It is summer 1893 in Portland, Maine, when petty thief Frankie "the Foot" Cosgrove is shot to death as he delivers a rare artifact he's recently stolen. Then a few days after he's buried, Cosgrove's charred remains show up in an abandoned house. Obviously staged to appear that he rose from the dead, police detective Archie Lean is given the perverse case to investigate. Realizing there is much more involved with this incident than he can officially scrutinize, Lean calls on private investigator (and former Pinkerton agent) Perceval Gray's assistance. Grey was instrumental in solving a previous case with Lean, so the savvy policeman is familiar with the unique way Grey has of reasoning out some of the most bizarre pieces of evidence.

As the case progresses, several threads of intrigue involving the Webster family come to light involving the theft of a mystifying relic called the thunderstone, thought to have belonged to an early Native American tribe, as well as a missing member of the family. As the detective and the private investigator pursue separate paths of clues in the investigation, they eventually reach the same conclusion in the explosive ending of this dynamic mystery.

Set in New England during the 1890s, A STUDY OF REVENGE is a detailed historical mystery with believable characters and an intricate plot. As a follow-up to THE TRUTH OF ALL THINGS, it brings together again Portland police detective Archie Lean and ex-Pinkerton detective/ private investigator Perceval Grey, who is part Native American. Grey reminds me of another famous historical investigator, Sherlock Holmes, with his brilliant intellect and unique way of puzzling out crimes. And Archie Lean makes a great partner who keeps them both on track. A great historical mystery series!

Book Summary

In 1893, a trail of ashen footprints leads Deputy Archie Lean to the body of a murdered thief. The man’s exposed flesh has been horribly burned and occult symbols mark the nearby walls. Most troubling of all is what Lean witnessed two days earlier: this same man being lowered into his grave without a burn mark on him. Once again, the Portland, Maine, police deputy must turn to the brilliant criminalist Perceval Grey for help.

Grey, a half- Abenaki Indian detective, faces problems of his own after agreeing to an elderly tycoon’s death-bed plea to find his long-lost granddaughter. The dying man’s family is less interested in the missing heiress than with the recent theft of an obscure heirloom carved with curious symbols. As the family’s shadowy history is revealed, the three mysteries intersect to draw Lean and Grey into a maze of murder, deceit, and revenge. Each deadly new clue points toward an even greater puzzle—one that will pit Grey against a devious murderer in a race to unlock an ancient and mysterious power.