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Keith Calder #1
Dead Game
The first book in the Keith Calder series
Keith Calder is an itinerant gunsmith and shooting instructor. He is also a rascal with a total disregard for the law, a skilled and dedicated poacher of birds of both varieties.
Calder is a guest at a shoot in the Scottish Borders when one of the syndicate members dies—apparently by accident, but a bullet is found in his body.
Calder has a personal interest in the case, which deepens when the brother of his current girlfriend is arrested and charged with the murder. Calder begins to makes his own enquiries but he and Molly find themselves in danger . . .
Keith Calder is an itinerant gunsmith and shooting instructor. He is also a rascal with a total disregard for the law, a skilled and dedicated poacher of birds of both varieties.
Calder is a guest at a shoot in the Scottish Borders when one of the syndicate members dies—apparently by accident, but a bullet is found in his body.
Calder has a personal interest in the case, which deepens when the brother of his current girlfriend is arrested and charged with the murder. Calder begins to makes his own enquiries but he and Molly find themselves in danger . . .
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1980
392 people are currently reading
199 people want to read
About the author
Gerald Hammond
100 books19 followersGerald Hammond, (Gerald Arthur Douglas Hammond) son of Frederick Arthur Lucas (a physician) and Maria Birnie (a nursing sister) Hammond; married Gilda Isobel Watt (a nurse), August 20, 1952; children: Peter, David, Steven. Education: Aberdeen School of Architecture, Dip. Arch., 1952. He served in the British Army, 1944-45. Although born in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, he worked in and retired to the country he most loved, Scotland.
He also writes under the names of Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden. He was an architect for thirty years before retiring to write novels full-time in 1982. He has written over 50 novels since the late 1960s.
His novels center around guns, shooting, hunting, fishing, and dog training.
He also writes under the names of Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden. He was an architect for thirty years before retiring to write novels full-time in 1982. He has written over 50 novels since the late 1960s.
His novels center around guns, shooting, hunting, fishing, and dog training.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 6, 2019
Great mystery, great characters
January 5, 2019 By Charles van Buren
An outstanding book (and series) for lovers of good writing, mysteries, the outdoors, dogs, fine guns, shooting sports and a Scotland which is no more (Great Britain even then was becoming an over regulated, over governed nanny state in which citizens are free to participate in anything approved of by the government).
At the time I write this, all nine of Hammond's Keith Calder novels are available via Kindle Unlimited. Hammond wrote most of his 70+ books using his own name but he also used the pen names Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden.
January 5, 2019 By Charles van Buren
An outstanding book (and series) for lovers of good writing, mysteries, the outdoors, dogs, fine guns, shooting sports and a Scotland which is no more (Great Britain even then was becoming an over regulated, over governed nanny state in which citizens are free to participate in anything approved of by the government).
At the time I write this, all nine of Hammond's Keith Calder novels are available via Kindle Unlimited. Hammond wrote most of his 70+ books using his own name but he also used the pen names Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden.
January 21, 2019
Charles van Buren
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Great mystery, great characters
January 5, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
An outstanding book (and series) for lovers of good writing, mysteries, the outdoors, dogs, fine guns, shooting sports and a Scotland which is no more (Great Britain even then was becoming an over regulated, over governed nanny state in which citizens are free to participate in anything approved of by the government).
At the time I write this, all nine of Hammond's Keith Calder novels are available via Kindle Unlimited. Hammond wrote most of his 70+ books using his own name but he also used the pen names Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Great mystery, great characters
January 5, 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
An outstanding book (and series) for lovers of good writing, mysteries, the outdoors, dogs, fine guns, shooting sports and a Scotland which is no more (Great Britain even then was becoming an over regulated, over governed nanny state in which citizens are free to participate in anything approved of by the government).
At the time I write this, all nine of Hammond's Keith Calder novels are available via Kindle Unlimited. Hammond wrote most of his 70+ books using his own name but he also used the pen names Arthur Douglas and Dalby Holden.
December 16, 2025
These are Scottish mystery books dealing with game shooting. And this is why having libraries is so important. I live in the US and I only discovered them many years ago because a local librarian decided to stock his/her small branch with these books. I daresay that these books aren't something a regular bookstore would stock and in fact I've never seen them in a bookstore. I moved later on and my new local libraries didn't have them. I ended up buying most of them from England but they are now available in the US in the used market.
