, has overcome many challenges to get where she is in August of 1861. When her parents both died during the Great Famine, she was brought to the US by a neighboring family as an indentured worker, made her own living in a Massachusetts textile mill when that family later kicked her out into the street, and when participating in a labor walkout cost her the mill job travelled to Chicago where she was able to convince Allan Pinkerton to hire her as his agency’s first female detective. As the Civil War is raging, someone in Washington DC is feeding highly sensitive military information to the Confederacy, and a socially well-connected widow with known sympathies for the Southern cause named Rose Greenhow is suspected of being that spy. Kate is tasked by Pinkerton, who is now the head of Lincoln’s Secret Service, with getting the widow Greenhow to admit to her actions, surrender the cipher key and reveal the names of the others in her network. If Kate is successful, she could bring the war to a quick end….but Rose Greenhow is every bit Kate’s match in intelligence, conviction and strength of will.

Kate Warne and Rose Greenhow were real women, one a Pinkerton detective and the other a spy for the Confederacy, as are many of the other featured characters. The Widow Spy is very much a work of fiction, however….there is no evidence, for example, that Kate Warne was present at the arrest of Rose Greenhow (although Kate was an active agent at that time), and as little is known of the real Kate Warne’s background author Megan Campisi had to invent her backstory. I did not know any of the above until I read the Afterword once I had finished the novel, and would have assumed given how real and detailed Kate’s life was written that it was at least mostly factual. Each character, major and minor, is well-developed and their inner turmoils and relationships with one another are entirely believable. The story is both a bit of a thriller…..can Kate and her fellow agents use their tactics and experience to break the widow and in so doing do great damage to the Confederacy? Will the agents imbedded in Richmond be uncovered? At the same time, great attention is paid to the human story of each character. Why is the widow willing to risk so much for the Confederate cause? What in Kate’s background has given her the strength to overcome her impoverished beginnings, and with what weaknesses did it leave her? There is also an attraction between Kate and fellow agent John Scobell, a formerly enslaved man of color (who may or may not have existed), and the dangers of such a relationship are well-explained. Throughout the novel, the characters and the reader must decide….what actions are necessary and reasonable to take? What risks are people willing to take for their cause? A fascinating story of two strong, impassioned women who took action in ways most women of their time would never have dared against the backdrop of a divisive war. Readers of Ms Campisi’s previous novel, Sin Eater, as well as those of authors like Maurice Carlos Ruffin, Kate Quinn and Allison Pataki will definitely appreciate The Widow Spy’s quality of writing and its well-plotted story. Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me early access to this fantastic read.

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked learning more about the Pinkerton detectives during the Civil War and the spying they did. I liked the first female detective being featured. I liked the spy vs. spy action. I didn't care for the romance angle and the so-called 'happy ending' because it just seems like it is leading to disaster and a hanging and horribleness. I liked the interactions between Pinkerton and Kate. Overall, I thought the beginning of the book dragged a bit and I had a hard time keeping at it. There are a lot of flashbacks throughout as we find out more about Kate's past and it breaks up the narrative too much. And the weird decisions made by the detectives while interrogating the widow irritated me. They are supposed to be smart. Kate goes on and on about people who live in their privates for a little too long.

some stories were written on us by others. ... That's all her words are: hateful graffiti scribbled across my exterior.

There is a lot of talk of prejudice in this book and the way humanity is divided into ever smaller segments who are all hateful and suspicious of the other groups. Kate speaks of others judging her immediately due to her dress, accent, looks, etc. Everyone in the novel judges others to some degree. Females are judged and underestimated. People are judged by their race, their backgrounds, the amount of money they have...

"Slavery is a think...It's a thing you can't know and then unknow. Nothing you do is innocent again. If you're not fighting it, you're accepting it. People think they're innocent because they live in New York or Chicago or don't own a slave. No one is innocent."

I thought the way Kate had trouble as she grew to know and sympathize with the widow she was interrogating was interesting. She ended up with a reverse Stockholm syndrome. That widow was an excellent manipulator! She was a Southern lady and was on the side of slavery, so Kate was predisposed to hate her, but hate is difficult when you spend time with someone and see their soft sides. That theme runs through this book. Hate vs. love and how you are supposed to change the world--fighting or loving.

What is it that drives such hate into us? Drives us to divide ourselves into light skin and dark skin. North and South, Yank and paddy, woman and man, lady and pseudo-woman? Smaller and smaller divisions from which we debate and decide each other's worth. Is it our natural state? Or are we pressed into such divisiveness by education and culture and self-interest and all the other noise beating down into our hearts all day long?

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something about Megan Campisi's writing that is different and I appreciate it. I like learning from the historical fiction aspect, and also she digs deeper. I just finished Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg and this book actually echoed and contextualized the ideas of effective communication being dependent on seeing all the multiple identites of our enemies, and "If you want people to change their hearts, you can't fool them or fight them. You respect and listen to them in the hope they'll do the same with you...I'm talking about true respect, which it sounds like you almost got to," a friend of Kate's tells her toward the end.

