On Tour with?Prism Book Tours.
The Outlaw’s SecretChristian Historical Romance
Paperback & ebook, 288 pages
February 7th 2017 by Love Inspired Historical
Lawman in Disguise
Getting taken hostage by a gang of train robbers wasn’t in dime novelist Essie Vanderfair’s plans, but interviewing these men could make her career soar. Especially since the gang includes legendary outlaw Tex Beckett, better known as the Texas Titan. Tex is famed for his protection of women and children, so she’ll be fine…right?
Keeping the gang in line was hard enough before a stubborn, beautiful writer interfered. Now Tex is scrambling to keep Essie safe, to gather evidence against the gang and most of all to hide his dangerous secrets. First, that he’s a detective working undercover. And second, that he’s not the Texas Titan at all, but Tex’s twin brother, Tate Beckett.
Undisguised: the Pinkerton National Detective Agency
Founded in 1850 by Allan Pinkerton, the Pinkerton National Detective Agency is still in existence more than a hundred and fifty years later. Pinkerton began his career in detective work somewhat by accident when he stumbled onto a group of counterfeiters on an island on the Fox River, near Chicago, while searching for lumber for his barrel making business. Three years later, he opened the agency’s first office in Chicago.
The term private eye, which is now synonymous with detectives, actually originated from the Pinkerton’s logo of an unblinking eye. The idea was that its operatives would not sleep until they “got their man”.
Like Tate in THE OUTLAW’S SECRET, Pinkerton detective agents have long been required to go undercover in order to apprehend bank and train robbers, weed out corrupt train employees or infiltrate unions for mine owners. One of the Pinkerton’s greatest detectives James McParland lived undercover for two and a half years among a number of Pennsylvania’s mining communities in the 1870s. Undercover work was always dangerous. Those whom the agent had come to know or befriend might learn of the operative’s real identity at any moment, which meant risking their life on a daily basis.
The Pinkerton Agency was among those determined to bring down Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch. And while they got close to those who were close to the robbers, supposedly none of them were able to fully integrate into the gang itself.
While operatives were required to abide by a code of ethics—including things like not accepting reward money and working with local law enforcement—Allen Pinkerton was a staunch believer in the end justifying the means. That meant that sometimes in order for an operative to track down a criminal, the detective might have to “become” a criminal in a sense—just as Tate does by posing as his outlaw twin brother in order do to bring down the Fletcher gang.
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– Ends February 18tha Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks so much for hosting The Outlaw’s Secret!
Thanks for the delightful and interesting synopsis.
So glad to hear you found it delightful and interesting, Debra! ??
It sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing it.
Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the post and the interesting info about The Pinkerton Agency and book.
Carol L
So glad you found the Pinkterton stuff interesting, Carol! I do too. ??
I have always loved stories re the Pinkertons. I had no idea where Private Eye came from. I always learn something new during these interviews.
If you like reading stuff about the Pinkertons, and you enjoy non-fiction, I’d recommend the book The Greatest Detective. It’s about the most famous of the Pinkerton detectives, James McParland. It was really fascinating read!
I got the title wrong on that Pinkerton nonfiction book – sorry about that. It’s actually called Pinkerton’s Great Detective by Beau Riffenburgh.
Thank you for sharing this book with us!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you get a chance to read it, Beth Ann.
Stacy is a new author to me and I’m looking forward to reading The Outlaw’s Secret.
Hope you enjoy it!
I love western historical books! On my TBR list!
Thanks, Sonja! I didn’t anticipate writing western historicals when I first started, but I do enjoy writing them. ??
This sounds like a book I will love! Thanks for the info on the Pinkerton detectives and agency. So interesting! I always enjoy stories about them.
I’ve become really fascinated with Pinkerton stuff too. ??
Sounds like a great read. I like the cover.
Thanks, Marcy! I love the cover too. The art team really captured the hero well.
Nice to see a book about a female in the cowboy world ??
LOL, I agree, Jan. And Essie can really hold her own there.
This sounds like a great book–I’ve read books using the Pinkerton detectives as characters before, and I’m eager to read this one!
Thanks, Kara! Hope you get a chance to read it.
Thank you for hosting this giveaway and for the wonderful reviews you do ??
Good luck in the giveaway, Jenn!
Oh this sounds so good! I love the romances with cowboys and history!
Thanks, Laura! I love cowboys and history too. ??
Ooooh. This sounds like a good one! ??
Thank you, Laura! It was a fun one to write.
This is a new author to me and I’m already interested. This post is really awesome.
It’s fascinating that The Pinkerton Agency is still around after all these years.
Sounds interesting! looking forward for this book.