The Inklings Detective Agency

by John R. Kelly

J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, and other literary legends join forces to unravel a deadly conspiracy in this gripping mystery that sweeps from the halls of Oxford to the streets of London and the shores of Loch Ness.

In the streets of 1936 Oxford, dark forces are at play and members of a secret society keep turning up dead. After being called upon to help solve these murders, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and their fellow literary enthusiasts known around town as the Inklings trade their pens for magnifying glasses to catch this evasive killer. With time running out, they get a helping hand from mystery writers Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to help unravel a sinister web of secrets. Can they crack the case before the murderer strikes again?

Packed with historical intrigue, mystery, and a cast of literary giants, this novel is a masterful blend of high-stakes drama. Dive into a world where the creators of fantasy and mystery confront a real-life menace in a race against time.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian Fiction, Historical, British Literature, Mystery Thriller

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 5, 2026

About the author

John R. Kelly has studied history and spirituality for most of his life, which led to a career in teaching Church History and Biblical Studies at True North College, including courses on the occult, history of world religions and also the real-life Inklings. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and eight children.

Reviews

[Nick]

Pre-read
My first arc! 🎉 I love both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien and the concept of this story sounds really cool! I'm very excited to start this :)

[Jessica Sprecher · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to a generous 3.

So ..... this book. I had seen in advertised on Instagram, and I was intrigued given my love of the Inklings (especially Tolkien and Lewis) and I really wanted to read a book where they were the main players. But .... it was, to be honest, dull and confusing. The prose was much too purple and awkwardly phrased for me, and Tollers and Jack didn't feel like Tollers and Jack. I am a character driven reader, and this book was not, which might have been the issue for me. I think the concept was intriguing, but it was just a bit too disjointed for my tastes.

Content warnings: Occult magic and rituals, child murder that occurred in the past, drunkenness, gruesome murder and descriptions of dead bodies, poisoning, mild language, implications of all sorts of immoral behavior, etc.

[Cara Putman]

This was a well written book that I enjoyed, but I am torn because it’s filled with real people. Real people doing things that they didn’t do. CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien, and all their friends didn’t have a Detective agency. It’s an interesting idea, but I just couldn’t quite go there.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Inklings Detective Agency" by John R. Kelly is a new favorite mystery of mine and worthy of the literary greats that inhabit its pages! I could tell just from the first few chapters that this book was a winner. The incredible writing pulled me in, along with the awesome characters (many beloved literary legends) and its premise. The author obviously knows his stuff and would make any die-hard Inklings fan proud with this book (I am a huge Tolkien nerd myself and loved the many literary quotes and Easter eggs). The story is rich with history and some great settings, from the Kilns to the Bodleian library, Oxford, London, and Scotland. I love that other literary figures also make cameos—Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie. I think this book will be loved equally by men and women (I must hide it from my husband). The actual mystery is exciting and kept me on my toes. The author’s notes at the end were fascinating and a lot are based on historical people and events, including a detective club with Agatha Christie, Sayers, and Chesterton. The mystery itself does involve some darker aspects, including the occult (see content notes below), but it never got too dark for me, and it is all told from a Christian perspective. I love that Lewis prays with one of the people he interviews when the person gets emotional. There is a great theme of the light shining through the darkness. Now I feel like the Inklings are lovable friends. Please, please let there be many more mysteries for the Inklings to solve! I am so excited to read about their next case and to see if their “Moriarty” will show up again. All the stars!

Content: I give this a PG-13 rating. Some examples of the content: characters drink alcohol and mention of people being drunk; mention of smoking and gambling; prostitutes and a mistress; substance abuse; joke about a seance; pipe smoking; mention of a ghost; the words “bloody” and “bastard” are used; mention of divination; mention of the occult; mention of insanity and an asylum; mention of someone being bisexual.
TW: speculation of su*cide; past depression; talk of beating a child; past abuse; past addict.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

[Regency_Fan_ Michelle RegencyFanMichelleAndMore]

DNF at 55%

I really wanted to enjoy The Inklings Detective Agency, and I gave it a solid chance, making it a little past the halfway point before deciding to set it aside.

For me, the story felt difficult to stay engaged with. There were a large number of characters introduced, which made it hard to keep track of who was who, and I struggled to connect with the mystery as it unfolded. The pacing also felt slow, and I never fully found myself pulled into the central investigation.

