Editorial Content for A Day of Judgment: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
There aren’t many crime novels more beloved or complex than Charles Todd’s Inspector Ian Rutledge series. The biggest change in this 25th entry, A DAY OF JUDGMENT, is that our favorite World War I veteran has been promoted to the role of Chief Inspector.
It is July 1921, and Ian Rutledge is assigned a difficult and high-profile murder case from his Scotland Yard superior, Chief Superintendent Markham, which sends him to the coast of Northumberland across the border from Scotland. A local man’s body has washed ashore south of Lindisfarne. The region comes with a long history of religious involvement, and Scotland Yard wants to ensure that the Church of England and their reputation are protected.
"A DAY OF JUDGMENT is taut and immensely satisfying, and I always enjoy spending time with such a complicated protagonist as Ian Rutledge."
Rutledge never travels alone. The main plot element that consistently makes this series unique is that his PTSD from WWI has resulted in a bout of schizophrenia where he is accompanied by Corporal Hamish MacLeod, whom he had executed with a firing squad for an act of treason. Rutledge has never been able to come to terms with the circumstances behind the killing, and the conversations that he and his ghostly companion have are always quite telling.
The victim whom Rutledge is investigating is Oswin Dunn, a pilot with few friends who kept mostly to himself. The doctor who examined Dunn’s body tells Rutledge that he did not drown and was murdered as evidenced by the blunt trauma to his skull. The rumor among the locals is that Dunn was a “Hun lover,” which is not easily forgiven in the face of the recent war.
Adding to the complexity of this case is that Dunn’s sister moved to Germany where she married a Hun, which is another reason why the Dunns have been so universally disliked. The investigation zeroes in on the sinking of a boat in 1918, where many men died. Dunn allegedly was there and was rumored to have saved a German soldier who washed up after the battle, which pretty much sealed his fate.
For some perspective, Rutledge speaks with a handful of religious leaders in the area and keeps his contact with the Church of England updated on his progress. The residents of the towns Rutledge visits are highly suspicious of outsiders, especially those from Scotland Yard who threaten traditions and secrets that sometimes may be violent and murderous.
Rutledge is persistent and determined to find out the truth, even though a dangerous branch of an ancient sect of local mariners are working against him. A DAY OF JUDGMENT is taut and immensely satisfying, and I always enjoy spending time with such a complicated protagonist as Ian Rutledge.
Teaser
July, 1921: England is suffering a heatwave, and the coast of Northumberland, just across the border from Scotland, is filled with holiday-makers bird watching and enjoying the beaches. Pilgrims also come to visit the home of Saints Cuthbert and Aiden --- the founders of Christianity in England --- located on the “Holy Island” of Lindisfarne, accessible by a causeway at low tide. When the murdered body of a local man washes ashore just south of Lindisfarne, the government and the Church of England are concerned about protecting both the reputation of the Church and the sacred sites that are a destination for hundreds of pilgrims at this time of year. With his ability to move in the highest social and political circles, Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent by Scotland Yard to solve this crime and dispel any association with the Church.
Promo
July, 1921: England is suffering a heatwave, and the coast of Northumberland, just across the border from Scotland, is filled with holiday-makers bird watching and enjoying the beaches. Pilgrims also come to visit the home of Saints Cuthbert and Aiden --- the founders of Christianity in England --- located on the “Holy Island” of Lindisfarne, accessible by a causeway at low tide. When the murdered body of a local man washes ashore just south of Lindisfarne, the government and the Church of England are concerned about protecting both the reputation of the Church and the sacred sites that are a destination for hundreds of pilgrims at this time of year. With his ability to move in the highest social and political circles, Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent by Scotland Yard to solve this crime and dispel any association with the Church.
About the Book
Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard travels to England’s windswept coastline to investigate a murder in a place where, several years after the end of WWI, the memory of the war still runs strong.
July, 1921: England is suffering a heatwave, and the coast of Northumberland, just across the border from Scotland, is filled with holiday-makers bird watching and enjoying the beaches. Pilgrims also come to visit the home of Saints Cuthbert and Aiden --- the founders of Christianity in England --- located on the “Holy Island” of Lindisfarne, accessible by a causeway at low tide. When the murdered body of a local man washes ashore just south of Lindisfarne, the government and the Church of England are concerned about protecting both the reputation of the Church and the sacred sites that are a destination for hundreds of pilgrims at this time of year.
With his ability to move in the highest social and political circles, Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent by Scotland Yard to solve this crime and dispel any association with the Church. Upon arrival, Rutledge finds himself pulled between two coastal fishing villages, scarred by home front battles and coastal bombardment from the German Navy, where animosity towards Germany still runs high even years after the war. This, combined with a constabulary in the process of being consolidated to form a countywide police force, with local militias still wielding a great deal of power, means Rutledge must tread with care.
Facing a puzzling case and a cast of locals that don’t take kindly to outsiders, the newly promoted Rutledge meets one of the most challenging cases of his career. To solve it, he’ll also have to confront his own demons left over from his time in the war.
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
