Blog Tour + Review + Giveaway – Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister

Title: Girl in Disguise

Author: Greer Macallister

Publication Date: March 22, 2017

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

ISBN: 9781492635222 

Summary: Inspired by the real story of investigator Kate Warne, this spirited novel follows the detective's rise during one of the nation's times of crisis, bringing to life a fiercely independent woman whose forgotten triumphs helped sway the fate of the country.

With no money and no husband, Kate Warne finds herself with few choices. The streets of 1856 Chicago offer a desperate widow mostly trouble and ruin―unless that widow has a knack for manipulation and an unusually quick mind. In a bold move that no other woman has tried, Kate convinces the legendary Allan Pinkerton to hire her as a detective.

Battling criminals and coworkers alike, Kate immerses herself in the dangerous life of an operative, winning the right to tackle some of the agency's toughest investigations. But is the woman she's becoming―capable of any and all lies, swapping identities like dresses―the true Kate? Or has the real disguise been the good girl she always thought she was?

Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Rating: 4/5 stars

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Girl in Disguise was a positive surprise for me. It exceeded my expectations, because I confess I thought it would be no more than a well-written, enjoyable but all-in-all average detective novel. That’s what I believed I’d get after having read Greer Macallister’s previous novel, The Magician’s Lie. I was mistaken. Greer Macallister did a very good job with her second novel.

There isn’t much data left for us that would give information about Kate Warne’s – the first female Pinkerton detective’s – activities and when I googled her name looking for pictures of her, I only found one or two photographs of a young man. The captions suggest the person on these pictures might be her, but I’m not convinced (was she that masculine? Well, who knows...).

Given the lack of information, Greer Macallister had an awful lot of freedom with this book, which she took advantage of and wrote something that can capture the attention of those who are interested in 19th century American history and also easily captivates the ones who like reading about female pioneers.

The first thing Kate Warne – our heroine – had to do after getting the job at the Pinkerton Detective Agency was to get herself accepted, that’s for sure. In the story most of the men don’t think it was a the greatest idea of Pinkerton to hire a woman and I have the feeling this wasn’t any different in reality.

Kate had to show she had skills that were needed for the job and she had to hammer some generalizations out of the male detectives’ head; for example, that women are too fragile or that they break down in every situation that generates emotions in them. The writer handled Kate’s early difficulties very well, these problems were interlaced with the earlier cases, through which Kate proved her professionalism to her peers.

The story isn’t told in one tight narrative; a period of Kate’s life is shown to us through the cases she dealt with. To tell the truth, for a while I didn’t believe it would build up to anything, but in the end I got a whole picture and I was satisfied.

The biggest cohesive chunk in the book was the Civil War part and that was the one I enjoyed the most (other than the parts with Lincoln in it. Did you know Kate Warne helped prevent an earlier assassination attempt against Lincoln? She practically smuggled the soon-to-be president from Baltimore to Washington D.C., so he could be inaugurated. Yeah, she was that cool).

During the Civil War the Pinkertons gathered intelligence and that was the most dangerous thing they ever had to do. Kate fought in her own way in the salons and dining rooms of suspected enemy spies, pretending, knowing if she got caught she would be in real trouble.

The romance that evolved between two agents in the story was unexpected, but welcomed from my part. A well-inserted and cleverly executed romance can never ruin a book.

There were only two things I wasn’t happy about. One was how Kate reacted when she found out that one of the detectives was gay. Could it really be that some adult people were that naïve and ignorant in that time they didn’t know gay people existed? Maybe, unfortunately I can imagine that. For her it seemed unnatural and she didn’t understand why the guy ‘did it’, which is a shame, but let’s attribute it to ignorance, shall we?

However, what I couldn’t tolerate for the life of me was when she decided to involve the same guy in a case in which he had to seduce a woman and she deliberately asked Pinkerton to send him. He was the best looking agent and therefore fit for the job, although I can’t help but think she wanted to ‘cure’ him somehow with this little affair and that was unsettling to say the least.

If I don’t count the character’s above mentioned flaw, I would say I liked Kate. However, for some reason with Macallister’s novels I always feel there is a transparent wall between me and her characters. I see them, I like what they do, I can even take a liking to their person, but I can never get close enough. If she writes another book, I’d like to see that wall shatter.

Overall, there was a lot of action, fascinating detective work, a good amount of travelling... it was a thrilling adventure from start to finish.

The Author’s note says this novel is a love story between a woman and her work and I couldn’t agree more. Kate Warne is a historical character that can inspire people, especially women and I’m glad I was introduced to her through this book.

