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Inspector Ian Rutledge #5
Watchers of Time
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.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 30, 2001
1400 people are currently reading
1855 people want to read
About the author
Charles Todd
112 books3,496 followersCharles Todd was the pen name used by the mother-and-son writing team, Caroline Todd and Charles Todd. Now, Charles writes the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Series. Charles Todd ha spublished three standalone mystery novels and many short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 532 reviews
February 10, 2013
I'm truly enjoying this series. However, I really am getting annoyed with the author ending this book and the previous one abruptly (or so it seems to me), without tying up all the story lines. He even alludes to the open ending of the previous book in this one - but does he provide any more clarification or information? NO! Instead, this one also ends without tying everything up; but with far fewer lose ends than the previous book.
I know I'm one of those people that love mysteries because you usually have a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. They usually tie the story lines up at the end, but not always. I can live with that for the most part. I like things neatly resolved, but I'm not discombobulated if they are not tied up in the end. I like a certain amount of suspense and uncertainty at times.
In this case however, we have a tortured hero to begin with - a Scotland Yard Inspector struggling with demons from his time in service during WWI. Then, when you have his unending struggle while he tries to get back to his life, you end up with story lines that don't resolve. Its just a tad too much for me, as much as I love the novels.
I'll continue - I'm not annoyed or frustrated enough to stop. However, I hope future books will resolve some of the issues or at least start to address some of them. Even a little resolution will go a long way with me.
I know I'm one of those people that love mysteries because you usually have a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. They usually tie the story lines up at the end, but not always. I can live with that for the most part. I like things neatly resolved, but I'm not discombobulated if they are not tied up in the end. I like a certain amount of suspense and uncertainty at times.
In this case however, we have a tortured hero to begin with - a Scotland Yard Inspector struggling with demons from his time in service during WWI. Then, when you have his unending struggle while he tries to get back to his life, you end up with story lines that don't resolve. Its just a tad too much for me, as much as I love the novels.
I'll continue - I'm not annoyed or frustrated enough to stop. However, I hope future books will resolve some of the issues or at least start to address some of them. Even a little resolution will go a long way with me.
October 6, 2020
It’s not the thrill of the chase that keeps me coming back to these books. No, it’s Rutledge’s humanity, conscience and integrity that reaches out and slowly reminds me why I really like this series.
This installment features another village of secrets. A death allows a secret to leak slowly out until the wrong person hears of a man’s deathbed confession.
Later the death of the priest who was the only witness to the confession also dies. Rutledge is called in and a “closing of the ranks” begins.
Quietly and stubbornly Rutledge begins turning over the local rocks... never a good thing when murder is involved.
Everyone is a suspect (as they should be) and the red herrings finally part to reveal the real story.
And Rutledge, with quiet dignity that justice is served, gets back in his motorcar and heads back to face life alone (sort of) in the city again.
This installment features another village of secrets. A death allows a secret to leak slowly out until the wrong person hears of a man’s deathbed confession.
Later the death of the priest who was the only witness to the confession also dies. Rutledge is called in and a “closing of the ranks” begins.
Quietly and stubbornly Rutledge begins turning over the local rocks... never a good thing when murder is involved.
Everyone is a suspect (as they should be) and the red herrings finally part to reveal the real story.
And Rutledge, with quiet dignity that justice is served, gets back in his motorcar and heads back to face life alone (sort of) in the city again.
April 7, 2019
Unfortunately I've been reading mediocre books lately. I thought I'd pick up a winner to change my fortune, but parts of this book were a little slow. I still like the concept though, so now and again I will pick up a volume of the series.