I also found that certain themes and repeated mentions of drinking, smoking, and cult-related discussions became overwhelming for my reading preferences, which made it harder for me to continue. I personally didn’t feel the Christian elements I was hoping for came through in the way I expected.

While this one wasn’t the right fit for me, I can see how readers who enjoy darker, more complex or atmospheric mysteries might have a different experience.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary e-copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

I'm not 100% how to describe it, but in my mind, this has the visual quality of a small, indie-produced Christian film that's one of three owned by a homeschooling family and is very important to the children of the home. it's a specific niche and a specific feeling and I was very much into it.

at the end of the day, the best part of this was all the literary cameos. the mystery itself was fine, I think, but it was kinda just a lot of talking and then a little bit of stuff actually happening right at the end. I love Jack and Tollers so much.

**content warnings for mentions of occult rituals and such, and mild profanity

[E.F. Buckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book on a complete impulse. I hadn’t even heard of the book, or the author, but was at Barnes and Noble for a different Christian historical fiction book, grabbed that one and was walking away, when I spotted this one and turned right back around. 😆 My literal thought process was, “The Inklings, you say? Detective agency, you say? Why yes, I think I will!”

It’s important to go into this realizing that it is basically fan fiction. There are many real-life figures in it (so many names dropped, and I would honestly be curious to know if the author or publisher had to get clearance from anyone’s estate to publish this) but the events of the mystery are purely fictional.

I have no idea how Tolkien and Lewis would have handled a murder mystery, but I did think the author kept his portrayal of them feeling authentic to who they were as men of faith. You can tell that he himself loves and respects their works, and them as authors and people. There are certainly many references to the stories they were working on at this point in their lives, and their mentalities felt appropriately connected to the beliefs I, as a fellow fan who has researched their respective lives, know that they had. They call evil what it is, and fight for justice and truth throughout.

I honestly thought Agatha Christie might be in this more than she was, however, the role she played ended up being an essential one. I was not previously very familiar with Dorothy Sayers at all, aside from hearing her name around sometimes, so her portrayal in this book resulted in a lot of online research for me. (Definitely not a bad thing!) I also plan to read a book I’ve seen around that was written about her and C.S. Lewis’s real life friendship when I have the chance. (”Dorothy and Jack” by Gina Dalfonzo)

As for the mystery itself, this was overall an interesting and twisty story, though I would say it’s important to realize up front that it’s closer to cozy mystery in feel than thriller. My main critique is that the pacing was pretty slow, with much of the first half of the mystery progressing via lots, and lots (and lots) of talking. I almost enjoyed it more when the story was leaning into showing the historical setting and showing Lewis and Tolkien just… being themselves vs. just having the Inklings just sitting and talking about their theories for possible murder suspects. I acknowledge that there had to be some sitting and talking, but I thought there could have been a little less of it than there was for the sake of pacing. There was some going places and investigating things that I enjoyed; I only wish it had happened sooner in the story. Nothing especially exciting happened until the big climax in the final third or so (which was very exciting indeed!)

Of course, the downside of using real historical figures as your main characters in a murder mystery is that the reader knows these people have “plot armor” and can’t be killed. So, you can threaten and injure them all you want, but the tension can only get but so high because there’s no real question over whether or not they’ll survive.

I will say that even though I had no idea who the murderer was until it got revealed, it was good that author was able to do it in a way that, once I knew, I could see where he’d dropped breadcrumbs all along the way.

And genuinely, I could feel the author having fun with all the name dropping and thinking up ways that these many authors, who were contemporaries whether they ever interacted with each other in real life or not, could meet and help each other with the mystery. Because he made it fun, I had fun with that too.

Overall, I definitely don’t regret buying this book on impulse. It’s not my favorite read of the year, but it was an enjoyable little mystery. Those who feel very particular about the fictional portrayals of real life figures such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien may not like how fan-fiction this story feels. But, if you’re still engaged after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shows up about three years after he historically died, claiming he faked his death and is at the Eagle and Child to ask the Inklings to investigate a murder, then you’re probably good to go for the rest of the story.

The ending had it feeling like there’s definite series potential here, though I have no idea if the author plans to do that or not. If he does, I probably will give future books a look and decide whether I’m interested in reading them on a case-by-case basis. But even if he doesn’t keep doing mysteries specifically, I think he should do more historical fiction because he has a good writing voice for it.

