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A review by mg_in_md_
A Divided Loyalty by Charles Todd
4.0
I was thrilled to learn that I'd won an Advanced Reader's Edition of the latest installment of the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. I have dipped in and out of this series, but this was the first time that I'd wished that I'd read the previous book before diving in. Despite missing the full backstories on certain plot points, I still thoroughly enjoyed this novel from start to finish. It made me want to go back and read its most immediate predecessors to find out what happened, which I'd say is a good sign. As I've come to expect from this writing duo, I found the writing style engaging and loved that the location was just as integral to the story as the characters were. The historical details that were woven in brought the time and place to life; I always appreciate the careful research that the authors do for this series to ensure the setting is just right.
Rutledge is sent to the village of Avebury, which is set inside a great prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge, to investigate a seemingly impossible case on the heels of solving another one. A respected colleague already investigated the murder of an unidentified woman found near the stones, reaching no conclusions about the motive or murderer. None of the villagers recognize the woman, who seems to have been lured to the village only to be killed.
Rutledge is convinced that his supervisor has set him up to fail and that he will reach no better conclusion than his more senior colleague. However, the meticulous Rutledge soon begins to unearth clues that take him down unexpected paths, leading to dangerous conclusions. I found the pacing to be excellent and liked how Rutledge's investigation proceeded slowly, building up to the big reveal. Like Rutledge, the reader is reluctant to believe, but cannot ignore, the evidence as the pieces come together. While the revelation of the murderer's identity was not entirely a surprise, the events that take place afterwards are and provide quite the cliffhanger ending. I am curious to see the direction the series takes based on how this one ended.
Many thanks to William Morrow for my Goodreads Giveaways win and giving me a sneak peek at the latest Rutledge novel!
I used this for the 2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge advanced prompt "a book by an author who has written more than 20 books." This is number 22 in the Rutledge series. There are also 11 entries in the equally excellent Bess Crawford series (which I adore!), two stand-alone novels, and several novellas and short stories.
Rutledge is sent to the village of Avebury, which is set inside a great prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge, to investigate a seemingly impossible case on the heels of solving another one. A respected colleague already investigated the murder of an unidentified woman found near the stones, reaching no conclusions about the motive or murderer. None of the villagers recognize the woman, who seems to have been lured to the village only to be killed.
Rutledge is convinced that his supervisor has set him up to fail and that he will reach no better conclusion than his more senior colleague. However, the meticulous Rutledge soon begins to unearth clues that take him down unexpected paths, leading to dangerous conclusions. I found the pacing to be excellent and liked how Rutledge's investigation proceeded slowly, building up to the big reveal. Like Rutledge, the reader is reluctant to believe, but cannot ignore, the evidence as the pieces come together. While the revelation of the murderer's identity was not entirely a surprise, the events that take place afterwards are and provide quite the cliffhanger ending. I am curious to see the direction the series takes based on how this one ended.
Many thanks to William Morrow for my Goodreads Giveaways win and giving me a sneak peek at the latest Rutledge novel!
I used this for the 2020 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge advanced prompt "a book by an author who has written more than 20 books." This is number 22 in the Rutledge series. There are also 11 entries in the equally excellent Bess Crawford series (which I adore!), two stand-alone novels, and several novellas and short stories.