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Fiction. Mystery. Thriller. Historical Fiction. HTML:“If anyone can turn a simple village mystery into a brooding Greek tragedy, it’s Charles Todd. . . . Todd handles grave issues with great compassion”—The New York Times Book Review In a marshy Norfolk backwater, a priest is brutally murdered after giving a dying man last rites. For Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge, an ex-officer still recovering from the trauma of war, it looks to be a simple case. Yet the Inspector finds himself uncovering secrets that the local authorities would prefer not to see explored. Rutledge pares away layers of deception to piece together a chain of events that stretches from the brooding marshes to one of the greatest sea disasters in history—the sinking of the Titanic. Who is the mysterious woman who may have boarded that ship—and who is the secretive woman who survived it? Only Rutledge can answer those questions . . . and prevent a killer who’ll stop at nothing from striking again. Praise for Watchers of Time “One of the best historical series being written today . . . In the grand tradition of English murder mysteries.”—The Washington Post Book World “With his tortured detective Ian Rutledge and the ghost who inhabits his mind . . . Charles Todd has swiftly become one of the most respected writers in the mystery genre. . . . The pair is unique among sleuths.”—The Denver Post “Outstanding. Todd’s portrait of Rutledge and postwar England remains powerful.”—Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.… (more)
User reviews
The local police have a suspect and want to close the case but Rutledge is not convinced. The village gradually reveals its secrets and Rutledge uncovers a chain of sinister events that lead to the startling conclusion.
Highly recommended.
The one vital development of this novel is actually Rutledge's health, both mental and physical. After meeting another shell-shocked veteran of the War - the scene where he leads the traumatised soldier out of a crowded pub is very emotional - and a woman with troubles of her own, the Inspector almost has a nervous breakdown. Instead of improving with time, the events of the previous novel have carried over as an additional burden, and Hamish's voice becomes louder and more critical of Rutledge's thoughts and actions. In fact, Hamish is very nearly a separate personality in this story, with Rutledge barely able to maintain his self-control on a couple of occasions. (I keep waiting for someone to catch him talking to himself!)
On a trivial note, because the mystery was less than arresting in this case, I do wish these books could be re-edited and released for the UK market - it's not the American spelling that bothers me, but when words like 'sweater' start creeping into a novel set in post-WW1 England. I keep imagining farmers' wives dressed in Gap hoodies! 'Jumper' or 'cardigan', please. And on the same level, the word is 'barmy', meaning crazy or angry, not 'balmy'.
Nitpicking aside, Charles Todd's attention to historical and cultural detail is beautifully consistent, and I almost feel I was there in Norfolk with Rutledge. The Inspector is that rare type of fictional detective whose private life is more than just a 'hook' to sell another mystery series, though, and I shall definitely keep reading.
after WWI, and there are often references to same. This is the fifth book in the series,
and one that was easily available from the library as an ebook.
The Poor Inspector was in a bad way, but still managed to
put together the answers to bring a criminal to justice. He was aided in this
endeavor by Hamish, the voice in his head ( and his back seat).
I felt it was a little too descriptive here and there, not getting to the point
quickly enough. I am not sure that I like Rutledge himself, but think that I
will most likely read a more recent offering to see if my opinion changes. I liked
it enough, in other words to give him another chance sometime.
Review: This is another page-turner, but I'm beginning to see a bit of a prescription to Todd's writing.