Customer Reviews

A Matter of Justice LP: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries)

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Plays in the interwar years: a Scotland Yard inspector is despatched to an English village to solve the murder of an unpopular man who bought an estate in the area. Everyone in the village hated him, including the local police man, so the solving of the crime turns into a critical sifting of the misleading statements and non-statements made by different witnesses. One gets a nice sense of the dynamics of village life, and the period/historical touches are accurate and lend depth to the story. There is a counterpoint with an earlier incident in the Boer War that is also well-sketched. The inspector is a veteran of WWI trench warfare, and he has a "voice in his ear" from Hamish, one of his (dead) men, that adds an interesting psychological frisson and commentary to the different interviews that the inspector makes. Usually I don't care for paranormal stuff, but this was just enough on the border of the psychological that I enjoyed it very much. However, Hamish's accent was annoying--not very authentic.

I loved the story, though. I was unfamiliar with this series before, but I am going to be seeking out the earlier titles this afternoon. The book reads a bit like a combination of early Agatha Christie both in the storytelling and the emotional restraint of the narrative with the psychological depth of Pat Barker. I loved it!

First thing, the author here - Charles Todd - is actually a mother and son writing team. It is very impressive to me that two people can join together as one to produce such a highly intelligent, literary and intelligent piece of work. Kudos of the highest order are deserved.

The main story here evolves around the death of a not very well liked London businessman Harold Quarles. His body is discovered in the most unusual of circumstances in Somerset, where he has a summer estate. Called in is Scotland Yard Investigator Ian Rutledge. He certainly has his hands full for all the townspeople in both Somerset and London are not very fond of Mr. Quarles. Almost everyone is a suspect, openly verbalizing their dislike of the man and gratitude that someone finally did away with him.

The story mainly takes place in 1920 England but does take trips back to some major events in South Africa during the Boer War. There are a lot of characters here and they are all three dimensional and very well developed. They are all very believable. Most believable though is the main character, our Inspector, Ian Rutledge. His character does not merely go through the motions. We understand and are told why he thinks what he does and why he takes the actions he chooses. He is a troubled soul and has some mental problems due to some issues that fill him with great guilt from his own actions in WWI. He feels responsible for the death of a particular soldier and this spector haunts him. This man is very real to Ian Rutledge and he hears him talking to him all the time. Inspector Rutledge is a very complex man who is excellent at his job while being so disturbed that he continuously talks out loud to this dead man whose voice he hears. This makes for a very intriguing main character.

This is the 11th novel in the INSPECTOR RUTLEDGE series and my first time venturing into it. I had some questions about certain background material but I'm sure all these issues would have been addressed had I read the other books. I read it as a stand alone and still found it first rate. I give it 4 stars and not 5 for even though it is so well written and provides great psychological characterization it does remain a whodunit. At times I got a little bored and wished there was a little more suspense, a little more happening, to make the ride a little more pleasurable.

But I do highly recommend this book. If you are a reader of the series I am sure you will be thrilled. And if you are looking to explore a new writer, this one can't be beat.

After a few introductory paragraphs about a huge injustice done to one man during the Boer War, we switch unexpectedly to the viewpoint of Inspector Rutledge, who is battling his own demons from his service during WWI, including the appearance in his mind of his dead Scottish comrade, Hamish, who throughout the book comments on Rutledge's actions. Once the switch in perspective is accomplished, the book is fairly engaging, as Inspector Rutledge is called to Somerset on behalf of his employer, Scotland Yard, to help the local police investigate the murder of one of the scoundrels from the opening chapters.

Rutledge gets involved in the tiniest details of the lives of the villagers, all of whom seem to have had cause to carry out the murder and all of whom seem, inexplicably, to be suicidal, lending a melodramtic air to what is otherwise a fairly straightforward murder mystery, albeit one that flags at the very beginning what may be going on.

The problem for me is that I wanted this to be what the title promises, namely a mystery, and it was more a study of village life. I think I would have liked it better if the opening paragraphs had been omitted, and the events related therein uncovered in the course of Rutledge's investigation, and the details of the villagers lives had been a bit more interesting.

Worth reading, but certainly not a great book.

Readers of Charles Todd's series know Ian Rutledge as a former army man haunted by his experiences in WWI, now an inspector at Scotland Yard. A Matter of Justice: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries) is the first I've read in the series and I am eager to go back and read some of the earlier stories.

The book begins with a tried and true technique: first we meet Ronald Evering contemplating revenge in the book's "real time" of 1920, and then we flash back to the wartime crime in which two soldiers caused the death of Evering's brother. From there the book returns to 1920 and moves in a linear fashion. Rutledge is pulled in to investigate the death of one of the former soldiers, and there's a twist to the crime that speaks of real passion.