Praise for Girl in Disguise

"The best book I read in 2016 hasn't been published yet. Historical fiction at its best... a rollocking tale." – Publishers Weekly

"Electrifying... a rollocking nineteenth-century thrill ride." – Amy Stewart, New York Times bestselling author of Girl Waits with Gun

"An exciting, well-crafted historical novel. Loaded with suspense and action, this a well-told, superb story." – Publishers Weekly, STARRED Review

"You're going to devour GIRL IN DISGUISE." – Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue

"A celebration of a singual woman's life that's guided by facts but features some inviting imaginings". – Kirkus

"Macallister's story is a rip-roaring, fast-paced treat to read, with compelling characters, twisted villains, and mounds of historical details adeptly woven into the tale of a courageous woman who loves her job more than anything or anyone else." - Booklist

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kWSZD8

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2kZhRXu

Target: http://bit.ly/2k0LE1j

Books a Million: http://bit.ly/2kxpkzn

Indiebound: http://bit.ly/2kxs001

About the Author:

Raised in the Midwest, Greer Macallister is a poet, short story writer, playwright and novelist whose work has appeared in publications such as The North American Review, The Missouri Review, and The Messenger. Her plays have been performed at American University, where she earned her MFA in Creative Writing. She lives with her family in Brooklyn. 

Social Media Links:

Twitter: http://bit.ly/2lbRLUH

Facebook: http://bit.ly/2kFpk0y

Rafflecopter Giveaway Link for 3 Copies of Girl in Disguise + The Magician’s Lie.   Runs March 1-31 (US & Canada only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Showtime – NBC Timeless

It's time to dive into the sea of TV shows. 

 From time to time I'll write about shows I like in the hope you'll fall in love with them as well, so I'll have people I can discuss them with... Basically you're invited to co-fangirl with me, if you're up to such a thing :)

If you already know the show, please, don't be shy, comment away, and if you don't, give it a try (if you like the premise) and come back to tell me what you think of it.

I'll always give book recommendations as well, after introducing the TV show, featuring books I think those who liked the show should pick up.

Ready? Steady? Showtime!!!

Today the spotlight is on:

I know that there are countless TV shows out there about time travelling but for some reason I really warmed up to this one. Timeless is an NBC show, the first season is already out and at the moment all the fans are waiting for NBC's decision about renewal.

I haven't finished season one yet, I'm on episode 12, but I'm already in love with it.

Trailer for the first episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSYZJGAGvww

IMDB's description about the show:

'An unlikely trio travel through time in order to battle unknown criminals and protect history as we know it.'

How I would introduce it:

Someone invented a time machine at last, hoo-haaa. Too bad that a mysterious criminal nicks it right away, duh. But they still have an earlier, less shiny prototipe that works just as well (luckily!). All is not lost. And of course the government quickly involves some competent people who are ready to follow the stolen vessel and the bad guy. Thus the chase begins through time to save history and the world as it is.


Meet the 'unlikely trio'!

Lucy Preston played by Abigail Spencer

Lucy is an adorable history professor who gets chosen for the mission because of her expertise. She knows A LOT about American history and her knowledge guides the team in every historical era.

I like her wit, that she always comes up with an idea when it is needed. Time travelling is challenging for her, because she tries to hold on to history as she knows it, but very soon she realises that reading about things is not the same as living them and Flynn's meddling cannot always be stopped either, so she has to try to adapt to the new circumstances eventually.

Favourite Lucy episode: The World's Columbian Exposition


Rufus Caril played by Malcolm Barrett 

Rufus pilots the 'Lifeboat' (their time machine) and his practical skills pull the others out of many tight situations. He has it the worst on most of the adventures, since the colour of his skin makes him a targeted person in most eras.

His character developement is very sweet; Rufus is extremely shy in the beginning and thinks little of himself, but the missions bring the best out in him and he becomes more and more confident as they go.

Favourite Rufus episode: Stranded


Wyatt Logan played by Matt Lanter

The soldier guy, the handsome one. He is pretty cheeky and soon you'll ship him with Lucy (believe me...).

He has lost someone who was very close to him and he's trying to come to terms with his loss.

Hotheadedness, thy name is Wyatt.

Favourite Wyatt episode: The Alamo

And let's not forget the dangerous time bandit the're set against:

Garcia Flynn played by Goran Višnjić

The one with the 'Desperate times call for desperate measures' philosophy. I won't lie, I have a soft spot for Flynn. Yes, he is a murderer, he disrupts history, tries to change things, but when you learn why he does what he does and whose activites he tries to sabotage, suddenly everything becomes a lot more complicated. He fights for a noble cause for personal (selfish?) reasons and he doesn't let anyone get in his way.

