After two London men end their business partnership, one of them is savagely murdered in a medieval tithe barn on his estate in Somerset. Investigating the killing, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge discovers that the victim was universally despised in Cambury—even the victim's wife and the town's police inspector are suspect. And yet in London circles, the man was highly regarded. What triggered his death? Rutledge doggedly follows a well-concealed trail that finally leads him to the one person who knows the whole truth. But it's too late to stop a spreading evil and a vicious settling of scores. As the seasoned inspector comes to understand the larger picture, he realizes he may not be able to prove what he suspects. In spite of his skill, this may be the only case in which Rutledge fails to get his man.
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"I'm expecting to like this series and should have started with an earlier title. It's an historical mystery series set in 1920 in rural England. Interestingly, it's a team effort by a mother and son living in different states. I'm enjoying the lack of modern forensics and electronic devices. "
— Judy (4 out of 5 stars)
“Here the mother and son who write under the name Charles Todd get it all right: a shocking crime in a bucolic setting; secretive characters who act from complex motives; a confounding puzzle elegantly presented and put before a detective with an intuitive understanding of the dark side of human nature.”
— New York Times“A sharp look at a country recovering from the devastation of war. Although it is set in the early 20th century, Todd’s novels are timeless.”
— South Florida Sun Sentinal“The plot is as complicated as any that Agatha Christie contrived, with characters as dark and complex as any of P. D. James’…Just the ticket.”
— Wilmington Star News“Todd writes with atmospheric charm and a dark psychological edge that makes Rutledge one of crime writing’s most compelling recurring characters…The success of the series hinges on both clever plotting and the nuance with which the authors continue to develop their character.”
— Bookmarks Magazine“Seamlessly combines a fair-play whodunit with a nuanced look into the heart of darkness in the human soul.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Character-driven novel…another smoothly constructed, literary endeavor.”
— Booklist“Intricate plotting, detailed characterizations, and red herrings, this is a compelling addition to the popular Ian Rutledge series.”
— Library Journal“A wonderfully plotted mystery will keep you engrossed and guessing right up to the end…This terrific read will please longtime fans and those new to the series.”
— RT Book Reviews (4½ stars)" Wow... what a haunting series.. these characters will remain w/ you after the last page is turn... "
— Brenda, 2/19/2014" Continuing saga of Inspector Ian Rutledge and the complicated murders he solves for Scotland Yard. This time everyone in a whole village could be the villain. Rutledge ties a great many loose ends together to find the answer at the very end. "
— Judy, 2/19/2014" It was worth postponing my nap. This is a good read. "
— Anne, 2/15/2014" Some Ian Rutledge mysteries have me completely stumped until the last chapters and racing to find out whodunnit... this one was sadly not so. A few surprises at the end, but then maybe "surprise" is a bit of a strong word. A few bits obviously placed in just so it can be used in future books. Overall I might even have skipped it. Hopefully the writing team will come back stronger in the next one. "
— Chessa, 2/15/2014" Solid mystery. Hamish needs to fade into the background more as the craft of this writer takes over. I enjoyed this book. "
— Betty, 2/10/2014" One of the best in this series so far--an engrossing plot without the mix-up of characters or the bogging down that can occur in the Ian Rutledge series--obviously not enough to make me stop reading them! This one is a keeper. "
— Lisa, 1/30/2014" One of Todd's best so far. The reader knows an important piece of information before Rutledge, so the game is in guessing how it will connect, rather than following blindly in Rutledge's trail. "
— Annie, 1/18/2014" Enjoyed this book, but wonder how long the gimmic of war induced insanity can endure. I am a little weary of it, although, I continue to like the characters and the writing style. "
— Wisconsin, 1/14/2014" I liked the time factor in the story line. How an injustice can lie dormant for years, but will eventually surface and must need to be acted upon. "
— Amy, 1/10/2014" I very much enjoy this series of mysteries written by a mother/son team - with the character of Inspector Rutledge; a wounded veteran of WW1. "
— Karen, 1/7/2014" Detective Ian Rutledge is a WWI vet who now works for Scotland Yard. It's 1920 and he's suffering from PTSD. The mysteries are great and the dialog is pretty good. I've read a few from this series, and I'm going back for more. "
— Lynn, 1/3/2014" Very slow and plodding and just not holding my attention, so I'm moving on. I may come back to this one later. "
