Holland, David

PERSONAL: Male. Education: Purdue University, M.A.

ADDRESSES: Office—84WHAS Radio, 4000 Radio Dr., Louisville, KY 40218.

CAREER: WHAS Radio, Louisville, KY, creative director. Has also worked as freelance journalist, college teacher, and advertising copywriter.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Murcheston: The Wolf's Tale, Forge (New York, NY), 2000.

Devil in Bellminster: An Unlikely Mystery, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Devil's Acre: An Unlikely Mystery, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Devil's Game: An Unlikely Mystery, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: David Holland's educational background in Victorian-era literature imbues the themes and settings of his first four novels. His debut, Murcheston: The Wolf's Tale, is told in a Victorian style that, according to several reviewers, is similar to the works of Charles Dickens and Bram Stoker. His next three novels, the "Unlikely Mysteries," introduce the character of Reverend Tuckworth, a vicar who finds himself investigating mysterious circumstances in Victorian England.

Murcheston relates the story of a nobleman who turns into a werewolf after having been clawed by one near his estate. Although not a fan of werewolf novels, Don D'Ammassa, writing in the Science Fiction Chronicle, praised the "extremely witty" story, saying it "stands far ahead of the pack." Writing for the Books 'n' Bytes Web site, Harriet Klausner similarly commented that Murcheston "will set the standard for future such books to be measured against."

Devil in Bellminster: An Unlikely Mystery introduces Tuckworth's sleuthing abilities as he investigates two homicides in tiny Bellminster, England. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly thought Holland used "old-fashioned language inconsistently, breaking the period spell." Writing again for Books 'n' Bytes, Harriet Klausner, however, felt the "story line is cleverly developed." Devil's Acre: An Unlikely Mystery follows Tuckworth to London in his attempt to secure money for his cathedral while investigating a murder. While Klausner believed that the story is "rich in the era so much so that nineteenth-century readers will appreciate the depth," Sue O'Brien commented in Booklist that "Holland ladles on the atmosphere with a bit of a heavy hand." In Devil's Game: An Unlikely Mystery, Tuckworth investigates the mysterious events surrounding the murder of Bellminster's member of Parliament and the subsequent rush to replace his seat. A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted that Holland "does an excellent job at evoking the desperate claustrophobia of the town." Margaret Flanagan concluded in Booklist that Holland "manages to evoke the Victorian temperament and psyche."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 1, 2003, Sue O'Brien, review of Devil's Acre: An Unlikely Mystery, p. 482; November 1, 2005, Margaret Flanagan, review of Devil's Game: An Unlikely Mystery, p. 28.

Boston Book Review, May, 2005, review of Murcheston: The Wolf's Tale, p. 39.

Drood Review of Mystery, May, 2002, review of Devil in Bellminster: An Unlikely Mystery, p. 10.

Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2001, review of Devil in Bellminster, p. 1725; September 15, 2003, review of Devil's Acre, p. 1157; September 15, 2005, review of Devil's Game, p. 1002.

Library Journal, February 15, 2000, Jackie Cassada, review of Murcheston, p. 202; February 1, 2002, Rex E. Klett, review of Devil in Bellminster, p. 136; November 1, 2003, Rex E. Klett, review of Devil's Acre, p. 128.

Publishers Weekly, January 3, 2000, review of Murcheston, p. 61; February 11, 2002, review of Devil in Bellminster, p. 165; September 29, 2003, review of Devil's Acre, p. 46; September 26, 2005, review of Devil's Game, p. 65.

Science Fiction Chronicle, June, 2001, Don D'Am-massa, review of Murcheston, p. 40.

ONLINE

Books 'n' Bytes, http://www.booksnbytes.com/ (December 15, 2005), Harriet Klausner, review of Devil in Bellminster, Devil's Acre, and Murcheston.

Rambles, http://www.rambles.net/ (December 15, 2005), Laurie Thayer, review of Murcheston.

Reviewing the Evidence, http://reviewingtheevidence.com/ (February 7, 2006), Sarah Dudley, review of Devil's Acre.