Abigail Trench: A Novel of Washington's Spy Ring

by Randy Overbeck

A vivid, propulsive Revolutionary-era thriller with the spy-craft verve of the streaming hit TURИ: Washington's Spies and the electricity of 1776's New York that Hamilton lovers will recognize, this story is inspired by the lone female operative in Washington's spy ring.

In occupied New York, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into a weapon, threading between Redcoats and rebels as plots against Washington gather steam.

After rogue Redcoats assault her and strip her family's Long Island farm, Abigail Trench fights to survive in New York City—tutoring in a high-ranking British officer's Water Street household by day, navigating taverns, informants, and soldiers by night. Through Abigail's keen eyes—and a counter-narrative following a principled British major—the novel renders the moral gray zones of occupation with gritty intimacy. As rumors swirl of a strike at General Washington, Abigail's vantage inside upper-crust parlors and rough waterfront rooms makes her an ideal courier—and a target.

This historical thriller delivers high tension, textured world-building, and a captivating heroine who put it all on the line for freedom.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Thriller

384 pages, Paperback

Published June 9, 2026

About the author

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, bestselling author, popular podcaster and speaker in much demand. After serving children for almost four decades as teacher, college prof and school leader, he used those experiences and skills to craft captivating mysteries, thrillers and historical suspense. His novels have earned more than a dozen national awards including Thriller of the Year, Best Book Award, the Gold Award and Mystery of the Year and have garnered hundreds of five-star reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and BookBub.
His newest novel, ABIGAIL TRENCH, is a historical suspense about the Revolutionary War, released June, 2026 by Diversion Books and distributed by Simon and Schuster.
Dr. Overbeck is also the host of the popular podcast, Great Stories about Great Storytellers, which reveals the little known backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and ranks among the top 50% of all podcasts in the US. When he is not writing or podcasting, he is in much demand as a speaker, sharing informative and entertaining programs to more than 300 groups all over the country.

Reviews

[Sylvia Hayes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good research, moderately good writing. Still the best Agent 355 fiction I've read.

I'll start with the book's weaker points.

1. There were a lot of participle phrases, and many were used incorrectly, to describe one action happening after the other.

This is a participle phrase: "Sliding onto the bench beside her, Abigail tugged at the silk." (p.33)
This is an incorrect participle phrase: "Rising from the bed, he padded down the hall." (p.40).

"Sliding onto the bench" describes how Abigail tugged. "Rising from the bed" describes how he padded. But of course, that last one doesn't make sense. The author meant to describe what he did before he went down the hall.

This doesn't make the writing unintelligible; it just makes the reading a little clunkier. In fairness, I noticed this less and less as the book went on. Either they stopped showing up, or I got immersed in the story and stopped noticing.

2. Everything smelled terrible. The bread was hard and the alcohol tasted like urine. The author frequently employed words like dung, vomit, stench, rotting, flies, BO, feces, fetid, putrid, and blood.

I will make fun of myself for this complaint. The story was set in New York City, in a time when people did not use deodorant, refrigeration, or indoor plumbing. It also featured dying and killing, which is generally gruesome. It is extremely realistic for "everything to smell terrible."

But it was a downside for me anyway. I'm not compelled by things that smell terrible. I don't admire them. It adds realism, but it doesn't add excitement or interest. I love knowing what pieces of architecture look innovative, what food melts on the tongue, what outfits take peoples' breath away. I think that sprinkling in some extra comforts and loveliness would've really elevated the story, even without detracting from the horrors of war and the crude ways of living.

Now for the strengths:

1. The teaching. OH. MY. GOSH. I knew that Abigail Trench was a tutor, and I vaguely recalled that Dr. Overbeck himself was some type of professor. But when I read the actual tutoring scenes, they were so much fun that my jaw literally dropped.

Every single detail in these scenes was brimming with research, thought, and experience. We got to see and use the typical tools of the trade: the primers, the hornbooks, and we read excerpts from real lesson plans that were so perfect.

The kids from 1776 acted JUST LIKE STUDENT KIDS.

