Watchers of Time (An Inspector Ian Rutledge)

by Charles Todd

2002

Status

Available

Publication

Bantam (2002), 421 pages

Description

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

LibraryThing member bhowell
As always, Charles Todd writes an atmospheric thriller, taking place in England shortly after the first World war. Scotland Yard investigator Ian Rutledge is sent to the village of Osterly, a tightly knit community on the Norfolk coast. to investigate the brutal murder of the village priest.
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Rutledge is a fragile ex-soldier still suffering from shell shock, and hearing the voice of Hamish MacLeod, a Scottish soldier Rutledge was forced to execute in the trenches.
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.
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LibraryThing member AdonisGuilfoyle
Not one of the best Inspector Rutledge mysteries to date, I'm afraid. As with 'Wings of Fire', the pace is too slack and the mood overly introspective to sustain interest in the crime being investigated. I was intrigued by the initial premise - a priest is murdered after hearing the deathbed
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confession of a man who knows too much about the apparent death of a woman on the Titanic - but the story didn't deliver. The connection with the doomed liner is tenuous to say the least, and there isn't enough tension in the case of the dead woman tying all the threads together. I just didn't care, especially after having to plough through half of the book before anything happened. Rutledge spends the first two hundred pages revisting three points of an eternal triangle - rectory, vicarage and hotel dining room - and asking the same witnesses increasingly desperate questions!

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.
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LibraryThing member mckait
This was a pleasant little mystery. It felt dated, due to the fact that it took place
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
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muddle through and
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.
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LibraryThing member gponym
This is one of my favorites in the Rutledge series, perhaps - pace AdonisGuilfoyle - because it's more introspective. I think it has an extra helping of English county life in it - I really enjoy that, and being not from England can only hope it's pretty accurate. Granted the pace may be slower,
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but this story kept my interest stoked all the way through. Probably a more tenuous plot, but I read mysteries for the characters, the suspense and the atmosphere more than for the ultimate in realistic plots.
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LibraryThing member martinhughharvey
another wonderful Inspector Rutledge book - my second and what a find. Set on post WWI England Inspector Rutledge a damaged veteran with a very unusual (mental) affliction. I must read the whole series and in sequence.
LibraryThing member VictoriaJZ
I actually had read this a few years ago and then picked it up again,....and only figured out I'd read it before about half way in = but enjoyed the reading so much, am glad to have been able to read it = and its ending still surprised me.
LibraryThing member jamespurcell
The murder of a Catholic pastor sends Rutledge to Norfolk where the local police seek only that the killer not be anyone that they know. Angst ridden visitors and WW1 vets coupled with some old mysteries add complexity to what seems to be murder emanating from an interrupted burglary. The
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surprising solution will really upset the bucolic atmosphere of Osterley.
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LibraryThing member DrLed
Synopsis: Rutledge, recovering from a gun shot wound, is sent to reassure a Monsignor that the murder of a priest is being handled appropriately by the local authorities. However, he finds that there is a lot more to this murder than the easy answer of a traveling strong man looking for money. The
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murder actually ties back to a woman who was presumed drowned on the Titanic.
Review: This is another page-turner, but I'm beginning to see a bit of a prescription to Todd's writing.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
death of priest leads to scandal and murder previously unsuspected

Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2001-10-30

Physical description

421 p.; 4.25 x 0.99 inches

ISBN

0553583166 / 9780553583168

Barcode

1601524
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