April 14, 2013
Enjoyed Watchers of Time the most of the five Ian Rutledge stories I've read so far. The setting is the small village of Osterley, East Anglian, near the city of Norfolk. Mr. Sims, Vicar of Holy Trinity and Fr. James the priest of St. Anne's. Rutledge, returning to work as an Inspector of Scotland Yard in October 1919 is sent out of London to the backwater village to "set the Bishop's mind at rest about a murdered priest". Rutledge's WWI backstory makes this far from a typical police procedural. He perseveres in his search for truth against all odds. His is a lonely struggle. Todd does a wonderful job in describing the "place". One of these times I am going to count the cups of tea! And of course tea never comes without a little something. I enjoyed the slow pace of the book which may not be to every one's liking. Language I found interesting: "The funeral was well attended, and Herbert Baker, coachman by trade, was sent to his eternal rest with the goodwill of a village that had known him to be an honest and plainspoken man with no vices and no outstanding talents, except perhaps for loyalty." page 8. "Stephenson (the doctor) grinned. "How does she manage communion wine, then?" (Fr. James-) "It's consecrated, and the evil of the grape has been taken out." "As a schoolboy, learning to draw the map of Great Britain, Rutledge had been taught that the island resembled a man in a top hat riding a running pig... And it's rump was East Anglia..." page 41. "That old fool (his dog). He's not worth a farthing! I keep him for his bark, not his common sense!" page 238
September 6, 2019
This was good. I liked it better than the last one I think, but I'm still not raising to four stars. Because like the last one, I think it started strong, and then parts of the second half were slow, with what felt like a rushed resolution. Also, I picked the guilty party (or one of them) when he was introduced, mainly because he was given such a prominent introduction for no good reason plot-wise at the time. In general, I thought the character introductions could have been better in this. Also, for the second book in a row, the ending has been ridiculously abrupt.
February 23, 2017
Good book, but I still do not know what happened to Fiona and Ian from the last book. Darn!
October 17, 2021
Love the character Ian Rutledge even though Hamish gives me a migraine which would have me if I were Ian taking a long walk off a short pier however, the sloppy ending of this one and the previous book leave me quite dissatisfied. Therefore, the three star rating.
May 11, 2013
Another solid hit for this series. All the good things I love about Rutledge were here, including the ever-lasting angst and tormented conscience; yet, I think Todd stretched the improbable a bit too far in this one...not to the impossible, and it was well done, but still, so improbable and weird. And yet Rutledge solves it. Well, he IS a hero, after all.
I am becoming a wee bit disappointed in the author's propensity to end abruptly---right after the solve/arrest/reveal--pick your word. This style is shared by Anne Perry and it bothers me in her novels, too. I like to have a wrap-up, an aftermath, an epilogue...some savoring of being proven right, some follow-up on the major characters, some rubbing it in the face of the tormenter, (in every case, Old Bowels...and in this case, Blevins) some slight satisfaction or at least vindication in a job well-done and yes, even some credit and praise from the ones who are always in Rutledge's face and in his way. Call me shallow. Sigh! I love them anyway.
I am becoming a wee bit disappointed in the author's propensity to end abruptly---right after the solve/arrest/reveal--pick your word. This style is shared by Anne Perry and it bothers me in her novels, too. I like to have a wrap-up, an aftermath, an epilogue...some savoring of being proven right, some follow-up on the major characters, some rubbing it in the face of the tormenter, (in every case, Old Bowels...and in this case, Blevins) some slight satisfaction or at least vindication in a job well-done and yes, even some credit and praise from the ones who are always in Rutledge's face and in his way. Call me shallow. Sigh! I love them anyway.
March 21, 2019
In the small seaside village of Osterley in Norfolk, sixty-four year old Herbert Baker a devout Protestant lies dying with the comfort of his family around him. As the end grows closer, he asks his daughter to call a Catholic priest to his bedside, an unusual request because he is not a Catholic. The family although surprised by his odd behavior agree to his request. When Father James arrives, Baker asks for privacy and the two spend half an hour together. After Father James leaves, Baker comforts his family to assure them he has not changed his faith and wants to be buried in accordance with his own beliefs. Shortly afterwards Baker dies and is buried.
A few weeks later, Father James returning to the rectory in late evening is brutally attacked, hit on the head with a heavy crucifix. When the priest falls, his assailant delivers two more blows and then with a gloved hand quickly wrecks the room. He pries open the tin box where the parish funds are kept, scoops up the money and flees.
When the town hears about the murder they are shocked and horrified. It appears Father James had returned home unexpectedly and was attacked by someone he disturbed in the middle of a burglary. But who would ever kill a priest, especially someone like Father James who had no enemies and was loved by everyone? With the church still acknowledged as the revered center of the community, people are quickly convinced that no one in their town could have carried out such a vicious crime. It must have been an outsider.
