Truth Be Told is the third book in the Annalee Spain Mysteries series. Set in Denver in the early 1920s, the books chronicle the hold the Klu Klux Klan has on the state of Colorado, the dangers faced by the Black community of the time, and how one woman, a theologian by trade, has turned to detective work to ensure justice is done for all against incredible odds.

It’s not Annalee’s usual scene. She’s been in the papers a lot for her recent success at solving crime and (somewhat) bringing powerful people to account, or she wouldn’t have been invited to this elite political fundraiser. It’s being held in the lavish garden of Cooper Coates, a famed political fixer and power player who is not a big fan of Annalee. He’s one of the wealthiest men in Denver’s infamous Black neighborhood of Five Points, and his pull is such that he has Blacks and whites mingling freely at his event. In Klan-controlled Denver, where a Black cabbie can be killed for picking up a white lady looking for a ride, this is quite the coup. But his success quickly turns to ashes when his daughter comes screaming out of the greenhouse, claiming there’s a dead woman inside. At first, he tells her to stop being theatrical, but a quick search by some of the partygoers reveals someone lying in a crumpled heap among the plants and yard tools.

This isn’t Annalee’s first unfortunate discovery in a backyard this summer. She’d been planting in her far more humble patch of lawn (if the scraggly area behind her home can be called that) when she found an old tin container and, within it, a letter giving her a very limited set of clues as to her mother’s identity. Given a choice between unearthing a decades-old secret that is personally painful and a fresh, possibly dangerous, investigation into a recent murder, Annalee promptly chooses to focus on the latter.

Calling upon the aide of her trustee sidekicks, the young white orphan Eddie, who traveled with Annalee from Chicago to Denver, and Annalee’s pastor boyfriend, Jack Blake, she sets out to discover just who the mystery woman in the garden shed is and why she died in the home of one of Denver’s most influential men.

It’s always difficult to tell potential readers whether or not to read a series in order or if a novel can be read on its own. In this case, while the mystery is resolved within one volume, understanding the relationships between all the characters and getting a thorough grasp of the Klan and how and why they have such power requires reading at least the first story, All That is Secret.

The strong point of these tales is that history and how people navigate their daily lives in such difficult conditions. From lynchings in Alabama to the murders of inconvenient young Black women in Colorado, we get a glimpse of the world as it really was. Something that makes these narratives especially poignant is how human decency wars with a sense of survival. Many people – Black and white – hate the wrong that is happening but have learned through the brutal examples of what happened to their peers that it is unwise to stand up and fight back. Annalee recognizes and empathizes with this but quietly pushes back anyway.

I liked her soft, wise, dignified approach to the world she lives in. Annalee combines a nice mix of humble, intelligent, intuitive, compassionate, and practical. She cares about the people around her enough to fight for them, but she is smart enough to know that she needs to do so in ways that don’t destroy what she is trying to save. She accepts setbacks with grace and treats the people around her with dignity and respect. I loved how she navigates her treacherous environment.

I did have some problems with the book, though. While the history is nothing less than outstanding, the crime-solving often falls short, and Truth Be Told is no exception. People often just tell Annalee what is happening; she doesn’t really need to do much sleuthing at all. I was also a bit disappointed that Jack is once more regulated to the back burner. I have seen snails move more briskly than this romance.

Ms. Raybon is an author of color who writes about an area with which she is very familiar. She brings a lot of authenticity to her work, but that does mean including some language that modern readers might find uncomfortable. I appreciated the honesty with which she addresses the period, but those who are sensitive to such issues should know that the author shows things as they were, not how we wish they had been.

I also appreciated the inclusion of the historical figure George Washington Carver. It is wonderful to see his approach to faith and life and its effect on Annalee and some of the others with whom he interacted.

This book is an inspirational and shows faith flourishing in the midst of incredible odds. Especially poignant is the emphasis on the centrality of the Black church to their community, how they help each other through tough times, and how that influences Annalee’s investigations.

Truth Be Told can be a difficult read. Some of the events described are horrific and can leave one with little faith in humanity. The good news is that the story is balanced – showing how brave men and women worked hard to achieve the change we see now. I recommend this to anyone who loves history and isn’t afraid to spend time looking at the dark side of it.