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Table of Contents
About the Book
"With an eye for remarkable detail clearly anchored in deep historical research, master storyteller Randy Overbeck delivers a rousing, top-notch tale of courage amid our nation’s struggle for independence."
—William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award–winning Ordinary Grace
AN UNIDENTIFIED SPY. A CITY OCCUPIED. A REVOLUTION HANGING BY A THREAD.
In 1776, occupied New York is a powder keg of Redcoats, rebels, and back-alley intrigues. To survive, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into her most lethal weapon.
After rogue British soldiers assault her and strip her family’s Long Island farm, Abigail Trench flees to the perilous streets of New York City. By day, she tutors inside the Water Street household of a high-ranking British officer, taking notes in upper-crust parlors. By night, she navigates the city’s shadow world—threading past garrisons, taverns, and informants to move secret intelligence.
As whispers grow of a devastating strike against General Washington, Abigail’s unprecedented access makes her the ultimate courier—and the British military's primary target. Through Abigail’s keen eyes and the counter-perspective of a principled British officer, Abigail Trench pulls readers directly into the grit, danger, and moral gray zones of a nation being born at street level.
Inspired by the real-life mysteries surrounding "Agent 355"—the legendary, unidentified woman of Washington’s Culper Spy Ring—this high-intensity historical thriller delivers:
Rich Historical Detail: Immersive, authentic 1776 New York world-building for fans of TURN: Washington’s Spies and Hamilton.
A High-Stakes Espionage Plot: Dual-perspective tension, codes, cover identities, and high-risk courier missions.
A Resilient Heroine: A story of survival, self-invention, and the unsung heroes history left at the edges.
—William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award–winning Ordinary Grace
AN UNIDENTIFIED SPY. A CITY OCCUPIED. A REVOLUTION HANGING BY A THREAD.
In 1776, occupied New York is a powder keg of Redcoats, rebels, and back-alley intrigues. To survive, a schoolteacher with everything to lose turns information into her most lethal weapon.
After rogue British soldiers assault her and strip her family’s Long Island farm, Abigail Trench flees to the perilous streets of New York City. By day, she tutors inside the Water Street household of a high-ranking British officer, taking notes in upper-crust parlors. By night, she navigates the city’s shadow world—threading past garrisons, taverns, and informants to move secret intelligence.
As whispers grow of a devastating strike against General Washington, Abigail’s unprecedented access makes her the ultimate courier—and the British military's primary target. Through Abigail’s keen eyes and the counter-perspective of a principled British officer, Abigail Trench pulls readers directly into the grit, danger, and moral gray zones of a nation being born at street level.
Inspired by the real-life mysteries surrounding "Agent 355"—the legendary, unidentified woman of Washington’s Culper Spy Ring—this high-intensity historical thriller delivers:
Rich Historical Detail: Immersive, authentic 1776 New York world-building for fans of TURN: Washington’s Spies and Hamilton.
A High-Stakes Espionage Plot: Dual-perspective tension, codes, cover identities, and high-risk courier missions.
A Resilient Heroine: A story of survival, self-invention, and the unsung heroes history left at the edges.
About the Author
Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator and author, penning two popular amateur sleuth mystery series, the “Haunted Shores Mysteries” and “Lessons in Peril."
Product Details
- Publisher: Diversion Books (June 9, 2026)
- Length: 384 pages
- ISBN13: 9798895151648
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Raves and Reviews
Advance Praise for Abigail Trench:
“With an eye for remarkable detail clearly anchored in deep historical research, master storyteller Randy Overbeck delivers a rousing, top-notch tale of courage amid our nation’s struggle for independence. Overbeck offers readers an array of memorable characters who struggle to make their way in a young New York City beset with Redcoats, poverty, garbage, and a populace bitterly divided between rebels and loyalists.”
—William Kent Kreuger, New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author
“Overbeck has crafted an outstanding work of historical fiction in which he brings those dangerous and daring times of the Revolutionary War alive. The character of Abigail Trench is a model of courage and resilience not just for the Revolutionary era but for our times as well. Outstanding!”
—James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle WWII mysteries
“It is particularly rewarding to see a female character written this way without distortion or excess, and her contribution is neither overstated nor diminished, but simply acknowledged as essential to the larger story. A very nicely crafted historical drama.”
—Reader Views
“With its textured world building, escalating tension, and emotionally grounded heroine, Abigail Trench delivers a high intensity read that highlights both the brutality of war and the bravery found within it.”
—Still Moments Magazine
"Abigail Trench is an accessible, vivid piece of historical fiction that blends Revolutionary War intrigue with a personal story of survival and self-invention. It’s a story with grit, momentum, and real affection for the people history usually leaves at the edges."
—Literary Titan
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