Silence of the Dead by Marks Ewington – Review

Murder has come to the city of Tronte.

Holtar didn’t become a necromancer for the prestige—he did it because talking to the dead is marginally easier than dealing with the living. Unfortunately, his latest case has given him a fresh problem: the corpses aren’t talking.

No last words. No cryptic riddles. Just silence. And silence, as it turns out, is very bad when your job depends on listening to the dead speak of their final moments.

With only a snarky, possessed skull called Seymour as his companion, Holtar must unravel a conspiracy that threatens both the living and the dead—one that grows more tangled, absurd, and dangerously personal with every once-bitten pastry.

I’ll admit it: I picked this up for the cover. (Yes, I might have been hungry. Honestly, when isn’t a good time for pie?) Thankfully, the contents were just as satisfying!

Bones and Betrayal: The Silence of the Dead by Marks Ewington (Erica Marks & Andi Ewington) kicks off a new series with a murder mystery that has its fair share of dark moments, but also lots of humour and an almost cosy-dark feel. It is a little less warm and fuzzy than other cosy-darks, but overall I think it will appeal to the same audience.

The city of Tronte is in uproar. Clerics and paladins exchanged heated vows; wizards and barbarians locked eyes, daring one another to strike first and unleash mayhem. Rogues, long known for backstabbing, had taken to stabbing their victims in the chest—just to make their intentions unmistakable.

Amidst this chaos, we meet necromancer Holtar and his reanimated skull companion, Seymour. Holtar’s past is steeped in trauma, and his natural pessimism contrasts beautifully with Seymour’s irreverence and constant wisecracks:

“Exactly where are we going? Not that I’m complaining—I do enjoy being carried from one mysterious destination to another. It’s just in case I need to pack anything for the journey,” Seymour quipped.

Holtar’s necromancy isn’t just window dressing. It’s woven deep into the worldbuilding, the plot, and the characters’ lives. I especially liked how the book challenges the usual stereotype of necromancers:

Necromancers were feared, vilified, spat upon as unnatural abominations… And yet, despite the suspicion and scorn, necromancers celebrated and embraced life more deeply than most.

Seymour’s existence adds both comedy and absurdity, like happily munching poisoned cake, clearly evidence of the murder. The book gives you a, “Don’t ask how a skull eats cake. You don’t even want to know,” kind of explanation, which had me chuckling. It’s that mix of humour and darkness that gives the book its particular flavour.

Holtar is no master detective. Normally he just asks the victims who killed them, but here he’s forced to follow clues. Unfortunately, the clues are a bit too plentiful and obvious. I figured out the murderer early on, and one conversation in particular all but solved it. Characters were perhaps a bit too willing to offer up incriminating details. Nevertheless our duo keeps wondering and quite stuck in the dark. I wanted to shake them at times for just how oblivious they were. This is my one real criticism, and I hope future books dial back the breadcrumb trail.

Still, the heart of the story is the banter, the relationships, and the gradual reveals about Holtar and Seymour’s pasts. The balance of action, humour, and more thoughtful moments made it an easy, enjoyable read, with enough depth to avoid feeling like pure fluff.

Extra bonus points for the absence of a romance plot, though Holtar notices women. It is more part of him being lonely, and not at all a focus. Especially the lack of “male gaze” descriptions was such a nice reprieve. Female characters are well written and treated with respect, which is sadly rare in this style of book.

A murder mystery that is less about the puzzle and more about the journey, with a sardonic necromancer, a snarky skull, and a world brimming with life and death. Funny, dark, and full of charm, it is a series opener that leaves you as eager for the next misadventure as for the next round of pie!

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