Hunting Shadows - (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries) by Charles Todd (Paperback)

About the Book

A dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge in Hunting Shadows, a gripping and atmospheric historical mystery set in 1920s England, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.

A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description of the killer is so strange its unbelievable.

Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge has few answers of his own. The victims are so different that there is no rhyme or reason to their deaths. Nothing logically seems to connect them except the killer. As the investigation widens, a clear suspect emerges. But for Rutledge, the facts still don t add up, leaving him to question his own judgment.

In going over the details of the case, Rutledge is reminded of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. While the memory could lead him to the truth, it also raises a prickly dilemma. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective choose to follow the letter or the spirit of the law?"

Book Synopsis

A dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge in Hunting Shadows, a gripping and atmospheric historical mystery set in 1920s England, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.

A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description of the killer is so strange its unbelievable.

Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge has few answers of his own. The victims are so different that there is no rhyme or reason to their deaths. Nothing logically seems to connect them--except the killer. As the investigation widens, a clear suspect emerges. But for Rutledge, the facts still don't add up, leaving him to question his own judgment.

In going over the details of the case, Rutledge is reminded of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. While the memory could lead him to the truth, it also raises a prickly dilemma. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective choose to follow the letter--or the spirit--of the law?

From the Back Cover

Inspector Ian Rutledge is summoned to the quiet, isolated Fen country to solve a series of seemingly unconnected murders in this clever and atmospheric entry in the acclaimed New York Times bestselling mystery series

August 1920. A society wedding at Ely Cathedral becomes a crime scene when a guest is shot. After a fruitless search for clues, the local police call in Scotland Yard, but not before there is another shooting in a village close by. This second murder has a witness, but her description of the killer is so horrific it's unbelievable.

Inspector Ian Rutledge can find no connection between the two deaths. One victim was an Army officer, the other a solicitor standing for Parliament. Is there a link between these murders, or is it only in the mind of a clever killer? As the investigation presses on, Rutledge finds memories of the war beginning to surface. Struggling to contain the darkness that haunts him as he hunts for the missing link, he discovers the case turning in a most unexpected direction. Now he must put his trust in the devil to find the elusive and shocking answer.

Review Quotes

Praise for the Inspector Ian Rutledge series: "Tricky plotting and rich atmospherics distinguish bestseller Todd's 16th novel featuring Scotland Yard's Insp. Ian Rutledge....Todd (the pen name of a mother-son writing team) has rarely been better." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on Hunting Shadows

"Recommended for readers who relish P. D. James's Adam Dalgliesh mysteries." - Boston Globe

"One of the best historical series being written today." - Washington Post

"Elegant mysteries." - Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review

"Todd once and for all establishes the shell-shocked Rutledge as the genre's most complex and fascinating detective." - Entertainment Weekly

"Todd . . . will keep you enthralled and entranced to the end." - Providence Journal

"Tricky plotting and rich atmospherics distinguish bestseller Todd's 16th novel featuring Scotland Yard's Insp. Ian Rutledge....Todd (the pen name of a mother-son writing team) has rarely been better." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on HUNTING SHADOWS

"Another well-written, well-plotted entry in this always engaging mystery series. - Booklist on HUNTING SHADOWS

"Another winner...Strong atmosphere and a complicated mystery make this book one that readers won't be able to put down." - Romantic Times 4 1/2 stars on HUNTING SHADOWS

"As always, the North Carolina-based mother and son who write under the pseudonym Charles Todd do a beautiful job with the period detail, making these books a nostalgic outing to England between the world wars." - Raleigh News & Observer

"Readers who stick with the chase, though, should be enthralled, as Rutledge sorts through a fascinating portrait gallery of witnesses and suspects, most of whom aren't telling him the whole truth." - Wilmington News Journal

"Elusive clues, suspense and excellent writing make for reading pleasure." - Oklahoma City Oklahoman on HUNTING SHADOWS

"Of all the places where Inspector Ian Rutledge's Scotland Yard assignments have taken him, the desolate Fen country must surely be the eeriest. [This is an] excellent historical series." - New York Times Book Review on HUNTING SHADOWS