by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 14
First published 2012
A stranger arrives at Scotland Yard claiming he must confess before he dies. He tells Inspector Ian Rutledge that he murdered his cousin five years ago during the Great War. The man refuses to give details beyond saying he comes from a village east of London. Without a body or solid evidence, Rutledge cannot open an official case but begins investigating quietly. Two weeks later, the confessor floats dead in the Thames with a bullet through his skull. Rutledge learns the victim lied about his identity. The inspector's only lead is a gold locket the corpse wore, pointing to an Essex village whose residents guard their secrets fiercely. They will protect themselves from outside attention at any cost. Curiosity brings change, and change threatens to expose an ancient crime that could destroy them all. Rutledge must uncover who the dead man really was and whether his confession and murder connect to something darker buried in the village's past.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, small-town
Setting: Essex, London, Scotland Yard, Thames
Period: Great War, World War I
344 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow