Review: WHO KILLED NESSIE? An Enchanting Tale Of Acceptance

Starting out life as a project on Zoop, Who Killed Nessie?, a graphic novel written by Paul Cornell and illustrated by Rachael Smith, will be released through book stores by Avery Hill Publishing in September 2025. Following the story of Lyndsay Grockle on her first day managing a hotel, the graphic novel features a host of enchanting characters wrapped up in a mystical murder mystery. It is a comedic adventure of self-discovery, amateur crime investigation, and the most wonderful character design. Get used to the word “enchanting,” for I will be using it a lot.

Paul Cornell describes Who Killed Nessie? as “a silly comedy with a heart,” which is underselling the book by a long way. The comic comes out of a long tradition of British and European single-volume humour books that are more cartoony in aesthetic, and are steeped in various forms of comedy; visual gags, punning speech, and eye-rolling one liners all have a home in this book. Taking notes from the British children’s comics such as the Beano and Dandy, and the French/Belgium Asterix style bande dessinée, WKN? rolls along at a fast pace, barely allowing the jokes to sink in before moving on to new scenes. The humour is important, but is a means to an end rather than the purpose of the prose. The ridiculousness of the situation that the main character finds herself in breeds the comedic atmosphere, however the narrative is quite serious underneath. There has been a murder, after all.

The script is peppered with witticisms and clever word play, something that you would expect from the talented pen of Paul Cornell. If you aren’t a fan of his work, you will be by the end of this 100-page book. Cornell’s strength is creating engaging characters quickly and effortlessly. By that, I mean that you get several pages into one of his comics and suddenly realise you care about what happens to his central characters. You can’t pinpoint the exact moment he got you hooked, you just realise that you are hooked. Then, putting down the comic becomes almost impossible. The characters in WKN? are adorable, even the ones filled with rage like the Skunk Ape, or the physically unpleasant ones like the poor Death Worm. Part of the attraction is Rachael Smith’s gorgeous artwork, but Cornell is able to give the endless list of mythical creatures individual voices and layers of character, which is impressive for a mere 100-page comic with such a large cast.

WKN? has a single human central character in the form of Lyndsay, and a magical guide through the story in the form of the Beast of Bodmin Moor (Bob for short), a cute cat who loves the sound of his own voice. By using this adorable guide, Cornell (and by extension Smith) is able to introduce the rest of the cast seamlessly into the narrative without having to break the pacing of the main plot to find ways to explain who, and what, everyone is. It’s a classic murder mystery technique that the creators employ. In fact, switch out the hall of creatures for people in 1920s high fashion, and you’ve got an Agatha Christie mystery in your hands.

I’ve somehow managed to get halfway through this review without really discussing Smith’s artwork, which is a crime on my part. The art defines this comic. The cartoon style not only draws links to the history of comics, but is also very inviting for non-traditional comics readers. This book isn’t aimed at the Wednesday Warriors who engorge themselves on superheroes week in and week out. It has a visual appeal to younger readers, as well as those people who grew up reading children’s comics but who stopped reading as they grew older, and those people looking for something new and different. Rachael Smith has a following who will know what to expect from her work, but a quick flick through this book will give you a good idea what you are getting into. And then you’ll be even more surprised when you discover the multiple layers in the narrative and the characters.

I don’t want to discuss the plot very much, it is always better to discover that for yourself, but WKN? goes much deeper than a standard British humour comic. The whimsical and enchanting character design is often misleading as the characters represented are as complex as any serious television drama or noir novel. Smith manipulates the reader’s interpretation of the characters by physicality alone, and this leans heavily into an underlying element of this book. WKN? is both an enchanting murder mystery, but also a journey of self acceptance. Lyndsay is forced to face her past relationship, which in turn allows her to discover who she really is. Meanwhile, the outlandish mythical beasts themselves are forced to address problems of identity and acceptance. This comic speaks to those who consider themselves outsiders in society; it shines a light on difference and says “you are not that different.” Smith is able to represent the expected aesthetic in a comical way, while slowly subverting this throughout the pages by contrasting character types and appearances. How cute is that unicorn on her first appearance? How cute is she later, after her judgemental rantings?

There is so much to love about Who Killed Nessie? The elements of whimsical artwork are subverted by the majesty of complex narratives but that doesn’t mean that readers turning up for the whimsy are abandoned half way through. The book is enchanting, and no matter what level you want to read at, it offers satisfaction to everyone, and is a true all-ages book because of this. The style and presentation takes its lead from classic humour comics, but the narrative is very modern, steeped in metaphor, and cleverly written so that each reader will get something different from it. The murder mystery is central to the book but at its heart, this book is really asking, who are you? And do people see you for who you really are?

Who Killed Nessie? is a magnificent read and deserves to be brought to a larger audience through Avery Hills book distribution. It contains some of Rachael Smith’s best work to date, and this enhances the wonderful story written by Paul Cornell. It belongs in a book shop and, more importantly, it belongs on your bookshelf.

And did I say it is enchanting? I think I may have mentioned it.