Published 5th March 2026 by Aries.
From the cover of the book:
WELCOME TO THE GILDED AGE. WHERE NOT EVERYTHING GLITTERS.1890. The New Mexico Territory is a lawless frontier where criminals steal money and land alike with impunity. Everyone wears a six-gun and is ready and willing to draw it.
In the new city of Montaña Roja, Fred Harvey's growing empire is threatened by the robberies plaguing his newest Harvey House restaurant. To get justice, he needs a skilled detective to go undercover and procure answers to questions the law will not ask.
The assignment falls to Clare Wright, a young Pinkerton agent. Disguised as one of Harvey's famous hostesses, Clare travels west where she risks being exposed at every step of her investigation. To get answers - and to get out alive - there are only two things she can trust: her instincts, and her derringer.
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1890. The New Mexico Territory is opening up fast. The march of civilisation is not far behind, but for now lawlessness is the name of the frontier game. Entrepreneur Fred Harvey is making the most of the opportunities offered in the Wild West by extending his chain of Harvey House restaurants into New Mexico, but frequent train robberies are threatening his empire. He needs someone to go undercover in his newest restaurant in Montaña Roja to put a stop to the thefts - especially now the culprits have upped their game to include murder.
Young Pinkerton agent Clare Wright is the perfect person for the job. Disguised as one of Harvey's famous hostesses, a Harvey Girl, she heads west to investigate - armed with her notebook and trusty derringer...
I am partial to a mystery set in the good old Wild West, so I was instantly attracted to this exciting novel from Dana Stabenow - especially as it is set in the intriguing Gilded Age (a term taken from a novel by Mark Twain, who makes an entertaining appearance).
Unfurling largely from the perspective of ingenious, kick-ass detective Clare, the story begins with her wrapping-up an investigation in Bienville, Mississippi (via a fascinating prologue about her origins, which becomes relevant later in the story). A meeting with a perplexed Fred Harvey and Clare's Pinkerton employers then sends her out west to New Mexico, for an incognito job that will test her sleuthing skills and her mettle to the max.
Montaña Roja is a revelation for Clare. Awed by the scenery, shocked by the lack of competent law enforcement, and bemused by the shenanigans of the local business mogul and his cronies, she sets to work ferreting out those responsible for the daring railroad raids - even though she is exhausted by the amount of work expected of her as a Harvey Girl. With a little help from some strategically placed hired gun-types (famous faces amongst them), and the steadfast women in Montaña Roja, Clare's investigation produces surprising results that spark a highly enjoyable, fast-paced finale that channels the Wild West vibe to perfection.
Stabenow perfectly balances this gripping adventure on the knife-edge of a new territory teetering between lawlessness and civilisation. Boom town fever, and the spread of the railroad are opening up the west, and she does an excellent job of immersing you in all the contradictions of a town where killings happen openly in the streets, while robber barons build gaudy mansions funded by back-room deals, and ordinary citizens go about their lives. The plot blends western fun with a compelling crime story, and encompasses fascinating political, geographical and historical detail - much of which sent me down rabbit holes, especially about Fred Harvey and Harvey Girls, who I had not heard about before.
I galloped (pun intended) through Clare's atmospheric escapade, and cannot wait for the next instalment of the series!
The Harvey Girl is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.
Thank you to Aries for sending me a proof of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.
About the author:
Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised on a 75-foot fishing tender. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere and found it in writing. Her first book in the bestselling Kate Shugak series, A Cold Day for Murder, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.
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