Kingdom of Silence (and Kingdom of Lies)

With a daily drive to and from work, I take great advantage of the audio book collection at Kelley Library. I just finished listening to Kingdom of Silence by British author Lee Wood. Another in the Kingdom series (along with Kingdom of Lies) of Detective Keen Dunliffe mysteries set in Yorkshire, England.

The crime procedural format of the books is realistic, and both plotlines and dialogue convincing, with well developed and likeable characters. Dunliffe is the classic divorced policeman, trying to reconcile a life separated from his boys, but still consumed by detective work. Living on a Yorkshire farm begrudging a fond affection for his cat Thomas, Dunliffe presents an interesting character; rural by first impression, but perceptive and persistent enough to be a respected detective.

In Kingdom of Silence, Dunliffe is charged with mentoring a fledgling female undercover officer in a surveillance operation aiming to infiltrate a radical animal rights group connected with several violent actions. Set against the backdrop of England’s Hoof & Mouth Disease outbreak of 2001, the author gives voice to his obvious dissatisfaction with the British government’s handling of the epidemic at the expense of the lives of thousands of uninfected livestock. A factual chronology of events during the outbreak introduces each section of the book, providing a backdrop to the action, along with a view of the extent of the devastation of the rural English culture at the time.

I was happy to find the second installment of the series again read by English actor Ralph Cosham. His authentic Yorkshire accent and measured tone compliment the story in a way some accented readings don’t.

-Andy