It is the summer of 1920. The Great War is over, but the
pain, suffering and loss continues to haunt those who had
returned. Now, another death, but duty calls and he will go
to give honour to his comrade who had gone at the Church of
St. Mary's in Burwell. Yet, it is too much. How can he
bear it? So, he watches, sees Captain Hutchinson
ingratiating himself with the fallen officer's sister.
Could others not see what a fortune hunter Hutchison is?
This time he won't fail to get the revenue he seeks.
Two murders by an expert shot and no clues; one at the Ely
cathedral and the other in Wriston, a small village. Doing
the best they can, it proves too much for the
Cambridgeshire police and they call for help from Scotland
Yard. So, Inspector Ian Rutledge makes his way to the Fens
region: a beautiful lowlands of fields and marshes by day;
a dangerous place at night with deep mists, heavy fogs and
where a misstep could mean death in a bog.
Almost as equally baffled as the police by the lack of
clues, the Inspector mutters "Early days" as he follows up
each small wisp of a half-clue, questioning and re-
questioning to tug out the smallest memory. He kens it
must relate to the War, but how? Plagued by his own horrors
of the war, can he handle hunting down the shadows of
others? All rifles and side arms were supposed to have
been collected from the returning soldiers. Who had
managed to keep theirs? Could they find the murderer
before more deaths occur?
HUNTING SHADOWS is the sixteenth book in the Inspector
Rutledge series written by the very well-known and
highly
regarded mother and son team of Charles and Caroline Todd
under the name of Charles Todd. It is a superb mystery
that stands so well on its own that it can be equally be
fully enjoyed both by the author's many fans as well as by
readers new to the series.
HUNTING SHADOWS is skillfully written in a deceptively
simple, yet realistic style that brings the period to life
in a very authentic manner, the authors instantly places
you in the fens region, a rural community where people have
long histories together; yet, a nearby village can be
almost as distant as London. Based on their excellent
research skills, the Todds have a deep understanding and
connection for the post-World War I period in England in
their books. This book further illuminates that skill as
the authors vividly describes both the country life in the
Fens as well as perfectly nailing the descriptions and ways
of people from the upper classes, their relationships with
their servants as well as the now almost forgotten many
trades people as they go about their daily lives.
As the narration moves between the killer and the
detective, it helps deepen the complexity of the storyline
and plot. Rutledge is such an excellent protagonist and I
really love reading how he works to control both his own
emotions and memories while getting the people he
interviews to open up a bit to him. Of course, during WWI,
the issue of post-traumatic stress was definitely not
treated like it is today and Rutledge was ordered to
execute Hamish, one of his best men serving under him. He
is still haunted by his voice as well as by his own war
flashbacks, so the scenes where he interacts with other
former soldiers are particularly poignant as well as
intriguing.
Enjoy this aptly titled intriguing book that is riveting to
read as Rutledge painstakingly strives to solve the almost
unsolvable! Police procedural fans will dearly love to get
their hands on this suspenseful read! New fans be warned!
Once you start reading HUNTING SHADOWS, you will be hunting
down the rest of the books in the series as Inspector
Rutledge and Hamish are great characters that will grow on
you!
A dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields
of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard
Inspector Ian Rutledge in Hunting Shadows, a gripping and
atmospheric historical mystery set in 1920s England, from
acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.
A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes
a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is
found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland
Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description
of the killer is so strange its unbelievable.
Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge has few
answers of his own. The victims are so different that there
is no rhyme or reason to their deaths. Nothing logically
seems to connect them-except the killer. As the
investigation widens, a clear suspect emerges. But for
Rutledge, the facts still don't add up, leaving him to
question his own judgment.
In going over the details of the case, Rutledge is reminded
of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. While the memory
could lead him to the truth, it also raises a prickly
dilemma. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective
choose to follow the letter-or the spirit-of the law?
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy