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nonnie63's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book, Sherlock Holmes move aside. Received in a Goodreads Giveaway.
plantbirdwoman's review
4.0
I've been working my way through this historical mystery series for a few years now and the trip has mostly been enjoyable. But the previous book, Proof of Guilt, which I read last summer, was a big disappointment to me and nearly put me off. I haven't felt the desire to get back to the series since until a few days ago. Looking for my next book to read I came across Charles Todd's name and decided, why not?
I'm glad I decided to give him another chance because this one was a winner.
It is 1920 and memories of the First World War are still fresh. Many of the veterans of that war bear wounds, both physical and mental, that are yet to heal. Among the sufferers of psychological wounds is Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. He does his best to keep his PTSD, or shell shock as it was then called, hidden.
Rutledge is sent to Cambridgeshire, the Fen Country, to investigate two murders. The first was a former soldier who was shot while attending a society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire. He was shot with a rifle by someone who was well concealed. The shooter was never seen by the wedding guests.
Then another man, a country lawyer, is murdered in the same fashion. This time though the apparent shooter was seen by an elderly woman, but her description of what she saw does not seem credible.
There does not appear to be any connection between the two men and the local police constables are stumped. Rutledge arrives on the scene to help and methodically goes through all the information that the constables have gathered. He re-interviews many of the witnesses and begins to form a theory of the crimes. It seems apparent to him that the shooter must have been a sniper in the recent Great War.
In the midst of his investigation, another man, a local farmer, is shot, but this man suffers only a flesh wound to his cheek and he lives. This confuses the investigation further. What possible connection could there be to tie the three men together? Is it possible that the latest shooting was only meant as a misdirection to put Rutledge off the scent?
This plot was very well-drawn and crisp. Although there were clues along the way that might have pointed to the reasons for the killings, I was confused right along with Inspector Rutledge and did not guess the real source of the evil until the clever inspector figured it out with his methodical and pragmatic police work and reasoning.
The story was rich in atmospheric details. The reader could feel herself enveloped in the claustrophobic pea soup of a fog that covered the Fens on occasion. The secondary characters were fleshed out and seemed integral to the story.
At the center of it all was Rutledge, a commanding and empathetic figure, whose vulnerable humanity is perhaps his greatest appeal, as he must constantly struggle against the darkness that threatens to overwhelm him in order to do his job. He is full of compassion even for the guilty, but he never loses sight of his duty, and he is always able to make clear-eyed observations and to see people as they really are.
Yes, I'm glad I decided to give the series another chance.
I'm glad I decided to give him another chance because this one was a winner.
It is 1920 and memories of the First World War are still fresh. Many of the veterans of that war bear wounds, both physical and mental, that are yet to heal. Among the sufferers of psychological wounds is Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. He does his best to keep his PTSD, or shell shock as it was then called, hidden.
Rutledge is sent to Cambridgeshire, the Fen Country, to investigate two murders. The first was a former soldier who was shot while attending a society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire. He was shot with a rifle by someone who was well concealed. The shooter was never seen by the wedding guests.
Then another man, a country lawyer, is murdered in the same fashion. This time though the apparent shooter was seen by an elderly woman, but her description of what she saw does not seem credible.
There does not appear to be any connection between the two men and the local police constables are stumped. Rutledge arrives on the scene to help and methodically goes through all the information that the constables have gathered. He re-interviews many of the witnesses and begins to form a theory of the crimes. It seems apparent to him that the shooter must have been a sniper in the recent Great War.
In the midst of his investigation, another man, a local farmer, is shot, but this man suffers only a flesh wound to his cheek and he lives. This confuses the investigation further. What possible connection could there be to tie the three men together? Is it possible that the latest shooting was only meant as a misdirection to put Rutledge off the scent?
This plot was very well-drawn and crisp. Although there were clues along the way that might have pointed to the reasons for the killings, I was confused right along with Inspector Rutledge and did not guess the real source of the evil until the clever inspector figured it out with his methodical and pragmatic police work and reasoning.
The story was rich in atmospheric details. The reader could feel herself enveloped in the claustrophobic pea soup of a fog that covered the Fens on occasion. The secondary characters were fleshed out and seemed integral to the story.
