by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 0.6
First published 2016
The trenches of World War I bring together Inspector Ian Rutledge and Dougal Kerr, a young recruit from Glasgow with no family and a shadowy past. Kerr appears easygoing on the surface, but his cheerless background has shaped him in ways that become clear on the battlefield. The Scotsman proves exceptionally skilled at killing enemy soldiers, and unlike his fellow troops, he shows no reluctance or regret about taking lives. In fact, Kerr seems to enjoy the violence. This troubles Rutledge, who struggles with a troubling question: in the brutal context of war, how can anyone distinguish between a necessary soldier doing his duty and a man who kills because he wants to? The story explores the thin line between military effectiveness and dangerous bloodlust when survival depends on violence.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, military-fiction, mystery
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-ambiguity
Setting: Glasgow, Trenches
Period: World War I
Audiobook · Hachette Original
Content warnings: graphic-violence, violence