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The Truth of All Things (Archie Lean #1)

by Kieran Shields (Goodreads Author)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 568 ratings · 154 reviews

Two hundred years after the Salem witch trials, in the summer of 1892, a grisly new witch hunt is beginning....
When newly appointed Deputy Marshal Archie Lean is called in to investigate a prostitute's murder in Portland, Maine, he's surprised to find the body laid out like a pentagram and pinned to the earth with a pitchfork. He's even more surprised to learn that this d...more

Hardcover, 404 pages

Published March 27th 2012 by Crown (first published 2011)

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Feb 03, 2012 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: america, all-fiction, four-star-fiction, historical-fiction, miss-trees, av

This is a rich historical mystery set in 1892 Portland, Maine, complete with ritual murders, sinister madmen, secret societies, and seances.

Women in New England are being murdered, and their bodies displayed in gruesome fashion accompanied by strange symbolic objects and messages written in the Abenaki Indian language. Local deputy marshal Archie Lean and his colleagues aren't quite up to the task of solving the murder of Maggie Keene in Portland. The coroner brings in Perceval Grey, a half-Abe...more

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Apr 10, 2012 James Schmidt rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really LOVED this book...for a debut novel it exhibited a very experienced hand in settings, character and story development, tension, and pacing.

While I've had the pleasure of reading some great books recently, I can't think of one that touched so many of my interests all in one volume: the Civil War, though more than 25 years in the past, played a role in the lives of many of the characters as veterans; detective and crime fiction set in the 19th-century, especially in America, has become my...more I really LOVED this book...for a debut novel it exhibited a very experienced hand in settings, character and story development, tension, and pacing.

While I've had the pleasure of reading some great books recently, I can't think of one that touched so many of my interests all in one volume: the Civil War, though more than 25 years in the past, played a role in the lives of many of the characters as veterans; detective and crime fiction set in the 19th-century, especially in America, has become my favorite genre and this is a perfect fit; I have an interest in 19th-century Spiritualism, and it - and the occult - play a significant role in this story; though not a main part of the story, patent/quack medicines (another of my interests) do make an appearance in the way of a traveling Native American "medicine show"; and finally, the history and lore of the Salem Witch Trials play a significant role in the story.

One of the main characters, family man and police deputy Archie Lean is very likeable and plays well against his irascible counterpart, Perceval Grey, a brilliant man of Native American heritage who is a former Pinkerton Agent. They employ their brawn, brains, and some nifty home laboratory work to solve the mystery of several murders, with the help of a strong, independent, and bookish woman (what's not to like?!) who is a historian and reference librarian at the local historical society.

The pacing in the last quarter of the story is FRENETIC and really keeps you on the edge of your seat; throughout the book one worries about the safety of the main characters, so I give the book high marks for tension and "stakes."

The setting of Portland, Maine, with some adventures in other parts of New England, is refreshingly unique, and his descriptions of the city and its environs is expertly done.

There is a lot of history in the book in terms of the Salem Witch Trials, and while many readers will be familiar with the basics, I learned a lot that was knew, especially in terms of the hysteria surrounding Native Americans and their purported connections to witchcraft, and - especially - connections between Salem Village, Maine, and the trials. Mr. Shields cleverly incorporates names and places associated with the trials into the story and while he describes some occult practices and rituals, he wisely avoids the trap of glorifying the occult or mixing fantasy with reality.

The ending definitely leaves open additional adventures for Lean and Grey (which the author confirms!) and I can't wait to read them!

BEST Vocabulary Word in the Book: "Thaumaturgic"

Highly Recommended!