At the center of it all was Rutledge, a commanding and empathetic figure, whose vulnerable humanity is perhaps his greatest appeal, as he must constantly struggle against the darkness that threatens to overwhelm him in order to do his job. He is full of compassion even for the guilty, but he never loses sight of his duty, and he is always able to make clear-eyed observations and to see people as they really are.
Yes, I'm glad I decided to give the series another chance.
raoionna's review against another edition
3.0
Rutledge is a solid, appealing enough fellow--a sort of vanilla pudding of a man. And, this is an appealing book in the series.
avidreader999's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this - nicely paced mystery, some good red herrings and a cast of likeable characters. I’ll definitely be looking up more of Charles Todd’s books.
catzkc's review
3.0
The Fens seem to be a recurring setting in a number of books I've read this year. I'm beginning to think I need to schedule a trip!
anjanette's review against another edition
4.0
Lots of red herrings and quite a slow pace. It picks up toward the end though.
daniellecheri's review against another edition
4.0
After a bit of a slow start, this book held my interest very well. I was confused about Hamish and what he had to do with Rutledge's life. I suppose reading the 15 previous books would clear up this and may other questions I have about the main character.
Other than that, the case he was put on was rather intriguing. The elusive killer and all the dead-ends and tangled relationships of all the people in the village helped to make this a book that kept me guessing and wondering who it would be in the end. And the result was definitely not expected. I enjoyed reading it and need to add the others to my ever-growing list if books I need to read.
Other than that, the case he was put on was rather intriguing. The elusive killer and all the dead-ends and tangled relationships of all the people in the village helped to make this a book that kept me guessing and wondering who it would be in the end. And the result was definitely not expected. I enjoyed reading it and need to add the others to my ever-growing list if books I need to read.
aksimmo's review against another edition
3.0
Hunting Shadows is a classic eerie mystery whose main character is not Inspector Ian Rutledge as the book synopsis would have you believe, but the thick, cloak of fog that envelops the town so completely that you can't see your way home. The type of fog that hides a killer walking as he maps his escape and the squeak of a bicycle is all that alerts you that you are not alone.
Inspector Rutledge from Scotland Yard is assigned to the small English village of Cambridgeshire to help solve the murder of Captain Hutchinson who was gunned down while attending a society wedding. A second murder occurs not far from the first, another man shot in cold blood while campaigning for office in the public square. Nothing links the two men together. However, a witness to the second shooting initially claims she saw the shooter, or rather, the monstrously grotesque appearance of something with a gun in an upper window. Something that terrifies her so much that she clams up and refuses to repeat her initial story.
Inspector Rutledge interviews local townspeople and the constables who have so far failed to solve this case in order to come up with any clue that can link these two murders together so he can come up with a common suspect. Full of 1920's intrigue, crank up cars, windmills, horses and sniper shots, this was a good under the covers read with a sinister tone.
Inspector Rutledge from Scotland Yard is assigned to the small English village of Cambridgeshire to help solve the murder of Captain Hutchinson who was gunned down while attending a society wedding. A second murder occurs not far from the first, another man shot in cold blood while campaigning for office in the public square. Nothing links the two men together. However, a witness to the second shooting initially claims she saw the shooter, or rather, the monstrously grotesque appearance of something with a gun in an upper window. Something that terrifies her so much that she clams up and refuses to repeat her initial story.
Inspector Rutledge interviews local townspeople and the constables who have so far failed to solve this case in order to come up with any clue that can link these two murders together so he can come up with a common suspect. Full of 1920's intrigue, crank up cars, windmills, horses and sniper shots, this was a good under the covers read with a sinister tone.
zade's review against another edition
4.0
While I'm not sure what possessed me to get a copy of this novel, I'm certainly glad I did so. I'm more of a thriller reader than a traditional mystery reader, but I'm quite sure I'll be reading the entire Inspector Rutledge series in short order. The plot was quite interesting and the authors have a knack for bringing to life both the people in the story and the landscapes they inhabit. I could not tell at all that the book was written by a duo as the authorial voice was entirely consistent throughout. Also, for American authors, they have a good sense of British language and mores in the era they depict. Their research must be prodigious. I highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys a good British mystery and for other readers looking for a well drawn, complex protagonist.