Double the Lies

Raybon (All That Is Secret) delivers a fast-moving mystery for the second installment of her Annalee Spain series. In 1924 Denver, detective Spain is pitted against the city’s KKK-infiltrated police as she attempts to solve a murder and clear her name as a possible suspect. Trouble begins at the library, where Annalee overhears a heated conversation between a husband and wife. Afterward, Annalee comforts the wife, but when the woman invites her over for tea, the two find her home vandalized and the woman’s husband dead. Though Annalee, who is Black, flees the scene before the police arrive, they’re tipped off to her presence and set out to frame her. Meanwhile, Annalee and her pastor boyfriend, Jack, receive threatening letters—and soon after, Jack goes missing. The case next takes her to Estes Park, where some of the murdered man’s family lives; once there, she tries to get to the root of what’s going on. Throughout, Annalee draws strength from her abiding faith, even when things appear more than a little dicey. Raybon uses the fascinating backdrop of 1920s Denver (and the rise of the Second Klan)to add historical depth to the plot as Annalee discovers the ways prejudice and secrets shape the case and her ability to solve it. This mix of history and intrigue will captivate readers. (Feb.)