They are not fast and furious books but rather character, setting and lifestyle driven books. In reading this series I learned a lot about game shooting, guns, dogs and conservation. I've read the entire series 2-3x and this is probably the last time I'll be able to re-read them due to age and availability of a world of books due to technology.
Spoilers ahead. This is the first book in the series. In this book we are introduced to Keith Calder, itinerant gunsmith who lives in a mobile van. He is at a game shoot when a man is shot to death. He gets into investigation it because his prospective brother in law is charged with the crime.
With his sleuthing skills and knowledge he rules out an accidental death and deduces that the victim was killed with a rifle bullet shot out of a shotgun. He starts looking into the background of the slain man to see who has a reason to kill him. It gets a bit complicated to me at this point and I lost track of who benefits but it was more than one of the other people at the shoot.
Calder gets so close that freelance enforcers are hired to give him a beating, who he turns the tables on, giving both a severe beating and one is jailed. The other tries again, first by trying to target Molly, his significant other and finally by burning his van. But fortunately he was out early that morning and ends up shooting and killing the arsonist.
Finally, the killer catches Calder at a quarry but Calder manages to kill him instead. The story ends with Calder marrying Molly and settling down. In re-reading this book, it wasn't as good as my memory made it but I'm going to re-read the series anyway.
They are not fast and furious books but rather character, setting and lifestyle driven books. In reading this series I learned a lot about game shooting, guns, dogs and conservation. I've read the entire series 2-3x and this is probably the last time I'll be able to re-read them due to age and availability of a world of books due to technology.
Spoilers ahead. This is the first book in the series. In this book we are introduced to Keith Calder, itinerant gunsmith who lives in a mobile van. He is at a game shoot when a man is shot to death. He gets into investigation it because his prospective brother in law is charged with the crime.
With his sleuthing skills and knowledge he rules out an accidental death and deduces that the victim was killed with a rifle bullet shot out of a shotgun. He starts looking into the background of the slain man to see who has a reason to kill him. It gets a bit complicated to me at this point and I lost track of who benefits but it was more than one of the other people at the shoot.
Calder gets so close that freelance enforcers are hired to give him a beating, who he turns the tables on, giving both a severe beating and one is jailed. The other tries again, first by trying to target Molly, his significant other and finally by burning his van. But fortunately he was out early that morning and ends up shooting and killing the arsonist.
Finally, the killer catches Calder at a quarry but Calder manages to kill him instead. The story ends with Calder marrying Molly and settling down. In re-reading this book, it wasn't as good as my memory made it but I'm going to re-read the series anyway.
August 12, 2018
Great characters, great story, and you learn a bit about guns and dogs and poaching ...
I first read this series when it was originally published and I’m delighted to find the books are just as enjoyable decades later. There is no sense of the stories being dated, perhaps because they focus on country pursuits where you are not conscious that there are no computers, no mobile phones... The important thing is that the characters are fully developed real people that you care about.
The lead character is Keith Calder, itinerant gunsmith and shooting instructor. He is a bit of a lad, is Keith. Never mind a girl in every port - he has one in every town. And while he has to keep on the windy side of the law, he’s not above the odd bit of poaching, not to mention other dubious pursuits.
Keith is one of a shooting party which ends in tragedy when a man dies. He is called in to help the defence when a local man is charged with murder. This proves to be a bit tricky as the accused and he are at daggers drawn, and Keith has a few secrets of his own to keep.
A very satisfying read.
I first read this series when it was originally published and I’m delighted to find the books are just as enjoyable decades later. There is no sense of the stories being dated, perhaps because they focus on country pursuits where you are not conscious that there are no computers, no mobile phones... The important thing is that the characters are fully developed real people that you care about.
The lead character is Keith Calder, itinerant gunsmith and shooting instructor. He is a bit of a lad, is Keith. Never mind a girl in every port - he has one in every town. And while he has to keep on the windy side of the law, he’s not above the odd bit of poaching, not to mention other dubious pursuits.
Keith is one of a shooting party which ends in tragedy when a man dies. He is called in to help the defence when a local man is charged with murder. This proves to be a bit tricky as the accused and he are at daggers drawn, and Keith has a few secrets of his own to keep.
A very satisfying read.
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October 4, 2020 4.07 · Rating details · 110 ratings · 9 reviews
The first book in the Keith Calder series
Keith Calder is an itinerant gunsmith and shooting instructor. He is also a rascal with a total disregard for the law, a skilled and dedicated poacher of birds of both varieties.
