“Todd’s astute character studies . . . offer a fascinating cross section of postwar life. . . . A satisfying puzzle-mystery.” — The New York Times Book Review Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge is assigned one of the most baffling investigations of his career: an unsolved murder case with an unidentified victim and a cold trail with few clues to follow A woman has been murdered at the foot of a … follow
A woman has been murdered at the foot of a megalith shaped like a great shrouded figure. Chief Inspector Brian Leslie, one of the Yard’s best men, is sent to investigate the site in Avebury, a village set inside a prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge. In spite of his efforts, Leslie is not able to identify her, much less discover how she got to Avebury—or why she died there. Her killer has simply left no trace.
Several weeks later, when Ian Rutledge has returned from successfully concluding a similar case with an unidentified victim, he is asked to take a second look at Leslie’s inquiry. But Rutledge suspects Chief Superintendent Markham simply wants him to fail.
Leslie was right—Avebury refuses to yield its secrets. But Rutledge slowly widens his search, until he discovers an unexplained clue that seems to point toward an impossible solution. If he pursues it and he is wrong, he will draw the wrath of the Yard down on his head. But even if he is right, he can’t be certain what he can prove, and that will play right into Markham’s game. The easy answer is to let the first verdict stand: Person or persons unknown. But what about the victim? What does Rutledge owe this tragic young woman? Where must his loyalty lie?
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Series: Inspector Ian Rutledge #22
Publication Date: 2/4/2020
Number of Pages: 336
Betrayal, shock, dismay, regret, and sadness are all felt by Ian Rutledge as he solves his latest case. As always, the story is well-written and excellently plotted with twists and turns throughout. While this is the twenty-second book in the series, it can easily be read as a standalone – but since it is a great series, I’m sure you’ll want to run right out and get some of the earlier books. Ian is one of those characters that you really come to like and wish the best for him – all the while knowing how he suffers from the war. Not all wounds can be seen on the outside.
It is February of 1921 and Ian Rutledge, along with most of England, is still trying to put the war behind him. Although the war ended in November of 1918, Ian is still suffering greatly from shell shock. Balancing his duties as a Scotland Yard inspector and managing his symptoms is definitely not for the faint of heart. After his last big case, The Black Ascot, he is still in disfavor with his superiors and he knows he has to walk on eggshells for a while. After all, the Chief Superintendent still has his letter of resignation in his desk drawer and has let Ian know that he’ll pull it out and accept it at the slightest misstep.
After wrapping up a case in Shropshire, Ian was called into Chief Superintendent Markham’s office. Ian’s new assignment was to take a second look at a case that Chief Inspector Brian Leslie hadn’t been able to solve. Leslie was an excellent investigator as well as a friend and colleague, so Ian was sure that nothing had been missed in the investigation and was a little resentful to have been given the assignment. However, it was his assignment now so he’d best be off to Avebury.
Avebury is a bit of an eerie place as it is built in the center of an ancient stone circle. The body of the murdered woman was found at the foot of one of those stones. Ian retraces the steps taken by Leslie and discovers he is finding the same things as Leslie did. However, Ian is like a dog with a bone – he just doesn’t turn loose. As he stretches his imagination to picture how the murder could occur, how the murderer got the victim to where she was murdered without being seen and a myriad of other things – the clues just don’t add up. He slowly begins to suspect the unthinkable – yet there is no way to prove any of it.
Ian is drawn to the lovely young woman who was murdered. It pains him, and the rest of Avebury, to know that this young woman doesn’t even have a name on her gravestone because they can’t identify her. Ian is determined to identify her, to learn her story and to find justice for her.
In this taut, gripping tale you’ll cry for this young woman and root for Ian to identify her and bring her murderer to justice. Then, just when you think you have it all figured out, the author plagues you with doubt. You can’t be sure of what happened until the very end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Charles Todd has done it again. Ian Rutledge is once again involved in a case that appears to be impossible to solve. Can he even trust his own judgement as he tries to second guess an investigation done by a superior? Nothing is quite what it seems in this twisty mystery.
Inspector Ian Rutledge is on the case again, though not the case he wanted. Rutledge is off to a difficult start. Scheduled to give evidence in another case, he is unable to go to the village of Avebury, where the body of a young woman has been found in the center of a stone circle. A reluctant Inspector Leslie is sent in his place.
When another victim is found stabbed to death and thrown into an open grave in the Shopshire village of Tern Bridge, Rutledge is sent to investigate her murder. The victim is eventually identified as Bath schoolmistress Serena Palmer. When a witness’s sharp eye and detailed memory put Rutledge on a trail that leads to Serena Palmer’s killer, he is quickly able to solve the murder.
