Proof of Guilt - (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries) by Charles Todd (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard must contend with two dangerous enemies in New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd's Proof of Guilt.

Can Rutledge solve the apparent murder of a top wine merchant while dealing with interference from his superior, the new Acting Chief Superintendent?

Readers of Charles Todd's Bess Crawford books and London-based Ian Rutledge mysteries will be thrilled with Proof of Guilt, clue by clue.

From the Back Cover

Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge must contend with two dangerous enemies in this latest mystery in the New York Times bestselling series

London, summer 1920. An unidentified body appears to have been run down by a motorcar and Ian Rutledge is leading the investigation to uncover what happened. While the signs point to murder, vital questions remain: Who is the victim? And where, exactly, was he killed?

One small clue leads Rutledge to a firm built by two families, famous for producing and selling the world's best Madeira wine. Lewis French, the current head of the English enterprise, is missing. But is he the dead man?

The experienced Rutledge knows that suspicion and circumstantial evidence are not proof of guilt, and he's going to keep digging for answers. But that perseverance will pit him against his supervisor, the new acting chief superintendent. When Rutledge discovers a link to an incident in the French family's past, the superintendent dismisses it, claiming the information isn't vital. He's determined to place the blame on one of French's women despite Rutledge's objections. Alone in a no-man's-land rife with mystery and danger, Rutledge must tread very carefully, for someone has decided that he, too, must die so that a cruel justice can take its course.

Review Quotes

"A gripping whodunit." - Publishers Weekly

"Todd's excellent 14th mystery featuring Insp. Ian Rutledge offers an intriguing setup." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Confession

"Todd serves up plenty of period detail and plot twists, but the real attraction here is Rutledge, a shrewd, dedicated detective grappling with the demons of his past." - Booklist on The Confession

"By the end you'll be gnashing your teeth anxiously waiting for the puzzle pieces to fall together and make sense of all that's come before." - USA Today

"There's a grand design to Charles Todd's period novels featuring Inspector Ian Rutledge....elegant mysteries." - Marilyn Stasio in the New York Times Book Review.

"In The Red Door, Charles Todd shows again that this series about Ian Rutledge, a battle-fatigued World War I veteran and Scotland Yard detective, is as fresh and original as when the shell-shocked detective debuted 12 novels ago." - Sun-Sentinel (Florida) on The Red Door

"Fully realized characters, well-researched settings, and exquisite writing combine with a surprising and chilling solution to mark this 13th outing as a standout in Todd's deservedly award-winning series." - Mystery Scene on A Lonely Death

"Consistently ingenious and atmospheric...THE CONFESSION carries forward some of the best elements of the British Golden Age mysteries and proves there's life in the old formula yet." - Washington Post

"There's both a pattern and a purpose to the superb historical mysteries produced by mother-and-son writing partners known as Charles Todd." - New York Times Book Review on The Confession

"Rutledge, with his inexorable hunt for the truth, is as compelling as ever." - American Historical Review

"One of the strongest entries yet in a series that shows no sign of losing steam....Once again Todd perfectly balances incisive portraits of all the characters, not just the complex and original lead." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Red Door

"Masterly." - New York Times Book Review on A Lonely Death