Inspector Ian Rutledge is on medical leave recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in the line of duty on his last case in Scotland. The forced inactivity and confinement required for his body to heal has left him vulnerable to the horrible memories of the the war which have plagued him since he left the battlefield. The living voice of Corporal Hamish MacLeod is louder and more forceful and he longs for the mind numbing concentration of work, needing its distraction and subsequent exhaustion to have a more peaceful sleep. It comes soon enough when Chief Superintendent Bowles, always anxious to have Rutledge away from London as much as possible, sends him to look into the murder of Father James. People in the small are anxious to have the murder solved and the Bishop has contacted Scotland Yard to ask for help to reassure himself and the villagers that everything is being done to catch the murderer.
Rutledge meets with Inspector Blevins from the local detachment who asks Rutledge to stay on. He is glad to have assistance with solving the crime and being a member of Father James’s parish, not certain he is sufficiently detached to do the job well.
They make little progress until the police find a likely suspect in Mathew Walsh, the itinerant strong man who entertained at the recent church bazaar. He appeared in the next town with a new cart and some bills and coins in his pocket. However Rutledge knows not all the evidence fits the crime and realizes the police may be rushing to judgement, anxious to close the case. For his part, Rutledge is neither convinced the murder was due to a robbery gone wrong or that Walsh committed the crime.
The investigation takes Rutledge in many directions as he searches for a missing photograph, meets one woman who is researching and drawing old church artifacts for a book begun by her dead husband and another who hates Father James for some perceived wrong from the past. He also tries to locate a missing photograph referred to in the priest’s will and wonders why Father James was so obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic. His inquiries also take him to Lord Sedgewick and his two sons, the local gentrified nouveau riche family that lead a privileged life on a large estate on the edge of town.
Throughout the investigation the spectre of Corporal Hamish continues to haunt Rutledge who remains a prisoner of his own terrors. He has never found a way to shut Hamish out but the dead Corporal is becoming more of a help as time goes on, asking interesting questions, making comments, warning Rutledge about impending dangers and pointing out important clues. He is so real to Rutledge that he appears to take on the role of co-investigator and their ongoing silent conversations, although at times devastating for Rutledge, are also helping him solve the murder.
Like other novels in this series this one has a dense complicated plot and a large interesting cast of characters, all vividly described. The authors continue to evoke the gloomy dismal atmosphere of village life in post war Britain describing crippled men hobbling in the streets, the endless coughing of soldiers whose lungs have been damaged in the gas attacks and those who do not venture outside their homes without scarfs covering their necks and faces now permanently disfigured by burns. There are also long passages describing the countryside and the small towns which sometimes becomes overbearing, dragging the narrative when the reader wants the pace to pick up and reach some kind of a conclusion. All this is served up with the endless cups of tea, the calming ritual designed to ease tensions and provide calm and comfort but also gives time for those in a tight spot to think when pushed by an investigator with uncomfortable questions.
This is another solid addition to the series. Each book can be read as a “stand alone” but like other serials there are threads from past novels which enhance a reader’s experience when they are read in order.
A few weeks later, Father James returning to the rectory in late evening is brutally attacked, hit on the head with a heavy crucifix. When the priest falls, his assailant delivers two more blows and then with a gloved hand quickly wrecks the room. He pries open the tin box where the parish funds are kept, scoops up the money and flees.
When the town hears about the murder they are shocked and horrified. It appears Father James had returned home unexpectedly and was attacked by someone he disturbed in the middle of a burglary. But who would ever kill a priest, especially someone like Father James who had no enemies and was loved by everyone? With the church still acknowledged as the revered center of the community, people are quickly convinced that no one in their town could have carried out such a vicious crime. It must have been an outsider.
Inspector Ian Rutledge is on medical leave recovering from the gunshot wound he suffered in the line of duty on his last case in Scotland. The forced inactivity and confinement required for his body to heal has left him vulnerable to the horrible memories of the the war which have plagued him since he left the battlefield. The living voice of Corporal Hamish MacLeod is louder and more forceful and he longs for the mind numbing concentration of work, needing its distraction and subsequent exhaustion to have a more peaceful sleep. It comes soon enough when Chief Superintendent Bowles, always anxious to have Rutledge away from London as much as possible, sends him to look into the murder of Father James. People in the small are anxious to have the murder solved and the Bishop has contacted Scotland Yard to ask for help to reassure himself and the villagers that everything is being done to catch the murderer.
Rutledge meets with Inspector Blevins from the local detachment who asks Rutledge to stay on. He is glad to have assistance with solving the crime and being a member of Father James’s parish, not certain he is sufficiently detached to do the job well.