The crime scene is in Cambury, "a village that's outgrown itself." The victim, Quarles, was a London financial advisor with a country home in Cambury where he'd appointed himself squire, indulged in some bad behavior, and lined up an impressive array of enemies. The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker (figuratively speaking) and Quarles's estranged wife all had issues with him. Rutledge follows up leads, makes a couple of quick trips back to London to question people, and progresses from theory to theory; there are many potential suspects in Cambury, London, and beyond. It's all well plotted and in the end all the loose ends are tied up in a satisfactory fashion. There may not be many "aha! moments" until the end but then that's probably the case in real police work too.

A MATTER OF JUSTICE could have been a five star read for me if there had been more of the back-story revealed. In particular, I was distracted by young Hamish MacLeod who was killed in the war while under Rutledge's command. He talks to Rutledge like an imaginary friend, and Rutledge talks back to him. This manifestation of Rutledge's shell shock might have been more effective for me if I'd read some of the earlier books; it kept me from getting inside the main character's head, which was already occupied by Hamish.

Overall I found this a satisfactory four-star read and I will definitely explore what the authors have done with this series in the earlier books. Charles Todd is the pen name for a mother-son duo.

This review was written from an uncorrected advance copy, for which I thank the publisher and Amazon Vine.

Linda Bulger, 2008

Inspector Ian Rutledge is in top form in this very complicated mystery. Of course he has the help of Hamish, the voice in his head of a soldier he killed in WW1. This story begins with a horrible event during the Boer War. Twenty years later the consequences come home to roost. The villians are finally punihed for the acts they committed.There is a very realistic depiction of village life where the murder of the village squire in his Tithe barn takes place in a very unique way.I really liked this book and it kept me guessing until the end. I am sure most mystery lovers will find it really will help pass a cold winter day reading in a cozy room.

All who have become avid fans of detective Ian Rutledge and his ghostly side-kick Hamish, as has this reader, will rejoice in this case, of a murdered man found in a surreal setting thanks to a dog that barked. Rutledge is ordered to investigate by his boss/nemesis. He happens to be in the neighborhood for a wedding of a friend, so off to investigate he goes.

But even before the murder, the authors employ the device of having a peek into the past and a look behind the scenes, in the opening chapter. So the reader knows what Rutledge does not, that this murder is prompted by a long grudge and the desire for revenge. An elaborate snare is laid by someone no one could possibly suspect. That is, until much more of the plot unfolds. One wonders if these facts could not have emerged in the course of the narrative, rather than being featured in the opening pages of the book.

The murdered man, Quarels, is a successful businessman in London where his acumen for making money is respected. Down in Somerset where he prefers to live, however, he is universally disliked. He has offended the townspeople routinely and is estranged from but still living under the same roof as his willowy wife. There are vicars and organists, village newcomers of doubtful repute and the most insufferable local policeman, who seems to delight in irritating Rutledge and leading him down the garden path. So there are lots of candidates in the way of suspects.

But something is missing that this reader is hard pressed to pin-point. Could it be Hamish? In this novel, Rutledge displays fewer of his lingering ill effects from the Great War, and for this we want to rejoice. However, it does seem as if Hamish is disappearing slowly, like the Cheshire Cat, and all too soon, all we will have remaining will be his smile. This is a shame. If a detective is going to have a companion as a foil for his detecting, then that companion has to stay engaged. Authors, more Hamish next time, please!

As for style, here is a quibble. According to the authors, the murdered man, Quarles, "quarrels". Haw, haw, haw. The authors use that pun. Often. All too often. Quarles quarrels with his wife. Quarles quarrels with his ex-business partner. Quarles quarrels with the local constabulary. Quarles quarrels with the staff. Quarles quarrels with the vicar. Quarles quarrels, on and on. We get it.

The reader may love a good pun as much as the next person and manage a groan when it is used the first time. But to use the word "quarrel" even one more time is a mistake. Even an embarrassment. Dear editors, please, insist on no more of this nonsense! Here are a few handy synonyms that could have been effectively employed: argues, squabbles, disagrees, falls out, bickers, clashes, fights, wrangles, has a row, spat or tiff.

Well, you get the idea.

This is the 11th in the Ian Rutledge series. Rutledge is a WWI veteran haunted by the memory of men he sent to the their deaths, particularly by Hamish, whom he was forced to execute for refusing an order to go over the top once again. Rutledge is overwhelmed with guilt over the execution, all the more so because Hamish was the best soldier under his command and Rutledge knows Hamish was right to identify the charge as futile and to result in more needless deaths. Hamish is a loud Scots voice in Rutledge's ear, questioning him, tormenting him, but sometimes acting almost as a helpful detective sergeant to Rutledge's Scotland Yard Inspector.

