Hiding in Plain Sight

December 1, 2024
A detective foils a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. This expertly paced tale ratchets up the tension as readers learn that Lincoln's life was in danger as he set out by train to Washington, D.C., for his 1861 presidential inauguration. Anderson adeptly plays with dramatic irony: Readers likely already know that he ultimately made it. But how? Enter Kate Warne, "the first female detective in the United States," who uncovered a plot to kill Lincoln in Baltimore, his only stop in the South. Lincoln "wasn't welcome" here because of his opposition to slavery. Kate and Allan Pinkerton, head of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, needed to convince Lincoln the threat was real. After they initially failed, they concocted a ruse that involved disabling telegraph lines, donning costumes, and keeping Southern spies at bay. Kate, traveling incognito, secured a berth for her "sick brother." Lincoln boarded the train in disguise, and she kept watch until they arrived in Baltimore and his train car was rerouted. Having successfully safeguarded the president-elect, Kate disappeared into a Baltimore crowd, "hiding in plain sight" to await her next assignment. Organized chronologically, each spread opens like a scrapbook, with pictorial maps of Lincoln's train route and framed portraits of principal characters and events, all suffused in an ominous, dusky palette. Cleverly, Comport incorporates recurring images of timepieces, matching the sense of suspense layered into Anderson's text--time is indeed of the essence. A lively, luminous account of a lesser-known woman's ingenious contribution to presidential history. (afterword, bibliography, illustrator's note, archival photographs, picture credits)(Informational picture book. 7-10)

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Starred review from December 1, 2024
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* Kate Warne was the nation's first woman detective and a plucky and committed, chameleon-like undercover agent of the Pinkerton Detective Agency. By disguising herself as a Southern loyalist in Baltimore, Warne uncovered a rebel plot to kill Abraham Lincoln there in February 1861. After secreting messages among his allies in several cities, Warne snuck the president-elect to Washington under the cover of night to save him from the assassination attempt. Anderson (Lizzie Demands a Seat!, 2020) weaves questions through the text to heighten reader engagement in the events and employs a succinct sentence structure that palpably conveys the mission's urgency: "Railroad executives cleared the route. Telegraph officials disabled the lines. The train raced to Philadelphia at top speed." Comport, illustrator of Susan Hood's Ada's Violin (2016), immerses us in the drama with sepia-toned artwork that lends an aged feel to the framed pages. Meticulous illustrations employ the ""scrapbook house"" collage style of the era, highlights of which include superbly detailed garments and period furniture. The subtle inclusion of timepieces throughout amplifies the exigency of Warne's work. Extensive back matter includes source and illustrators' notes and elaborate on Warne's ability to hide in plain sight by camouflaging herself to investigative circumstances through wardrobe and words. An apt companion to Marissa Moss' books on Warne and Pinkerton, this is a lively choice for U.S. history or Women's History Month displays.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.