And uhmm, he is also obsessed with Lucy.

Favourite Flynn episode: The Capture of Benedict Arnold

Why do I love the show?

• I learn a lot about American history while I watch it. I studied US history at uni, but this show goes into details that interest me and I always enjoy learning new things. They travel to a different time period in every episode and they always run into some famous people they gush over (like I would :)


• It is funny. The character interactions make me smile very often (e.g.: Wyatt keeps calling Lucy ma'am, even though he knows she hates it) and there are hilarious misunderstandings sometimes when they – especially Rufus and Wyatt – talk to people from the past.

Example: 

 

Arnold: Let's stop here. The horses need water, and I could use a thunder mug.

Rufus: That sounds good! What do you drink from a thunder mug?

Arnold: You urinate in it. 

• A show cannot win me over if it doesn't have lovable characters, not even if the story is good. I adore the team and hell, even the baddie earned my support. Go figure!

That's it about the introduction. For history buffs it's a must, and for everyone who enjoys entertaining telly. Have you already watched the show? Please let me know, so we can talk about it. If not, are you interested in it?

Click on 'Read more' to see my time travelling book recommendations!

Goodreads Monday #2

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

I decided I will always link Goodreads Mondays with my current read, so I will never have to choose a book from my TBR randomly (that's just too... random for me, I guess).

Right now I'm reading Girl in Disguise by Greer Macallister and since it touches upon the Civil War that eventually ended slavery in America, it brought a book to my mind that is set just before the war and features a heroine who becomes an abolitionist.

Meet today's can't-wait-to-read:

Candle in the Darkness
(Refiner's Fire #1)
by Lynn Austin

Synopsis:

The daughter of a wealthy slave-holding family from Richmond, Virginia, Caroline Fletcher is raised in a culture that believes slavery is God-ordained and biblically acceptable. But upon awakening to the cruelty and injustice it encompasses, Caroline's eyes are opened for the first time to the men and women who have cared tirelessly for her. Her journey of maturity and faith will draw her into the abolitionist movement, where she is confronted with the risks and sacrifices her beliefs entail.

Have you read any books from this period? Are you planning to?
Don't forget to leave your GM links down below! :)

Stacking the Shelves #5

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that makes it possible to share with other bookworms what books you added to your shelves – physical or virtual – during the week.

I became the happy owner of two e-books this week:

Title: Girl in Disguise

Author: Greer Macallister

Source: NetGalley

Synopsis:

 

For the first female Pinkerton detective, respect is hard to come by. Danger, however, is not.

In the tumultuous years of the Civil War, the streets of Chicago offer a woman mostly danger and ruin-unless that woman is Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective and a desperate widow with a knack for manipulation.

Descending into undercover operations, Kate is able to infiltrate the seedy side of the city in ways her fellow detectives can't. She's a seductress, an exotic foreign medium, or a rich train passenger, all depending on the day and the robber, thief, or murderer she's been assigned to nab.

Inspired by the real story of Kate Warne, this spirited novel follows the detective's rise during one of the nation's greatest times of crisis, bringing to life a fiercely independent woman whose forgotten triumphs helped sway the fate of the country.

My prayers were answered and the publisher sent me the book at last... I was waiting for it eagerly as you know. Look out for my review on March 25!

Title: Witch's Sacrifice

 

Author: Crissy Moss

Source: NetGalley

Synopsis: Her forbidden secret will make her powerful… and hunted. In Marizza's world, magic is evil. Since her youth, her mother told her witches were wicked creatures who deserved imprisonment. The tyrannical acolytes sacrificed all users of magic to the almighty kraken. It was the life she knew, until one fateful day changed everything.

When young Marizza is attacked by the town bully, she defends herself with magical abilities she didn't even know she had. After the acolytes come looking for the next witch to sacrifice, Marizza is left with no choice but to flee. She must journey across the Sea of Tears, where she'll make a choice that could transform the lives of everyone she loves.

Witch's Sacrifice is the first book in the Witch's Trilogy, a young adult dark fantasy series featuring intricate world-building, memorable characters, chilling horror, and captivating romance.

