The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan

Bailey, Patricia. The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan
April 25th 2017 by Albert Whitman
E ARC from Netgalley.com

In 1905, Kit's mother has passed away from the flu. Her father is still working in the mines in Goldfield, Nevada, and is badly injured by a falling beam. When he confronts the owner about the working conditions, he is fatally shot. Luckily for Kit, a kindly older woman, Clara, takes her in and helps her out. Kit feels a lot of guilt for both parents' deaths, and also has to deal with children at school who think her father was an agitator. After she decides not to go back east with her Aunt Minerva, she and her friend Arnie decide to investigate and try to clear her father's name. To this end, Kit disguises herself as a boy and goes to work at the local newspaper office. Can she find the documentation she needs to take down the mine owner? Help comes from an unlikely source.
Strengths: As much as I am against tween parents dying, it was a much more likely occurence in 1905. There are not as many books set in this time period out west as one would think. This had a lot of interesting things in it, included the important role of newspapers in town life at the time.
Weaknesses: A bit on the long side, and not blessed with a great cover.
What I really think: I love the Caroline Lawrence P.K. Pinkerton Mysteries series set out west, but it just does not circulate. I will have to pass on this one.