Meanwhile, Inspector Brian Leslie’s inquiries have not identified the killer in the Avebury case. Even the name of the victim eludes Leslie and, much to his chagrin, Rutledge. In Avebury, Rutledge finds himself bogged down in the case, needled by the ghost of Corporal Hamish McLeod, and threatened by his nemesis, Chief Superintendent Markham. Rutledge fears that he may not be able to solve the case or even add any new information to Leslie’s report. It seems that every clue he discovers leads to more sadness heaped on his shoulders.
Sharp readers may guess what’s coming in the final twist, but if you love history Todd doesn’t disappoint.
Like many of the Inspector Rutledge books, this one delves into the shadows of the trenches. Todd’s grasp of the grief that followed World War I and the devastating loss of a generation of young men across Europe makes it well worth the read.
wonderful mystery, atmosphere.
The mother-son authors never disappoint. In this latest installment in the Inspector Rutledge series, the main character’s integrity and persistence once again pay off as he pursues a killer even at the risk of his reputation at Scotland Yard.
Set in post-WWI England, this series refelects not only on the trauma of those who served and survived the war, but also the struggle to cope with its after-effects. The mystery of two dead women found in two different villages depicts village life in ways that stay with the reader.
Rutledge must first find out the identities of the women and then unmask the killer or is it killers? I highly recommend this book.
A Divided Loyalty by Charles Todd the 22nd instalment in the ” Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery” series. I won a copy from a Goodreads giveaway in 2019. Even though this is the 22nd instalment in the series, the authors did an excellent job in not letting you feel lost so it can quite easily be read as a stand-alone.
I have read a few of the earlier books years ago but nothing recent. I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it over a weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed this story from beginning to end. It made me wish I had kept up with the series especially the most recent ones to find out what happened.
The setting of Avebury Henge and the historical details that were woven into the story brought it to life in my mind. I could picture myself there which I personally always think is a good thing. I appreciated all the research that the authors must of had to do for this series to ensure everything is accurate. I googled some of the sites etc. and liked that I good see photos of Avebury Henge.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing to the end.
I highly recommend this series to all my British Crime Mystery loving friends.
I won this novel from a giveaway on GoodReads and was asked for an honest review
I have loved all the Inspector Rutledge murder mysteries. There are so many layers of plot here, with his post traumatic stress from the trench warfare in WWI, his constant ghostly companion Hamish who gives him advice and of course an old fashioned murder to solve. In this book, the story starts out with Rutledge assigned to solve the murder of a strange woman in a small village. He must first determine who she is and why she was in the village to begin with. His dogged determination, intuition and hard work help him get to the bottom of crimes. But no sooner than he solves the first crime, his boss (who really wants him gone) sends him to investigate a similar murder of a young strange woman in another village. Are the two crimes connected? Who is this second woman. Again it takes a lot of hard work to dig through the layers of information and misinformation, but what he finds shocks him. And the exciting ending will surprise you as much as it did me. Overall a good solid police story with some additional elements that surround WWI and human nature. I received the book from a Goodreads giveaway and I am so glad that i did!
I’m recent follower of Ian Rutledge.
Another great read from this great duo of authors. I look forward to each new adventure of Inspector Ruttledge. This did not disappoint. The twists in the plot kept the interest high until the end.
CharlesTodd is the Author
Love this series.
One of the best entries so far in this long-running series featuring Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge, who is haunted by his experiences in World War I, and by the eerie landscape in which is latest case takes place, the looming Neolithic stones and circles of Avebury. Highly recommended.
Chief Inspector Brian Leslie, a colleague of Ian Rutledge, is sent to Avebury, a village built inside a prehistoric stone circle much larger than Stonehenge. He is to investigate the murder of an unknown woman. The coroner’s inquest concludes that the still unidentified woman was murdered by person or persons unknown. Rutledge is uncomfortable when some time later, he is ordered to Avebury to work his magic of finding the murderer of unidentifiable women. He knows his boss is setting him up to fail but can’t decline to go. He knows the trail of the killer has gone cold, the body is unavailable, and any evidence Leslie might have missed is no longer available to be found. He is intrigued, however, when the local doctor tells him that photographs were taken of the woman, but they hadn’t made their way into the official file on this icy cold case.
This book is so well written, it grips the reader from the first page to the last. There are enough twists and turns to keep any mystery lover reading into the wee hours of the morning. The characters are well-drawn, so much so, the new reader will come to like and admire Rutledge quickly while those who are familiar with him will feel the comfort of knowing Rutledge like an old, familiar friend.
