Watchers of Time (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries) (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School-The Scotland Yard Inspector and World War I veteran's fifth outing will please current fans and capture new ones. In the fall of 1919, Rutledge has to solve two village murders. He discovers that they are connected by a deathbed confession and one of the world's greatest disasters: the sinking of the Titanic. As always, the specter of Corporal Hamish MacLeod haunts the shell-shocked inspector, and readers, in his role as ghostly sidekick. Todd deftly captures the dark atmosphere of despair and fragile hopes of post-World War I England, where no one has been untouched by the devastation. Teens will be intrigued by the combination of ghosts, the Titanic, battlefield flashbacks, and a traditional whodunit in which every character is suspect, and there are no easy solutions.
Elizabeth Rhodes, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The cliffhanger ending of Todd's Legacy of the Dead (LJ 8/00) left Inspector Ian Rutledge on the brink of death. In this follow-up, Rutledge is recovering from his gunshot wound while trying to investigate the murder of a parish priest in the small town of Osterley. Rutledge is skeptical that Father James's death is a simple case of robbery gone wrong. Was he murdered because of something he knew or had seen? Rutledge's inquiries are hampered both by the local authorities and by townsfolk unwilling to talk. With the ever-present voice of Hamish, a dead Scottish soldier, in his head, Rutledge must set aside his own problems to find out the truth. A gifted writer, Todd has once again created an intriguing mystery peopled with memorably unique characters. The depth of emotion that he expresses is truly remarkable. Highly recommended for all libraries.
- Laurel Bliss, Yale Univ. Lib.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (October 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553801791
• ISBN-13: 978-0553801798
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #894,184 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still One of the Best Procedural Series, July 7, 2002

By	P. Bigelow (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In this fifth outing, Inspector Rutledge of Scotland Yard is once again sent out of London to help the local constabulary investigate a murder and to placate local powers that be.

As he painstakenly uncovers each clue, Rutledge begins to put the puzzle of a local priest's murder together in spite of the local police declaring that they have found the killer. The conclusions he draws will shock the local people as well as the local policeman.

Todd has one of the four best British procedural series going (the others being Crombie, Robinson, and James). Todd's series is special, however, because he has set it immediately after World War I and his character is flawed because of his experiences in the trenches of France.

Todd's writing continues to be impressive and his plotting superb. He does not use devices that will give his detective more information than he gives his readers. He has maintained Inspector Rutledge's voice and that of his alter-ego Hamish in this outing.

Todd has written a procedural - it is not machine gun paced - it's not supposed to be. If you're looking for a book that you can read in a single setting and still figure out whodunnit, don't pick up this series. But if you enjoy going along with the detective as he/she investigates a crime step-by-step, then try this series. You won't be disappointed.

If you intend to read this series, start with Todd's first effort A Test of Wills so you get the sense of the character and his suffering.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A refreshing and different kind of mystery, October 30, 2001

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In September 1919 in Osterly, Herbert Baker is near death from congestive heart failure. Instead of demanding the appearance of his Vicar, Herbert asks for Father James to talk to him in private. The kind Father visits Herbert though they are of different religions. Not long afterward, Herbert dies. Father James never seems quite the same after his deathbed visit. A few weeks later, an assailant attacks Father James killing him with a large crucifix. The culprit arranges the crime scene to look as if Father James interrupted a robbery in progress.

Bishop Cunningham asks Chief Superintendent Bowles to dispatch a Scotland Yard detective to assure church officials that the police are running a proper investigation. Bowles sends Inspector Ian Rutledge, who starting with an interview with Monsignor Holstein begins to have doubts that robbery occurred. Advised and lectured by the deceased Corporal Hamish MacLeod, who occupies part of his mind, Ian begins to unravel a much greater tragedy than even the cold-blooded murder of a priest.

The Rutledge historical mysteries are unique because the reader does not know whether Hamish is a ghost or Ian suffers from battle fatigue syndrome. The story line of WATCHERS OF TIME, like its precursors, bring the post World War I era in England (this time the Norfolk area) to vivid life. This enables the audience to taste a bygone period of their parents and grandparents that is quickly fading into the dust of history books. The who-done-it is cleverly devised as expected by Charles Todd, but as usual the charcaters including Hamish make the novel a sub-genre stand out.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, complex mystery, October 14, 2002

By	Gayle "brighttyger" (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Watchers of Time: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Novel (Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I love this series. I think book this was an excellent "breather" from the major internal conflict of Rutledge and Hamish. Of course, I look forward to the next book returning to that conflict, but this was a very intriguing mystery. I love the world and the premise of the series. I certainly don't think the series has weakened with each subsequent book. My own favorites were the second, third, and fourth. Todd is one of the few authors I buy in hardback. I do know Brits who drink cream in their tea. I guess they aren't self-respecting. I must have been deceived...