I'm giving this 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Content Advisory:

This is an adult Christian fiction murder mystery that might also be appropriate for older teen readers (16+) depending on maturity and personal sensitivities. It does deal with some serious subjects, like occult practices (labeled clearly as evil and dangerous), and also has historically accurate depictions of social drinking and heavy smoking throughout. The violence of the climax might be a bit intense for younger, and more sensitive readers.

Possible spoilers ahead, particularly in the violence section, though I’ll do my best to avoid naming names, and will especially avoid naming the murderer.

Language:

A couple uses of the British profanity “bloody.” A few exclamations of “Dear Lord” in moments of genuine distress and shock.

“Hell” is used in reference to the location.

Violence/Scariness:

This is a murder mystery, so talk of death, threats, and killing are all part of it. Most of the book is not violent at all, but the climax gets a little intense.

The condition of the first two murder victims’ bodies are described in moderate detail. (Nothing extreme.)

Another person is murdered via being hit over the head, and then after this person was dead, the murderer chopped up the body with an axe (not described, only stated as fact) in order to bury it in a small space. Tolkien finds an axe with blood on it as evidence of this, and also finds a hand and leg in the dirt. (These body parts are moderately described, but not in a bloody or gross way.)

Symptoms of poisoning by a certain substance are described. (Nothing graphic, but there’s talk of burning sensations, pain, paranoia, hair loss, and eventual death.)

Somebody gets followed multiple times, but nothing violent occurs because of this.

In the big climax, which is the most violent part of the book (I won’t name any names here): someone has a sword held to his throat, then two people are held at gunpoint. One person gets shot in the shoulder while trying to tackle the gun wielder (pain described) and two people get knocked over the head. Three people are tied up and held hostage. The murderer describes what they plan to do with these three people and starts to enact the plan, dragging them along the floor to arrange their bodies a certain way, and then cutting one person’s wrists, intending to leave the individual to bleed out. (Spurts of blood are described and we’re later told that this person did die due to blood loss and the poison he’d already, unintentionally ingested.) The other two people are rescued just as the murderer raises the knife, intending to stab one of them through the heart. The murderer gets tackled, manages to cut somebody’s arm (barely described and they live) and is about to kill that person when the second rescuer shoots the murderer in the shoulder, dropping them unconscious to the floor. (We’re told later that the murderer survived, but will likely spend life in prison or be hanged.)

Spoiler about the reason for the murders, which also involves a death: The murders are happening as revenge for the death of a young man during one of the so-called “magic” ceremonies performed by the group of magical practitioners. We’re told that the death wasn’t supposed to happen. The young man volunteered to give a few drops of blood, but the group didn’t know what they were doing and cut him too deep so he bled out (not described) and they tried to hide his body in the loch. Mentions that the condition of the body were not good when it was found, due to the fish and whatever else lives in the loch having assisted with decomposition, however, it’s not described graphically.

Sexual/Romance:

No romance at all, and anything sexual is only very brief, passing mentions: Someone who has been established to have terrible morals states that he and his fellows remained celibate for a time before a magical ceremony they intended to perform. One quote from this man’s real-life book metaphorically states that he “slept with faith” and found her dead in the morning, but “danced and drank with doubt” and left her a virgin.

Spiritual/Magic:

This is Christian historical fiction, featuring Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and other members of the Inklings, who were known for their strong faith in God. The story, while basically a piece of fan fiction in that this murder mystery is not something that happened in real life, still solidly shows these individuals as men of faith who are attempting to right a terrible wrong and bring about justice and truth.

Right and wrong, good and evil, are firmly established, and the Inklings don’t shy away from acknowledging a certain man and the cult-like group of his followers as morally depraved. However, they also acknowledge that this man and his followers are made in the image of God and loved by God, even if they don’t love Him in return. The Inklings treat these people with human dignity even while disagreeing with their worldviews and trying to stop the evil that is happening. The man himself acknowledges to C.S. Lewis that he knows full well that the two of them will spend eternity with their respective masters at the end of their lives, and this is a decision they both have consciously made. We also see that the terrible life choices this man made ultimately led to the murders that are happening in present day.

The major problem that the Inklings have with this cult-like group is that the group has been dabbling in the occult and practicing witchcraft. While this does get talked about throughout the book, the exact practices are not generally not described. We are made aware that these people believed they were summoning an “angel” and being given so-called “power.” This lust for power is why they kept doing it. At least one person felt like this was going too far and left the group, but the others were known to go so far as doing animal sacrifices (not described.) While they never intentionally killed humans as part of their practices, as stated in the violence section, the murders occurring in the present day of the story are happening because they were planning to use human blood in one ritual and accidentally cut a volunteer too deep, thus causing him to bleed out and die.