"I don't need to know this math," they protested. "I'm never going to use it." Meanwhile another student accepted an assignment without protest but resolutely drew a horse rather than working on it. It was everything. And Abigail herself had all the right responses. "Here, you've made some mistakes. See if you can find them yourself." YES!! That's such a good teacher move! That's what my mom always said!

2. The author did not villainize every redcoat and created sympathetic characters on both sides. I was really curious whether he would do this, and I was not disappointed. I think it added a lot of depth and interest to the story.

When you first learn about the American revolution as a kid, it's straight-cut and simple. The bad people oppressed the good ones, and the good threw them off. But the more you learn and mature, the more you realize there were nuances. What made people side with the British? Sure, it was a story about throwing off tyranny, but it was also a very sad story with a lot of neighbors killing neighbors.

Ultimately, Dr. Overbeck did villainize most of the redcoats, and the sympathetic ones doubted their loyalties. He put the focus on British atrocities alone. However, I still give him all the credit. It was two-sided enough. This was a story, after all, so you want the stakes to be high, and you want good to triumph. Plus, he was accurate with his depictions! What more can you ask for?

3. Please sir, may I have some more church history?🥺🥣

At the beginning of the book, there's a line where Abigail and her father attend an Anglican church over a Methodist one for safety, even though they attended a Methodist church in London. It caught me off guard, and at first I was critical. "Why would someone move to a very protestant-friendly nation with lots of different denominations and... avoid a Methodist church?" But then I realized, oh no wait, the author knows exactly what he's talking about, and the Anglican>Methodist choice is the whole point. The characters are purposefully trying to seem more like British natives and less like colonists.

I really loved this scene, and I loved how some religious dynamics were worked into the rest of the story. It was done knowledgeably, in a way that was interesting and drove the plot, rather than being preachy or mocking/reductive. Hats off to Dr. Overbeck, because that takes a lot of skill and background knowledge and had a great effect.

[Meryl Tobin · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read an ARC of ‘Abigail Trench’, I was expecting to read a spy thriller with danger, high suspense and riveting action.

What I got was a spy story but also a touching story about Abigail Trench, a young woman teacher in the days of the unrest between the British forces and General Washington’s rebels that culminated in the American War of Independence.

Set in this turbulent historical period in 1776-1779, the story unfolds against a well-researched historical backdrop, and readers are immediately immersed in the times. They identify with Abigail and follow her journey as she looks for work in New York and befriends people from various walks of life.

Originally, not a spy through choice, Abigail could have been any ordinary young working woman caught up in the spirit of the times and by circumstance.

Her experiences draw out and develop aspects of her character such as her intelligence, ethics, strength, courage in the face of danger, and resilience.

Anyone suspected of or involved in spying could face hanging, and Abigail, who watched a hanging when she first arrived in New York, knows what a spy would be in for if caught. Indeed, the first lines of the ‘Abigail Trench’ read: “Abigail Trench had never seen a man hanged before. Yet here she was.”

As Overbeck also introduces a British Major with a strong conscience who tries to influence less-principled officers, the historical narrative is presented from two points of view. This compels the reader to look at the historical period through the eyes of Redcoats, their loyalist followers and rebels. It is a suspenseful, entertaining and educational read which makes readers think about their own values and about war.

As a reader, I greatly enjoyed the book, but several things I wondered about – the intensity of women’s revenge on a rogue Redcoat and a respectable woman of the day taking the lead in romance and acceptance of the relationship that evolved. The Epilogue compounded this. At first, I thought maybe the author, though a male having the ability to put himself into the mind of a woman, missed out on several aspects. However, Nathan Hale and Robert Townsend, who played pivotal characters in the book, were real-life historical figures so the author might not wish to counter known facts about them. This might explain their relationships with a fictional character.

Overbeck skilfully creates loveable, relatable, principled and questionable characters and involves them in an intriguing plot interwoven with historical facts. He also presents a believable story that happened during the American War of Independence and that involved a fictional ordinary woman who mixed with real-life spies and became an extraordinary woman as an unlikely spy for Washington. At times Overbeck’s skilled writing is literary writing, as in his use of phrases such as 'fog-shrouded harbor' and passages such as 'Then, ahead of them, a vessel emerged slowly from the fog like some grotesque phantom brown-and-lack hulk materializing out of the gray mist.'