The titular Widow Spy (although that's also what Kate is, so I wasn't sure if it was meant to be cryptic) explains her Confederate viewpoint: "There is a brutalism in the very poor. I suspect you know it well. Why must I lie bout knowing it too? Should I sacrifice the world of culture and art and philosophy that raises us from beast to human...on your alter of human uniformity? There are people who are better than others and I am proud to live in a time that allows the exceptional to rise. And, as our forefathers brilliantly discerned, for exceptional souls to shepherd the less able." And Pinkerton/abolitionist Kate counters: "Maybe the exceptional rise if everyone starts out the same. But some started out on fertile Virginia plantations stolen from Indians with money for seeds and slaves for the work, and some of us were dumped off a boat in Massachusetts with famine bodies and an indenture contract, and some came with far, far less than that. You're the one mistaking uniformity. I believe we're different, yes, and I certainly believe some of us are better souls than other, but it doesn't fall along the lines people draw: rich or poor, white or black...people aren't one thing. The lines you're drawing are lines in the ocean - you can put a line on a map and call one body the Pacific and one the Atlantic, but the truth is open water."

This wasn't a 5-star book for me though because the romance part was lame. Did we need this? I do not think we did.

Two more things the widow (who I nominate as my favorite villain this year) said that I'm still thinking about:

"A female detective is a lonely life, outside the security of conventional womanhood. Perhaps you were drawn to the profession because it fit your natural eccentricity. Or perhaps you simply reject the emblems of those who have rejected you."

"I teach my children how to live in this world; every girl deserves that of a mother."

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a thrilling spy vs. spy action filled book, so if that's what you are looking for, look elsewhere. What it is is an insightful character study of a woman trying to find herself in the nineteenth century. Orphaned by the Great Potato Famine in Ireland, Kate is fostered by a family who never quite treat her like a family member.At seven, she goes to work in a cotton mill, always feeling like an outsider. As the book opens, she is the Pinkerton agency's first female detective, trying to get Southern spy Rose Greenhow to break and reveal her secrets. Many issues are discussed, as well as the abomination that is slavery, including child labor and the early union movement. Does Kate live happily ever after? I hope so, in the short time she is given.

[NrsKelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book (set around the civil war) was not exactly what I was expecting. With a name that includes spy, I thought it would be a bit more thrilling. The book seemed to move slowly for the first half I would say.
The characters were well thought out and the author does a wonderful job telling us about them and their reasons.
I do normally love historical fiction books which are based on real life people. Unfortunately this one was just an okay sort of read for me.

I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Elizabeth McFarland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit slow and not quite what I was expecting. Set during the Civil War and featuring the nation's first female detective seemed like a great premise. It was an interesting piece of historical fiction but ultimately not as thrilling as I had hoped it would be.

The characters were well developed, and the plot had promise. Unfortunately, I had a hard time connecting to the story, and it ended up being just okay.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Rod Van Alyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5. Received The Widow Spy as a Goodreads Giveaway. Entertaining read but to me it needed more. The story is told from the perspective of Kate Warner the first female Pinkerton agent and her efforts to break the widow Rose Greenhow suspected of being a Confederate spy. I felt that there were missed opportunities to build up Kate’s character and expand on the details of each event to bring the reader deeper into the story.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 rounded up. I wanted to like it, but it really fell short. It could have been good, but there was no solid plot and it just felt like a long drawn out day. The first and second half of the book didn’t seem to connect, and there was a lot of history, which was supposed to be used as character development, but just wasn’t.

I’m bummed. The premise was fascinating. But the execution fell flat.

[Ryan Goldberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book! I do think it was a little slow in the beginning but once the story picked up I enjoyed it!

I liked the detail and the description of certain areas. It made me feel like I was in the 1800s with the characters!

[Aubrey Bass · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was far from being the worst novel, it just wasn't for me. I felt like I wasn't invested in the characters and never was eager to pick it up again. I did enjoy learning about the Pinkerton investigators though

[Emma Graffice · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started out very interesting but slowed down significantly at the end. The historical aspect of it was cool.

[Ann’s Book Chronicles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Location: Richmond, VA, USA 🇺🇸

Conclusion: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I enjoyed the cat and mouse play between the widow and Kate the detective. This part of the story took twists and turns and was often times unexpected. The part II of the book moved on from the widow plot to Kate’s further investigations and life. While I enjoyed that part as well, as I am interested in history, this portion of the book captured my attention less than the part 1. All in all, I think if you enjoy historical fiction paired with detective stories this book might be one for you, as the writing, in my view, was quite clever.

