The Actress Detective: Or, The Invisible Hand.

New York City, 1889. Hilda Serene grew up rough in the mining camps of the American West, and became an experienced actress on stage. But the life of a detective looked like a better use of her talents. Hilda is described by others as muscular and masculine, and she demonstrates great skill as a fighter with both fists and weapons. Miss Serene describes herself as, “an accident of birth,” and as a “Man-Woman.” She feels that she should have been born as a man, and although not particularly interested in love, she declares, “I have had friends, both men and women, whom I have liked, but, as a rule, I have fancied the women a great deal more than I have the men.” As compared to the story of Ann Lister, from five decades or more before the time of The Actress Detective and portrayed in the HBO series Gentleman Jack, Hilda is not concerned with running a large estate or in pursuing passion. She most wants the life of a detective and soon demonstrates her acumen for the job. The Actress Detective is the first of three stories about Hilda Serene. Don’t miss her second case, Tom of California, followed by The Silver Sharp!