by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 16
First published 2014
Inspector Ian Rutledge arrives at Ely Cathedral where a society wedding has turned into a murder scene. A second body appears, and the local police call Scotland Yard for help. The lone witness offers a description of the killer so bizarre that nobody believes her account. Rutledge studies both victims but finds no logical connection between them. The deaths seem random except for one shared element: the same person killed them both. The investigation produces a likely suspect, yet something feels wrong to Rutledge. The evidence points in one direction while his instincts pull him toward another. As he reviews every detail, a troubling memory surfaces from his time in the war. This recollection might unlock the truth behind the murders, but it also creates a moral crisis. Rutledge must decide whether to follow police procedure exactly as written or bend the rules to catch a killer. His choice will determine whether justice prevails or another victim dies.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: moral-dilemma, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Ely Cathedral, Scotland Yard
Period: 20th-century
330 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow