by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 9
First published 2007
Inspector Rutledge arrives in Hampton Regis, a quiet harbor town on England's southern coast, to investigate a vicious assault. A man lies barely conscious on the beach, beaten nearly to death. The main suspect is his wife's former lover, a fellow veteran from the Great War who left the trenches under suspicious circumstances. Rutledge faces an uncomfortable task: proving the innocence of a man he neither likes nor trusts. The case becomes more complex when the victim vanishes without a trace, leaving no body behind. As Rutledge digs deeper, the investigation awakens painful memories of his own lost love and his experiences in France. The detective realizes he is not alone in seeing his own emotional turmoil reflected in this deadly triangle. With a killer hiding in Hampton Regis, Rutledge must overcome his personal demons and uncover the truth before the murderer strikes again.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, enemies-to-lovers, personal-demons
Setting: England, Hampton Regis
Period: Great War, World War I
416 pages · Kindle Edition · HarperCollins Publishers
Content warnings: violence