Patricia Raybon: Truth Be Told

By Kelly Bridgewater

Denver's newest detective. A garden's deadly secrets.

On a lovely June night in 1924, amateur detective Annalee Spain is mingling bravely at a high-class political fundraiser in the lush backyard garden of famed political fixer Cooper Coates, one of the wealthiest men in Denver's Black neighborhood of Five Points. When Coates’s young daughter discovers a pretty stranger dead in her father’s garden shed, Annalee is thrust onto the baffling new case just as she’s reeling from another recent discovery―a handwritten letter, found buried in her own garden, that reveals the identity of her mother.

Not ready to face the truth about her hidden past, Annalee throws herself into solving the mystery of the young woman’s demise. With the help of her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake, her orphaned buddy Eddie, and her trustworthy church friends, Annalee follows the clues to three seemingly disconnected settings―a traveling carnival set up downtown, a Black civic club, and a prestigious white seminary on the outskirts of Denver. Intriguing advice also comes from a famous, real-life Denver visitor. But is Annalee on the right track or just running in circles, fleeing from conflicts racing in her heart?

In a taut, heart-gripping narrative driven by secrets, romance, and lies, Annalee must unravel a case with higher stakes than she imagined―one where answers about a lovely woman's death point to truths and tensions still throbbing today.

 

My Thoughts:

Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon may take place in Denver, Colorado in 1924, but I believe the story could be ripped from the headlines today. I loved how she does take a murder mystery, which is one of my favorite genres, and wraps it in a timely historical element. I love the chapter openings with Sherlock Holmes’ quotes. Conan Doyle’s character is one of my favorite literary characters. I love the character of Annalee Spain. She is proud, determined, and does not let little things get her down. Especially in this book, Raybon has put her to the test a number of times, and Annalee keeps on trudging toward justice for the dead young black woman. I love how kind she is to everyone no matter their skin color or race. The plot is nicely handled with plenty of moments of watching Annalee as she tries to question others and solve the case. One of my favorite aspects is the budding romance between Annalee and Jake Drake. It has developed nicely over the three books. Overall, Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon is a delightful mystery that I will own on my bookshelf.

I received a complimentary copy of Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:   4.5 out of 5 stars

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