They make little progress until the police find a likely suspect in Mathew Walsh, the itinerant strong man who entertained at the recent church bazaar. He appeared in the next town with a new cart and some bills and coins in his pocket. However Rutledge knows not all the evidence fits the crime and realizes the police may be rushing to judgement, anxious to close the case. For his part, Rutledge is neither convinced the murder was due to a robbery gone wrong or that Walsh committed the crime.
The investigation takes Rutledge in many directions as he searches for a missing photograph, meets one woman who is researching and drawing old church artifacts for a book begun by her dead husband and another who hates Father James for some perceived wrong from the past. He also tries to locate a missing photograph referred to in the priest’s will and wonders why Father James was so obsessed with the sinking of the Titanic. His inquiries also take him to Lord Sedgewick and his two sons, the local gentrified nouveau riche family that lead a privileged life on a large estate on the edge of town.
Throughout the investigation the spectre of Corporal Hamish continues to haunt Rutledge who remains a prisoner of his own terrors. He has never found a way to shut Hamish out but the dead Corporal is becoming more of a help as time goes on, asking interesting questions, making comments, warning Rutledge about impending dangers and pointing out important clues. He is so real to Rutledge that he appears to take on the role of co-investigator and their ongoing silent conversations, although at times devastating for Rutledge, are also helping him solve the murder.
Like other novels in this series this one has a dense complicated plot and a large interesting cast of characters, all vividly described. The authors continue to evoke the gloomy dismal atmosphere of village life in post war Britain describing crippled men hobbling in the streets, the endless coughing of soldiers whose lungs have been damaged in the gas attacks and those who do not venture outside their homes without scarfs covering their necks and faces now permanently disfigured by burns. There are also long passages describing the countryside and the small towns which sometimes becomes overbearing, dragging the narrative when the reader wants the pace to pick up and reach some kind of a conclusion. All this is served up with the endless cups of tea, the calming ritual designed to ease tensions and provide calm and comfort but also gives time for those in a tight spot to think when pushed by an investigator with uncomfortable questions.
This is another solid addition to the series. Each book can be read as a “stand alone” but like other serials there are threads from past novels which enhance a reader’s experience when they are read in order.
February 3, 2021
I've enjoyed all the books in the Ian Rutledge series thus far, but this one resonated with me more than the previous four. It could be because I've become comfortable, finally, with Rutledge's manner of investigation and his despair and loneliness or simply because the plot is that good.
to-read-own
November 22, 201711/22/17 $1.99 for Kindle.
February 21, 2022
Once more a complex mystery made even more so by the red herring strewn across the path. Ian Rutledge in battling his own demons never fails to come across fellow travellers. I was half aware early on about who might be involved but never guessed the entirety. Such a series!!
August 18, 2022
I have read no other books by Todd, so I am unfamiliar with this series and characters. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I was.
The protagonist, Ian Rutledge, has many interior dialogues, the other, interior voice being Hamish, apparently a separate person. I didn't find this to be a useful approach to letting us into Rutledge's thoughts.
At the beginning, Rutledge is recovering from something that happened in Scotland. There are lines like, "I'll never forget what happened in Scotland" or "Scotland would always weigh heavily on him", blah blah blah. We are never told what happened in Scotland, nor what happened in the First World War, but it was important; trust me, says the author.
The plot was overly complex for my taste, and the resolution left many things unresolved, in my opinion.
On the other hand, characters like Inspector Blevins, Rutledge, and a couple of others were nicely done. Even the farmer's dog was well done.
But that was insufficient to encourage me to look for other books by Todd.
The protagonist, Ian Rutledge, has many interior dialogues, the other, interior voice being Hamish, apparently a separate person. I didn't find this to be a useful approach to letting us into Rutledge's thoughts.
At the beginning, Rutledge is recovering from something that happened in Scotland. There are lines like, "I'll never forget what happened in Scotland" or "Scotland would always weigh heavily on him", blah blah blah. We are never told what happened in Scotland, nor what happened in the First World War, but it was important; trust me, says the author.
The plot was overly complex for my taste, and the resolution left many things unresolved, in my opinion.
On the other hand, characters like Inspector Blevins, Rutledge, and a couple of others were nicely done. Even the farmer's dog was well done.
But that was insufficient to encourage me to look for other books by Todd.