The book takes these occult practices seriously and acknowledges the very real dangers of them. One person who lived in a place where some of these practices were carried out tells C.S. Lewis and his older brother that his family experienced some strange things while living there, like believing they saw ghosts, heard strange noises, and had nightmares. They would even leave the place when full moons came around because it seemed to get worse. (These things are only talked about as happening in the past, none of the Inklings ever witness such a thing.)

Other:

There are historically accurate depictions of drinking and smoking throughout. Quite literally all of the characters drink socially throughout the book (this is typically not to the point of drunkenness).

Multiple characters smoke like chimneys. Tolkien is mentioned as smoking a pipe, but not extremely often. Multiple other characters smoke cigarettes and C.S. Lewis and Dorothy Sayers in particular seem to always have a cigarette in hand. To my knowledge, this is historically accurate, and it happened in a time when people didn’t understand the health implications of smoking.

Mention of the leader of the cult group having experimented with many drugs. (Never described) Opium is named, but it’s clear that he tried many other drugs as well and claims he sees himself as being the “best version” of himself only when under the influence of some substance. However, it seems that this “best version of himself” drove his wife to drinking to the point that she’d black out for days. We’re told that at one point she blacked out so long that this man faked their daughter’s death and tricked his wife into believing it was true, all to be able to hide his daughter away and raise her the way he wanted. (This is shown to have resulted in terrible consequences for the mental health of his daughter, who is shown to be highly unstable in her adulthood.) We’re told his wife later died because of her grief, and the man further shows his depraved viewpoint when he states he didn’t even care and that the world is better off without his wife in it.

[Lou Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christian, historical, murder mystery.
Story enjoyment rating 7.5/10 Christian faith level 2/3

[Chautona Havig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm already wanting more. There's so much to recommend this one, and yet it's so hard to describe!

First off, some of the Inklings are approached by someone they thought to be dead and asked to solve two murders before another is likely committed two weeks from now.

From there on, each Inkling approaches the mystery in a way that fits his personality. They each have their own strengths, bringing their combined talents into a dark, twisted tale of the occult. Kelly does a masterful job of showing just how vile our occultist is without steeping us in his debauchery and hedonism. It's the most brilliant way of "telling" versus "showing" while showing as you tell at the same time. Seriously, that right there gave this book five stars in itself.

But meeting Sayers, Chesterton, and Christie and seeing each of their strengths used to best advantage? I don't know. It just felt as if you were there and this really happened. I rarely feel that way about books that fictionalize the lives of characters. I often like the books, but to feel as if this could be their actual stories? Nope.

So much of what I want to say I can't without spoilers, but I did walk away with interesting insights into how the author showed Biblical truths without slapping you upside the head with them and saying, "SEE THIS!!!" Brilliant.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh the jolly temptation to launch into favorite literary quotes when contemplating that two of my earliest favorite fantasy writers along with their fellow Inklings are commissioned to solve a puzzling murder involving a secret cult. John R. Kelly was careful to caution readers this is a work of fiction set in the historic world and among historic characters, but yet I had the sense through his diligent crafting of his story that I was rubbing shoulders with some real literary greats as they solved a cunning case.

The Inkling Detective Agency introduced famous Inklings, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis as lead detectives in their first murder investigation. Along the way, there are familiar locations, faces, and hints as their writer minds gleaned from all they observed bits and pieces that would show up in later famous works.

The murder mystery involves a secret cultist group. Someone is killing off members each full moon and time is swiftly approaching for the next full moon so Jack and John have their work cut out for them. They are not shy about pulling in others with the expertise to help them and other famous literary faces – yes, I silently squeed when Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers members of the famous Detection Club appeared- entered the story as a result.

John R Kelly’s writing style and the tone of the story added authenticity and pulled me in easier. I felt like I was truly hanging out with literary academics and their contemporaries. Little details and quirks, dialogue, and actions (though yes, the occasional historical anachronism or Americanism would pop out) that made the characters, who were based on real life people, seem real.

