The Inklings Detective Agency

“As a lifelong fan of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, I could not have guessed that the book I most needed to read was an amazing yarn of Jack and Tollers turned detectives. This multiverse adventure is imaginative, intriguing, and wildly satisfying. The premise seems, at first, almost zany—yet, as the narrative develops through richly drawn moments and pitch-perfect dialogue, the Inklings’ destiny as sleuths becomes inevitable. Because the book includes a cast of who’s who from early twentieth-century British literature and a brilliant framework, the reader will experience these titans of storytelling in an marvelously fresh way. It is now possible to believe that the Inklings of our world squandered their true potential.”—John Hendrix, New York Times bestselling illustrator and author of The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R Tolkien “The Inklings Detective Agency by John R. Kelly is a delightful achievement. Part literary homage, part historical fiction, and part detective mystery, Kelly’s work invites readers into the world of Oxford at one of the richest moments in literary history. Fans of Lewis and Tolkien, Doyle and Sayers, will find much to admire here as this novel inhabits their personalities and allows readers to see them not only as towering literary figures but as friends working together. I admire this work of imaginative re-creation, and I enthusiastically recommend it.”—Chris Palmer, PhD, dean and professor at Barnett College of Ministry and Theology, Southeastern University “John R. Kelly’s The Inklings Detective Agency is a brilliant and fascinating novel that will delight and move readers that are admirers of J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Dorothy Sayers, and Agatha Christie. This book conveys how goodness, beauty, and truth triumph over darkness, and it is a great contribution to the Inklings canon of literature!”—Justin Wiggins, author of Surprised by Agape and Tír na nÓg

John R. Kelly has studied history and spirituality for most of his life. This 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 nine children.