The Language of the Dead

March 1, 2015

As German bombs rain down on England, all remains fairly quiet in the remote Hampshire village of Quimby. Until its residents start turning up dead. First Will Blackwell, an elderly loner, is found murdered, his death eerily reminiscent of the manner in which suspected witches in the same area were once killed. Adding fuel to the rumor mill, stories circulate that, as a boy, Blackwell made some sort of Faustian pact with a ghostlike black hound. The country cop in charge of investigating, as well as trying to quell the villagers' panic about both the murder and the Germans' impending invasion, is DI Thomas Lamb. Soon after, a young woman who is carrying the illegitimate child of a pilot is also discovered dead, along with the town drunk, who is found in the mill, his skull crushed. With his constituency dropping faster than the Germans can bomb them, it's up to Lamb to solve this perplexing case. VERDICT Fans of well-researched historical mysteries, particularly the work of Charles Todd and Charles Finch, will welcome this solid debut that introduces a complex, driven hero who is both a product of his time and relatable in our modern age. Here's hoping this will be the first of many installments featuring the endearing Lamb.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 2, 2015
Charles Todd fans will welcome Kelly’s first novel, a superior whodunit set in WWII England. In the summer of 1940, with the Luftwaffe making frequent bombing raids, Det. Chief Insp. Thomas Lamb is naturally worried about his 18-year-old daughter, Vera, who has recently begun working in the south-coast village of Quimby as an air raid warden. Meanwhile, Lamb must investigate the murder of William Blackwell, an elderly farmhand, who was run through the neck with his own pitchfork with a scythe buried in his chest. A milkmaid was dispatched in the same savage manner in 1882, and rumor has it that the dead man was a witch, based on a supposed encounter in 1880 between a 10-year-old Blackwell and a demonic black dog, a story recounted in a book of local legend. Lamb, who’s haunted by his experiences in WWI, is a complex lead meriting further outings. Agent: Joelle Delbourgo, Joelle Delbourgo Associates.