— Janet, 12/17/2013" It was relatively clear who the murderer was from the getgo, and there was a bit of impatience on my part as I waited for the inspector to figure it out, but the usual context of WWI and in this book, the little-known Boer War helped keep moving the story forward. "
— Caitlin, 11/23/2013" This is one of my favorite mystery writers. The stories are haunting but the characters are so human and I can't help but cheer Rutledge on. Skillfully written. I wonder if the mother/son team of authors, who are American, get the details of post-WW1 England right. "
— Kirsten, 11/9/2013" A little different than most of the series. We, the readers, get the back story (Boer War incident) at the beginning but Ian has to dig for it all through the book. The ending kind of "tidied up" all the loose characters a bit too much but overall, still a good book, kept my interest throughout. "
— Charlene, 11/7/2013" Latest in the Insp. Ian Rutledge post WWI series. He is a great character and the series is excellent. Have enjoyed all of the books in the series. "
— Robin, 10/12/2012" Enjoyable. Cannot decide if the give-a-way start and almost expected ending are the way to go or not. Not nearly as neurotic as earlier novels in this series. "
— E, 9/9/2012" another great story. a murder solved and justice metted out in various ways. always a wonderful read! "
— Jeanne, 7/11/2012" A good solid British detective novel, with a very haunted inspector from Scotland yard! I would read another in this series. "
— Dgoll, 12/16/2011" Via audio...main character is Scotland Yard Inspector in the 1920's. clever and also damaged by his time in The Great War. Great to listen to...thanks Marianne! "
— Debbie, 12/14/2011" Don't you love reading a good book after a long streak of not-so-good ones? Another great Ian Rutledge story. I intend to take a look at their new series soon as well, but hope this one keeps going. There are fewer conversations with Hamish in this one--is this a sign that Ian is on the mend? "
— Patty, 7/24/2011" I almost caught up on this series and find it fascinating. Good mystery and if you want a wnderful picture of England after WWI this is the place to go. "
— James, 5/21/2011" This was my first Ian Rutledge read. I'll be reading this series again. <br/> <br/>I thought the first couple chapters were tedious. But the rest of the book moved along well. "
— K.B., 4/21/2011" The solution seemed rather farfetched, but I liked the way they were always cranking up the motorcar to go somewhere. And I loved Hamish... "
— Martha, 4/12/2011" This was my first experience with a Charles Todd novel, and I'm impressed. I listened to this police procedural while commuting and was enthralled by the careful plotting and haunted protagonist. "
— Rosemary, 3/23/2011" Via audio...main character is Scotland Yard Inspector in the 1920's. clever and also damaged by his time in The Great War. Great to listen to...thanks Marianne! "
— Debbie, 2/15/2011" One of Todd's best so far. The reader knows an important piece of information before Rutledge, so the game is in guessing how it will connect, rather than following blindly in Rutledge's trail. "
— Annie, 12/12/2010" In previous books in this series, I found Ian Rutledge a very sympathetic hero, but I must be experiencing series fatigue, because in this book I found myself losing patience with Hamish's comments. Not as satisfying to me as earlier stories in the series. "
— Lizmontgomeryheinz, 11/11/2010" Until about page 280, I was totally engrossed. I loved the way the suspects were presented and enjoyed the detective(s.) The ending was what killed it- meandering and uninteresting. "
— Astraia, 9/15/2010" Detective Ian Rutledge, along with his ghost, go to the west country to solve the murder of a wealthy landowner with a dark past. Lots of twists and turns along the way. Great story. "
— Pat, 9/8/2010" Well-written and absorbing. Inspector Rutledge is a sympathetic, well-developed detective. This is an intricate plot, more how done-it than who-done it. Worth reading. "
— Jacqueline, 8/3/2010Charles Todd is a pen name used by the American authors Caroline (1934-2021) and Charles Todd, a mother-and-son writing team who write the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries and the Bess Crawford mysteries, as well as stand-alone novels. Their novel Proof of Guilt was a New York Times bestseller, and A Test of Wills was named one of the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association’s 100 favorite mysteries of the 20th Century and was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year selection. Their novels have won the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, and the Anthony Award, as well as being finalists for several other awards. Charles is continuing the series.
Simon Prebble, a British-born performer, is a stage and television actor and veteran narrator of some three hundred audiobooks. As one of AudioFile’s Golden Voices, he has received thirty-seven Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie in 2010. He lives in New York.