The mystery was cozy and gently-paced for the most part- some lag and repetition in the middle, but delved into the darker shadows and picked it up in the latter portion. Aleister Crowley and his dark cultism gave me the heebie-jeebies right along with CS Lewis and Tolkien who heroically have taken the challenge of setting down their pens and stepping into real-life danger to stop an evil. I didn’t have an inkling as to the one behind it until nearer the end when I was supposed to be catching on.

And, so, my high anticipation of seeing some of my favorite between-the-wars era British authors acting as magnifying glass toting gumshoes was as good as I hoped and I really hope there will be more murder mysteries in this world from the pen of John R Kelly.

I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley to read in exchange for an honest review.


My full review will post at The Quill Ink 5.14.26.

[Elizabeth Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful mix of historical fiction and mystery! I enjoyed the creative use of real-life people in a fictitious setting!

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Objectively, this book is probably 2 stars, but it let me down so hard after a great premise/first chapter that I probably found the rest of it worse than it really was. The premise is really good, and I believe that's the main reason it's getting the buzz it is. The pace is so slow and the plot feels constructed with visible scaffolding by someone whose main goal is to shove as many recognizable historical figures into it as possible, rather than writing an exciting mystery. At one point C. S. Lewis even says that he knows who the murderer is because one of the rules of detective novels is that the culprit must be introduced early on, like he knows he is in an episode of Scooby Doo. This kind of meta satire could be interesting if it were on purpose, but Kelly isn't that strong of a writer. When I got to the end and read his author bio about how he teaches at an unaccredited bible college, all the boring and irrelevant theological discussions between the characters at least made sense.

If you want a better take on a similar premise, I recommend The Queens of Crime by Mary Benedict

[Jen Lovelace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painstakingly slow. So bummed. It had so much potential

[Paula Shreckhise · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Throughout history, the minds of literary geniuses and the practical science of detection have walked hand in hand.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
An entertaining who-done-it featuring The Inklings of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien fame. Completely fictional but fun story that has The Inklings being asked to investigate a murder. With an underlying faith theme that did spell out the faith of Lewis and Tolkien, this was an interesting look at the British Isles in 1936 that had cameos of the likes of Agatha Christie, C.K. Chesterton, and Dorothy Sayers. I especially enjoyed the quotes by famous authors at the beginning of each chapter.
The afterward told what real history was used in the novel. I was intrigued by The Detectives Club, a group of writers who had 10 rules of detective fiction. I will look for these when I watch my next Poirot or Ms. Marple.
This had overtones of the occult but it was explained in light of Christianity and the Bible.
“I suppose the greatest puzzles and mysteries in our lives are the people we choose to surround ourselves with.”
*A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Waterbrook via NetGalley. I was not required to post a favorable review.All opinions are mine alone.*

[Andrea Anderson-Bain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Inklings Detective Agency

✨Reading Mood: Cozy mystery, literary intrigue, deep conversations on faith and writing, rainy day read with a warm drink in hand.

Author: John R. Kelley
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Review:

As soon as I discovered this book on a friend’s bookstagram page, I knew I needed it in my life! I’m such a huge fan of C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, J.R.R. Tolkien, and so many other literary greats featured in this story, and the synopsis completely captivated me from the start. The idea alone felt tailor-made for readers like me.

What a truly excellent and imaginative concept this book is! There was something so special about stepping into the lives and minds of these legendary writers and seeing them reimagined together within a mystery of their own. I especially loved the thoughtful conversations woven throughout the story—particularly the discussions surrounding writing, imagination, life, and faith. Those moments honestly felt like the heart of the book for me.

I will say, I struggled at times to keep up with the large cast of characters, especially while reading during an autoimmune flare and dealing with horrid migraines. I also think I expected a bit more action and adventure than what the story ultimately delivered. In my mind, I had pictured something slightly different going in. But that truly comes down to my own expectations rather than any fault of the author or the story itself.

What this book does exceptionally well is atmosphere and character interaction. I absolutely loved the exchanges between Lewis (“Jack”) and Agatha Christie most of all. Their conversations completely drew me in, and honestly, I could have “listened” to the two of them talk for hours. Agatha herself absolutely stole the show for me every time she appeared on the page. There was something endlessly fascinating about seeing these brilliant minds work through the mystery together while also revealing pieces of their own hearts, beliefs, and perspectives along the way.

There are also beautiful threads of faith thoughtfully woven throughout the story that I deeply appreciated. It added a depth and warmth to the novel that made it feel richer than a standard literary mystery.

