GUEST REVIEW: The Inklings Detective Agency by John R Kelly

ABOUT THE BOOK

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.

The Inklings Detective Agency by John R Kelly. Published May 5, 2026

OPENING LINES

He pulled the jacket tight around him, but the blustery wind did not relent in biting and chilling him to the bone. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien paid it no mind. He was deeply lost in thought, speaking quick phrases and languages, some known only to him.

REVIEW by Sophia Rose

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, 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 writers' 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 story's tone added authenticity and pulled me in more easily. 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, with some lag and repetition in the middle, but delved into the darker shadows and picked 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 took up the challenge of putting pen to paper and stepping into real-life danger to stop 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 here will be more murder mysteries in this world from the pen of John R Kelly.

John R Kelly, author

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, the history of world religions, and the real-life Inklings. He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and eight children.

ABOUT SOPHIA ROSE, Guest Reviewer

Sophia is a quiet, curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, piano-playing, and gardening. Road trips and campouts, museums and monuments, restaurants, and theaters are her jam. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and a loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, baseball, cats, Scooby Doo, and chocolate. As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing. In 2012, she submitted her first book review and is currently an associate reviewer.

Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener, which allows her to experience many wonderful books, authors, and narrators. Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction, particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance. Sorry, no horror...or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby. Connect with Sophia via FACEBOOK GOODREADS TWITTER