diff --git a/processor.go b/processor.go
index f9c8087..58a6457 100644
--- a/processor.go
+++ b/processor.go
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"reflect"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/aws/aws-lambda-go/events"
 )
@@ -46,13 +46,70 @@ func (ml *MockLambda) start(h interface{}) Response {
 	} else if inputCount == 2 && inputTypes[0] == "context.Context" && inputTypes[1] == "events.SQSEvent" {
 		response = ml.sqs(h.(func(ctx context.Context, request events.SQSEvent) error))
 	} else {
-		response.Payload.Error = "no handler found for method signature func(" + strings.Join(inputTypes, ", ") + ")"
+		handler := reflect.ValueOf(h)
+		handlerType := reflect.TypeOf(h)
+		if handlerType.Kind() != reflect.Func {
+			response.Payload.Error = fmt.Sprintf("handler kind %s is not %s", handlerType.Kind(), reflect.Func)
+			return response
+		}
+
+		takesContext, err := validateArguments(handlerType)
+		if err != nil {
+			response.Payload.Error = err.Error()
+			return response
+		}
+
+		if err := validateReturns(handlerType); err != nil {
+			response.Payload.Error = err.Error()
+			return response
+		}
+
+		response = func(ctx context.Context, payload string) Response {
+			var (
+				args   []reflect.Value
+				result Response
+			)
+
+			if takesContext {
+				args = append(args, reflect.ValueOf(ctx))
+			}
+			if (handlerType.NumIn() == 1 && !takesContext) || handlerType.NumIn() == 2 {
+				eventType := handlerType.In(handlerType.NumIn() - 1)
+				event := reflect.New(eventType)
+
+				if err := decode(payload, event.Interface()); err != nil {
+					result.Payload.Error = err.Error()
+					return result
+				}
+
+				args = append(args, event.Elem())
+			}
+
+			callResult := handler.Call(args)
+
+			// convert return values into (interface{}, error)
+			if len(callResult) > 0 {
+				if errVal, ok := callResult[len(callResult)-1].Interface().(error); ok {
+					result.Payload.Error = errVal.Error()
+				}
+			}
+			if len(callResult) > 1 {
+				result.Payload.Success = callResult[0].Interface()
+			}
+
+			return result
+		}(context.TODO(), os.Getenv("LAMBDA_EVENT"))
 	}
 
 	return response
 }
 
 func Start(h interface{}) {
+	if h == nil {
+		fmt.Println("no handler found")
+		return
+	}
+
 	ml := MockLambda{api: api, token: token, request: request, sqs: sqs}
 	response := ml.start(h)
 
diff --git a/validation.go b/validation.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6448fcf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/validation.go
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+package lambda
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"reflect"
+)
+
+func validateArguments(handler reflect.Type) (bool, error) {
+	handlerTakesContext := false
+	if handler.NumIn() > 2 {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("handlers may not take more than two arguments, but handler takes %d", handler.NumIn())
+	} else if handler.NumIn() > 0 {
+		contextType := reflect.TypeOf((*context.Context)(nil)).Elem()
+		argumentType := handler.In(0)
+		handlerTakesContext = argumentType.Implements(contextType)
+		if handler.NumIn() > 1 && !handlerTakesContext {
+			return false, fmt.Errorf("handler takes two arguments, but the first is not Context. got %s", argumentType.Kind())
+		}
+	}
+
+	return handlerTakesContext, nil
+}
+
+func validateReturns(handler reflect.Type) error {
+	errorType := reflect.TypeOf((*error)(nil)).Elem()
+
+	switch n := handler.NumOut(); {
+	case n > 2:
+		return fmt.Errorf("handler may not return more than two values")
+	case n > 1:
+		if !handler.Out(1).Implements(errorType) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("handler returns two values, but the second does not implement error")
+		}
+	case n == 1:
+		if !handler.Out(0).Implements(errorType) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("handler returns a single value, but it does not implement error")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}