Never Sleep follows two female detectives, Kate and Hattie, in the period leading up to the U.S. Civil War.

Based on true events, this fictional account of preventing President-elect Lincoln's pre-inaugural assassination is a page-turner that made me interested in researching the real-life Pinkerton National Detective Agency. I had never heard about this historical event until I read Never Sleep; as an avid reader, I appreciate novels that teach me things.

I was also delighted with the no-holds-barred, kickass attitude of the female protagonists. It was refreshing to read about women without a damsel-in-distress complex, especially in 1861, when women were rarely respected for their intellect.

Along with the thrilling aspect of the unknown outcome (for the characters - I think we all agree that Lincoln wasn't assassinated prior to being sworn in), Never Sleep also features a few action-filled brawls, which I found entertaining.

It seems likely that the author is planning on writing a follow-up novel, perhaps a detective series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Never Sleep and anticipate reading subsequent novels in the series.

Read this if you enjoy strong female characters, detective thrillers, historical settings, fiction based on true events, and action!

Kate Warn is the only female detective in the employ of Allan Pinkerton’s National Police Agency. She’s also one of Pinkerton’s best, which is why she is tasked with rooting out dissidents who are plotting to assassinate President-Elect Abraham Lincoln as he tours the country before his inauguration. But she’s also saddled with a new recruit – the second female detective in the agency, Hattie MacLaughlin. The two ladies find themselves embedded as spies in pro-secession Baltimore on the brink of war, one in high society, the other in the peripheral farming community.

The political climate in this version of Baltimore on the verge of war is terrifyingly similar to today’s highly polarized atmosphere, with wild rhetoric sweeping people up into hysteria, and I have no doubt that this similarity is intentional. Both Kate and Hattie are complex and interesting characters, and excellent foils for each other. The plot was a little slow to get started, but once it did the book was a fast-paced read. Overall it was excellent and I was very excited to see that it’s the first in a series.

CW: slavery and all the horrors that go along with it, including torture, murder, degradation, and biblical justification for white supremacy; sexual harassment and assault; gore

Description
A Civil War–era historical novel featuring female agents in the Pinkerton National Detective Agency who work to foil an assassination attempt on President Lincoln’s life.

The year is 1861, the eve of Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration. For Kate Warn, the first female private detective in American history, the only assignment tougher than exposing a conspiracy to assassinate the new president is training her new mentee, Hattie McLaughlin, in the art of detection. The two women’s mission to save the president takes them from the granges of rural Maryland to the heart of secessionist high society, and sets them on a collision course that could alter the course of history. When Kate’s cover is blown, Hattie must choose between saving her new friend, and her country. Based on a true story.
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My review
I love historical fiction that makes me research to find out what is true, what is embellished, and what is impossible. This book definitely did that for me as I did not know much about the Pinkerton Detectives.
The book kept my interest for the most part although it did get confusing in the last 1/4 as everything came to a head. There is a good bit of violence at the end, and it was pretty descriptive. Van Lente was certainly able to transport me to pre Civil War Baltimore.

Kate and Hattie were based on real women and this made them even more fascinating to me. Hattie being the character who changed and grew the most was interesting, although I assumed that would be the case. There will be more books about them according to the post script.

I’m landing on 3 stars as the book kept my interest but was a little difficult to follow. The focus was on the adventure and quest, as opposed to the characters. To be fair, part of the difficulty I had is because I was reading an ARC that was not fully edited or formatted. This was distracting.
Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for access to this ebook in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Never Sleep.

I'm aware Allan Pinkerton recruited women as female detectives including the one who protected President-Elect Lincoln before he took office, but I haven't read a book based on these unacknowledged women, which is why I was excited my request was approved.

I liked Kate Warn; she's exactly who I imagined would become the first female detective; courageous, smart, and isn't afraid to speak her mind.

Never Sleep is, in many ways, a timely book, since the narrative is when the United States was embroiled in growing civil unrest, not unlike our current political climate.

I admit it was difficult reading the Southerners' inflammatory rhetoric.

I won't lie. It's hurtful, demeaning, and painful, and only reminded me of the hate spewed at the January 6 riots (and has continued).

Kate and Hattie's narrative is fascinating, though fictionalized in some parts.

I did feel parts of the story dragged especially when Hattie was hanging around the Prophet; I was hoping for more scenes of Kate and President Lincoln but I'm biased since Lincoln is my favorite President.

I'd recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction based on a true story.

Good stuff. I wasn't entirely sure I'd like this, but it's well plotted and I enjoyed watching the characters do their thing, along with some nice twists. I look forward to this author's future work.

Thanks very much for the free ARC for review!!