Read my interview with the author here:

http://civilwarmed.blogspot.com/2012/...(less)

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May 27, 2013 BCMUnlimited rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

My Review: I stumbled upon this book as I was shopping in Target one day. I saw it on the shelf and was intrigued. Yes, I was judging a book by its cover, but the title captured my attention. I picked it up, read the back cover blurb, and put it back down. Sounded interesting, but I wasn't too sure about reading a Sherlockian-type book. I walked around a bit, came back to it, picked it up again, put it back down. After about the fifth round, I decided I would give it a try. I'm quite glad I did....more

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Nov 15, 2012 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-crime, hist-fic

It's always a pleasure when an author produces a seamless blend of two favorite genres, as debut novelist Kieran Shields has done in The Truth of All Things. Set in Portland, Maine during the 1890's, the book opens with the grisly, ritualistic murder of a young prostitute. Deputy Marshal Archie Lean catches the case, and the coroner has called in a specialist in interpreting evidence, one Percival Grey. The duo must carve out an efficient working relationship, and as that happens, they begin to...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Louann Carroll rated it 4 of 5 stars

THE TRUTH OF ALL THINGS takes place in 1892, two hundred years after the Salem witch trials. Deputy Marshall Archie Lean is in charge of a new investigation. A young woman has been murdered. The floorboards have been removed from a machine shop and laying on the dirt, a pitchfork through her neck, one hand missing and her tongue cut out, is an unknown female.

Enter Perceval Grey, a criminalist who is distrusted by officials because of his mixed Native American heritage. He is summoned by Dr. Stei...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Hallie rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Kieran Shields's debut novel "The Truth of All Things" a trio of sleuths investigate a series of horrific murders in 1890's Portland, Maine. In the lead is Perceval Grey, a cerebral enigmatic fellow of Abenaki Indian ancestry, whose careful observation of a crime scene and unbiased logic rival Sherlock Holmes's. "Coincidences are only the observations of those too lazy to puzzle out the connections and consequences hidden from the casual viewer," he muses midway through the investigation. Gre...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Marti rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you like mysteries, or history, or Maine -- or just a well-written story -- this was a great read.

It is 1892 in the thriving port town of Portland, Maine -- "modern times" and 200 years after the Salem witch trials. But it appears that a murderer is on the loose, one with ever stronger hints of connection to witchcraft and to history.

It is up to Portland Police Inspector Archie Lean to track down this killer before his methodical calendar takes more lives. Lean is assisted by a young historic...more

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May 17, 2012 Linda C rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a good effort from a first time novelist. Good, but not great. The plot was clever and well thought out, and the writing was generally good.

However, there were numerous instances of feeling like I had wandered into a middle book of a series, rather than a first novel, with no idea of the background. For example, one of the two main characters, Percival Gray, was half native American, yet there was no explanation as to why his mother, a girl from the upper echelon of Portland society, ma...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Richard Gazala rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Kieran Shields' superb new novel, "The Truth of All Things," brilliant but troubled private detective Perceval Grey is aptly named. Being of mixed American Indian and Caucasian racial heritages, he's forced to battle deeply ingrained late 19th century New England prejudices, even in his own family. Grey is indeed a gray man in the society he lives and works in -- neither an Indian, nor a white man, but straddling some murky, shifting ground in between. At times during an investigation of horr...more In Kieran Shields' superb new novel, "The Truth of All Things," brilliant but troubled private detective Perceval Grey is aptly named. Being of mixed American Indian and Caucasian racial heritages, he's forced to battle deeply ingrained late 19th century New England prejudices, even in his own family. Grey is indeed a gray man in the society he lives and works in -- neither an Indian, nor a white man, but straddling some murky, shifting ground in between. At times during an investigation of horrific murders tied to the infamous Salem witch hunts that happened 200 years earlier, Grey's mixed race is a valuable asset. Mostly, though, Grey finds himself forced to confront an array of bigotries to save the very people who belittle him from an unholy conspiracy that attempts to resurrect in their town's midst a long-dead evil.