 

 RELEASE THE KRAKEN! Witches and waterworld sounds like a good combination to me. Although with this book I'll break my resolution that I won't start another series until I finish at least one that I have already started. Well, apparently I suck at keeping resolutions, maybe I shouldn't make them in the first place, haha :)

Review – The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall

Title: The Lady and the Highlander
      
Author: Lecia Cornwall

Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis: Laire MacLeod’s father has married a mysterious widow who is a vain beauty that deals with potions and spells. Laire does not drink them with the rest of her family and is the only one who could see through her stepmother’s games. When Laire flees to find help from her Uncle the Lady’s huntsman follows her with orders to kill. Laire must survive in a dangerous new city and find the antidote to a poisonous potion before it is too late.

Iain Lindsay is cursed. He is bound for seven years to be the hunter of a Lady who uses him to bring back birds to use in her potions. When Laire MacLeod escapes the Lady’s nets, Iain tracks her to Edinburgh, where she’s found shelter with an unusual band of thieves, but he cannot bring himself to harm her. Instead, he finds himself falling in love with the MacLeod beauty.

But a Highlander’s oath is his bond, and the price for helping her is death, both his own, and of those he loves.

I received a free ebook copy of this book from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:

The Lady and the Highlander is a clever Snow White retelling with a Scottish twist that lends new charm to the well-known tale.

I’m not very keen on fairy tales in general, but the change of the setting really made a difference in this case. Part of the story takes place in Edinburgh, Laire runs that far from home to escape the Sealgair – aka the huntsman – and she goes through all kinds of adventure in the city while she tries to save her family from afar. Compared to the original fairy tale there is a variety of settings here, not only the forest and that’s an improvement, I think.

The book keeps the eerily dark undertone of the Grimm tale – who wants a cup of fresh bird blood? :) – and at the same time adds a romance that is much better developed than ‘the Prince sees the girl, they kiss and decide to marry’ script. I mean, in the first half of the novel Iain, the Sealgair, is out on a mission to kill Laire. From this alone you can see that their romance is a tiny bit problematic and that’s what makes it interesting.

They have the spark from the beginning, but there are reasons why Iain can’t just give up his task easily. I loved how it all started with desire and then Iain slowly began to feel protective of Laire. The fine mix of want and worry made the romance very real to me.

As you read Lecia Cronwell’s words you can sometimes forget you’re reading a fairy tale retelling, because it is a tale that can stand on its own with its many details and lovely characters. When you remember for a moment that it is a retelling after all, you can be surprised by the parallels. At least that’s what happened to me.

I think it dawned on me a little late that Laire’s new friends in the city are the dwarfs to Laire’s Snow White, but when it did, it made so much sense! It was a great idea to include The Clan of Thieves in the story. Little, innocent Wee Kipper was my favourite, I guess he was Dopey’s alter ego and he was a sweet one.

The Queen was scary enough with her bird and blood mania and she also had a crush on Iain, which made me uncomfortable. Iain had quite a lot of secrets only the Queen knew about. That made it difficult for him to break loose and follow his heart and I sympathized with him.

As you see, I enjoyed The Lady and the Highlander very much. Why didn’t I mark it a 5-star read then? I have two reasons:

Unfortunately some of the erotic parts didn’t live up to my expectations. I haven’t read many books in the genre, but I think it is a common thing that sometimes the foreplay goes out the window. I’m not happy for that, ‘couse foreplay is important y’all.

Another thing that bothered me a bit was that the writer used the word ‘sex’ to refer to sexual intercourse. It was stated in the Author’s Note that the story was set in 1809. Now, I made a quick research on the internet about the etymology of the word sex and I found that it didn’t take on the meaning ‘sexual intercourse’ until D. H. Lawrence started using it with that meaning in his novels. It felt out of place to me, that’s why I had to check.

Reading the Author’s Note it is obvious that Lecia Cornwall had made her research before she wrote her book and I’m not writing all this down to contradict her, my point is that I would have preferred to see synonyms of ‘sex’ that fit the time period better (love-making, carnal pleasures etc…)

Despite these two tiny bumps on the road, I loved the experience pretty much and I would recommend The Lady and the Highlander to everyone who loves fairy tales or Scottish tales. This story is truly worth your time.

Goodreads | Amazon

WWW Wednesday #3

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words. 

WWW stands for three questions: 

1. What are you currently reading?

To Kill a Mockingbird

by Harper Lee

Synopsis:

Atticus Finch gives this advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of this classic novel - a black man charged with attacking a white girl. Through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Lee explores the issues of race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s with compassion and humour. She also creates one of the great heroes of literature in their father, whose lone struggle for justice pricks the conscience of a town steeped in prejudice and hypocrisy.

