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A Matter of Justice (Inspector Ian Rutledge Book 11) Kindle Edition
“Charles Todd hasn’t made a misstep yet in his elegant series featuring Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge, and A Matter of Justice keeps the streak going.”
—Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Washington Post calls the Ian Rutledge novels by Charles Todd, “one of the best historical series being written today.” A Matter of Justice—the eleventh in the New York Times Notable, Edgar® Award-nominated, and Barry Award-winning series—brings back the haunted British police inspector and still shell-shocked World War One veteran in a tale of unspeakable murder in a small English village filled to bursting with dark secrets and worthy suspects. A New York Times bestseller as spellbinding and evocative as the best of Ruth Rendell, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, and P.D. James, A Matter of Justice represents a new high for this exceptional storyteller.
Review
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the audio_download edition.
From Bookmarks Magazine
Copyright 2009 Bookmarks Publishing LLC --This text refers to the audio_download edition.
From Booklist
From the Inside Flap
At the start of a new century, in a war far away from England, two British soldiers see a golden opportunity . . . and do the unthinkable to take advantage of it.
Twenty years later, a successful though much despised London businessman is found savagely and bizarrely murdered in a medieval tithe barn on his estate in Somerset. For Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge, a man still shaken by the Great War's deafening echoes, the well-concealed trail he must now follow is leading back to an event so monumentally barbarous that its consequences envelop even the innocent. And when justice takes a malevolent turn, one haunted policeman must stand alone against the onrushing tide.
--Booklist --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
A Matter of Justice LP
An Inspector Ian Rutledge MysteryBy Charles ToddHarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2009 Charles ToddAll right reserved.
ISBN: 9780061719769
Chapter One
The Scilly Isles
May 1920
Ronald Evering was in his study, watching a mechanical toy bank go through its motions, when the idea first came to him.
The bank had been a gift from a friend who knew he collected such things. It had been sent over from America, and with it in a small pouch were American pennies with which to feed the new acquisition, because they fit the coin slot better than the English penny.
A painted cast-iron figure of a fat man sat in a chair, his belly spreading his brown coat so that his yellow waistcoat showed, and one hand was stretched out to receive his bribe from political figures and ordinary citizens seeking his favor. His name was "Boss" Tweed, and he had controlled political patronage in New York City in the aftermath of the American Civil War. Through an alliance between Tammany Hall and the Democratic Party, graft had been his stock-in-trade. Now his image was encouraging children to be thrifty. A penny saved . . .
The note accompanying the gift had ended, "Look on this as a swindler of sorts for the swindled, my dear Ronald, and take your revenge by filling his belly full of pennies, in time to recoup your pounds. . . ."
He hadn't particularly cared for the tone of the note, and had burned it.
Still, the bank was a clever addition to his collection.
It had been a mistake to confide in anyone, and the only reason he'd done it was to vent his rage at his own impotence. Even then he hadn't told his friend the whole truth: that he'd invested those pounds in order to look murderers in the face, to see, if such a thing existed, what it was that made a man a killer. In the end all he'd achieved was to make himself known to two -people who had no qualms about deliberately cheating him. The explanation was simple—they wanted no part of him, and losing his money was the simplest way to get rid of him without any fuss. He hadn't foreseen it, and it had become a personal affront.
He had sensed the subtle change in the air when he'd first given his name, and cursed himself for not using his mother's maiden name instead. But the damage was done, and he'd been afraid to let them see what he suspected.
Yet it had shown him—even though he couldn't prove it—that he'd been right about them. What he didn't know was what to do with that knowledge.
Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord . . . But the Lord had been remarkably slow exacting it. If anything, these two men had prospered.
And he had had no experience of vengeance.
There was only his mother, crying in his father's arms, this quiet, unassuming woman fiercely demanding that whoever had killed her dear boy be punished. A ten-year-old, listening from the shadows of the stairs, shocked and heartbroken, had endured nightmares about that moment for years afterward. And it was his mother's prodding after his father's death that had sent him to Cape Town in 1911, to bring her dear boy home from his South African grave.
"Your father couldn't do it. But you must," she'd urged him time and again. "It's your duty to Timothy, to me, to the family. Bring him home, let him lie beside your father in the churchyard, where he belongs. Find a way, if you love me, and let me see him resting there before I die!"
Trying to shake off the memory, Evering took another penny from the pouch and placed it in Boss Tweed's outstretched hand.
Almost quicker than the eye could follow, the hand slid the penny into the waistcoat pocket as Boss Tweed's head moved to nod his thanks.
The man smiled. It was no wonder he preferred these toys to -people. He had come home from Cape Town with his brother's body, after two years of forms and long hours in hot, dusty offices in search of the proper signatures. What he hadn't bargained for was the information he'd collected along the way. Information he had never told his mother, but which had been a burden on his soul ever since. Almost ten years now. Because, like Hamlet, he couldn't make up his mind what to do about what he knew.
Well, to be fair, not ten years of single-minded effort.
