The Red Door LP: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Charles Todd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2009 | Series: Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries

Lancashire, England-June, 1920

Who was the woman who lived and died behind the red door? What did she see before she died? And who was the man who never came home from the Great War, for the simple reason that he had never gone to war? How is the woman′s death linked to his disappearance? And why is Scotland Yard blind to the connection, even when Inspector Ian Rutledge points it out?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Set in 1920, bestseller Todd's 12th mystery to feature the shell-shocked WWI veteran and Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge (after 2008's A Matter of Justice) is one of the strongest entries yet in a series that shows no sign of losing steam. Rutledge first looks into the disappearance of missionary Walter Teller, who suddenly fell ill in London and later apparently walked out of the clinic where he was being treated. Rutledge questions members of Teller's immediate family, including his brothers, Peter and Edwin. After the resolution of the case of the missing missionary, Rutledge investigates the bludgeoning death of Florence Teller, apparently the wife of another Peter Teller, in Lancashire. Once again Todd (the pseudonym of a mother-son writing team) perfectly balance incisive portraits of all the characters, not just the complex and original lead, with a tricky puzzle in which the killer is hidden in plain sight for the discerning reader to discover. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Compelling.” (San Jose Mercury News on The Red Door )

“A complex story with lots of unexpected twists and turns….A fun ride to a surprising conclusion.” (Mystery Scene on The Red Door )

“An intriguing story that’s impossible to put down…reminiscent of Agatha Christie.” (Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) on The Red Door )

“Superb…haunting tale of love and loss.” (Globe and Mail (Toronto) on The Red Door )

“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 )

“The book is more than a whodunit. Todd’s characters are well-wrought, his settings evocative, and the book a pleasure to read.” (World magazine on The Red Door )

“Engaging and atmospheric.” (Library Journal on The Red Door )

“Fascinating and compelling.” (Winston-Salem Journal on The Red Door )

“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 )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 508 pages
• Publisher: HarperLuxe; Lrg edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061945633
• ISBN-13: 978-0061945632
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,360,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Superior but not supreme, November 27, 2009

By 

Neal C. Reynolds (Indianapolis, Indiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Red Door: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Ian Rutledge Mysteries) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

The Ian Rutledge series is one of my personal favorites. However, this particular entry becomes, to my mind, a bit overly complicated and I found myself growing a bit weary of the endless twists and turns involving the Teller family. Even Hamish fails to provide some of the spice of the earlier novels. However, the good inspector's personal life shows signs of becoming more interesting and I'm anxious for future novels just to see how the haunted protagonist handles a woman in his life. All in all, this is a provocative read, but not recommended as an introduction to the world of Ian Rutledge. Do read some of the earlier books first.

32 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting plot that plods, November 30, 2009

By 

Patricia (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Red Door: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Ian Rutledge Mysteries) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This is my first Ian Rutledge book, so that may influence my view because as another reviewer noted, this is a series to be read from the beginning, and not jumped into midstream. Even so, I think that a book, even in a series, should be written so that someone can jump in at any point and enjoy it.

The Red Door has a decent plot. The only problem is that it takes over half the book to get going. I had to force myself to keep reading; only rarely do I write a review for a book I do not finish. While the plot is interesting- others have covered the basics, so I won't repeat them- and the dialog flows naturally, there were things about the book that bothered me.

The Red Door is set after WW1. But for references to the past war and people traveling by train and hand-cranking a car, I found little that linked the action to that period. This story could have taken place at any time. Some might say this is the sign of a good story, however a major reason why I read mysteries set in earlier times is because I enjoy a story wrapped up in descriptions of the period. The above ties in with the authors' writing style. The word "spare" kept coming to me as I read. There are some descriptions, but it is the bare minimum necessary. If you like atmosphere and descriptions that make you feel like you are there in the story, you may not enjoy this.

As for the characters, I found them wooden and uninteresting. After reading this, I have no curiosity or desire to read anymore about Ian Rutledge. I should have, but didn't. He has problems from the war, to be sure, but that did not gain my sympathy. Having one of his former soldiers in his head is different, but I saw nothing to show he was healing- or getting worse, for that matter. The man's voice is just there. I just saw no spark or passion in Ian until the last page, and even that was minor.

There are other characters such as the required boss and coworker who is after him, the sister, a love interest (I think- that past relationship wasn't made very clear) and a caring godfather. The godfather's visit gave the authors and opportunity to let Ian grow or work through some of his problems, but they declined. The man comes...and goes, with a bit of excitement that fizzles since they did not even use the second chance Ian had to talk with his godfather. Overall, everyone seems...bland.

Twists in a plot line can surely enliven a story, but this one hangs perilously close to the "oh, please, not another one!" category during the last quarter of the book. Had the authors spread the wealth out a bit, say making the first part of the story make more sense- or even more interesting, I think I would have enjoyed it more. At the end, once everything was explained, I still had questions.

This is not a bad book, and fans of the series will mostly likely be pleased. For me, it just didn't catch my interest.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery awaits the reader behind the Red Door, November 25, 2009

By 

algerina "algerina" (Saint Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Red Door: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Ian Rutledge Mysteries) (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

The Red Door by Charles Todd is overflowing with cases to be solved. Inspector Rutledge is puzzled by a family with dark secrets. A missing persons case turns into a murder investigation. Convenient accidents confuse the investigation. The only witness may be a talking parrot.

Meanwhile the Inspector becomes a target of a young robber. He must be caught before he cuts up another look-a-like.

On the personal front Rutledge's godfather visits from Scotland. At first he fears that his insightful godfather will discover his weaknesses but as the week plays out he realizes how much he has missed his companionship. Unfortunately a train wreck threatens to cut their time short. Rushing to save the day Ruthledge encounters Miss Channing. She has decided to travel. He is faced with not seeing her for the next two years.

As always Hamlish is in his head providing wisdom and guidance as well as the memory of war