chuckri's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
margaret_k30's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hudsone45's review against another edition
4.0
I struggled to get through up until the last quarter, and then it picked up. I don't like cliff hangers though.
xkwright's review against another edition
3.0
Flew through this one pretty quickly over a day or two of being sick in bed. The plot hinged on what felt like a lot of coincidences - surely 1919 Britain can't have been THAT small of a place - but I still wanted to know the resolution of the story and it kept me guessing until most of the way through. The ending was a bit abrupt, IMO, but I still enjoyed it.
majkia's review against another edition
Ian Rutledge is forced to go to Scotland to look into a missing person. He's still haunted by the Scots who died under his command, so reluctantly heads north. Then things get worse.
The Series keeps getting better!
The Series keeps getting better!
bethnellvaccaro's review against another edition
4.0
I just love this series. There are ridiculous coincidences and not always a lot of detective work, but I still eat them up. Can't wait to read the next one.
nonna7's review against another edition
4.0
The Inspector Rutledge series is one of the few "historical mystery" series that I follow pretty closely. As happens too often, I came in at the middle. I've had a lot of time to read lately so I was able to finish this one up quickly. This is actually the fourth in the series, and it answers a lot of questions about the character that I had reading the later ones.
It is 1919. The Great War is over, but Rutledge is still suffering some of the effects of war. He hears the voice of a dead soldier in his head - one that he ordered shot for insubordination. He had no choice, but is haunted by it. He was a detective before the war and is now back at Scotland Yard. However, his superior does not like him, he has lost his fiance, so all he wants to do is work so he doesn't have time to think. A woman in a small town in Scotland is arrested for murder. A body has been found that may be that of Eleanor Gray, daughter of Lady Maude Gray who is both wealthy and well-connected. He soon learns that the accused murderer is a woman to whom he owes more than he can ever repay and there are many buried secrets that could be exposed. This one was interesting although the ending was a little overly melodramatic.
Charles Todd is actually a pseudonym for a mother/son writing team. It's obvious they've done their homework. Reading their books is a real pleasure for me because they are so well-written and thoughtful. The writers know how to convey the emotion and darkness of the Great War and it's incredible aftermath. It is said that Great Britain lost an entire generation. Those who returned often continued to suffer. It's a lesson that we never seem to learn for very long.
It is 1919. The Great War is over, but Rutledge is still suffering some of the effects of war. He hears the voice of a dead soldier in his head - one that he ordered shot for insubordination. He had no choice, but is haunted by it. He was a detective before the war and is now back at Scotland Yard. However, his superior does not like him, he has lost his fiance, so all he wants to do is work so he doesn't have time to think. A woman in a small town in Scotland is arrested for murder. A body has been found that may be that of Eleanor Gray, daughter of Lady Maude Gray who is both wealthy and well-connected. He soon learns that the accused murderer is a woman to whom he owes more than he can ever repay and there are many buried secrets that could be exposed. This one was interesting although the ending was a little overly melodramatic.
Charles Todd is actually a pseudonym for a mother/son writing team. It's obvious they've done their homework. Reading their books is a real pleasure for me because they are so well-written and thoughtful. The writers know how to convey the emotion and darkness of the Great War and it's incredible aftermath. It is said that Great Britain lost an entire generation. Those who returned often continued to suffer. It's a lesson that we never seem to learn for very long.