A good friend introduced me to Charles Todd, a mother and son writing team. They live on the East Coast of the United States. I cannot imagine how difficult a task that might be but they pull it off in the final product. I just finished reading A Test of Wills (published in 1996), which is the first book in the Ian Rutledge series. It is available in several formats so pick your choice. But by all means, read this book and the others in the series.
The story takes place in Warwickshire, England about a year after the end of World War I. Ian Rutledge has returned to his position of Inspector at Scotland Yard in London. Before the war, he was a rising star at the Yard. But the war had an adverse impact him. He is tormented by an event in the war that changed him forever. He comes home to find out his longtime lady friend is about to marry somebody else. For years, his boss has been harboring jealous feelings about Rutledge’s success. Rutledge’s first assignment is to solve the murder of a prominent socialite and Colonel in the British Army. There suspects galore including a much-decorated flying ace (political hot potato), his former paramour, a former soldier facing severe PTSD (shell shock), and a Bolshevik rabble-rouser.
Rutledge’s investigation takes a little more than week. At some point, a case is made for all of the major characters being the killer. The actual killer and motive will take you completely by surprise. I am looking forward to reading more stories by this author.
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–Jim Harris, retired sales rep
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