While reading ‘Abigail Trench’, I was absorbed in the historical world Overbeck had created.

I highly recommend it and rate it 5 out of 5.

Note: In the hope I would write an unbiased review, I was given a free ARC. This is my considered opinion of the book.

[READER VIEWS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good historical fiction becomes very good historical fiction when the author, in this case Randy Overbeck, finds a novel way to tell the story. In Abigail Trench: A Novel of Washington’s Spy Ring, Overbeck does so by placing a female character front and center—a bold protagonist who exemplifies the best of Enlightenment principles. In doing so, he makes it possible for his audience to see the American Revolution from a new perspective, one in which the role played by women does not suffer from the typical elision one sees in many literary genres. It’s also quite nice to see the importance of education stand out as a major metaphor early on.

Abigail comes of age on the eve of the American Revolution. She is a smart and determined young woman, working as a tutor and trying to build a modest life for herself in New York, where she meets and develops a relationship with the actual, historical Nathan Hale. They share a passion for reading and philosophy, especially Rousseau:

“You know Rousseau believes we should not put society’s restrictions on children too soon,” she said. “I’m trying that philosophy with the Hampton children.”
“Rousseau also believes nature makes us happy and good, and only society makes us wicked.”
“Nathan Hale, you know Jean-Jacques Rousseau?”

This is important, for Abigail’s role as a teacher is not a haphazard choice by the author. Education looms large as a central symbol, and it is connected to Enlightenment principles that will be essential not only in the coming Revolution, but in the nascent nation-building that will follow.

Violence and brutality loom large in the novel. First, it comes in the form of a certain Private Reeves, who is not only a dangerous and abusive lout, but also the cause of her family’s ruin. Abigail also witnesses several men being rounded up and publicly executed by the British. When it happens to Nathan, it is almost too much for her to bear: “Now Nathan was going to be hanged, and she was simply going to watch.”

There is more tragedy, including the death of her brother Oliver. But Abigail’s resolve does not waver, and, in fact, she becomes more committed to the Revolution after meeting and becoming intimate with Robert Townsend. Together, with the help of a resistance group known as the Culper Ring, she is able to gather information inside the Monteith home, where she tutors the family’s children. During a major turning point, both for her character and in the novel, Abigail manages to intercept information about the French fleet.

The war ends with the Treaty of Paris, and both Abigail and Robert are able to say goodbye to espionage and settle down to raise a family.

As I stated before, Abigail Trench: A Novel of Washington’s Spy Ring was a pleasure to read because of the unique focus on a female heroine, as well as the importance paid to education. By the end of the novel, Abigail has experienced a profound transformation. We see a somewhat wary, conventional young woman in circumstances she can’t control, who emerges as a resilient, courageous figure who has dealt with violence, loss, and moral ambiguity.

Even more importantly, Abigail never loses her humanity. It is particularly rewarding to see a female figure written this way without distortion or excess, and her contribution is neither overstated nor diminished, but simply acknowledged as essential to the larger story.

A very nicely crafted historical drama.

[Literary Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Trench is a historical spy novel that starts in the muck, noise, and cruelty of Revolutionary-era New York and never really lets you forget how precarious daily life is there. The opening makes that clear right away, with Abigail arriving in the city looking for work and instead finding herself in a crowd watching a public hanging. When Molly tells her, “Your first hangin’, huh? Ya get used to it,” the line works as both character detail and mission statement: this is a book about what people get forced to live with, and what it costs them to keep going.

What the author does well is build the novel from the ground up. Abigail isn’t introduced as a ready-made legend. She’s a teacher, recently uprooted, trying to earn a living, carrying trauma she can’t fully speak aloud, and learning the city through its taverns, dockyards, drawing rooms, and alleys. That gives the book a strong sense of texture. It feels interested in work, class, danger, and the small negotiations people make just to get through the day. The result is a story that treats espionage not as glamour, but as something stitched out of observation, nerve, timing, and need.

