by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 13
First published 2011
Three dead soldiers lie in a quiet Sussex village, each strangled with wire, each bearing a small metal disc in his mouth. Inspector Ian Rutledge arrives from Scotland Yard to investigate these brutal murders. The victims survived the trenches of the Great War only to die violently in the English countryside two years after the armistice. Rutledge, himself a war veteran, recognizes the killer's method and message. Before he can establish a pattern, a fourth soldier turns up dead. The murderer grows bolder despite Scotland Yard's presence. Rutledge faces mounting pressure from his superiors as clues remain scarce. The inspector must risk his career and safety to stop a clever killer who seems to know his every move. Rutledge carries his own psychological scars from the war, making this case particularly personal as he confronts the darkness that follows soldiers home from battle.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, psychological-trauma, war-veteran
Setting: Sussex, Scotland Yard
Period: 1920s, Post-World War I
343 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: mental-illness, violence, war