Hushed in Death: An Inspector Lamb Novel

Kelly’s solid, if unspectacular, third whodunit set in England during WWII (after 2016’s The Wages of Desire) opens with the body of Joseph Lee, the gardener at Elton House, a mansion turned into a treatment facility for traumatized war veterans, floating in a pond. Det. Chief Insp. Thomas Lamb, aided by his grown daughter, Vera, who serves as his driver, goes through the usual routine of having the Elton House staff interviewed, including Frederick Hornby, the facility director, and Janet Lockhart, a volunteer who found the body and who believes that she can help people reconnect with deceased loved ones. The inquiry takes a new path after Lamb learns that the pond was the setting for a murder committed during WWI. Lord Henry Elton was poisoned by his wife, Catherine, who placed him in the water to make the death appear to be an accidental drowning. Kelly plays fair with the reader, and despite a bit of silliness at the end, this will appeal to fans of Rennie Airth and Charles Todd. [em]Agent: Joelle Delbourgo, Joelle Delbourgo Assoc. (Nov.) [/em]