by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 21
First published 2019
Inspector Ian Rutledge receives an unlikely tip from a former convict. Alan Barrington has returned to England after ten years on the run. Barrington fled following a brutal murder at Black Ascot, the 1910 royal horserace that honored the deceased King Edward VII. His escape triggered a nationwide manhunt that obsessed Britain for a decade. Scotland Yard assigns Rutledge to lead a discreet investigation disguised as a cold case review. As Rutledge reconstructs the original inquiry, he uncovers hidden relationships and buried secrets from 1910. The deeper he digs into Barrington's world, the closer he comes to his target. Then a shocking incident calls Rutledge's mental state into question. His sister Frances, Melinda Crawford, and Dr. Fleming support him, but the stigma of shell shock threatens everything. Rutledge faces a brutal choice. He can retreat and accept defeat, or push forward despite his doubts. Finding Barrington becomes more than solving a case. It means saving his career and his sanity. But has the elusive killer already slipped away again?
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Black Ascot, Britain, England, Scotland Yard
Period: 1910, World War I
365 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow