the killing of a chestnut tree
by Oliver Langmead
published by tor Books, 27 oct 2026
Everyone in England knows Havelock Harper, the celebrated consulting detective, from the cases published in the papers. If any of them read his secret files, they would discover a very different man. His most fantastical cases must never reach the public eye, and nor must the love he shares with his stalwart companion, the formidable Major Sebastian Wright.
The Duke of Farleigh has been killed, and Havelock Harper summoned to the secluded Farleigh Forest to solve his murder. When he and Sebastian arrive, they discover a greater mystery. The trees of Farleigh have begun to speak, writing words into their leaves and bark. The victim is one of those an ancient chestnut, cruelly chopped down.
Why has the forest begun to speak? Why would anyone cut down the Duke? And how can Farleigh’s gentle, quiet paradise survive this crime?
This single internal illustration was designed as the endpaper for the book, The Killing of a Chestnut Tree. The image depicts the two main characters, Havelock and Sebastian investigating the miraculous trees which are central to the novel’s setting and mystery.
Below this is a cameo/silhouette of the two main characters, which also appears as part of the book’s design.