Overall, I think this is such a unique and enjoyable read, especially for lovers of classic literature and historical literary figures. I paired the physical book with the audiobook for a read-along experience that fully immersed me into the story, and I highly recommend experiencing it that way if you can.

I’m giving this one 4 stars for its originality, literary charm, mystery, intrigue, and the joy of spending time with some of literature’s most beloved minds.

[Megs · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this book immediately grabbed my attention. The Inklings, a real group of writers who meet to discuss and read their literary works, are presented with a murder to solve by a supposedly dead writer. The story had an atmospheric and intricate mystery, clever clues, and the writing had a sharpness that made the mystery more compelling.

I also loved the appearance of Agatha Christie, especially the reference to her 11-day disappearance. I had a few theories as to who the killer might have been, but the final reveal was still a surprise.

[Amy Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free advanced copy to read through Netgalley.

This book had an interesting premise that drew me in. Bonus points for a murder mystery that holds a Christian worldview while straying from being cheesy. It was a slow burn for me. I felt that it really picked up about 75% through it. It then became a page turner with an ending that I didn’t expect. Overall, an enjoyable read.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

To begin, I give a huge Thank You! to John R. Kelly, Penguin Random House Christian Publishing/Waterbrook, and NetGalley for allowing me access to this book for my honest review!

Trigger Warnings: slight language, murder, blood mention, mentions of child death in the past, poisoning, occultism, rituals.

Ever since I discovered this book earlier this year, I was intrigued to give it a good read. I have been a fan of the works of some of the most well known authors of the 20th century for many years. Authors such as C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Agatha Christie, all of which make appearances in this work of historical fiction. Needless to say, my excitement was elevated when I got accepted to read it. After having completed this book, I enjoyed some aspects of the story but struggled to connect with others.

The two main POVs in this story was C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. While I do love these authors quite a bit, I was a bit disappointed in how they seemed to overshadow all the other historical figures. The fact the other characters were consistently showering these two with praise due to their accolades was overshadowing the whole mystery aspect at times. All the historical information that is given on any of the characters felt really forced to me since those conversations felt artificial and solely for the sake of the reader. It felt like a historical fiction book trying too hard to be biographical at times.

In regards to the historical significances within the story, John does add some context at the end of the story. He explains which aspects were more accurate and whis parts he took more creative liberty with. As with any fiction based on actual history, I always appreciate those extra tidbits of clarification.

One characteristic this book does really well is sucking you into the time period and setting. The majority of this book takes place in various places in England, particularly Oxford and London, with a few chapters being within Scotland. Due to the range of settings, the reader gets to experience a variety of lifestyles throughout the story. London is obviously a bustling city full of people, whereas Loch Ness is much more slower paced and isolated if you will. It was very interesting to read how these places not only affected the case but the characters as well.

Being an American myself, I have always known Oxford as a massive university town where academics and secret societies run rampant. This culture was very prominent in this story which connected to the mystery case quite well in my opinion.

The Christian genre is mainly due to the main characters being of Christian faith. Their beliefs do effect their opinions and profiles they create for certain individuals throughout the story. I did enjoy this connection since it made them feel more realistic as actual people and not just characters in a made up story. I will say, some of the opinions did come off as more prejudiced, particularly from Lewis who himself went from atheism to Christianity. I feel as though he should have been more loving instead of coming off as holier than thou at times. There were some healthy debate concerning spiritual matters and an individual's walk that I found extremely interesting and insightful.

As far as the mystery is concerned, I enjoyed the fact The Inklings were all involved in trying to solve the case. There were groups that dealt with paranormal and criminal investigations back in the day so this was enjoyable to experience. That being said, I thought the investigation as a whole felt scattered. Due to the POVs, it felt as though the majority of the investigation was being conducted by the same few members which was a bit disappointing.

The actual investigation was conducted mainly through talking with various people and researching. While this felt more realistic, it did get a bit repetitive after a while. The whole process was basically, travel to a specific location, talk with a particular individual concerning the case, travel back to deliberate the findings amongst the other Inklings, repeat. I feel like the flow would have been more consistent if all the traveling scenes and blatant character historical information would have been cut down a bit.

At the end of the investigation, I am happy to say that I honestly did not connect the dots as to who committed the crimes. I was pleasantly surprised which is always a huge plus in mystery books for sure! There were the typical red herrings which were honestly some of my favorite characters in the whole story. While I am not going to spoil my favorite character since I was shocked to see him make an appearance, this particular infamous occult leader made the book so much more interesting for sure.

