The last, and most exciting, installment in the series, Steam! Romance and Rails.
The Pinkerton & the Outlaw
May 1874, Indian Territory
A female Pinkerton detective and an Irish-Cherokee outlaw form a temporary partnership to solve a mystery and get caught in a net of corruption, crime, and murder.
The Steam! series follows a trail of historical events surrounding the expansion of the railroad across the American West. For Lawless Hearts, I took inspiration from the history of the Pinkerton Agency and the country’s first female detective.
Brigit Stevens is modeled after the young female detectives employed by the Pinkerton Agency in the nineteenth century. These women defied cultural norms and broke down societal structures. In that sense, they were truly “lawless” in their pursuit of justice.
The outlaw who becomes Brigit’s unwilling partner is a complex, contradictory character. Jasper Byrne isn’t the devil described in the Wanted posters, but he doesn’t perceive himself as a hero either. In fact, he’s confused when Brigit treats him like one.
After spending half his life making the wrong decisions, Jasper takes Brigit up on her offer to join her on the right side of the law. Unfortunately, there are some who have the law on their side and are using it for nefarious purposes, and they have Brigit and Jasper in the crosshairs.
Can’t get enough Steam!? Check out the entire series:
Tom wins an international grand prize!
