It starts at a funeral. Detective Inspector Declan Walsh watches as the coffin of his father, retired Chief Superintendent Patrick Walsh, is lowered into the ground. The man died in what was determined to be a roadway accident; Declan suspects it was murder.
Declan’s own police career is problematic at best. He’s been suspended, ostensibly for punching a priest involved in a dognapping scheme. He knows, as does everyone on the force, that it was Declan’s uncovering a number of corrupt police officers. His choices look limited indeed, until his father’s former DCI, Alexander Monroe, offers an opportunity – joining what is a cold case squad based in the Temple area of central London. It’s a squad of police misfits, including Monroe himself, people chucked away from the primary police force for reasons of embarrassment, politics, or career missteps. They call themselves the “Last Chance Saloon.”
The first case Declan works on is a murder from 20 years previously. A wealthy woman was pushed to her death from the roof of the family estate. Her husband was convicted and sent to prison. The death happened during a fundraiser for the Labour Party, and three then-rising political stars were possibly involved as well. One is now homeless and living on the streets of London. One became a YouTube religious personality. And the third may become Britain’s next prime minister.
Jack Gatland
What reopens the case is a letter – a letter from the dead woman written shortly before her murder. The letter was found in old police files. And no one can explain why it was never investigated. It suggests that the killer may be someone other than her convicted husband, who died in prison from cancer. And the letter will take Declan and his team on a whirlwind of a case, with implications for the police, the people originally involved, and the British government.
Letter from the Dead is the first of the currently 18 DI Declan Walsh mysteries by British writer Jack Gatland. Gatland is the pen name for bestselling writer Tony Lee, who’s written comics, graphic novels, audio drama, TV and film series, the BBC and ITV, and a host of publishers. In addition to the Declan Walsh series, he’s also published four novels in the Ellie Reckless series, six in the Tom Marlowe series, and several others. The 19th Declan Walsh novel is to be published in June 2024.
I’m always looking for a new mystery series, and Letter from the Dead suggests I’ve found a real gem.
Some Thursday Readings
A Bloody-Minded Business: Julian Symons Evolution as a Crime Fiction Critic – Curtis Evans at CrimeReads.
The Microcosm of London – Spitalfields Life.
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