While this is the twenty-second entry in the Ian Rutledge series, the first-time reader of the series need not worry about not being able to understand the characters at all. Todd has done an admirable job of giving the reader just enough back story to bring them current without boring the reader who has read the first twenty-one books to tears.
This outing is one of the best in recent years and should be read slowly to savor the joy of reading one of the best historical mystery writers writing today. This book should be at, or very near, the top of your to-be-read list.
My thanks to Morrow and Edelweiss for an eARC.
I’ve enjoyed all the books n the series. This one I figured out long before the end, though. Disappointed.
The 22nd book in this series has Inspector Ian Rutledge arriving at Scotland Yard from one case and immediately sent out to solve another. A woman has been murdered and no one can identify her. Ian sets about asking questions and fairly soon has discovered her identity and her killer. He reports back to The Yard only to be handed another case. This one, however, has already been investigated by a friend and fellow inspector without identifying the victim or the killer. Since Ian did so well on the last case, his boss, who hates Ian, hopes this case will remain unsolved and Ian will be seen as a failure.
Ian sets off for the murder site, meets the local law enforcement and reviews the thin file. He begins his questioning and travels from place to place, following the remotest idea or tidbit of information, hoping it will give him a solid lead. He covers a lot of the same ground as his predecessor, but stumbles upon one clue that will cause him to doubt where his conclusion leads him. As always his ever-present companion, Hamish, adds his observations to the case.
This is a great British mystery that takes place in 1921, beginning in London. Any of these 22 novels can be read alone, but they do progress through time, so the first novel begins shortly after the war ends. I would recommend reading them in order to gain a better understanding of Ian and Hamish, their history, the prior relationships between Ian and various recurring characters and the personal struggles he has encountered and endured. These stories are rich with details of post WWI life, how it changed life for everyone, not just the men and women who served, and is still at the forefront of how many people live their lives. Ian faces the added challenge of possible succeeding where a friend and colleague failed, or alternatively failing and being put out of The Yard for good. His job is his life. What will he do if he can’t solve this case?
I read every book by this author. They are well written and gave fascinating characters. The plots are complex and the ends are unpredictable. Some of the best mysteries written.
Detective Inspector Ian Rutledge is one of my favorite characters in mystery/suspense/crime fiction. He’s right up there with Phillip Marlowe, Travis McGee, Sam Spade, Spenser, and Lew Archer. Yes, that’s really good company. The Ian Rutledge novels are that good. The only downside to this latest novel is that I have to wait patiently for the next one.
I received this advanced readers copy from a Goodreads giveaway. The opinions in this review are solely my own.
Chief Inspector Leslie is sent to Avebury to investigate the murder of a young woman. No one in Avebury or the surrounding villages recognize her. There are no witnesses. When Leslie views the body, he recognizes the young woman but doesn’t acknowledge it. He interviews the residents of Avebury and the surrounding villages. He does what seems to be a thorough investigation. With no suspects, the case is left unsolved.
When Inspector Ian Rutledge successfully solves a murder in Shropshire, Chief Superintendent Markham gives him the unsolved case in Avebury. Rutledge goes back over Leslie’s report and feels that CI Leslie has done a thorough investigation. He interviews the same residents, follows the same leads, but eventually discovers that all is not as it seems.
When the truth comes out, who is covering for whom? Who is the murderer?
This is the first book I’ve read that was written by author Charles Todd. I love that even though this book is part of a series, it is also an amazing read as a stand alone. The character development is spectacular. Very well thought out as far as the characters, the story, and the factual legal information. The book kept my attention and was hard to put down.
I give this 5/5 stars. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. Thank you Goodreads!
This series continues to get better with each book. Ian Rutledge is one of my very favorite fictional characters.
I received this book as an LTER. This is the 22nd in the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery series, but this is the first book in this series that I have read. I hate starting a series out of order, let alone at the end, but I loved this book. I will read the other books (in fact I already purchased two).
Inspection Ian Rutledge with Scotland Yard is sent to investigate a murder of a young woman, who is unidentified. After quickly solving that case, he is sent to Avebury to investigate a murder that took place months ago, that a colleague was unable to solve.
This murder is similar in that this is also a young woman who is unidentified. Inspector Brian Leslie, the original investigator, was unable to identify the woman, or have any leads. But Rutledge’s tenacity opens up more questions and provides answers.
This book is set in England in 1921. Both Inspectors were former officers in The Great War. Rutledge is haunted by the memory of his superior officer, Hamish. Hamish is a voice in Rutledge’s head that doesn’t hinder or help the investigation. He is really just a sounding board. The appearance of Hamish is not something that I would classify as ‘supernatural’.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved that it was set in England, written by American authors and set in a time when the world was changing.