In this title, Rutledge investigates the murder of Harold Quarles, a London financier, at his country house in Somerset. Quarles has been killed by a blow to the head and, bizarrely, put into a winged wicker harness of an angel costume and hoisted high above the floor of a medieval tithe barn on his grounds. Rutledge finds himself with almost too many suspects because Quarles was widely hated in the Somerset village and at least generally disliked in the City. Even his wife was estranged from him.

Charles Todd (pseuonym for a mother and son writing team) sets the scene with a flashback to the Boer War that lets us know the probable murderer, though not all the particulars of how the murder was committed or the reason for mocking Quarles with the angel device. From then on, Todd gives us a fair play police procedural.

I've read almost all the books in this series and found this latest a bit on the lackluster side. There is little, if any, further development in Rutledge's character. There is less of the Hamish voice in Rutledge's ear in this title, which is a plus for me, since I think the utility of the Hamish voice to the books has run its course. But I wish there were still less of Hamish and that Rutledge would get a real partner to play off in his personal or professional life. After a strong beginning, the plot moved slowly, and the characters were not compelling. Not a bad book, but not one I would ever think to recommend to anyone.

I choose to read books by this duo under the name of Charles Todd, mainly because the mysteries are so intelligent and well thought out. I love the time period in England just after WWI, and the history that these books provide while reading them. The protagonist is a man who is scarred by his service in the trenches. He brings with him a background in deductive police work, and unfortunately, he carries around with him an 'imaginary' person whose voice and presence remind him of his horrific responsibilities in the War. Hamish, this person, also rails at injustices or things that Rutledge might overlook when solving mysteries. Rutledge has to be very careful to avoid answering Hamish in the presence of others, to maintain the facade he keeps that he is sane and capable of working (which is vital to his mental health).

This book revolves around two men who had committed a crime long before WWII in South AFrica. This crime allows them to become 'more' than the might have been normally, and to attain to a certain class that would have been closed to them otherwise. However, the crime comes back to haunt them and their families in ways they could not have foreseen, and Rutledge is sent to figure out the murder of one of these men. The murder is complicated by the feelings of the entire small village about the murdered man...he was so despised that many people could have been guilty of his murder, and Rutledge must sort through all the various possibilities to get to the real murderer. He also must deal with the local police who has his own problem with the murdered man, and who works to muddy the waters without concern for who else he hurts.

This was a good mystery, but not a great one. The writing could have been tighter, the authors send the reader off on tangents that seem unnecessary when the book is finished. I do enjoy these books in between my more serious reading and look forward to the next one...

They say that in war, the old rules of behavior don't apply. This story has its origins in the Boer War, far from the prying eyes of civilized society and, with a fortune of transported gold on the line, one British citizen kills another while a comrade watches. Thus starts a story that quietly dominoes through the years, picking up speed until it ends in the death of that killer from so long ago.

It's hard to believe that this is the 11th outing for Inspector Rutledge and Hamish, the dead Scottish soldier who lives in Rutledge's poor, fractured World War I brain. I've been reading a lot of reviews lately that suggest that the mother/son writing team named Charles Todd get rid of Hamish and let Rutledge heal and get on with his life. I'm torn between wishing that this unkindness to Rutledge would continue because I enjoy Hamish's inappropriate and untimely interjections and hoping that the gentle, intellectual Rutledge would find peace and love. On the whole, I think I have to root for Hamish. Perhaps Rutledge could find someone who wouldn't mind Hamish so much? Or not.

This is a good mystery that reaches back to the past for its origins but it is also the character study of a poisonous small town where the local police inspector spreads lies and manipulates the truth and where the locals are all-too-willing to believe the worst about each other. The story itself is complex and travels back and forth from the Scilly Iles to London to that nasty village in Somerset. The threads are a little difficult to follow because the dead man was hated by so many people. There are layers upon layers of complications to this murder case and each one is driven by self-interest and greed. There are a few redeemable characters here, but not many.

I received this book through the Amazon Vine program but I would have gladly purchased it as I have the previous 10 in this series. For the new Charles Todd reader, I would heartily recommend going back to the beginning of the series for at least the first few books before reading this. There is a richness in the series that can't be captured in a single book.

This is a first class police procedural. Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge is called to a small English village to investigate the murder of a London businessman. It turns out that the businessman is not too well liked by anyone so there are suspects a plenty. The Todd team (mother and son) do a great job of setting the historical scene and the pacing of the plot keeps things moving along briskly. This is my first venture into the Rutledge series and I greatly enjoyed it.