Drawing inspiration from the Salem witch trials, a crazed killer stalks the streets of late 19th-century Portland, Maine, in Kieran Shields's impressive debut novel, The Truth of All Things. When a dead prostitute is found speared through the neck with a pitchfork, her body arranged in the shape of a pentagram, Deputy Marshall Archie Lean knows he is looking at something much more sinister than a simple crime of passion. Lean engages the unofficial assistance of brilliant Pinkerton detective Perceval Grey, a man almost as controversial for his Abenaki Indian heritage as he is for his newfangled methods of detection. With further help from historian Helen Prescott, Lean and Grey follow 200-year-old clues in a race against time to track the killer down.
Shields skillfully balances the intricate plot with just enough character and detail to immerse the reader in Lean and Grey's world. His evident knowledge of Portland and its history serves him well, as the surroundings come to life through the eyes of his characters. The influence of Arthur Conan Doyle is apparent; Perceval Grey is enjoyably Holmesian in his methods and manners, making use of the latest detective techniques and clever disguises. As a representative of local law enforcement, Archie Lean exhibits the eager determination of Doyle's Inspector Lestrade, though he strays from his original, thankfully, to incorporate some of the more agreeable personality traits typical of Dr. Watson. Together, this compelling duo is sure to leave readers hoping for a sequel. --Sarah Borders, librarian at Houston Public Library