The novel is also a character-driven account of political awakening. Abigail’s path into the world of Nathan Hale, Robert Townsend, and the wider intelligence struggle grows naturally from who she is, rather than from plot machinery alone. One of the book’s strongest ideas is that the Revolution isn’t only being shaped by officers and generals. It’s also being shaped by tutors, servants, laborers, sex workers, hustlers, and merchants, all of whom move through spaces the powerful don’t fully control. When Nathan says, “Men and women need to decide if they are willing to knuckle under to the crown’s tyranny or . . . do something about it,” the novel’s real interest comes into focus. It’s not just telling a spy story. It’s telling a story about civic courage spreading through ordinary lives.

I also liked that the book keeps its emotional center close to Abigail even as the historical stakes widen. The friendships with Molly and Jamie give the story warmth and rough humor. The shifts from Nathan Hale to Robert Townsend add different shades of intimacy, grief, and trust. And the espionage plot works best when it grows out of those relationships, especially in scenes where Abigail has to listen, improvise, and hold her nerve while moving through British-controlled spaces. By the later sections, the novel has become a portrait of a woman learning how to make herself legible in one world and invisible in another.

Abigail Trench is an accessible, vivid piece of historical fiction that blends Revolutionary War intrigue with a personal story of survival and self-invention. What I liked most wasn’t just the spy-ring premise, though that’s a strong hook. It was the book’s sense that history is lived at street level by people who are frightened, resourceful, wounded, stubborn, and often underestimated. Abigail’s journey from displaced schoolteacher to someone capable of operating inside a dangerous political world gives the novel its pulse. It’s a story with grit, momentum, and real affection for the people history usually leaves at the edges.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

They needed a job. After arriving from England and making a new life on Long Island, Abigail Trench and her father were forced to move to New York City three years later. A Redcoat had entered their house and confiscated all of their animals so they were not able to keep their farm. What else he did to Abigail was something she couldn't think about, much less tell her father.
It was now July 1776 and the pair found lodging but their money was dwindling. Abigail was a teacher, and while her father found work on the docks, she went to the New York schools to obtain a position but no one was hiring. A sympathetic teacher was not able to employ her, but gave a suggestion-ask at the rich Wall Street homes if any families required a tutor.
There was unrest in the city. Colonists and Redcoats were sitting on a powderkeg after the Declaration of Independence was published. The Redcoats were outnumbered but many ships were gathering out in the harbor, all flying the Union Jack. Abigail witnessed a hanging, the first of many. The house of colonial sympathizers where she finally got a job was being vacated and luckily the Redcoat family leasing the house also had children and needed a tutor. Now she was working for the enemy.
She met Robert Townsend when blocks of the city were burning and they were able to work together to rescue some of the citizens. He owned a store and also wrote a column in a British publication. As the two became close, Robert dropped his hesitancy and revealed that he was an agent in the Culper Spy Ring, commissioned by General Washington to keep an eye on British war plans. Despondent over the violence and cruelty wreaked by the occupying army, Abigail begs to join the Ring too, and points out how well placed she is to aid the cause. Her employer, an Army major, has many guests in his house who discuss strategies and battles and she overhears their conversations while instructing the children. Townsend reluctantly agrees.
The true history of the Culper Ring is almost as unbelievable as this fictional story, and is just as exciting. Used as the basis of many novels, histories and the AMC series Turn, it is an amazing part of the Revolutionary War, especially in the New York and Long Island areas. Abigail Trench explores the identity of the agent "355" rumored to be a woman and Robert Townsend's common-law wife. The author seamlessly weaves the fictional character of Abigail into the scanty facts of what really happened and the results are fascinating. This is a book club must, especially as it is to be released a month before the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Like all well written historical novels, Abigail Trench will propel the reader to review historical and archival records in search of what was true and what was artistic license. Let the fireworks begin!

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schoolteacher Abigail Trench arrives in New York City looking for work. After witnessing her first hanging, she needs any job to not starve to death. She is hired to tutor in a high-ranking British officer’s home. It gives her ample opportunity to hear vital information of what the Redcoats are up to. She agrees to become the first and only female spy in Washington’s spy ring. Living a double life is fraught with danger and complications, but Abigail is perfect as a spy. Her insight and uncanny ability to become invisible, she is paramount to the cause. She is also in danger. As she tries to stay one step ahead of the British, she risks it all for freedom.

