rclz's review against another edition
5.0
It was a bit convoluted but considering the main character's back story it's understandable in a first book of a series. I'm not sure weather I liked the ending or not, not sure if he pulled a rabbit but I sure didn't see it coming.
nickie184's review against another edition
4.0
Almost 5. I love starting a new-to-me series that’s good!
candon's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rosewelsh's review against another edition
5.0
I am honestly shocked at how much I loved this book.
I am very much not a fan of war-related fiction, especially concerning World Wars 1 & 2. Book clubs absolutely love reading things, but gosh, I feel like I've read enough to last me the rest of my life at this point. However, with the pandemic still being an issue, we can only discuss books readily available on Hoopla for book clubs, so this was one of the few that seemed promising. My mom loved the series, so I figured I'd give it a shot, and I am so pleased that I did!
Ian Rutledge is an inspector for Scotland Yard who is getting back into the groove of his position since he's returned from the war. He lives with what we would now call PTSD, which affects every aspect of his daily life, from dealing with people who have terrible views of veterans to his PTSD manifesting into him hearing the voice of a man he had to kill in his head as his conscious.
In this first installment of the series, Ian is sent to a small town to figure out why a Colonel was murdered and who committed the crime. There are many suspects, all with brilliant motives for why Colonel Harris ended up dead and a multitude of red herrings to throw the reader off the scent. The writing is excellent, the characters are fun and different enough to keep you entertained, and the final resolution is surprising and well-built.
All around, this was an excellent introduction to a character many have grown to love. His relationship with Hamish, the voice in his head, and his reasons for why Hamish serves as his moral compass are fascinating and resonating, and you want to read more about them both as the book goes on. I totally would recommend this to anyone who loves historical mysteries or serial mysteries in general. I will probably read the following few books as soon as I can get them, as my book club attendees already beat me to check them out!
Blog / Twitter / Instagram
I am very much not a fan of war-related fiction, especially concerning World Wars 1 & 2. Book clubs absolutely love reading things, but gosh, I feel like I've read enough to last me the rest of my life at this point. However, with the pandemic still being an issue, we can only discuss books readily available on Hoopla for book clubs, so this was one of the few that seemed promising. My mom loved the series, so I figured I'd give it a shot, and I am so pleased that I did!
Ian Rutledge is an inspector for Scotland Yard who is getting back into the groove of his position since he's returned from the war. He lives with what we would now call PTSD, which affects every aspect of his daily life, from dealing with people who have terrible views of veterans to his PTSD manifesting into him hearing the voice of a man he had to kill in his head as his conscious.
In this first installment of the series, Ian is sent to a small town to figure out why a Colonel was murdered and who committed the crime. There are many suspects, all with brilliant motives for why Colonel Harris ended up dead and a multitude of red herrings to throw the reader off the scent. The writing is excellent, the characters are fun and different enough to keep you entertained, and the final resolution is surprising and well-built.
All around, this was an excellent introduction to a character many have grown to love. His relationship with Hamish, the voice in his head, and his reasons for why Hamish serves as his moral compass are fascinating and resonating, and you want to read more about them both as the book goes on. I totally would recommend this to anyone who loves historical mysteries or serial mysteries in general. I will probably read the following few books as soon as I can get them, as my book club attendees already beat me to check them out!
Blog / Twitter / Instagram
xkwright's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this one. It does a lot with psychological aspects of characters, especially the main character. The ending seemed a bit... implausible? But still enjoyable.
alissabar's review against another edition
4.0
This one has been on my to-read list for a while now. I wish I'd read it sooner. Great mystery and Ian Rutledge is a complex character with his own demons. I'll definitely be reading more in this series.
pamelarope's review against another edition
3.0
I love historical mysteries, so I picked this book up to fulfill the "book by two authors" box on my challenge.
I liked the character of Ian Rutledge. I thought the voice of Hamish in his mind is a unique device. I found myself being brought down a lot--Ian isn't a villain and I felt bad for him being tormented as he was.
I thought there were a lot of characters in this book and that it was slow paced. The ending had a good twist. I had guessed about the love arc, which is interesting because I'm usually oblivious. I don't know if I'll pick up another one of these books. This one was a little too dark for me.
I liked the character of Ian Rutledge. I thought the voice of Hamish in his mind is a unique device. I found myself being brought down a lot--Ian isn't a villain and I felt bad for him being tormented as he was.
I thought there were a lot of characters in this book and that it was slow paced. The ending had a good twist. I had guessed about the love arc, which is interesting because I'm usually oblivious. I don't know if I'll pick up another one of these books. This one was a little too dark for me.
fbone's review against another edition
2.0
The writing skill of this mother/son team was good but the mystery plot had a few holes. I can't say more without giving it away. There seemed to be a lot of waiting around for a breakthrough. Characters were described as complex but little in their actions and speech confirmed such.
johnnyb1954's review against another edition
4.0
This is one of those books that needed a list of characters at the front plus a map (or maps) to illustrate all the key points in the village.
It was interesting to read a book with the detective suffering PTSD from The Great War instead of Iraq or other modern war.
This is maybe a 4.5. I would definitely read more of the series to see how Rutlidge develops. And Hamish. How long can that relationship stay interesting?
It was interesting to read a book with the detective suffering PTSD from The Great War instead of Iraq or other modern war.
This is maybe a 4.5. I would definitely read more of the series to see how Rutlidge develops. And Hamish. How long can that relationship stay interesting?
jlturner13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
4.5