All in all, if you enjoy reading about well-known authors and spearheads of mystery and the macabre, this book may be for you! I personally would go into this book with the understanding that it is not solely a mystery but also a biography of sorts with plenty of personal information of the characters. Overall, a good read if a bit slow at times.

[Ray Palen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since Matthew Pearl’s Dante’s Club novels, I have never seen more literary figures utilized within the historical fiction framework. That limit has been shattered by the debut effort of author John R. Kelly and his novel THE INKLINGS DETECTIVE AGENCY which features a myriad of famous British writers in the midst of a deadly, murderous conspiracy.

Upon first glance, it appears that the driving forces in this novel are J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, who were famous for being best friends during their time at Oxford and a relationship that helped to further ignite the creation of the immortal Lord Of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia series. Add to these other all-time famous authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Dame Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Sayers, among others, and you have the makings for a dynamic and enormously intriguing work of historical mystery fiction.

The action begins on December 10, 1936, in Oxfordshire, England where a wiry-framed fellow named John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is racing through the streets towards his destination. That place would be the Eagle and Child pub where his fellow members of the group calling themselves The Inklings were meeting. This group was made up of fellow writers from Oxford such as Charles Williams, Lord David Cecil, Adam Fox, Neville Coghill, Hugo Dyson and his absent best mate, C.S. ‘Jack’ Lewis. Others came in and out of the group, but they never accomplished anything quite as important as the mission about to be presented to them from a famous source.

This famous person was none other than the creator of Sherlock Holmes himself, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He had a mystery to lay at the feet of the Inklings so that they could now officially call themselves a Detective Agency. Gruesome murders, each committed in ritual fashion with the previous full moons, haunted the area and Doyle tasked the group with looking into it. Specifically, he pointed them in the direction of an infamous cult group known as The Order Of the Golden Dawn. The first step would be to learn everything they could about the group and meet with some of its’ secretive members, all before the next full moon claims another life.

Two members agreed to meet with Tolkien and Lewis at an exclusive club where they held membership, Beckworth and MacDougall. Some information is given, but mostly the men stay close-lipped about the purpose of their group as well as the size of their membership. They are given a lead into one specific member who might also be considered a serious suspect --- the occult writer Aleister Crowley. They meet with Crowley, who gives intricate details about the two bodies that have already been found and behaves in his own unique manner that keeps him a suspect in the eyes of the Inklings.

As the list of possible suspects grows, the Inklings splinter off to pursue different leads. During this time, they find themselves reaching out to authors outside of their own group who could aid them in their pursuit. Specifically, female writer Dorothy Sayers --- who would later become a great friend to Lewis --- and the great Dame Agatha Christie. In a terrific bit of historical reimagining, Kelly has Christie confide to Lewis that he eleven-day period where she famously went missing, she was actually in pursuit of a murder case. How ironic that her return to the public eye was in the company of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Christie provides some keen advice to Lewis: ‘Never let the threat of death keep you from being a good detective. There are far more important things to lose than your life. Like your self-respect.”

The novel is chock full of classic encounters with literary greats all in the pursuit of a confounding killer who seems to always be just out of their reach yet always under their very nose. The Inklings will run afoul of trouble more than once and the suspense and thrills combine nicely with the awe-inspiring depictions of some of the greatest and most respected literary minds the U.K. has ever produced.

THE INKLINGS DETECTIVE AGENCY is a diabolically clever novel, intricately researched and detailed by John R. Kelly who breathes life into these long-departed famous authors whose meeting up is the dream of any classic mystery fan, or aficionado of great literary works in general. I am praying that Kelly continues with this series and eager to see where these characters, and the possibility of others, may take it!

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Amy Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This book hooked me right in with the lovable Inklings characters, but them working on the mystery was honestly… kind of boring? Part of the problem is I never really understood the stakes. It was presented as “you must do this to save lives” but I still didn’t understand why that needed to be handled by this particular group of people or why it should affect them other than general concern. The investigation involves a lot of disjointed conversations and visits with various people… some were interesting and some were not.

At the end when the killer was revealed, I still didn’t really care, but then there was a sort of second layer that was unveiled that did make my jaw drop.

The prose is very immersive, but there are scenes that are kind of flat where the characters are doing something that doesn’t feel like it’s moving the plot. But when it’s interesting, it’s interesting. It’s so hard to explain without spoilers, but it really is like an immersive Inkling inspired story combined with a dull murder mystery story. If there is a second book, I will likely check it out.

