by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 18
First published 2016
Inspector Ian Rutledge arrives in a Cornish village where four young women face murder charges. The case appears straightforward to local authorities, who believe an act of mercy turned deadly. A concerned father has pulled strings at the Home Office to bring in Scotland Yard for review. Rutledge follows another inspector who died before completing the investigation. The locals want swift justice. The accused women's families rage against the charges. The victim's parents demand closure. Everyone expects the four suspects to be sent to Bodmin Gaol. But murders continue even with the women in custody. Rutledge finds himself without solid evidence to prove innocence or guilt. He must navigate hostile families, eager local police, and the dangerous secrets hidden in this remote coastal community. The truth lies buried in the wild landscape of north Cornwall, where someone still kills while four women await their fate.
Genres: historical-fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Bodmin Gaol, Cornwall, Scotland Yard
Period: 20th-century
368 pages · Paperback · William Morrow Paperbacks
Content warnings: death, murder, violence