January 22, 2011
Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent to investigate the murder of a Catholic priest. The local constabulary are convinced the priest surprised a burglar who made off with the funds from a charity bazaar. Father James is found by his housekeeper. Someone has bludgeoned him to death with the altar crucifix. His study is ransacked. As Charles Todd has done before, the author(s) have crafted a complicated plot. Rutledge continues to be a fascinating character, haunted by his experiences in World War One. And this time, Rutledge meets someone else who is haunted by the past, a survivor of the sinking of the Titanic, who may hold the solution to the case.
January 8, 2015
As Minnesotans say with a shrug of the shoulders, "It was fine." I liked Ian and I enjoyed Hamish as Watson to Ian's Sherlock. Two of the subplots that I found unique were the Titanic disaster as seen from the England's side of the ocean and this particular tale of the wealthy American bride marrying into English aristocracy. But other than the our detective, there were no characters that I could care about and the novel dragged on. You might flip past the middle 125 pages and not be too far behind in the plot of the priest's murder. I'll stick with Bess Crawford who has a personal story that better carries her novels forward.
March 14, 2020
Book five in the series. A priest is bludgeoned to death with the crucifix from his own altar. Is anyone safe? We join Rutledge at home with his sister recovering from the wounds he received in Book four. So, why was the priest so brutally murdered. Was it robbery for the poor box and if so why did the thief leave silver and gold including the cross behind, head directly to an upstair office which was ransacked and leave the rest of the house untouched. Or was the robbery a cover for malice occasioned by knowledge the priest possessed or left unsaid abuse for which priests have become notorious. And what relevance does a priest called to a protestant’s death bed have on anything. Or the picture of a nobleman’s dead wife bequeathed in a codicil to another woman.
The watchers of the title are a group of four ghoulish apes leering from a bas relief in Lord Sedgewick’s garden. This is an England still strongly locked in class society. Rutledge has to walk a fine line to avoid offending local sensitivities. Accepting a luncheon invitation at the Lord’s Estate was a severe snub to the local Inspector who has received no such invite.
Hamish MacLoed whose death haunts Inspector Rutledge hangs over his shoulder like a living presence with a life of his own.
The chief suspect does a runner knowing he is being railroaded. Is this admission of guilt or self-preservation. If so the fact he dies on the lam by misadventure is ironic.
The case is solved in the last 30 pages. Once again the book ends without resolving most of the issues.
The watchers of the title are a group of four ghoulish apes leering from a bas relief in Lord Sedgewick’s garden. This is an England still strongly locked in class society. Rutledge has to walk a fine line to avoid offending local sensitivities. Accepting a luncheon invitation at the Lord’s Estate was a severe snub to the local Inspector who has received no such invite.
Hamish MacLoed whose death haunts Inspector Rutledge hangs over his shoulder like a living presence with a life of his own.
The chief suspect does a runner knowing he is being railroaded. Is this admission of guilt or self-preservation. If so the fact he dies on the lam by misadventure is ironic.
The case is solved in the last 30 pages. Once again the book ends without resolving most of the issues.
April 15, 2020
A beloved priest is murdered. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Rutledge to assure a church official of the local law's competency. The local constable has already caught the apparent culprit. The evidence seems straight forward. Nevertheless the constable asks Rutledge to stay on.
What seems a simple case leaves some questions unanswered, and soon Rutledge is accused of sniffing out irrelevant secrets which would only cause harm rather than advance the case.
The story proceeds at a leisurely pace in a brooding atmosphere. And always the recent WWI has left its mark on tortured residents, as well as in Rutledge's mind which is haunted by a ghost. Add the murdered priest's fascination of the sinking of the Titanic, which would appear to be far removed from any motive for murder.
Yet what appear to be irrelevant secrets eventually bring forth surprises that determine the outcome of the case.
I feel that the stone, called Watchers of Time, is a bit of a stretch, as it is peripheral. But the murder is solved. However the tortured members of society still inhabit the miserable aftermath of the war. So we don't find a happy ending. We find an ending that is more realistic, and we understand in Todd's series that Rutledge will continue in his career, uncertain and haunted, and fascinating.
What seems a simple case leaves some questions unanswered, and soon Rutledge is accused of sniffing out irrelevant secrets which would only cause harm rather than advance the case.