Abigail Trench: A Novel of Washington’s Spy Ring is a gripping historical thriller I couldn’t put down. One of the most fascinating people in the Revolutionary War is a female spy agent known as 355. Randy Overbeck has brought her to life with a fiction flair, perfect for readers who love historical fiction and historical thrillers. The author has crafted a novel that includes intrigue, suspense, deep POV, and historical accuracy. The descriptive narration is immersive, allowing the reader to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see everything the author is detailing. The world-building is flawless. The characters leap off the page. Abigail is a complex character and Randy Overbeck does an amazing job crafting her. I connected with Abigail immediately. It’s refreshing to see war and occupation through the eyes of a woman. America’s 250th is upon us and Abigail Trench: A Novel of Washington’s Spy Ring is the perfect opportunity to read up on the birth of a nation.

My Rating: 5++ stars

Reviewed by: Nancy

This review first appeared: https://substack.com/@nnlightsbookhea...

[Stanley McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read our full reviews on Rosepoint Publishing.

This book is very timely in that it focuses on the possible female spy in the historical Culper Ring as well as Robert Townsend, included here as one of the main support characters.

The protagonist is a young teacher from London seeking employment in New York. Serendipity had a hand in introducing her to a British officer’s family seeking a tutor for their two children.

Abigail has ample reason to dislike the British but manages to plaster on her “teacher’s smile” when around the major and his officers. It’s the perfect setup to overhear British plans for war and steps into the treacherous world of espionage as Agent 355.

I love the way Abigail faces the fear, forces herself to calm, then dissolves when it’s safe. This is not a role to be taken lightly and is fraught with danger, intrigue, and suspense.

Robert is heavy on spy craft instruction, and their closeness fosters a romance. That he might have had a lover who passed him major sources of information is neatly woven into the narrative.

Depiction of the cruelty and the terror of the people quietly builds throughout the novel, manifesting a quiet tension. I enjoyed the storyline and the recognizable events, familiar and historical facts, presenting a plausible explanation of Agent 355.

Many thanks to the author for providing us with the opportunity to read and review this book. Any opinion expressed here is our own. 4.5 stars rounded up.

[Terry Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this story fascinating, as I knew little about the American War of Independence - good, well-researched novels can add so much to your historical knowledge of the world. I hadn't realised this war went on for so long! At all times, the atmosphere was realistic, with many day to day and small details that were clearly well researched. The pace was just right, the plot well constructed.

Almost without exception, the British military activity was monstrous. I pictured the characters of all ranks with stained waistcoats stretched over portly stomachs, their noses red from drinking, their eyes dead and flat; they were horribly real! In contrast, Washington's men, and every ragged pick-pocketer on the side of the rebels, had hearts of gold and courage. But that wasn't a problem; I am sure many Reeves and Hollisters existed at the time, and I loved the character of Jamie (ragged pick-pocketer). I have read a bit about the prison ships where the British incarcerated rebel prisoners, and the author has not exaggerated a bit. The treatment of those poor men and boys was horrific.

I was slightly bothered by the English using American words and phrases (only a couple), and expressions too modern for the time, also the use of the word 'black' with a capital letter, whenever a servant was mentioned. I realise this is a mark of respect for black people and their servitude of those days, but it felt out of place in this novel.

All in all, this is a book well worth reading. Abigail is a fine heroine who you want to see have a happy ending, and ditto the Monteiths and Molly. Most of all, though, I loved the detail about Washington's spy ring.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Trench was a school teacher on Long Island until the redcoats took everything. Now, she and her father must work to survive, and she works for a british major as a teacher for his children. But as rumors of war arise, she finds herself in the midst of it all. Follow Abigail on her journey as she tries to navigate the brutality of the redcoats and the rising rebels.

I enjoyed reading this book more than I thought I would. As a girlie who loves reading all types of fiction, I found myself really drawn to this historical fiction and to Abigail and her story.
This book has multiple points of view, and the writing for them is pretty good. Randy Overbeck knows how to not only grab the reader’s attention but also emotionally connect them to the characters. Throughout the story, I went through a rollercoaster of emotions. I was crying with the characters, laughing with them, and if they were angry, I was angry too.
This was a book that was hard for me to put down because of how invested I was. I would honestly read it again and add it to my bookshelf.