Characters:
- Kate: is the FMC and driver of the story. She is an interesting personality and I couldn’t always grasp her motives and reasons for acting like she did. She was unpredictable.
- The Widow: is really interesting in my view and the cat and mouse play she put on with Kate was great.

What I liked: The cat and mouse play that part of the book had it’s focus on.

What I disliked: in the latter half the story was more about further cases than about the interaction between the two.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review (AD-PRODUCT).

[Annie van Hilst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fictionalized story of the first female Pinkerton agent. Worth reading for the historical info. The fictional history did not appeal to me.

[Melissa Book (e)ND · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating story on a whole aspect of the Civil War that I had no idea about. While the this is definitely a fictional telling of Kate Warne’s story, it was really interesting to get a taste of that history. Thank you Megan Campisi for the story!


3.5 rounding up - The writing is lyrical and rhythmic- you can feel the playwriting background from the author, in a very good way.

Some storylines felt disconnected and forced in, but overall, the story enjoyable and was a fun read.

Thank you to the Goodreads giveaway for the book!

[MDNewbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This novel is based on Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective. The novel was less about being a spy and more about the love story between her and a black man who was also a Pinkerton detective. Besides the unconvincing love story, there was too much back story about her mother and her childhood. I kept thinking, "When is the focus going to be on the detective work?" Give it a pass.

[Angela Fabbri · Rating 3 out of 5]

La custode dei peccati era un libro originale e interessante, ma ho trovato questa Stanza dei segreti molto noioso. Scritto bene, ma senza mordente, tranne forse un po’ verso il finale. Avrei preferito evitare la storia d’amore e le lacrimevoli vicende di Mary Kate per una maggiore attenzione alla vicenda spionistica.

[Pamela Ghidossi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Libro noioso, rispetto al libro precedente (la custode dei peccati)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3.5

THis book was a mixed bag for me. I expect historical fiction to be a plausible story about the included historical characters, and I'm not sure this one met that standard. I am familiar with the protagonist, Kate Wane, who was the first female Pinkerton agent, from other (nonfiction) reading where she appeared as a central character in the foiling of a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln in Baltimore on his way to his Inauguration. Author Megan Campisi has invented a complicated background story for Wane (Irish birth, travel to the U.S. as a child indentured worker in the New England textile mills) that affects her motives and behaviors during the novel, I didn't find it entirely credible; other reading I've done suggests Warne was born in the U.S. Camppisi also posits a romantic relationship with another Pinkerton agent, a Black man, that doesn't ring true to Warne times and her station, though I don't rule it out entirely (and in the end it adds an interesting twist to the plot. The book reads like a meandering collection of remembrances layered on a fairly well-structured story in the the first 2/3 (a Pinkerton mission to arrest on potential Confederate spy named Rose Greenhow) then leaves that story hanging to discuss other missions seemingly unrelated. While Campisi pulls it together in the end, my reading experience felt muddled for a good bit of the book. There were frequent flashbacks to the fictional childhood experiences that sometimes contributed to my confusion. So while the story was interesting, I was bit frustrated as I read.

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“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.

[Joy T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Historical fiction story of the first female Pinkerton spy during the rebellion in the civil war. Mary Kate a Patty immigrant who has suffered numerous losses in her life finally making her way to the Pinkerton agency where she tries to lie her way into the agency. She is seen through but given a chance. Her assignment leaves her in the home of Rose and her young daughter. Rose is a Confederate sympathizer and is sending information secretly to upper leaders in the Confederacy. Rose has had loses herself including her husband and a daughter. But Rose is tough as nails. Throughout the assignment Mary Kate falls in love with Scoval, a man in the Pinkerton agency, a black man. Kate is trying to find the key to the messages Rose is relating and receiving but fails after she is suckered into believing Rose. In her anger she destroys Rose's deceased daughters room. Eventually two other Pinkerton spies are caught and give up names of another couple helping the rebellion. Rose is sent to prison, Kate advocates for her daughter to go with her so she isn't separated from her mother. This act of kindness ultimately helps the rebellion improve it's reputation that an earlier letter to the paper Rose sent tarnished the rebellion spies actions.

[Cyn_miad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will not ever tire of historical fiction with strong female characters breaking down the patriarchy. This main character novel is based on a real first EVER female detective in the 1800s. I don’t read many novels in the 1800s which included the civil war, so this was a fresh take for me. Kate’s background was equally intriguing and it showed the tribulations she went through her whole life, but managed to secure an unheard of career for women. She was such a fighter for her life, and doing what only men did during this time.

The novel uncovered many societal issues: racism, women seen as second class, discussions of slavery and politics.

This novel is worth picking up should the reader love strong kick butt female protagonists, 1800s historical fiction, and characters breaking down barriers that should not be there in the first place. This novel is perfect for women’s history month.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Cindy Burnett with the Thoughts From a Page podcast / Page Turners Patreon group for arranging ARC copies. Thank you to the publisher; the author; and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review.