Calder is a guest at a shoot in the Scottish Borders when one of the syndicate members dies—apparently by accident, but a bullet is found in his body.
Calder has a personal interest in the case, which deepens when the brother of his current girlfriend is arrested and charged with the murder. Calder begins to makes his own enquiries but he and Molly find themselves in danger . . .
Didn't finish it. Too many guns, too much killing of animals, even if it was set in Scotland.
Praise for Gerald Hammond
‘A gruesome, lightheartedly complex caper in the Scottish lowlands… the whole tangled romp has a what-ho!, outdoorsy energy that's undeniably appealing.’ – Kirkus Reviews
The first book in the Keith Calder series
Keith Calder is an itinerant gunsmith and shooting instructor. He is also a rascal with a total disregard for the law, a skilled and dedicated poacher of birds of both varieties.
Calder is a guest at a shoot in the Scottish Borders when one of the syndicate members dies—apparently by accident, but a bullet is found in his body.
Calder has a personal interest in the case, which deepens when the brother of his current girlfriend is arrested and charged with the murder. Calder begins to makes his own enquiries but he and Molly find themselves in danger . . .
Didn't finish it. Too many guns, too much killing of animals, even if it was set in Scotland.
Praise for Gerald Hammond
‘A gruesome, lightheartedly complex caper in the Scottish lowlands… the whole tangled romp has a what-ho!, outdoorsy energy that's undeniably appealing.’ – Kirkus Reviews
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 30, 2020
A gunsmith/gun trader/hunting guide (Keith Calder) who lives out of an old bank van participated in a shoot where one of the hunters was shot. An innocent man is arrested for it, and Keith knows, because he's responsible for the evidence he put on the man's property that led to his arrest. Calder is innocent (of the murder anyway) as well, and he goes searching for who really did it. There is waayyy to much text devoted to describing different types of guns, gun mechanisms, bullet markings, wadding, etc, which may be of interest to gun hobbyists, but I found it tedious. Additionally, Calder sleeps around, isn't above poaching, and allowed an innocent man to languish in prison for months to protect his own skin. I prefer my lead characters to have principles, thank you very much. This book was the first in a series, but I won't be reading the rest.
February 26, 2020
This was a great book to read. It moved slowly enough to get involved in the story but fast enough to not lose interest.
Keith Calder, the main character, is a hoot of a guy, with a comical side, as well as his serious side.
When a body shows up after a shoot, for partridge, and is mostly burned, it is a surprise to Keith to discover that he knew the victim.
It then becomes evident that he is going to have to help the lawyer, who is defending his girl friends brother, with the consulting side of his business. That of a gunsmith repair/trainer/speaker on the points of fine safe shooting.
Keith soon shows the Chief Inspector that he knows what he is talking about, after asking a few questions into the shooting and finds himself being attacked by unknown assailants.
A great read.
Keith Calder, the main character, is a hoot of a guy, with a comical side, as well as his serious side.
When a body shows up after a shoot, for partridge, and is mostly burned, it is a surprise to Keith to discover that he knew the victim.
It then becomes evident that he is going to have to help the lawyer, who is defending his girl friends brother, with the consulting side of his business. That of a gunsmith repair/trainer/speaker on the points of fine safe shooting.
Keith soon shows the Chief Inspector that he knows what he is talking about, after asking a few questions into the shooting and finds himself being attacked by unknown assailants.
A great read.
October 15, 2020
A very good read that held my attention causing me to stay up very late in order to finish the book. Had me fooled right up to the end.Not used to reading books from the UK, I had to google terms and expressions more than a few times.
A very good read that had me staying up very late to finish the book. Many of the terms and expression, being written in the UK, caused me to use google to clarify the word.
A very good read that had me staying up very late to finish the book. Many of the terms and expression, being written in the UK, caused me to use google to clarify the word.
October 9, 2020
I would give this book a 4.5. The characters were well developed and readily believable and I enjoyed the descriptions of the Highlands and Edinburgh since is has been at least 10 years since I have been back there. I was glad I was able to get definitions of the Scottish legal terms on my eReader. The story is more proceeduaral than a fast paced thriller but the action scenes were enjoyable.
April 28, 2020
Scotland,dogs mayhem
I have not ad a Gerald Hammond book for a few years and I had forgotten how well scripted his books are. If you like Scotland ,dogs and crime and a well planned storyline then this author should be at the top of your list to read and follow.
