A Test of Wills: The First Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries, 1) - Softcover

Todd, Charles

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062091611 ISBN 13: 9780062091611

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2011

Synopsis

“Todd has written a first novel that speaks out, urgently and compassionately, for a long-dead generation....A meticulously wrought puzzle.”
—New York Times Book Review

“An intricately plotted mystery. With this remarkable debut, Charles Todd breaks new ground in the historical crime novel.”
—Peter Lovesey, author of The Circle

“You’re going to love Todd.”
—Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly

The first novel to feature war-damaged Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge, A Test of Wills is the book that brought author Charles Todd into the spotlight. This Edgar® and Anthony Award-nominated, New York Times Notable mystery brilliantly evokes post-World War I Great Britain and introduces readers to one of crime fiction’s most compelling series protagonists. Here the shell-shocked Rutledge struggles to retain his fragile grip on sanity while investigating the death of a popular army colonel, murdered, it appears, by a decorated war hero with ties to the Royal Family. A phenomenal writer, a twisting puzzle, a character-rich re-creation of an extraordinary time and place...it all adds up to one exceptional read that will delight fans of Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes, Jacqueline Winspear, Ruth Rendell, and other masters of the British procedural.

About this title

Review

Having just returned from France after World War I with a medal of honor and serious shell shock, Inspector Ian Rutledge struggles to settle back into his duties at Scotland Yard. When, despite his tenuous condition, an envious supervisor assigns him to a traumatic case involving the murder of an army colonel and a young captain as the prime suspect, Rutledge must gather all of his strength to not only solve the case, but fight the town people's prejudice against military personnel. To make matters worse, the prime witness is another veteran--on the brink of insanity--scorned by the villagers for what they perceive to have been less than honorable conduct during his tour of duty.

From the Publisher

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book.

"A harrowing psychological drama...Superb."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Remarkable."
--Chicago Tribune

"Todd has written a first novel that speaks out, urgently and compassionately, for a long-dead generation and a world he never knew....A meticulously wrought puzzle."
--The New York Times Book Review

"Remarkable...Todd, an American, seems to have perfect pitch in his ability to capture the tenor and nuances of English country life."
--The Kansas City Star

"Unusual...finely crafted...psychologically sophisticated, tautly written and craftily plotted."
--San Jose Mercury News

Edition details

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0062091611
• ISBN 13: 9780062091611
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 320