Dive into the fascinating life of Allan Pinkerton, the Scotsman turned barrel-maker who founded the worlds first detective agency in the burgeoning city of Chicago. A true advocate for human rights, he was a close friend of John Brown and trusted advisor to Abraham Lincoln. He was a pioneer in hiring female detectives, a whole 80 years before its time. Known for his stubbornness and egotistical nature, he was described by the London Times as a man at once deeply admirable and quite obnoxious. In The Expressman and the Detective, his first endeavor at transforming his real-world experiences into a novel form, Pinkerton presents a captivating narrative that provides a glimpse into his extraordinary life. Unlike his later works, rumored to be ghostwritten, this novel is the authentic voice of Pinkerton himself.