The Spiritualists and the Detectives

"The Spiritualists and the Detectives" by Allan Pinkerton is a collection of detective stories written in the late 19th century. The book delves into the intersection of spiritualism and crime, highlighting cases that challenge the very fabric of society during a time when spiritualistic practices were gaining popularity. Central to the narrative is the character Lilly Nettleton, a complex young woman whose desires and actions set the stage for a tale filled with intrigue, deception, and moral dilemmas. At the start of the story, we are introduced to the idyllic setting of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where the Nettleton family leads a quiet life. The narrative swiftly turns when a young preacher, the Rev. Mr. Bland, arrives, igniting a whirlwind of emotions in Lilly. She becomes entangled in a dangerous liaison with him, spiraling into a world of ambition and betrayal. The opening chapters set the groundwork for Lilly’s transformation and the unfolding drama that ensues as Pinkerton, the main detective, investigates the implications of spiritualism in the darker dealings of society, unraveling the complexities of human nature and the underbelly of deceit amidst the allure of the spiritualist movement. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Allan Pinkerton was a Scottish-American cooper, abolitionist, detective, and spy, best known for creating the Pinkerton National Detective Agency in the United States and his claim to have foiled a plot in 1861 to assassinate president-elect Abraham Lincoln. During the Civil War, he provided the Union Army – specifically General George B. McClellan of the Army of the Potomac – with military intelligence, including extremely inaccurate enemy troop strength numbers. After the war, his agents played a significant role as strikebreakers – in particular during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877 – a role that Pinkerton men would continue to play after the death of their founder.