The Great War had begun the year after his return from South Africa, while he was still trying to discover what had become of those two men after they left the army. It wasn't his fault that he'd been stationed in India, far from home. But that had turned out to be a lucky break, for he discovered quite by accident where they were and what they were doing. In early 1918 he'd been shipped back to London suffering from the bloody flux, almost grateful for that because he was able at last to look into the information he'd come by in Poona.
Only he'd misjudged his quarries and made a fool of himself.
It wouldn't do to brood on events again. That way lay madness.
On the shelves behind him was an array of mechanical and clockwork toys, many of them for adults, like the golden bird that rose from an enameled snuffbox to sing like a nightingale.
Banks were a particularly fine subject for such mechanical marvels. A penny tip to the owner sent a performing dog through a hoop. In another example, a grinning bear disappeared down a tree stump as the hunter lifted his rifle to fire. Humor and clever design had gone into the creation of each toy. The shifting weight of the penny set the device concealed in the base into motion, making the action appear to be magical.
He had always found such devices fascinating, even after he'd worked out the mechanism that propelled them. His mind grasped the designer's plan very quickly, and sometimes he had bettered it in devices of his own. Skill calling to skill. He took quiet pride in that.
Continues...
Excerpted from A Matter of Justice LPby Charles Todd Copyright © 2009 by Charles Todd. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.
Review
Seamlessly combines a fair-play whodunit with a nuanced look into the heart of darkness in the human soul.
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A sharp look at a country recovering from the devastation of war. Although it is set in the early 20th century, Todd's novels are timeless.
-- "South Florida Sun Sentinal"A wonderfully plotted mystery will keep you engrossed and guessing right up to the end...This terrific read will please longtime fans and those new to the series.
-- "RT Book Reviews (4 1/2 stars)"Character-driven novel...another smoothly constructed, literary endeavor.
-- "Booklist"Here the mother and son who write under the name Charles Todd get it all right: a shocking crime in a bucolic setting; secretive characters who act from complex motives; a confounding puzzle elegantly presented and put before a detective with an intuitive understanding of the dark side of human nature.
-- "New York Times"Intricate plotting, detailed characterizations, and red herrings, this is a compelling addition to the popular Ian Rutledge series.
-- "Library Journal"The plot is as complicated as any that Agatha Christie contrived, with characters as dark and complex as any of P. D. James'...Just the ticket.
-- "Wilmington Star News "Todd writes with atmospheric charm and a dark psychological edge that makes Rutledge one of crime writing's most compelling recurring characters...The success of the series hinges on both clever plotting and the nuance with which the authors continue to develop their character.
-- "Bookmarks Magazine" --This text refers to the audioCD edition.From the Back Cover
At the start of a new century, in a war far away from England, two British soldiers see a golden opportunity . . . and do the unthinkable to take advantage of it.
Twenty years later, a successful though much despised London businessman is found savagely and bizarrely murdered in a medieval tithe barn on his estate in Somerset. For Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge, a man still shaken by the Great War's deafening echoes, the well-concealed trail he must now follow is leading back to an event so monumentally barbarous that its consequences envelop even the innocent. And when justice takes a malevolent turn, one haunted policeman must stand alone against the onrushing tide.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.About the Author
Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector IanRutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawfordmysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother-and-son writing team, Caroline passed away in August 2021 and Charles lives in Florida.
--This text refers to the paperback edition.- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherWilliam Morrow
- Publication dateDecember 24, 2008
- File size4488 KB
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Product details
- ASIN : B001NLKSZC
- Publisher : William Morrow; Reprint edition (December 24, 2008)
- Publication date : December 24, 2008
- Language : English
- File size : 4488 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Not Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 340 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #207,323 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #511 in Financial Thrillers (Books)
- #1,838 in Traditional Detective Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- #1,962 in Historical Mysteries (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Charles and Caroline Todd are a mother-and-son writing team who live on the east coast of the United States. Caroline has a BA in English Literature and History, and a Masters in International Relations. Charles has a BA in Communication Studies with an emphasis on Business Management, and a culinary arts degree that means he can boil more than water. Caroline has been married (to the same man) for umpteen years, and Charles is divorced.
Charles and Caroline have a rich storytelling heritage. Both spent many evenings on the porch listening to their fathers and grandfathers reminisce. And a maternal grandmother told marvelous ghost stories. This tradition allows them to write with passion about events before their own time. And an uncle/great-uncle who served as a flyer in WWI aroused an early interest in the Great War.
Charles learned the rich history of Britain, including the legends of King Arthur, William Wallace, and other heroes, as a child. Books on Nelson and by Winston Churchill were always at hand. Their many trips to England gave them the opportunity to spend time in villages and the countryside, where there'a different viewpoint from that of the large cities. Their travels are at the heart of the series they began ten years ago.
Charles's love of history led him to a study of some of the wars that shape it: the American Civil War, WWI and WWII. He enjoys all things nautical, has an international collection of seashells, and has sailed most of his life. Golf is still a hobby that can be both friend and foe. And sports in general are enthusiasms. Charles had a career as a business consultant. This experience gave him an understanding of going to troubled places where no one was glad to see him arrive. This was excellent training for Rutledge's reception as he tries to find a killer in spite of local resistance.