The story proceeds at a leisurely pace in a brooding atmosphere. And always the recent WWI has left its mark on tortured residents, as well as in Rutledge's mind which is haunted by a ghost. Add the murdered priest's fascination of the sinking of the Titanic, which would appear to be far removed from any motive for murder.
Yet what appear to be irrelevant secrets eventually bring forth surprises that determine the outcome of the case.
I feel that the stone, called Watchers of Time, is a bit of a stretch, as it is peripheral. But the murder is solved. However the tortured members of society still inhabit the miserable aftermath of the war. So we don't find a happy ending. We find an ending that is more realistic, and we understand in Todd's series that Rutledge will continue in his career, uncertain and haunted, and fascinating.
October 15, 2021
Charles Todd, Watchers of Time, Inspector Ian Rutledge #5, 2001.
To orient the story in time and place:
1916 Captain Ian Rutledge put Corporal Hamish McLeod to death for refusing an order to lead more men to their deaths, on the Somme.
1918.11.11 WWI ended
1919.02 Shell-shocked WWI survivor Rutledge's fiancee, Jean, ended their engagement.
1919.06 Rutledge returned to work at (New) Scotland Yard after recuperating from WWI.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/51%...
1919.09 Inspector Rutledge sustained an injury in Scotland toward the end of book #4.
1919.09 Osterly, supposedly on the North Sea coast
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Cley+...
in Norfolk https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nor...
(though the only actual Osterly is just west of London: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ost... )
"What a dreary place. Enough to turn anybody into a murderer, living here long enough." (90%, chapter 27.)
Herbert Baker, coachman, dies of natural causes, age 64. Sons and daughter: Martin, Dick, Ellen.
1919.10.02 Murder.
1919.10 Rutledge. London and Norfolk.
Trivia:
https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
To orient the story in time and place:
1916 Captain Ian Rutledge put Corporal Hamish McLeod to death for refusing an order to lead more men to their deaths, on the Somme.
1918.11.11 WWI ended
1919.02 Shell-shocked WWI survivor Rutledge's fiancee, Jean, ended their engagement.
1919.06 Rutledge returned to work at (New) Scotland Yard after recuperating from WWI.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/51%...
1919.09 Inspector Rutledge sustained an injury in Scotland toward the end of book #4.
1919.09 Osterly, supposedly on the North Sea coast
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Cley+...
in Norfolk https://www.google.com/maps/place/Nor...
(though the only actual Osterly is just west of London: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ost... )
"What a dreary place. Enough to turn anybody into a murderer, living here long enough." (90%, chapter 27.)
Herbert Baker, coachman, dies of natural causes, age 64. Sons and daughter: Martin, Dick, Ellen.
1919.10.02 Murder.
1919.10 Rutledge. London and Norfolk.
Trivia:
https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/work...
January 7, 2019
In this earlier mystery novel, Inspector Ian Rutledge, a veteran of World War I and his mental phantasm Hamish, find themselves overseeing the investigation of a dead priest. He is sent to Osterley, a small town in Norfolk, presumably to oversee this investigation but also to get him out of London as his slow recovery from the War makes his fellow officers uncomfortable. It is 1919 and there are many men like Rutledge, haunted by the war and still trying to recover.
The man in charge in Osterley, Blevins, has someone in custody for the murder of Father James but the facts don't fit quite tightly enough to satisfy and Rutledge starts to ask questions on his own. As he does, the life of this priest becomes clearer and points to more than just a burglary gone bad. It seems Father James had unknown enemies in this small backwater and knowledge that put him at risk. An interesting and sinister cast of characters as well as the marshes and bleakness of the North of England gove this one just the right atmosphere for suspense.
The man in charge in Osterley, Blevins, has someone in custody for the murder of Father James but the facts don't fit quite tightly enough to satisfy and Rutledge starts to ask questions on his own. As he does, the life of this priest becomes clearer and points to more than just a burglary gone bad. It seems Father James had unknown enemies in this small backwater and knowledge that put him at risk. An interesting and sinister cast of characters as well as the marshes and bleakness of the North of England gove this one just the right atmosphere for suspense.
February 2, 2023
Murder mystery set in Osterly, in Norfolk County East Anglia, 1919 — the rump of the pig, if England were shaped like a man riding a pig. This plot refers back to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 or so.
Probably 3 stars but I am WEARY of abrupt endings without closure in this series. As a reader, I feel cheated. I want closure on the murderers and the useless inspector Blevins, especially after spending hours wading through a slow investigation, countless interviews, and Hamish’s ceaseless and repetitive interruptions.