Grey's mannerisms and methodologies will quickly remind readers of those of his contemporary across the Atlantic, Sherlock Holmes. Grey's a keenly astute and dispassionate observer, as aware of the facts in front of him as he is of the ones not present that others around him mistakenly presume. Along with his colleagues, Portland Deputy Marshall Archie Lean, Dr. Virgil Steig, and Steig's niece the local librarian/historian Helen Prescott, Grey scours Maine and its environs for clues both ancient and fresh to stop the murder spree. From the moment a prostitute's body is found dead late one night in the middle of a massive machine shop, pinned to the ground by a pitchfork thrust through her throat, the detectives' investigations propel them from churches to brothels to libraries to graveyards to seedy bars to lunatic asylums via foot, trains and hansom cabs. Shields obviously did a lot of painstaking research to do such a great job deftly conveying settings in New England as they were 120 years ago. All of his main characters, good guys and bad, are multidimensional, and they speak in dialogue that's well written and authentic. In addition to those accomplishments, the book's plot is a nonstop careening ride from start to finish, crafted with enough breakneck twists and turns to keep readers guessing literally until the story's very end.

"The Truth of All Things" is one of the best books I've read in a while, and I'm happy at its conclusion Shields leaves room for the return of Perceval Grey in a future adventure. Until that sequel comes, mystery and thriller fans will do themselves a big favor treating themselves to this excellent debut work by a very talented new author.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Carla rated it 4 of 5 stars

Beware of those offering to show you "The Truth of All Things". A great mystery, thriller, with a throw in of occult - you can't miss.

Summer of 1892 proves to be the beginning of a serial murderer choosing his victims very carefully in Portalnd, Maine. Deputy Marshall Kean is hot on the trail noting oddities and calls in the pinkerton Indian half breed Grey to lend a hand. With the help of Dr. Steig and his niece Helen, they uncover the symbols of the killings and just where he might be found.

Th...more

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Apr 19, 2013 Michelle Lancaster rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-ve-reviewed

By Kieran Shields
Broadway Paperbacks (Random House), 404 pgs
978-0-307-72029-0
Submitted by Random House
Rating: Sublime

Wow, what a brew! Puritans, witches, detectives, murder, black magic. It's been a good while since I read something I couldn't put down. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish this one. The Truth of All Things is Kieran Shields's first novel and, thank the gods, not his last. A review for the follow-up, A Study In Revenge, will be posted in a few days. Both novels are literary...more

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Feb 01, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 110-books-in-2012-and-do-it-again, historical, mystery, private-investigator, read-in-2012, reviewed

In 1892 in Portland, Maine, Maggie Keene's body is found. It appears to be a ritualistic killing with her body severely mutilated.

Deputy Marshall Archie Lean investigates with help of Pinkerton agent Percival Grey. Grey is a brilliant criminalist who uses modern detective methods.

The author describes his characters in detail, so much so, that it appears as if we were reading newspaper reports from the time of the killings. The one character who stands out is Archie. We learn of his wife and the...more

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May 30, 2012 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I LOVED this book! I literally could not put it down. I am particularly fond of late 19th century mysteries, and this one is one of the best I've read. Set in Portland, Maine, in 1892, a young woman is found murdered in a machine shop, her body lying on the dirt in a hole made by pulling up the floor of the shop. There is a pitchfork through her neck, her right hand has been severed, her arms and legs splayed so that her extremities form a pentagram, and she is naked from the waist up, though he...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Libtechgurugoddess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic page-turner that reminded me a lot of Caleb Carr's "The Alienist", which I loved. The story is based in 1892 and set in Portland (Maine), precisely 200 years after the Salem witch trials. There's a horrific, ritualistic murder with the potential for more killings that leads Deputy Marshal Archie Lean to team up with former Pinkerton detective Perceval Grey to solve the macabre crime. Grey uses "modern" investigative techniques, along with his cerebral powers of observation and deductio...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Michelle added it

In The Truth of All Things, Kieran Shields attempts to recreate the traditional murder mystery. He uses elements of a psychological thriller, of the supernatural, of historical fiction, and of modern-day true crime stories to present his tale of a murder that is not quite what it appears to be. The witch hunt aspect takes a surprisingly long time to develop, but once it does, the plot quickly tangles into a den of history and psychological illness. The complicated resolution provides enough clos...more In The Truth of All Things, Kieran Shields attempts to recreate the traditional murder mystery. He uses elements of a psychological thriller, of the supernatural, of historical fiction, and of modern-day true crime stories to present his tale of a murder that is not quite what it appears to be. The witch hunt aspect takes a surprisingly long time to develop, but once it does, the plot quickly tangles into a den of history and psychological illness. The complicated resolution provides enough closure for readers who want a stand-alone mystery while leaving the door open for future adventures of Deputy Marshal Lean, Mr. Grey, and Mrs. Prescott.

