Letter from the Dead

Detective Inspector Declan Walsh Series, Book 1

By: Jack Gatland

Narrated by: Robin Laing

Length: 8 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

"By the time you read this, I will be dead.... "

When Victoria Davies was pushed off her stately home's roof in 2001, all evidence pointed to her husband Michael. But now, 20 years later a letter has appeared, written by Victoria before her death; a letter that was never received, and a letter that brings new suspects into the fray; Labor MPs Shaun Donnal, Andrew MacIntyre, and Charles Baker.

But two decades on, life has changed for these men. Donnal is now a paranoid alcoholic living on the streets of London, "Andy Mac" is a popular YouTube evangelist, and Charles Baker is the current Conservative Home Secretary, and the bookie's choice for next Prime Minister in the upcoming leadership election.

Now Detective Inspector Declan Walsh, saved from permanent suspension and newly transferred to the Temple Inn "Last Chance Saloon" Crime Unit, must navigate a minefield filled with political intrigue, adulterous affairs, social activist aristocrats, and brutal, bloody murder, as each suspect leads his new team to another problem, and skeleton to fall out of the closet....

©2020 Jack Gatland (P)2021 Tantor

Enjoyed listening

The book held my interest, I enjoyed listening, and that’s all I look for in a book. It was no nail biter but for more importance to me was it didn’t use sex andc profanity fill the costed.

Good not great

Hmmm. This wasn’t bad. I love the genre and the narration was well done. Maybe because I listened to the audiobook that I had a hard time remembering some of the characters. In fact, there is one in the Epilogue that I can’t recall at all. I wish I could do a search.

Subsequent storylines are definitely hinted at. I will probably follow this series but not just yet.

Loved it!

I liked all of the characters, especially Declan and Monroe. I love the mix of politics and covert undercurrents in addition to police procedural. Very MI6.
Narrator is brilliant!

A series opener with wonderful potential

It's always hard to find a new story line. But the author has created a really decent one. The performance was well done by the narrator. As I said, the story line was well done with lots of twists and turns..

Plethora of characters.

Way too many characters and a lack of mystery. Ok for a easy listen as the narrator does a great job.

Very Entertaining

This was well worth the listen, ranked up there with my recommendation of JD Kirk's series. 5 Star, must have this book on your must listen list.

Promising enough to be going on with

I was looking for a new detective series while I wait for the latest editions of my favorites - JD Kirk, Peter Grainger, Charles Todd, Anne Cleeves to name a few. It’s the well-developed ongoing characters that matter to me much more than how clever the whodunit is. I also crave those British Isles for location and a delightfully accented narrator. I have enough hope for this series that I will begin the second novel. Experience has taught me the reward of patience in these things.

just ok

Needed a new series so I tried this first book. It was just ok. Not good enough to make me want to read the 2nd book

Just found my next series!

Laing narrated wonderfully— he is a treasure! Glad I took the chance with this one, the author got me hooked right after the 90s backstory flashback—admittedly, during that part I wasn’t sure—but it is quite engrossing after that and straight to the summation at the end. On to the next!

Great series!

I have listened to all of the books in this series that are on Audible so far (through book 6). I listen to a lot of British crime series and there have been a few lately that I have had to put down after the first couple for various reasons (too gory, too sad, or annoying/stupid characters, etc...). This series has some annoying moments but overall I genuinely like all of the main characters and their development through the books. The mysteries are decent too! There are definitely some laughs throughout as well.

Robert Laing is an excellent narrator and I really enjoy his different voices and accents. Definitely give this series a listen!