by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 15
First published 2013
Inspector Ian Rutledge returns to Scotland Yard in 1919, carrying the psychological wounds of the Great War. When a new case demands his attention, Rutledge must navigate both the complexities of criminal investigation and his own troubled mind. The voice of Hamish MacLeod, a Scottish soldier Rutledge executed for cowardice during the war, continues to haunt his thoughts as he pursues justice. Rutledge faces resistance from colleagues who question his fitness for duty while working to solve crimes that mirror the moral ambiguities he encountered in the trenches. His partnership with the persistent Hamish creates an internal dialogue that both aids and torments his detective work. The case forces Rutledge to confront not only external mysteries but also the guilt and trauma that define his postwar existence.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, detective, psychological-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, thought-provoking
Tropes: haunted-by-the-past, internal-conflict, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Scotland Yard
Period: 1919
343 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow
Content warnings: mental-illness