The Killing of a Chestnut Tree, by Oliver K. Langmead, is a cozy historical mystery/fantasy, with protagonists who are strongly reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. There were a few elements in the long prologue that kept pulling me out of the story, as I questioned the worldbuilding, but the characters were interesting enough that I kept going, and once I finally got to the main plot, I was hooked. The tree victimization here is indeed tantamount to murder, but It’s mostly a gentle story, and a hopeful one. For me, it was a sweet, refreshing break from some of the horror that I’ve been reading and listening to lately (both fictional and real-world).
The prologue is a bit disconcerting in several ways. First of all, it’s in second person, present tense, and it takes quite a while to discover why this way of starting the book was chosen. Secondly, it focuses on a night watchman and his co-worker, with a puzzle of flowers being left at a textile mill, and it’s initially hard to figure out how that could be related to the mystery described on the tin. Thirdly, once watchman Emmet Parson takes his little mystery to the famous consulting detective, Havelock Harper, and his chronicler/companion, Major Sebastian Wright, they all immediately exchange and use first names, which is extremely atypical for the Victorian/Edwardian England when this book is set.
A few other things in the prologue keep making you stop and wonder what was going on, and why the author has made these choices. However, by the end of the prologue, you realize that the prologue is a framing device for the main story, which is an extremely appropriate form of storytelling for Victorian/Edwardian literature. That satisfies you enough to keep reading. The watchman and his co-worker are seen again in a couple of Interludes and the conclusion, where secrets are exchanged and relationships deepen, so the oddities are reasonably justified, and it all works out in the end.
The main plot consists of a Havelock Harper story “written” (third person limited, past tense) by Sebastian Wright, never published because of the confidential nature of the mystery and because of references to Havelock and Sebastian’s personal relationship. (They’re in love, and this is not the only homosexual/queer relationship in the book, although revelation of those secrets would clearly bring social ruin, possibly criminal prosecution, which is, sadly, completely period-accurate.)
From the publisher’s description (MILD SPOILERS): Havelock and Sebastian have been summoned to investigate the murder of the Duke of Farleigh. When they arrive at the scene of the crime — a secluded, enchanting forest — they discover that the victim is a tree! The trees of Farleigh have begun to write words in their bark and branches, expressing themselves for all to read. The Duke is an ancient chestnut, cruelly chopped down, and to the villagers of Farleigh, he is a beloved friend. They want justice.
I really love that the fantasy of this book is simply the quiet, slow magic of the trees, who have have apparently been reaching out in cryptic communication after being exposed to language. I was half expecting fey folk or something, but it’s just a lovely relationship between people and trees. I wouldn’t quite describe this as ecological fiction, since there’s usually an element of change in that, and people here are strenuously avoiding change instead of coping with it after the fact, but it is very “green and pleasant” book.
The villagers and their Duchess have kept the forest’s secret for decades, fearing that if known, the forest would be despoiled, possibly even completely destroyed, by profit-seekers. So it seems that this killing must have been committed by one of their own, although most of them can’t imagine why. Havelock asks questions and does some research and brilliantly figures out both who committed this and the motivations for doing so, and everyone accepts the resolution that he proffers.
If you hate brilliant detectives who solve mysteries that you can’t (because you aren’t presented with all their research), this may not be the book for you. I wouldn’t want a steady diet of that, but I think this kind of book is fun once in a while; moreover, Havelock is genuinely nice, caring, and thoughtful, not one of those eccentric geniuses who use their brilliance as an excuse to be mean to everyone encountered.
Really, everyone in this book has good intentions, it’s just that some of them don’t trust each other enough to discuss their problems instead of taking drastic preemptive action. Havelock’s resolution allows them to work together in a way that should help safeguard their and the forest’s future together. This left me feeling quite charitable toward all involved. Despite my initial misgivings, I enjoyed this book very much.
The Killing of a Chestnut Tree, by Oliver K. Langmead, will be published on Oct. 27. (127 pages)
Content warnings: Crimes against trees, grief, loss.
Disclaimer: I received a free eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.