I have not ad a Gerald Hammond book for a few years and I had forgotten how well scripted his books are. If you like Scotland ,dogs and crime and a well planned storyline then this author should be at the top of your list to read and follow.
May 7, 2020
Keith Calder is a gunsmith and shooting instructor, but when a member of a shoot is killed and a friend arrested he decides to investigate. A bit too much about guns and bullets at times, which I just skipped.
But enjoyable enough for the first in a series
But enjoyable enough for the first in a series
October 30, 2020
Excellent
I just admit that I was a little unsure about this book at first mainly because I understood about every fifth word; however, I plowed through it and found the story enthralling, the characters likable and humorous and the finale satisfying. Well done
I just admit that I was a little unsure about this book at first mainly because I understood about every fifth word; however, I plowed through it and found the story enthralling, the characters likable and humorous and the finale satisfying. Well done
November 19, 2020
Great story
Most enjoyable ramble around Scotland. Well written with a great storyline.
I only stopped reading it when dinner was ready otherwise I read it in one sitting.
Some good twists and turns.......well done!!
Most enjoyable ramble around Scotland. Well written with a great storyline.
I only stopped reading it when dinner was ready otherwise I read it in one sitting.
Some good twists and turns.......well done!!
November 20, 2020
Fascinating look at English gun laws
Put into perspective that guns are no more or less a tool, the story reveals the evil in a mans heart. Also a goodness irrespective of a bullet. Highly recommended.
Put into perspective that guns are no more or less a tool, the story reveals the evil in a mans heart. Also a goodness irrespective of a bullet. Highly recommended.
September 14, 2021
Excellent!
What good writing style for an excellent tale well told. Distinctive characters, realistic events and dialogue and an interesting set of events . It is a really quality read!
What good writing style for an excellent tale well told. Distinctive characters, realistic events and dialogue and an interesting set of events . It is a really quality read!
August 10, 2022
Good start to a series
There are lots of amateur detective novels out there but this a bit different in terms of characters and more
Good writing and character development.
Hard to put down.
There are lots of amateur detective novels out there but this a bit different in terms of characters and more
Good writing and character development.
Hard to put down.
December 29, 2024
Enjoyable
The begging seems a bit dense with all the descriptions of shooting rules, different gun and so. But when the story starts it is really enjoyable though I was so sad about the dogs. I will probably read more of the series.
The begging seems a bit dense with all the descriptions of shooting rules, different gun and so. But when the story starts it is really enjoyable though I was so sad about the dogs. I will probably read more of the series.
October 2, 2019
Great Fall Weekend Read
I love mysteries. Dead Game was a refreshing change . The characters were so well written and very believable. Looking forward to book 2.
I love mysteries. Dead Game was a refreshing change . The characters were so well written and very believable. Looking forward to book 2.
October 11, 2020
Creatively Clever and Entertaining!
Somewhat stereotypically British and a Bit slow in places but quite cleverly humorous and suspenseful in a most enjoyable way!
Somewhat stereotypically British and a Bit slow in places but quite cleverly humorous and suspenseful in a most enjoyable way!
October 11, 2020
Loved it. The characters are believable and the story moves right along. I am glad I read it on my Kindel so I could lookup all the strange Scottish lingo. I will read more of these.
October 12, 2020
I loved this book!
A great book with well written, likeable characters. The story was engaging and enjoyable... Now I must read book two.
A great book with well written, likeable characters. The story was engaging and enjoyable... Now I must read book two.
October 30, 2020
Thanks to BookBub for helping me get through COVID!!
November 2, 2020
Interesting quirky murder mystery
Really enjoyed the Scotland color and look forward to a few more adventures in bird hunting. Had a hard time putting this one down
Really enjoyed the Scotland color and look forward to a few more adventures in bird hunting. Had a hard time putting this one down
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November 4, 2020Read 11/20
November 26, 2020
Great characters good story. Somewhat difficult to follow at times but that might just be me. I will read another of his books before making any judgement on his writing style.
November 30, 2020
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
May 9, 2021
Loved it!
January 17, 2022
A very engaging murder mystery.
December 21, 2024
Not one of my best reads but did finish. Reason could be how different this book was to everything I have read previously.
December 21, 2024
Interesting and different twists — a gonsmith turned sleuth. Enjoyable to find this is the first of a lengthy series focused on Keith and his family and friends.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews