Editorial Content for A Christmas Witness: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Novella
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
For decades, the name Charles Todd represented the mother and son writing team of Caroline and Charles Todd. They combined their talents to pen numerous novels in the Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series, as well as two stand-alone titles.
Thankfully, Charles has continued to bring us stories featuring their beloved characters following Caroline’s death in 2021. His latest novella, A CHRISTMAS WITNESS, is a memorable tale set during the 1921 holiday season. At the start of the story, Ian Rutledge is exiting a London restaurant and admiring the Christmas decorations when he receives a note from his boss, Chief Superintendent Markum, to see him at once.
"A CHRISTMAS WITNESS is the ideal Christmas present for fans to open and consume while eagerly awaiting the next full-length entry in this beloved series."
Markum informs Rutledge that he is sending him to Kent as a representative of Scotland Yard. Lord Braxton, formerly a colonel of the British army who recently finished up their efforts during WWI, was allegedly attacked on his property by a stranger on horseback. Rutledge is specifically requested for this case based on his own time serving as an officer in the British army during the war.
Readers of this series will be well aware of the difficulties that Rutledge has faced since the war. In what now would be diagnosed as a serious case of PTSD, Rutledge is constantly haunted by the ghost of a man in his service who was killed under his command. Officer Hamish is of Scottish descent and appears as an active, albeit delusional, spirit to him. Hamish often acts as a guide and conscience for Rutledge, which occasionally proves useful while working on dangerous cases. It always provides some of the best scenes in each installment of this stellar series.
When Rutledge meets with Lord Braxton, he finds the man to be somewhat surly and ultimately unhelpful. As his own investigation into the surrounding neighborhood ensues, it seems that there is little to nothing to be found by way of evidence to support or refute the attack initially reported by Braxton. Rutledge stays in a room above a nearby pub that is run by friendly people who are also not very forthcoming about the alleged incident.
Rutledge solicits the aid of the local constabulary. Although they are ready to help, they are not able to provide any clues or evidence for him to follow. Rutledge realizes that there may be something else going on in this Kentish town, and not everything or everyone may be what they appear to be. Hamish’s spiritual presence supports the instinctual feelings that Rutledge has about the case, and the Braxton family is insistent that he move quicker to resolve the matter.
Then Rutledge receives a call in the middle of the night from Lady Braxton that her husband has disappeared. The resolution is a satisfying and quite surprising one, effortlessly plotted by Charles Todd and extremely enjoyable for the reader, who gets to experience another Inspector Rutledge mystery that is imbued with the Christmas spirit throughout.
A CHRISTMAS WITNESS is the ideal Christmas present for fans to open and consume while eagerly awaiting the next full-length entry in this beloved series.
Teaser
December 1921: Being single and a new Chief, Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard gets the short straw at Christmastime and is called upon by Chief Superintendent Markum to go to the Kentish home of a lord recovering from an attempt on his life. In bed with a concussion, the man is convinced someone is trying to kill him after he claims he was struck by the hoof of a running horse whose rider never stopped to check on him. Struggling with his own demons from the war and misgivings about helping a man who, as a colonel, oversaw the suffering of those on the frontlines from afar, Rutledge undertakes an uneasy investigation. And as the winter holiday approaches, he becomes increasingly convinced that nothing is as it seems.
Promo
December 1921: Being single and a new Chief, Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard gets the short straw at Christmastime and is called upon by Chief Superintendent Markum to go to the Kentish home of a lord recovering from an attempt on his life. In bed with a concussion, the man is convinced someone is trying to kill him after he claims he was struck by the hoof of a running horse whose rider never stopped to check on him. Struggling with his own demons from the war and misgivings about helping a man who, as a colonel, oversaw the suffering of those on the frontlines from afar, Rutledge undertakes an uneasy investigation. And as the winter holiday approaches, he becomes increasingly convinced that nothing is as it seems.
About the Book
Inspector Ian Rutledge investigates a possible attempted murder in this seasonal mystery novella from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.
December 1921: Being single and a new Chief, Inspector Rutledge of Scotland Yard gets the short straw at Christmastime and is called upon by Chief Superintendent Markum to go to the Kentish home of a lord recovering from an attempt on his life. In bed with a concussion, the man is convinced someone is trying to kill him after he claims he was struck by the hoof of a running horse whose rider never stopped to check on him.
Struggling with his own demons from the war and misgivings about helping a man who, as a colonel, oversaw the suffering of those on the frontlines from afar, Rutledge undertakes an uneasy investigation. And as the winter holiday approaches, he becomes increasingly convinced that nothing is as it seems.
Audiobook available, read by Steven Crossley