I give this book a 9.5/10. I would recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction and a good thrill of mystery. For those who might not usually pick up a book like this, I still recommend giving it a try. You never know, you might end up liking it. I know I did.

[Mistress Of Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the novel Abigail Trench, Mr. Overbeck brings excitement, fear, and the determination of the thirteen colonies when they first attempted to throw off the shackles of a long-distance monarch. Abigail and her father are forced to flee from their home in the countryside of Long Island to New York city where seeking employment proves arduous.

On her way to a possible position, she accidentally ends up viewing a hanging. There she meets Molly and Jamie who help her learn how to keep away from the Redcoats who arrive almost daily from England. When the opportunity arises, Abby works with her friends and her new beau, Robert Townsend Jr., to turn the tide of war to victory for the Continental Army.

There are several scenes which brought tears to my eyes. The descriptions Mr. Overbeck used were heart-wrenching. I could see everything clearly, even the smoke from burning houses, the rats overflowing the prison ships, and the utter cruelty of the British soldiers. I applaud his talent for painting a scene where you can’t help but feel the desperation, terror, and hopelessness of the Rebels who were taken prisoner.

Such an excellent telling of a war and the people that sought, fought, and earned the freedom they desired. Thank you Mr. Overbeck for a wonderful reminder of how the United States of American began.

[Eric Jewett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strong female character does not have to be a warrior who never loses. Abigail gets knocked down again and again, but she gets up each time, with help from or for friends and strangers. As an English immigrant family, she, with her brother and father, could have made their way in the new colonies. The British army came to put down the malcontents and lit a fuse. We see how a relatively invisible person can effect change beyond her reach.

Some of the supporting characters were pulled from generic types but were still given enough meat to bring them to life: a young prostitute and her pickpocket boyfriend, a British soldier of horrible character and a British officer who brings his family to join him.

I don't have a strong enough history background to judge this work for authenticity but it "feels" realistic. People are people and good and bad in turn. The streets are coarse and unsanitary. Justice is swift, even if not just.

Overall, I really enjoyed the work and will be looking for other titles.

I read from an ARC ebook from the publisher Diversion Books and NetGalley so I am sure the oddities were straightened out on its way to press. I appreciate the opportunity to put out an early opinion.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author’s works. This was a very different one for him as far as what I’ve read before, but it was as well done as his other books. It is definitely well-researched and the world-building puts us right there - including the noxious smells of the era. I loved how he created the characters and made them human. Not all redcoats were bad and not all rebels were good patriots. The tensions of the time were realistic--sometimes a little too realistic. He puts us right there with the hangings, the torture, the fire in New York, and so much more. I loved Molly and Jamie and how they helped Abigail. The story and the tension all centered on Abigail and how she copes with everything that’s going on in her personal life as well as around her in the world--her relationships with Nathan Hale and Robert Townsend and what led her to do what she did.

This is a definite must-read for any historical novel lover, but also those who want to read something that’s a little different and has great characters and settings.

Recommended.

[Darlene Fredette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abigail Trench is a gripping historical novel that immerses readers in the tension and uncertainty of occupied New York. Randy Overbeck crafts a vivid, tightly woven narrative that follows a resilient schoolteacher forced into the shadows of espionage. By day, Abigail tutors within a British officer’s household, and by night, she navigates taverns, informants, and danger with a courage that steadily deepens. Overbeck balances the story with a compelling counter perspective from a principled British major, adding nuance to the moral complexities of war. While some depictions of violence and occupation may feel especially resonant given today’s global conflicts, the novel ultimately centers on strength, compassion, and the quiet heroism of an ordinary woman who chooses to act.

With its textured world building, escalating tension, and emotionally grounded heroine, Abigail Trench delivers a high intensity read that highlights both the brutality of war and the bravery found within it.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel creates an identity and life for the historic but anonymous agent 355 of George Washington’s Culper Spy Ring.
I will post my complete assessment after it has been published in the August 2026 Historical Novel Review.