An Untimely Frost

<p>In 1881 Chicago the idea of a female detective is virtually unheard of. But when famed crime buster Allan Pinkerton opens his agency's doors to a handful of women one intrepid actress with her own troubled past is driven to defy convention and take on a new and dangerous role. . .<br /><br />Since the age of eleven when her mother was murdered the life of the theater is all Lilly Long has known. Now twenty-two she has blossomed into an accomplished Shakespearean actress. But after her innocence--and her savings--are taken from her by a seductive scoundrel Lilly vows to leave the stage enter the real world and save others from a similar fate. Following in the footsteps of the country's first female detective Lilly persuades Allan Pinkerton to take her on. <br /><br />Lilly's acting skills are a perfect fit for her real-life role as a Pinkerton operative. But her first case is a baptism by fire as she is sent to the small town of Vandalia to solve the mystery of a pastor who disappeared with his family--and the church's funds. When Lilly arrives she finds the mere mention of the reverend's name provokes enmity or suspicious silence. Shadowed by a second Pinkerton agent with an agenda of his own Lilly begins to uncover Vandalia's sordid secrets. But she'll have to deliver the performance of a lifetime to survive the final act of this drama.</p>