The Innocents by C.A. Asbrey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This isn’t the normal setting for my preferred historical mystery books as the book takes place in the U.S. in the late 1860s, but I couldn’t resist the premise of a female Pinkerton detective. Abigail McKay is one of the few female detectives working for the Pinkerton Agency as a result of a tragic backstory (the details of which are unclear). She is tasked with tracking down a notorious gang called the Innocents. Along the way, she encounters discrimination, murderers, prostitutes, and a whole host of interesting characters, not least of which are the gang members that constitute the Innocents. A romance is hinted at but is presumably left to subsequent books in the series.
I really liked Abi–the author depicts her as human and has her struggling with anger at not being taken seriously and struggling with grief and tragedy. The rest of the cast of characters are colorful and the historical detail rendered effortlessly.
I am definitely looking forward to reading the next one in the series, but I need to stop discovering new mystery series that are well-written and fun! 🙂



View all my reviews