Book Log 2013 #11: A Study in Revenge by Kieran Shields

Anyone waiting for Caleb Carr to return to the plucky band of New Yorkers who solves murders in The Alienist and The Angel of Death will find some solace in the adventures of Portland, Maine police detective Archie Lean and his unofficial partner, the criminalist Percival Grey. In this outing, Lean and Grey are called in to help solve a killing with an apparent occult twist, one that pulls them back into the ambit of an old and powerful nemesis. Both parties are looking to find the same object, one which promises great power and, in the wrong hands, great danger.

Historical mysteries set in New England are always going to be of interest, though I wish I hadn't jumped quite so quickly to read this one. It is the second book with these characters, and the first, The Truth of All Things, is referenced frequently. This isn't such a bad thing if you just want to get up to speed, but if you have a light case of OCD about reading a series in order it's a problem. I'm still going to go back and read the first book, but it'll be less of a mystery.

Back to the Carr comparison, there are some comparisons to be made between Grey and Laszlo Kreizler (both highly intelligent, practicing in new fields and personally set apart from society based on a physical trait), as well as between this book's main female character and Sara Howard (both also highly intelligent, feisty, and less observant of traditional women's roles).

Anyway, I do recommend this book, but only after reading the first book.