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A review by heydebigale
All That Is Secret by Patricia Raybon
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
CW: murder, abandonment and death of a baby, racism, gun violence, racial slurs
This historical mystery is set in 1920s Denver, CO and centers on a Black theology professor, Annalee Spain, who is investigating the mysterious murder of her father.
The historical backdrop is FASCINATING and I want to read more books set during this time. The book is primarily set in the the Five Points neighborhood, which was a Black neighborhood that boomed during the jazz age & was nicknamed the Harlem of the West.
The five points landmark hotel The Rossonian was host to Black jazz musicians who were rejected lodging in downtown Denver such as Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
There is a huge resurgence of the KKK in Denver during the 1920s and the KKK had infiltrated the entire political landscape in Colorado.
The mystery in this book was super interesting. I really liked that Annalee was a big fan of mystery books but she herself wasn’t amazing at deductive reasoning and relied on folks around her to solve the mystery.
I will definitely read more books by this author!
Also, I did a mix of audio on hoopla and a print copy and the audio was well-done.
Notes: takes place in Denver Colorado. Annalee is a Black woman.
This historical mystery is set in 1920s Denver, CO and centers on a Black theology professor, Annalee Spain, who is investigating the mysterious murder of her father.
The historical backdrop is FASCINATING and I want to read more books set during this time. The book is primarily set in the the Five Points neighborhood, which was a Black neighborhood that boomed during the jazz age & was nicknamed the Harlem of the West.
The five points landmark hotel The Rossonian was host to Black jazz musicians who were rejected lodging in downtown Denver such as Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
There is a huge resurgence of the KKK in Denver during the 1920s and the KKK had infiltrated the entire political landscape in Colorado.
The mystery in this book was super interesting. I really liked that Annalee was a big fan of mystery books but she herself wasn’t amazing at deductive reasoning and relied on folks around her to solve the mystery.
I will definitely read more books by this author!
Also, I did a mix of audio on hoopla and a print copy and the audio was well-done.
Notes: takes place in Denver Colorado. Annalee is a Black woman.