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  • The Killing of a Chestnut Tree by Oliver K. Langmead book cover
  • The Killing of a Chestnut Tree by Oliver K. Langmead book cover
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The Killing of a Chestnut Tree

by Oliver K. Langmead

A detective case in an enchanted forest

$20.80 USD
$34.67 USD $20.80 USD
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AlbakiReads Editorial

A detective case in an enchanted forest

A murdered tree is the center of an unusual investigation in Oliver K. Langmead’s cozy fantasy. Gentleman detective Havelock Harper and Major Sebastian Wright are called to Farleigh, where trees have begun writing messages in their bark and branches. The victim, an ancient chestnut known to villagers as a beloved friend, has been chopped down, and the pair must seek justice. The mystery combines a village crime with a forest whose trees can communicate, alongside the private love affair between the two investigators. The premise gives the case both magical elements and a question of how the villagers’ bond with the chestnut shapes their pursuit of the culprit.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in cozy fantasy mysteries and magical crimes.
  • Readers who enjoy detective partnerships and queer relationships.
  • Readers curious about stories centered on trees, forests, and village life.

Themes

Mystery and justiceQueer loveCommunication with natureCommunity and loss

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

Be gay, solve crimes!

"I loved this book! Havelock and Sebastian are such great company, brilliant, approachable, fascinating, their relationship is real and touching and relatable. And the mystery is riveting." --#1 New York Times bestselling author LOUISE PENNY

Meet Havelock Harper, gentleman detective. Dapper, delightful, and decidedly queer, he's here to solve your most magical mysteries.

Everyone in England knows Havelock Harper, the celebrated consulting detective from the papers. But if any of them read his private files, they would discover secrets that must never reach the public eye--extraordinary cases, impossible crimes, and a committed love affair with his formidable companion Major Sebastian Wright.

And their next case might be the queerest yet.

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.

Havelock and Sebastian must use all their wits and wisdom to find the murderer who has shattered the peace of Farleigh.

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