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valefimbres's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
susanhenry's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
jengirlreads's review against another edition
4.0
Another great quick read from Todd. I don't know if it's the Downton Abbey influence, but I'm definitely liking the post-WWI English setting.
bkdrgn303's review against another edition
4.0
I am really enjoying this series by Charles Todd, who apparently is a mother-son team. The books are very introspective and thoughtful. I thought that the "voice in the head" device would get old and precious but it really works quite well. I wish that I could get a better feel for what Ian Rutledge looks like. For some reason I can't get a picture of him in my head. At any rate, this series is a good one and I will continue to read it.
lgpiper's review against another edition
3.0
I've read 4 "Inspector Ian Rutledge" books previously, and liked them all quite well. This book was ok, but a bit on the marginal side (so, ***- for a rating). Ian Rutledge is a Scotland Yard detective who served in WWI. That conflict was not kind to his psyche and he carries in his mind the thoughts and comments of Hamish, a Scottish Corporal he'd had to have executed. Then too, the love of his life, Jean, jilted him when he came back from the war psychologically damaged. But he went back to Scotland Yard, and has persisted in his duties.
For a time, this basic back story seemed an interesting take. Now, it's getting tedious, despite my sympathy for the ravages of war on the lives of the people sent off by the high-living assholes who send regular folks off to kill and be killed for the asshole's fun and profit.
Anyway, I didn't feel that this particular story held together very well. Rutledge is sent to Dorset to help with a local investigation. The local guy, Inspector Hildebrand, resents the hell out of Rutledge's presence and makes that clear.
So, we have another war-damaged guy, Bert Mowbray, who looks out the window at the Singleton Magna train station and sees what he thinks is his wife, Mary, with their two children and another guy. He's desperate to be let off the train, but it's too late. He gets off at a later stop and returns to Singleton Magna and then spends the next two days badgering everyone any anyone about the woman and children he saw. No one seems to know anything much.
But then, a young woman is found murdered with her face bashed in. She's about the proper size, shape and coloring to be Bert's spouse, Mary. Inspector Hildebrand instantly picks up Bert for the murder. But where are the children? Scotland Yard dispatches Rutledge to Dorset to find them.
Much to Hildebrand's disgust, Rutledge isn't quite convinced that the victim is actually Mary Bowbray. There were reports that Mary and the kids had been killed in a bombing in London several years previously. Also, Bert's description of the children fits the children as they were, but don't account for the fact that they would have become several years older.
Then, we get into a rat's next of red herrings, so to speak. It seems that a young woman, Margaret Tarelton, who and just interviewed for a spot helping with a local museum, has gone missing. She had previously worked for Elizabeth Napier, the daughter of Thomas Napier, a local MP, or something. Perhaps she'd had an affair with Thomas, or perhaps with the father of the guy who was setting up the museum, Simon Wyatt. Simon Wyatt was supposed to have gone into the MP business, but also came back from the war, traumatized. He also came back with a French wife, Aurore. When he had left for the war, he'd been engaged to Elizabeth Napier. But wait, there's more! It seems that they find a second body, also of similar size and shape to the deceased, and also with her face bashed in. But this body is 3 months old. It could be the body of Betty Cooper, who'd been working in the neighborhood some six months previously, but who'd up and disappeared no one knows where. But how could Betty disappear six months ago, but come back unseen only to be murdered three months ago? Then, of course, WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?????
Well, as you can tell, it's all rather convoluted, and I've left off some other war-traumatized folks. I didn't find the twists and turns particularly interesting or satisfying, and the ending didn't really make a lot of sense. It was just some ad hoc thing to make us all feel better at the end, or something.
For a time, this basic back story seemed an interesting take. Now, it's getting tedious, despite my sympathy for the ravages of war on the lives of the people sent off by the high-living assholes who send regular folks off to kill and be killed for the asshole's fun and profit.
Anyway, I didn't feel that this particular story held together very well. Rutledge is sent to Dorset to help with a local investigation. The local guy, Inspector Hildebrand, resents the hell out of Rutledge's presence and makes that clear.
So, we have another war-damaged guy, Bert Mowbray, who looks out the window at the Singleton Magna train station and sees what he thinks is his wife, Mary, with their two children and another guy. He's desperate to be let off the train, but it's too late. He gets off at a later stop and returns to Singleton Magna and then spends the next two days badgering everyone any anyone about the woman and children he saw. No one seems to know anything much.
But then, a young woman is found murdered with her face bashed in. She's about the proper size, shape and coloring to be Bert's spouse, Mary. Inspector Hildebrand instantly picks up Bert for the murder. But where are the children? Scotland Yard dispatches Rutledge to Dorset to find them.
Much to Hildebrand's disgust, Rutledge isn't quite convinced that the victim is actually Mary Bowbray. There were reports that Mary and the kids had been killed in a bombing in London several years previously. Also, Bert's description of the children fits the children as they were, but don't account for the fact that they would have become several years older.
Then, we get into a rat's next of red herrings, so to speak. It seems that a young woman, Margaret Tarelton, who and just interviewed for a spot helping with a local museum, has gone missing. She had previously worked for Elizabeth Napier, the daughter of Thomas Napier, a local MP, or something. Perhaps she'd had an affair with Thomas, or perhaps with the father of the guy who was setting up the museum, Simon Wyatt. Simon Wyatt was supposed to have gone into the MP business, but also came back from the war, traumatized. He also came back with a French wife, Aurore. When he had left for the war, he'd been engaged to Elizabeth Napier. But wait, there's more! It seems that they find a second body, also of similar size and shape to the deceased, and also with her face bashed in. But this body is 3 months old. It could be the body of Betty Cooper, who'd been working in the neighborhood some six months previously, but who'd up and disappeared no one knows where. But how could Betty disappear six months ago, but come back unseen only to be murdered three months ago? Then, of course, WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?????
