Things Half in Shadow

A historical superhero is born in the first book of a fascinating proposed series by Alan Finn (pen name for an established mystery writer). Things Half in Shadow blends historical fiction with the contemporary thriller, comic book, mystery and paranormal genres for an entrancing adventure.

Edward Clark, a crime reporter who is secretly the son of a disgraced magician in prison for murder, explains the novel is a "chronicle, or memoir, or whatever you care to call it." He details the high-profile investigation into the 1869 death of Lenora Grimes Pastor, a famous Philadelphia medium murdered during a séance Clark attended. The case alters Clark's existence in ways he never could have imagined.

Finn not only draws on the period's obsession with spiritualism, ghosts and those who speak with the dead but also creates a distinct setting incorporating the Eastern State Penitentiary, destructively muddy and rutted roads, wire bridges and the Underground Railroad. Forensic techniques and investigative practices of the postbellum period combine with the paranormal elements to provide extraordinary suspense. The evil Clark faces is both human and superhuman, which injects action and keeps the pace swift, but it's also subdued by its marriage to spiritualism, preventing the dynamics from becoming unbelievable.

Finn's crack cast is undeniably delightful, and savvy pop culturists will find more than a few allusions to Golden Age comics artfully woven throughout. Many things are in shadow for this series debut, but its high quality isn't one. Bring on the next installment. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts

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