by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 7
First published 2005
Scotland Yard summons Inspector Ian Rutledge into a fierce blizzard that batters England's Lake District. He arrives at a remote farm in Urskdale to discover the Elcott family slaughtered at their kitchen table. The scene shows no signs of struggle, suggesting the victims knew their killer. The brutality reminds Rutledge of World War I battlefields, not peaceful rural England. Local police reveal another shock: one child from the family has vanished. Rutledge must determine what drove someone to such rage. Was it love, jealousy, greed, or revenge that sparked this violence? The missing child's life hangs in the balance as the storm intensifies. Rutledge races against time and the elements to identify the murderer. The killer could be anywhere in the blinding snow, ready to strike again. The inspector knows that someone capable of such cold calculation will not hesitate to kill once more.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: detective-story, race-against-time
Setting: England, Lake District, Urskdale
Period: World War I
320 pages · Kindle Edition · Bantam
Content warnings: violence