by Charles Todd
Part of Inspector Ian Rutledge, book 5
First published 2002
Inspector Ian Rutledge arrives in Osterley, a remote Norfolk marsh town, to investigate the brutal murder of a Catholic priest. The local police have already identified their suspect: Matthew Walsh, an outsider they believe interrupted a robbery. But Rutledge discovers the case runs deeper than petty theft. The priest's recent deathbed confession of Herbert Baker, a lifelong Anglican, raises questions no one wants to answer. As Rutledge digs into the tight community's secrets, he uncovers grudges against the victim that have nothing to do with faith or money. The investigation leads him from the brooding marshlands to an unexpected connection with the Titanic disaster. Rutledge must navigate not only the town's web of deception but also his own war trauma, including the voice of Hamish MacLeod, a soldier he executed during the conflict. With time running out before the killer strikes again, Rutledge races to separate truth from lies in a community determined to protect its own.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Norfolk, Osterley, Titanic
Period: World War I
421 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Bantam
Content warnings: death, violence, war