Edited to add: Something I did enjoy in the investigative conversations early in the book was the deep philosophical conversations regarding false religion vs Christianity. I bet that part will bore some people, but I loved it.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been one of my favorite books thus far this year. It was a great mix of a fun and creative mystery coupled with a very believable historical-fiction setting. The author makes it very clear in the beginning that not every facet of this story is historically accurate. Thus, unburdened in this manner, it allowed me to just enjoy the stimulation of trying to solve the fun mystery along with some of my favorite authors, including Agatha Christie, JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and, not least, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Selected quotes throughout from e.g. Tolkien, Lewis and Doyle, along with very interesting historical events and places cited by Mr. Kelly in his closing notes, were appreciated and fascinating. This was a fun mystery which left me wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version in which the narrator was consistently excellent!!!!! "All the STARS" for this reading/listening experience.

[Lynn Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my expectations were too high for this one—and completely off course as well. The plot seemed slow to get going and I think some of that was due to the continuous parade of real life characters being tossed into the story and then having not a lot to do—other than drawing attention away from the two I’d come to read about.

I’d envisioned more of a cozy romp featuring a jolly JRR Tolkien-CS Lewis bromance, possibly with some witty banter about the theological and literary differences that eventually drove them apart. Instead, it was a much darker plot, involving Aleister Crowley (the last person I expected to encounter) and too many details about his creepy blood magic cult. Disappointing.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found The Inklings Detective Agency intriguing as it involved C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie among others. The story also mentioned several places on or near the Oxford University campus I have visited including the Martyrs Monument and The Eagle and Child pub where my husband and I enjoyed lunch with friends. The mystery was rather darker than I usually like because it revolved around a secret occult society but it kept me guessing! I was unable to figure out the murderer before the denouement.

[Alli · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, can we just take a second to appreciate this cover? This book is deserving of such a great cover.

Cozy. Mysterious. Engaging and entertaining. This was brilliantly done. If you are a fan of any of the great writers mentioned in the book you’ll appreciate it that much more (but don’t worry! If you know nothing about them you’ll get a fantastic story).
This is so well written. The descriptions, the settings and characters... I thought I knew who it was and then second guessed myself and then plots twists haha. It was a fun book and I was ridiculously happy with all of the “guest stars” and appearances.

[JoesFantasyBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

John R. Kelly did an amazing job with his research for this book. This was a fantastic mix of the classic murder mystery, real literary legends, real historical people, societies, and places. The story was very engaging and once setup, I didn’t want to stop reading until I was through. I really hope there are further mysteries to be solved by The Inkling Detective Agency - I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

[Melmo2610 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was super intrigued by this book once I saw it in early 2026. It did not disappoint! It was so much fun seeing so many authors that I love in a fictionalized story coming together to solve a murder. When I say the story was right up my alley, I could not mean it more! The dialogue is well written and multiple lines made me laugh and while the case is a bit dark, considering who is on the case, it kind of makes sense. I hope this is going to be a series! I’ll be passing this book onto my hubby to read next because I’m sure he’ll also enjoy it.

I received a copy of this book from the Author and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my honest opinion.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed listening to this boo so much. Anything about the Inklings draws me, and I know this was fiction, but it was good. As I told a friend, it brings a mix of nostalgia and newness all at the same time. I'm sure there's a word for that.

Regarding the plot, i thought it was drawn out wonderfully and all came together well, I will want this book on my shelf.

No foul language or sex scenes or love stories.

[Christine Barth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise that Tolkien, Lewis and the Inklings were also secretly investigating murders (in concert with other famous British writers) is ridiculous, but it also somehow works. I thought this was a well-written mystery and I've read enough about the Inklings that I think the characterization of all these real people was pretty spot on, despite being heavily fictionalized.
The murder case itself was a bit grisly, but I would definitely read another if this series continues.

[Hannah Goodmiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book certainly peaked my interest to learn more about the Inklings and those involved in the society. It was a bit darker than I was expecting because I was unaware of the dark history of some of the authors included in this book. But still, I enjoyed it and found it thought provoking, it kept me engaged!

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, but having these famous authors as the team of investigators elevated it from good to excellent as it really added a touch of nostalgia to the story and at the end the addition of the historical notes of interest was the cherry on top. I loved it!