The Expressman and the Detective


Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA

(4 stars; 44 reviews)

Allan Pinkerton (1819-1884), a Scotsman by birth and a barrel-maker by trade, settled in Chicago in its infancy and founded the Pinkertons, the world's first detective agency. Though events associated with the agency after his death have tarnished the name, Pinkerton himself was one of the original human rights advocates. He was a dear friend to John Brown, an advisor to Abraham Lincoln, and 80 years ahead of his time in hiring female detectives. He was also stubborn, irascible, and an egomaniac.
The Expressman and the Detective (1874) is Pinkerton's first attempt at putting his real-life experiences into novel form. Though many later works attributed to Pinkerton are understood to have been ghostwritten, this is the work of the man the London Times calls "a man at once deeply admirable and quite obnoxious." (Summary by Pete Williams) (7 hr 23 min)

Chapters

00 - Preface 2:25 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
01 - Chapter I 11:19 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
02 - Chapter II 12:24 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
03 - Chapter III 15:09 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
04 - Chapter IV 16:39 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
05 - Chapter V 10:57 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
06 - Chapter VI 14:16 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
07 - Chapter VII 12:13 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
08 - Chapter VIII 14:08 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
09 - Chapter IX 12:31 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
10 - Chapter X 13:02 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
11 - Chapter XI 12:16 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
12 - Chapter XII 11:45 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
13 - Chapter XIII 12:33 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
14 - Chapter XIV 15:23 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
15 - Chapter XV 16:41 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
16 - Chapter XVI 14:27 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
17 - Chapter XVII 14:34 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
18 - Chapter XVIII 22:57 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
19 - Chapter XIX 14:23 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
20 - Chapter XX 16:23 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
21 - Chapter XXI 20:58 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
22 - Chapter XXII 22:36 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
23 - Chapter XXIII 15:06 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
24 - Chapter XXIV 13:46 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
25 - Chapter XXV 15:16 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
26 - Chapter XXVI 16:59 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
27 - Chapter XXVII 14:43 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
28 - Chapter XXVIII 12:42 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
29 - Chapter XXIX 10:51 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA
30 - Chapter XXX 13:46 Read by Pete Williams, Pittsburgh, PA

Reviews

True crime and intrigue: Embezzlement


(5 stars)

I was always interested in the Pinkerton Detective Agency which still exists today under a different name. They have a mixed reputation. This case is from his files. The agency was founded by Scotsman Allan Pinkerton, an Abolitionist by the way. A glimpse at pre-Civil War culture. A little surprising. Some humor. The Narrator was great.

great


(5 stars)

I really enjoyed this. I didn't find it at all slow. it was a good explanation of a true crime event and how a team brought the person to justice. very well read.

The Expressman and the Detective


(4 stars)

bit long winded never the less a good story well narrated.


(4.5 stars)

The Chase Spy scenes in this book are extremely entertaining, well worth listening.


(4 stars)

Great reader...good suspenseful ending. Could have had more plot...but very enjoyable!