I will fully admit that I do not usually like biographies; I find them very dry and I can't keep up with all of the facts that they throw in my face. But this book is an exception to that rule. I picked it up for the sole reason of it being about true crime, a subject that I love, and stayed with it for the writing, people, and story. Albeit the serious fact-dropping at times and loads of people involved, James McParland was a fascinating individual and thus makes a wonderful subject for a biography. The author clearly loves McParland's story and has set his heart and soul into describing every little detail of his life, though that does make it somewhat tedious at times. But otherwise, it was either action-packed or jaw-dropping, depending on the moment. ( )

The writing here was so dry, and so over the top with details, it was a real killer. Too bad.

**Review written for an originally posted on my blog, Book Bliss. I received a copy of this book for an unbiased and advanced review**

Review (research): 5 stars

Review (readability) : 3 stars

General: It takes a lot to get my attention to read a biography. However, anything detective, murder or outlaw of the west related tends to get my attention. Why do I hesitate to read biographies? I personally feel they’re hard to review, if you are un interested in the subject at hand. The review of such books ultimately must come down to the writing style itself, as well as the facts obtained. Therefore I will be leaving two sets of stars for the review.

First it is crucial to point out that Riffenburgh does not hesitate to point out that some things had to be “recreated” and may no be 100% accurate. I think that was the smartest thing an author could do, just in case facts be learned after a book is published. I think he was an extremely diligent researcher. He did a wonderful job placing the facts and recreating the cases and the reasons and much of the interested history of the man known as James McParland.

However, for me personally the book moved very slowly. I felt it was structured properly but was lacking something that pushed me to read quickly or even consistently. I found myself reading a chapter or 2 at a time and then picking up something and then coming back to it. I am unsure if anything could be done to have fixed this for me as I was excited for the subject matter, but sometimes the life of someone is just not as interesting on paper as it sounds. My review because of this is slightly off kilter, as I am inclined to think there may have been a more appropriate lay out, or even storytelling, that could have made it a more engaging read.

Before we had an FBI, the United States had the Pinkerton's Detective Agency, a private security agency that worked on behalf of members of the government (providing private security for President Abraham Lincoln), of various law enforcement efforts (particularly in hunting outlaws in the Wild West), and as union busters by various industries (particularly mining and railroad concerns. In my head, Pinkerton's detectives are synonymous with defeating outlaws and bashing the heads of workers trying to get better safety regulations and pay from their corporate overlords.

Pinkerton's Great Detective tells the story of James McParland - the agencies most famous operative. This is a man who went undercover to infiltrate the Molly Maguires, met Sherlock Holmes in The Valley of Fear, and foiled an attempt to assassinate Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg. He was a ruthless, tireless, inventive man whose constant presence on behalf of business' attempting to destroy the rights of their workers also makes him very unsympathetic to me, despite my admiration of his sheer courage. He was an interesting man in an interesting time and Mr. Riffenburgh places him firmly within the context of the laws and mores of his time.

This book is very detailed and provides a great deal of information about people and events surrounding McParland, especially important for fleshing out a story where facts are very thin on the ground. The pacing of this book is a bit slow, best devoured in chunks between other lighter reading, but it's an interesting story and, while it doesn't redeem McParland for me it did teach me lots of things about his time that I didn't know. ( )

Some of the great parts of the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid come when Paul Newman turns to Robert Redford and asks, "Who are those guys?"

That question eventually led Beau Riffenburgh to this biography of Pinkerton agent James McParland, who tracked the Hole in the Wall Gang and went undercover in tough mining towns across the country. A poor Irish immigrant who raised himself from nothing and lived by his wits for years, McParland drew both praise and scorn during his lifetime as an undercover agent who infiltrated the Molly Maguires in an era of deadly Pennsylvania coal mine violence before heading out west.

Riffenburgh is a conscience researcher and writer who uncovers the records of McParland's actions and writings. This is essential in a biography such as this, as one's view of the subject may well depend on one's political viewpoint. Was McParland a turncoat to his people or someone who served justice?

Well, it depends a great deal on one's point of view. Riffenburgh does a great job of placing McParland within his own times. Those were far different from today's in that criminal cases were brought by those who could afford to prosecute. But there also are parallels to today with company owners who want to pay workers the least amount possible, have them indebted to the company store and still be able to fire them at will.

For McParland to drop into such a situation, and possibly with the ultimate goal of making sure he followed the tenents of his church, Riffenburgh makes it easy to see that his subject's role was not easy. The author also uses the array of historical record available to not sway the reader, but instead to place the reader squarely within the context of what can be shown of those turbulent times.

The author also does a thorough job of describing the times in which McParland operated from more than one viewpoint. Mine owners and workers who were either indebted to the company store or faced being fired did not view the world in the same way, and Riffenburgh does well to describe both viewpoints. The even-handed approach may not change anyone's mind, but it does bring into focus what the stakes were for everyone involved, including McParland.

For anyone who wondered the same thing that Paul Newman did in that classic film, and for those wonder about those times, Pinkerton's Great Detective is an excellent way to find some answers. ( )