This book does not provide much closure on the previous book, Legacy of the Dead, either. That book also ended on a cliff. I did like Peter Henderson, the sniper.
Best line:
Probably 3 stars but I am WEARY of abrupt endings without closure in this series. As a reader, I feel cheated. I want closure on the murderers and the useless inspector Blevins, especially after spending hours wading through a slow investigation, countless interviews, and Hamish’s ceaseless and repetitive interruptions.
This book does not provide much closure on the previous book, Legacy of the Dead, either. That book also ended on a cliff. I did like Peter Henderson, the sniper.
Best line:
“I spent four years in the trenches,” Rutledge answered contemptuously. “I daresay I shall survive the xxxxxxx family. I’d set my house in order if I were you.”
May 20, 2018
Rating: I love this series. Very psychological and the plots are complex enough to present a lot of questions.
Ian is recuperating from an injury and so is sent off to the north of England to talk to a Priest about his concerns regarding the recent murder of his friend, another priest. Of course it all turns into quite a mess when Ian begins to delve into the hidden depths of a small village.
Ian, struggling still with his mental state after service in WWI, has a depth and understanding that means he can connect with the odd and downtrodden which lets him uncover a lot of secrets wherever he goes. And, he's tenacious and really doesn't much care if he's possibly ruining his own career when he takes on the powerful.
Ian is recuperating from an injury and so is sent off to the north of England to talk to a Priest about his concerns regarding the recent murder of his friend, another priest. Of course it all turns into quite a mess when Ian begins to delve into the hidden depths of a small village.
Ian, struggling still with his mental state after service in WWI, has a depth and understanding that means he can connect with the odd and downtrodden which lets him uncover a lot of secrets wherever he goes. And, he's tenacious and really doesn't much care if he's possibly ruining his own career when he takes on the powerful.
November 14, 2024
I am listening to this series one after the other and am just fascinated by the time period. It is 1919 and Inspector Rutledge is recovering from a gunshot wound he suffered in the previous book. He is sent to Osterly to investigate the death of a. Priest. This is a very convuluted plot and I was fascinated as the clues piled up. A very important plot point is the sinking of the Titanic and how that helped him solve the case. The title refers to some creepy statues at a manor house.
It is always cold and raining and Rutledge must find the killer, as the Chief Constable believes he has the right man.
I have already started the next book and wondering if Rutledge will ever completely recover from the war.
It is always cold and raining and Rutledge must find the killer, as the Chief Constable believes he has the right man.
I have already started the next book and wondering if Rutledge will ever completely recover from the war.
June 2, 2022
Reading this series is for me, a restful experience. I believe it is because of the methodical way inspector Rutledge pursues the answers to the mystery. The detailed actions at times get tedious, and as another reviewer has said, the abrupt ending to this and the last book I read is a bit frustrating. It seems to me that Hamish was more prominent in this book. I was hoping that Rutledge could quiet him more. But since Rutledge is recovering from a serious injury, and he pushes himself physically, that could bring on his dark mood. It’s another good read and I am continuing with the series.
May 11, 2021
Though this is #5 in the Ian Rutledge series, it takes place soon after (1919) WW1, and Ian is plagued by his own issues after the trauma of the war years, while trying to solve a baffling mystery involving a priest and a vicar in a backwater town in the Norfolk area of England. Would work fine as a stand-alone book, as do all of the books in this series, and also Todd’s Bess Crawford series about a nurse during WW1.
March 2, 2018
Layer upon layer upon layer
What can I say—— I am LOVING this series! Deeper into the modern-day PSTD of WWI, complexities of 1919, even Titanic this time around!
Ian Rutledge doesn’t miss!
What can I say—— I am LOVING this series! Deeper into the modern-day PSTD of WWI, complexities of 1919, even Titanic this time around!
Ian Rutledge doesn’t miss!
July 7, 2017
3.5. Its a good series. Not great, but entertaining. I'll keep reading them!
July 23, 2018
Another good read in this series!
September 18, 2019
A policeman haunted by WWI must investigate the murder of a priest. I didn't love the Hamish angle, but I couldn't figure out any of the solution on this one and that's unusual.
February 8, 2020
Another good one from Charles Todd!
January 9, 2021
Interesting story characters and development of story would recommend
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