The Truth of All Things runs the real danger of falling prey to its own cleverness. The plot twists are many and so intertwined that it becomes difficult for a reader to perceive the individual threads. The last-minute twists and turns are so numerous that they soon feel almost contrived, as if Mr. Shield’s desire to surprise the reader with a crafty ending outweighed the need to provide a clear and concise plot. In addition, the resolution of the mystery is drawn out in such a way that it leads one to believe that Mr. Shields had difficulties deciding how best to solve his own mystery. The result is a mystery that is a touch too complicated and slightly too drawn out for easy, mindless enjoyment, but only just barely.

The main characters of The Truth of All Things are equally complicated and puzzling. Archie is fairly well-described. His motivations are clear, and a reader feels a close connection to his desire to protect the innocent and provide a better life for his family. Helen is on the opposite end of the spectrum and is the least clear of the three heroes. Her past, her relationship with her uncle, as well as her thoughts and motivations are never adequately explained, if at all, and a reader finds it difficult to understand why she involves herself in the mystery at all. Once involved, she is the equivalent of today’s modern technicians – those quirky masters of research who stay in the office uncovering all the dirt there is on the suspects while their fellow detectives hit the pavement and rely on their research to direct their own searches. In view of the details provided of Archie, Helen’s lack of backstory is surprising and slightly unwelcome, as one wants to feel an emotional connection to the characters in order to better appreciate any danger in which they might find themselves. One does not have this connection with the mysterious Helen.

The third hero, Perceval Grey, is a mix between Archie and Helen. Readers get greater insight to Grey’s past, making it easier to feel that necessary connection with him. However, his motivations remain unclear. His thought processes are never explained except via dialogue, and his actions are almost robotic in their exactness. He is one hero in which a reader does not get direct insight into his thoughts and feelings because the omniscient narrator never tells the story from his point of view. If, in the crime mystery canon, Archie is the bumbling but beloved old-school detective, out to achieve the most good he can for those that can no longer help themselves, and Helen is the quirky but highly-skilled research technician, then Grey is the mysterious, brilliant, highly logical, and thoroughly unemotional investigator with the unsavory past that propels him from one mystery to the next. One cannot help but wish that Mr. Shields had chosen not to adopt these archetypes, as the efforts he makes to provide a relatively new type of murder mystery fails to bear fruit with his usage of such clichés.

Mr. Shields’ debut novel is an intriguing blend of modern-day forensics, mysticism, and a good old-fashioned murder mystery. Archie, Helen, and Perceval make for an unusual crime-fighting trio, altogether too modern for the time period but well-suited to the mystery at hand. With its intricate plot twists and reliance on knowledge of the Salem witch trials, the story itself might prove to be too complicated for most readers. More importantly, there are just enough unanswered questions that leave a reader to understand that there will be more collaborations in store for this hapless trio. As a standalone mystery, The Truth of All Things works fairly well, although it toes the line at being a tad too clever for appropriate enjoyment. The success of a potential series is more nebulous without greater character development or less-complicated mysteries. It is easy to chalk up the faults of The Truth of All Things to an over-eager first-time novelist and one can hope that time, experience, and careful attention to feedback will correct these issues in Mr. Shields’ next novels.

Acknowledgments: Thank you to Julie Cepler at Crown Publishing Group for my review copy!(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Linda Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I ran across Kieran Shield's debut mystery, The Truth of All Things, I thought it would be right up my alley. Possible witchcraft, the ritualistic murder of a prostitute, and a Sherlockian sleuth, all set in 1892 Portland, Maine. I particularly like mysteries set in places I am at least somewhat familiar with. As a long time summer visitor to Maine, I always welcome a chance to read books with Maine settings.

