Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sequel hits stride in weird, appealing Wild West tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Days after the events of The Case of the Deadly Desperados, 12-year-old newly minted detective P.K. Pinkerton gets his first client: Martha, a 10-year-old who may be a runaway slave but who wants him to solve the murder of her late mistress, the "soiled dove" (prostitute) Short Sally, before the murderer comes after Martha. P.K.'s soon on the case, sorting through possible suspects and interviewing colorful local characters, all the while dodging outlaws, boys and girls with kissing on their minds, and the local matron, who thinks he should be in school.
Is It Any Good?
The book's protagonist and his narrative voice are true originals that will appeal to kids and adults alike. " 'I am not in the Kissing Business,' I said. 'I am in the Detective Business. Do you have a Mystery for me to solve?' " Less lurid than Deadly Desperados, P.K. PINKERTON AND THE PETRIFIED MAN still includes, along with a wealth of vocabulary and historical detail, questionable characters and adult issues from prostitution to slavery. Drunkenness and multiple murders also figure in the tale, so parents might want to read this first to see if it's for their kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Civil War and how it affects life on the other side of the country. Do you know other stories about characters who fled West to avoid the conflict? What happened to them?
Books, movies, and TV shows set in the Wild West used to be more common than they are now. Yet the P.K. Pinkerton series is quite popular. What's fun about stories of kids in the 1800s? What's the appeal of historical fiction?
What do you know about minstrel shows, such as the one in this story? Why do you think they fell out of favor?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Adventures , Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Putnam Juvenile
- Publication date : April 18, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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