A Lonely Death: An Inspector Ian Rutledge MysteryCharles Todd
William Morrow, January 2011
ISBN: 978-0061726194
“Todd’s intriguing revenge tale will keep the reader turning the pages, but the main draw remains Rutledge, the relentless inspector haunted by the voice of a Scotsman he executed on the battlefield for disobeying an order. Highly recommended for all aficionados of British postwar historical mysteries.”
-Library Journal on A Lonely Death
Yes, this is book #13 in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series written by Charles Todd. Anyone who thinks that number might have been a bad omen for this novel need worry no longer. Not only is it every bit as good as all the other Rutledge books, it may even be the best one I've read yet.
Set in the summer of 1920 in the town of Eastfield in Sussex, not far from Hastings, this police procedural brings Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge face to face with incidents in his past, decisions in his life today, and the possibility of actions which will settle his future. Rutledge is assigned the case of the murders of three men in this usually peaceful town where he slowly comes to understand the guile, intelligence, and mental torment of the killer he seeks. What connection can there be between these victims besides their childhood of growing up together in a small town?
There are many startling twists and turns in this novel which change the course of the life of Inspector Rutledge, all of them very well thought out and well written by these authors. I was kept guessing all the way through as to who the murderer was because there is more than one logical possibility. Rutledge's personal life suffers several painful events and his career as a Scotland Yard investigator is turned upside down by an incident in the case. Also, in the midst of solving the major case, Rutledge is trying to solve a cold case for an ally from the Yard who has retired from active duty.
I greatly enjoyed this novel and am glad to see that the quality of the writing remains high. It is not necessary for you to have read any of the other books in this series before starting this one. The highly unusual circumstance which exists between Rutledge and Hamish is well explained. I can't help but think though that I'm very glad I did start with the first book in this series (A Test of Wills (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries)) simply to enable me to have a full understanding of how far Rutledge has come in his fight for his own mental health. He is a remarkable character and I look forward to each of his adventures.
CHARLES TODD is the author of nine Ian Rutledge mysteries—A Pale Horse, A False Mirror, A Long Shadow, A Cold Treachery, A Fearsome Doubt, Watchers of Time, Legacy of the Dead, Search the Dark, Wings of Fire, and A Test of Wills—and one stand-alone novel. They are a mother-and-son writing team and live in Delaware and North Carolina, respectively.