The Truth of All Things introduces us to a vibrant port and manufacturing city and...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Cheryl rated it 4 of 5 stars

A woman has been murdered. Her body has been laid in the form of a pentagram. She is pinned to the ground with a pitchfork in her neck.

At first the murder seems to be the work of some sick and twisted person but the deeper Archie gets involved in the case, the more it seems the woman’s death could be the work of evil magic and witches.

Deputy Marshall Archie Lean is on the case. He is joined by former Pinkerton agent and Native American, Perceval Grey, and historian, Helen Prescott.

While, this...more

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Jan 16, 2012 Sandie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books, gothic-thriller, historical-fiction

Kieran Shields THE TRUTH OF ALL THINGS is a clever and inventive tale that works on more than one level: it has the flavor of a gothic mystery, the history and legacy of the Salem witch trials, and a pair of protagonists who bear a striking similarity of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. In this instance Holmes is Perceval Grey, an unusually perceptive Abenaki Indian whose investigative technique and methods of detection are definitely more in keeping with 20th century standards. Deputy Marshall A...more

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May 11, 2012 Kristen rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love the historical framework of the novel. The setting in Portland on the bicentennial of the Salem Witch Trials and all of the detail work that went into the framework for the time period was very well crafted. From the opium dens to the fascination with spiritualism, the author does a great job bringing 1892 to life.

I really liked both characters Lean and Grey and I loved seeing their relationship develop from distrust – Archie is still of the old school of criminal thought while Grey uses...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Brittany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-read

I received this book through a giveaway on Read It Forward. The short synopsis looked interesting so I entered my name in the drawing not really knowing what to expect. I really, really enjoyed this book! Kieran Shields does an excellent job developing his characters throughout the book. Unlike some authors who give you all the background on a character right at the beginning of a book (or series), in this you continue to learn more about the characters as the story unfolds. I loved the relation...more

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May 14, 2013 Bhargavi Balachandran rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, read-in-2013, review-copy, crime

I have always have a morbid fascination for the Salem witch trials . Actually ,make that all things esoteric or things that logical reasoning has no answers for. Which is why I wanted to read this book. The idea of this book is brilliant ,and so is the execution. I have immense respect for any writer attempting historical fiction and can only imagine the amount of research that would have gone into creating an authentic feel .

Though this is Kieran's first book , it doesn't feel like a work by a...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Angela Lopez rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love historic fiction, this had the backdrop of a great intriguing tale!
It was a thrilling read, didnt read in one sitting- but 2.5 :-)

There were some chapters extremely well written and quite a few quotes that were keepers!

Some of the twists and turns were hard to follow, and I wish Grey's character were a little more deep (some insights to his foundation) I like him but he's no Sherlock Holmes, even though he's crafted after him. I'd like the author to build him out a little more!
Guess I...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 19, 2013 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

*Goodreads First Reads copy*

I found The Truth of All Things to be quite interesting and a great read. I loved the historical references to New England. Those minor details certainly helped bring the story to life. I thought it was a great story along the same vein as Sherlock Holmes and the Pendergast stories by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston.

I only had 2 minor complaints. The first was that I should have read this story before reading his follow up book. That one gave away a bit of the endin...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Linda rated it 3 of 5 stars

This has a great premise and I was looking forward to reading it. It wasn't disappointing, but it was so intricately plotting that, ultimately, I didn't care. It appears that the murder is solved and the murdered stopped but you still have pages left in the book. That's where it started getting confusing for me. Instead of X, it was Y who did Z. And remember how we said 20 years ago, H was actually A, but everyone thought he was C? And don'forget Q! How could you forget Q!!

Anyhow, the book was w...more

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Apr 12, 2012 SidneyKay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: murder-mystery

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A romance book, a romance book! My kingdom for a romance book!