Caroline has always been a great reader and enjoyed reading aloud, especially poetry that told a story. The Highwayman was one of her early favorites. Her wars are WWI, the Boer War, and the English Civil War, with a sneaking appreciation of the Wars of the Roses as well. When she's not writing, she's traveling the world, gardening, or painting in oils. Her background in international affairs backs up her interest in world events, and she's also a sports fan, an enthusiastic follower of her favorite teams in baseball and pro football. She loves the sea, but is a poor sailor. (Charles inherited his iron stomach from his father.) Still, she has never met a beach she didn't like.
Both Caroline and Charles share a love of animals, and family pets have always been rescues. There was once a lizard named Schnickelfritz. Don't ask.
Writing together is a challenge, and both enjoy giving the other a hard time. The famous quote is that in revenge, Charles crashes Caroline's computer, and Caroline crashes his parties. Will they survive to write more novels together? Stay tuned! Their father/husband is holding the bets.
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So far the "murders" are taking place in the English countryside where villages have constables who ride bicycles, where manners dictate tea and cake for every occasion and where the authors sow interesting bits of English history into every novel. Ian at least has a motorcar that he has to crank to get started and does not carry a firearm. The authors description of the villages and the countryside are utterly delightful as well as Ian's though process into the process of solving a murder mystery.
You sometimes need a flowchart to keep track of "suspects" but as the investigation unfolds suspects are eliminated one by one. The author leaves you in the dark as to the actual murderer until the very end but key suspects always had good reason to do the deed if they had wanted to. The writing is beautiful, and developed and always suspenseful.
After having read previous novels leading up to this one I have come to hope that Ian Rutledge can rid himself of his demons from the war. And to meet a woman to become a part of his lonely life. Several have been slyly introduced only to fade away but there is a young widow from the war, Meredith Channing, that has appeared several times and maybe the next book I read will reveal more. I'm reading these books in order, and each one is a gem.
But does he? A few hundred miles away in Wiltshire, the corpse of one of the two men responsible for that death, Harold Quarles, is found bizarrely displayed in an ancient tithe barn, stretched into a harness contraption usually used by the Christmas angel during the local Nativity play. It now holds Quarles, who hangs "like an avenging angel among the beams." But who is the real avenging angel? Quarles seemed to have alienated everyone he knew, from his wife - who lived her life almost completely separately from his - to his former partner. "There were two problems with Harold Quarles. One was his pursuit of women, the other his belief that most people could be used."
A more recent war - the trench warfare of 1914 to 1918 - has left its mark on Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge, summoned to investigate Quarles's odd death. A victim of shell shock, his investigatory sidekick isn't the customary loyal police sergeant but rather the ghost of his fellow soldier, Hamish MacLeod, whom Rutledge had to execute for desertion for refusing to follow the order to lead their men to certain death in the trenches. Now Hamish -- himself an avenging angel of sorts -- literally dogs Rutledge's footsteps, riding in the back seat of his car and sitting on the side of his bed, challenging his investigative techniques and preliminary conclusions. Rutledge worries about being caught talking to someone who doesn't exist but it's even worse when Hamish is quiet because then Rutledge must remain "prepared for an attack from any quarter when he least expected it."
In this case, even before they understand the Boer War connection, Rutledge and Hamish have plenty of suspects to occupy their attention - indeed, far too many, as almost the entire village, it seems, cheerfully admits to having a motive for wanting Quarles dead. Is the culprit a local man - the baker, the organist, even the local policeman - who would have been familiar with the mechanics required to rig up Quarles as the Christmas angel? Or are the local suspects simply red herrings? Ultimately, Rutledge stumbles over the Boer War crime and begins to prod away at that, leading to a satisfying resolution - and an ultimate conclusion that is a great final twist.
Hinting at what may - or may not - be the motive for the murder in the introductory chapter made this, the latest in a long series of outings for Rutledge and Hamish, less satisfying than most of the previous books. (I'd urge any newcomers to the series to start at the beginning; the writing is just as strong, and it will give you a better sense of the characters; this book, in fact, stands out as the least well-crafted of the series.) It's irritating to the reader to have access to knowledge that Rutledge doesn't. Thankfully it's not a technique that these authors have used previously and one I hope they don't use again as it simply felt like a clumsy solution that reduced the amount of suspense in the narrative. I was left to wonder at what point Rutledge would finally be on the same page I was; only then did the real suspense begin.
Still, there are several great twists in the final chapters that mean you won't end up feeling short-changed, including one that may signal a new departure for Rutledge on the personal front. As ever, the book's characters are convincing and intriguing and the author(s) capture the feel of a country still recovering from the trauma of the `war to end all wars'. And as ever, I'll be looking forward to next January and the next installment of this compelling series.
As anyone who has read my book reviews can tell, I am very, very picky with my books and rarely give a book five stars. I have read various criticisms of one or another of the books in these series and I just don't understand them. I can honestly say that I can't think of a single criticism for this book or any of the other books in this entire series.
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On to the next one!