This is a re-read for me. After doing The Zombie Apocalypse Book Tag (where I got Atticus as the team medic) I felt like rewatching the movie and once I did, the book called for me again from my shelf. It's high time for me to review it anyway, since I didn't write anything about it the first time around.

2. What did you recently finish reading?

   
The Lady and the Highlander

by Lecia Cornwall

Synopsis:

Laire MacLeod’s father has married a mysterious widow who is a vain beauty that deals with potions and spells. Laire does not drink them with the rest of her family and is the only one who could see through her stepmother’s games. When Laire flees to find help from her Uncle the Lady’s huntsman follows her with orders to kill. Laire must survive in a dangerous new city and find the antidote to a poisonous potion before it is too late.

Iain Lindsay is cursed. He is bound for seven years to be the hunter of a Lady who uses him to bring back birds to use in her potions. When Laire MacLeod escapes the Lady’s nets, Iain tracks her to Edinburgh, where she’s found shelter with an unusual band of thieves, but he cannot bring himself to harm her. Instead, he finds himself falling in love with the MacLeod beauty.
But a Highlander’s oath is his bond, and the price for helping her is death, both his own, and of those he loves.

And I loved it! But hey, guys, the cover is soooo misleading. I mean... why would you put a girl in a red cloak on the front of a Snow White retelling?? The cover shouts Little Red Riding Hood when the story is actually Snow White. Weird.

Look out for the review, it'll be up soon!
 

3. What do you think you'll read next?

Okay. So. As you know, I wanted to read Girl in Disguise next, but for some reason they don't send me the e-copy, even though I'm supposed to review the book by March 25. I already sent them two polite e-mails, but I don't get a reply. They are either not going to send it to me or they are going to send it in the last minute and that's not good news, since I'm not a very fast reader... Oh, well. 

Since Girl in Disguise is not an option now, I'll show you what I planned to read after that:

 

Bohermore

by Jennifer Rose McMahon

Synopsis:

'When your dreams become reality, being cursed can be a real nightmare.'

Like a punch in the face, eighteen-year-old Maeve O'Malley's visions knock her off her path. The Pirate Queen stalking Maeve in her dreams, killed her mother years ago, and now is coming for her.

Maeve's decision to ditch Boston College takes everyone by surprise as she packs her bags, leaves Boston, and heads to the west coast of Ireland to chase her dreams – and end them.

Maeve uncovers an ancient family curse that refuses to remain silent until she accepts her predestined role in what many thought was only legend. Her Irish history professor – a man she shouldn't be falling for – is the only person who understands the origin of the tormenting events.

Maeve's journey becomes a medieval treasure hunt through Ireland's castles and ruins as she tracks the wrathful Pirate Queen who has her marked for vengeance...

 

You know comments are very welcome and don't forget to leave a link to your WWW post either! :)

 

Happy reading! 

Goodreads Monday #1

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren @ Lauren’s Page Turners. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off! Don’t forget to link back to Lauren’s Page Turners and link up to the inlinkz so others can see what you picked!

There are 309 books on my Goodreads TBR. Oops. The thing is, I can't stop adding new titles, I think you fellow bookworms understand this urge...

Anyway, I have a wide range of books to choose from, but today this post will feature a retelling, because I was reading a fairy tale retelling in the second half of last week (The Lady and the Highlander by Lecia Cornwall) and I think it's a good idea to keep this theme going today.

I picked the following book because I'm extremely fond of Shakespeare and I have already read one Shakespeare retelling from this author that I loved dearly (read my review of Ophelia by Lisa Klein here).

So on to the book:

Lady Macbeth's Daughter

Lisa M. Klein

Synopsis:

Albia has grown up with no knowledge of her mother of her father, the powerful Macbeth. Instead she knows the dark lure of the Wychelm Wood and the moors, where she's been raised by three strange sisters. It's only when the ambitious Macbeth seeks out the sisters to foretell his fate that Albia's life becomes tangled with the man who leaves nothing but bloodshed in his wake. She even falls in love with Fleance, Macbeth's rival for the throne. Yet when Albia learns that she has the second sight, she must decide whether to ignore the terrible future she foresees—or to change it. Will she be able to save the man she loves from her murderous father? And can she forgive her parents their wrongs, or must she destroy them to save Scotland from tyranny?

Recently I had a few 'encounters' with Macbeth the play and the story; I was lucky enough to see a midnight performance of it in Shakespeare's Globe and I also saw the movie with Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, which I enjoyed a lot too. I can't wait to put my hands on this book!

Do you like retellings? Which one is your favourite?