I’ve had a number of epiphanies while reading The Truth of all Things. One of them is I’m not particularly fond of the killing off of sympathetic characters. I also came to the conclusion that I will probably never read murder mysteries with the same enjoyment with which I read romance.

Another epiphany! In order for me to appreciate a book, I absolutely must have brain speak! Doesn’t matter how well an author can write, if I can’t see...more A romance book, a romance book! My kingdom for a romance book!

I’ve had a number of epiphanies while reading The Truth of all Things. One of them is I’m not particularly fond of the killing off of sympathetic characters. I also came to the conclusion that I will probably never read murder mysteries with the same enjoyment with which I read romance.

Another epiphany! In order for me to appreciate a book, I absolutely must have brain speak! Doesn’t matter how well an author can write, if I can’t see inside those little noggins I am uncomfortable. I must must must know what’s going on! I don’t care if it is a mystery or if the author is trying to create another enigmatic Sherlock Holmes – never liked Mr. Know-it-all-without-any-personality Sherlock Holmes all that much anyway. Although, the one main character in this book, Grey, did smirk occasionally. I guess that means something, not sure what. It must have been up to me to insert the meaning.

Let’s look at those characters shall we? We have three main characters: Deputy Marshal Archie Lean, the mysterious Sherlock Holmes wanna-be; Percival Grey; and Mrs. Prescott. There are also a gazillion secondary characters, who are hard to keep track of and divided up into victim-suspect categories. Just don’t become attached to any of them. I wish I could talk about the three main characters, about their personalities, but I can’t because this is the weakest part of the book. And, that’s too bad, because all three of them could have been so much more. I didn’t know who Archie Lean was, whether he was Grey’s stooge or whether he was a Columbo type. He has a wife and son in the book, but they are cardboard characters who are occasionally brought out from the backdrop to say something.

Grey is too mysterious, too stoic – he needed to have some kind of life pumped into him. It wasn’t until almost the very end when I was allowed to see something of his character.

The best of the three is Mrs. Prescott and that is because she reveals her weaknesses. She’s a strong woman, maybe a suffragette, and intelligent to top it all off. I’m also assuming she may be Grey’s love interest in future books – only because she kisses him…once.

The strongest part of the book was the murder mystery interlaced with some historical facts on the Salem witch trials. If you are a fan of the Salem trials, you’ll love this book. Mr. Shields has included some of the actual transcripts of the trials and other historical facts surrounding those trials, a time period when people seemed to have lost their common sense. There was also a travelogue of Portland, Maine, and some other irrelevant history of the surrounding area – which could have been left out of the book and in its place some character building would have been nice. Oh, well. It was the travelogue that made me put the book down a number of times. We also have Native American prejudice thrown into the narrative. I found it to be an irritant to the overall tone of the book. It was almost as if the author wanted to show how much he knows, so he put as much into this story as he could instead of just focusing on telling us a mystery.

The momentum picks up in the second half of the story; I just wish it had not slowed down so much in the middle. Every author has a rhythm that is unique, and every reader has a melody that flows through their ears better than some. In the case of The Truth of All Things, I was not able to appreciate the melody; I'm sure others will.

KaysBlog (less)

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Jun 04, 2012 tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

I received this as an uncorrected advance copy, from a random drawing.
I like it a lot.

Perceval Grey is part white, part Abenaki Indian, in post-Civil War Maine. The author has patterned him after Sherlock Holmes, although he's not quite as eccentric. Perceval is grouped with a cop--Archie Lean, a doctor/coroner, Dr. Steig, and Steig's niece, Helen. Together, they work on solving what appears to be a ritual killing of a whore.

The author has taken pains with his depictions of historical events. Ev...more

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Apr 22, 2012 Nancy rated it 3 of 5 stars

This felt like what it was: the author's first book. The plot is intricate, and he keeps all the pieces under control, but sometimes there's a sense that you don't really need all the extraneous information his research on the Salem witch trials yielded to keep the story moving forward. Nifty premise--and authentic setting. But slow-moving and occasionally confusing. There are about six or seven twists at the end of the story that slow down the forward motion.

