by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 19
First published 2017
Inspector Ian Rutledge faces a puzzling case when a driver dies in a crash during a fierce rainstorm on a winding English road. The death appears accidental, but Rutledge suspects murder. His investigation leads him back one year to France, where English officers who survived the Battle of the Somme fulfilled a wartime pact. These men had promised to meet in Paris after the war and race motorcars to Nice. Their reunion ended badly when someone deliberately forced two vehicles off a mountain road, seriously injuring one participant. Now someone has died in England, and Rutledge must determine if the crashes are linked. The villages of the South Downs guard their secrets closely, blocking his progress at every turn. The killer remains hidden but grows desperate as Rutledge closes in. When an innocent child becomes the next target, Rutledge must use every skill he possesses to prevent another murder.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, investigation
Setting: England, France, South Downs
Period: World War I, Post-World War I
368 pages · ebook · William Morrow
Content warnings: violence