Well, as you can tell, it's all rather convoluted, and I've left off some other war-traumatized folks. I didn't find the twists and turns particularly interesting or satisfying, and the ending didn't really make a lot of sense. It was just some ad hoc thing to make us all feel better at the end, or something.
annvsted87's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
liedora's review against another edition
4.0
I came across this book by accident, hiding on my shelf and opened it to scan the first page; later that day I closed the cover and sat back feeling I have used my time wisely.
The main protagonist in this book and all the other in this series is a Scotland Yard policeman. Newly returned from the Great War, he has his own personal demons to deal with as well as helping those who are also dealing with their demons from fighting in this war. Add to that the stress of trying to find the criminals, and it could make for a very unstable and highly strung character but the Author manages to avoid this wonderfully. Instead he uses this character as a vehicle to bring the reader’s attention to the unseen horrors that many carried with them when they returned home. This character is vulnerable, unsure whilst at the same time being very capable of doing his job and bringing the wrongdoer to justice. I felt for this character as I don’t usually do in a cozy mystery, and wished there was some way I could help him find peace in his life. In this one character the Author managed not only to show the inner turmoil of those who returned from the fighting, but he also shows in the other people he encounters in his enquiries the change in society that had taken place while he was away. These range from total indifference to the way these returnees were feeling and going through, to those who wanted to cosset them and keep them wrapped up from the hurts that may come their way in everyday and finally to the group of people who refused to believe that, mentally, their loved ones would never return to normal. This book is not loaded down with a bunch of secondary characters which helps the book move along at a steady clip and keeps the reader on track to the end.
What an end it was. This is the kind of book I love. I thought I had spotted the bad guy, then no it took a twist, and another, then another until the end I had no idea who the real criminal was, and when the reveal came I was blown away as I never thought it was this person. Add to this the feeling of flying down country roads in a little old car when horses and carriages were still in good use, and it all combines to the kind of book that I just couldn’t put down.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of cozy mysteries, and those who enjoy a great read that will keep you guessing until the end. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/09/29/review-search-the-dark-inspector-ian-rutledge-3-charles-todd/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
The main protagonist in this book and all the other in this series is a Scotland Yard policeman. Newly returned from the Great War, he has his own personal demons to deal with as well as helping those who are also dealing with their demons from fighting in this war. Add to that the stress of trying to find the criminals, and it could make for a very unstable and highly strung character but the Author manages to avoid this wonderfully. Instead he uses this character as a vehicle to bring the reader’s attention to the unseen horrors that many carried with them when they returned home. This character is vulnerable, unsure whilst at the same time being very capable of doing his job and bringing the wrongdoer to justice. I felt for this character as I don’t usually do in a cozy mystery, and wished there was some way I could help him find peace in his life. In this one character the Author managed not only to show the inner turmoil of those who returned from the fighting, but he also shows in the other people he encounters in his enquiries the change in society that had taken place while he was away. These range from total indifference to the way these returnees were feeling and going through, to those who wanted to cosset them and keep them wrapped up from the hurts that may come their way in everyday and finally to the group of people who refused to believe that, mentally, their loved ones would never return to normal. This book is not loaded down with a bunch of secondary characters which helps the book move along at a steady clip and keeps the reader on track to the end.
What an end it was. This is the kind of book I love. I thought I had spotted the bad guy, then no it took a twist, and another, then another until the end I had no idea who the real criminal was, and when the reveal came I was blown away as I never thought it was this person. Add to this the feeling of flying down country roads in a little old car when horses and carriages were still in good use, and it all combines to the kind of book that I just couldn’t put down.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of cozy mysteries, and those who enjoy a great read that will keep you guessing until the end. I will definitely be reading more in this series.
Originally reviewed on: http://catesbooknuthut.com/2014/09/29/review-search-the-dark-inspector-ian-rutledge-3-charles-todd/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
deehaichess's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Ok that's it I'm tapping out for now. I might take up more Todd books at a later time because I didn't hate them per se, but 3 in a row in short succession got a bit (ok a lot) same-y and the pay off at the end this time wasn't quite as drama because I knew more or less what to expect. I was almost tempted to another one based on Rutledge's internal issues at the end because that could really go somewhere amazing, but I don't have faith enough in the writing team to move that along much in the next book or even books, so I'm done for now.
shellystilger's review against another edition
2.0
Enough with the obstructive, obnoxious authorities/colleagues. Ugh. I get so tired of the “protagonist is the only sane/competent investigator” storylines. It feels so manufactured. And this ending wasn’t my favorite. Glad I read later Rutledge books before this one.
roshk99's review against another edition
Inspector Rutledge's dialogues with Hamish (the voice of his dead friend that travels with him) can get a big tiresome, but the thing that stood out to me in this book is the lack of actual detecting. Inspector Rutledge just seems to drive around, have meaningless conversations with the four people he decided (arbitrarily) were important to the case, and then happen upon the murderer pretty much be accident. The murderer then decides to take the time to unburden their innermost thoughts calmly over a series of pages and then is peacefully taken into custody. Reminds me of a Midsomer Murder where instead of Barnaby and his sidekick, it is Rutledge and Hamish. Still, it is an entertaining read as a view into English village life and the complex personal lives of the village inhabitants.