Interesting characters and story, bu...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Desiree Coleman rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm not much for mysteries and thrillers, but this book has changed my views and opened up a whole new genre that I'm curious to delve into again - that of historical thrillers/mysteries. I felt that this novel was really well executed. I loved the setting and the historical facts that were spread out amongst the story. I loved the conversations between the characters, especially between Lean and Grey. The humor and wit was tasteful. I loved getting lost in the mystery and was eager to find out...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Bookphile rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, historical-mystery, arc

As someone who enjoys both historical fiction and literary mysteries, it's always a treat for me to find a novel that's a very well done combination of both. I really felt that The Truth of All Things fits this bill. It combines everything I like about a book: engaging characters, and elaborate and intriguing mystery, and a nice sense of time and place. There will be some minor spoilers in this review.

I very much enjoyed the mystery in this novel. I thought it was well paced, intricate, and inte...more As someone who enjoys both historical fiction and literary mysteries, it's always a treat for me to find a novel that's a very well done combination of both. I really felt that The Truth of All Things fits this bill. It combines everything I like about a book: engaging characters, and elaborate and intriguing mystery, and a nice sense of time and place. There will be some minor spoilers in this review.

I very much enjoyed the mystery in this novel. I thought it was well paced, intricate, and interesting. Shields does a really nice job of weaving a lot of historical detail into the book and providing background information on George Burroughs and the Salem Witch Trials without giving me the sense that I was attending a lecture. Burroughs' history is so bizarre that it makes for a really nice basis on which to set a murder mystery. I really liked how Shields gave a sense that, though the Salem Witch Trial had happened two centuries before, there was still an aura of mystery and magic surrounding them in 1892. I thought this tied nicely into the fascination and incredulity people still feel about the trails to this day.

Shields also does a nice job of addressing the culture of the day, particularly when it came to Native Americans. Grey is something of a classic character in that he doesn't really fit in with the world of the Native Americans while he also does fit into the world of the white majority. Shield provides just enough flavor of the prejudices of the late 19th century to give the reader a very good sense of the challenges Grey's had to overcome and with which he still must grapple without being heavy-handed about it. The incorporation of the Temperance Union is another nice element that provides a real flavor for the times. I was very much impressed by the capable way in which Shields chose details to incorporate that both added to the setting and the plot.

Best of all, though, were the characters. There was a very Holmes and Watson sort of vibe to the Grey and Lean duo that I really enjoyed. Both Grey and Lean are interesting characters in their own rights, though Grey has perhaps a bit of an edge both due to his unsure footing in society and his back story. Still, Shields doesn't give Lean short shrift. I found him very likable and, though I didn't think he seemed too modern for the novel, his difficulties are such that the modern-day reader can relate to them. I found their voices to be distinct: Lean's has an openness that allows the reader to really get a feel for him as a person while Grey remains more of an enigma.

All of these aspects come together to a satisfyingly suspenseful and action-packed conclusion. Though this novel stands alone, it seems apparent to me that Lean and Grey will become regulars, and I welcome it. I'm a big fan of the Lynley and Havers duo created by Elizabeth George, and I have a feeling that Shields's duo may prove to be every bit as compelling.(less)

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Read It Forward: * THE TRUTH OF ALL THINGS by Kieran Shields	1	28	Mar 12, 2012 02:21pm

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About Kieran Shields

KIERAN SHIELDS grew up in Portland, Maine. He graduated from Dartmouth College and the University of Maine School of Law. He continues to reside along the coast of Maine with his wife and two children. This is his first novel.

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“[What a great way to describe how a city takes its unique "shape"...beautiful turn-of-phrase by Kieran Shields(!)]:

"It was a city of slopes, curves, and dips carved by glaciers and now criss-crossed by a network of angled streets and blocks, unfettered by any sense of regularity and uniformity. Portland's maze of cobbled roads was the result of two and a half centuries of fisherman and merchants driven by immediate necessity and that economy of steps that occurs naturally in a place where winters often lasted five months out of the year.” — 3 people liked it

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