Book Club Discussion Questions for A False Mirror by Charles Todd

Summary |  Excerpt |  Reading Guide |  Reviews |  Beyond the Book |  Read-Alikes |  Genres & Themes |  Author Bio

A False Mirror by Charles Todd

A False Mirror

An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

by Charles Todd
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (5):
  • First Published:
  • Jan 9, 2007, 384 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Jan 2008, 416 pages
  • Rate this book

About this Book

Book Club Discussion Questions

Print PDF

In a book club? Subscribe to our Book Club Newsletter and get our best book club books of 2025!



For supplemental discussion material see our Beyond the Book article, and our BookBrowse Review of A False Mirror.


Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

About The Book

Hampton Regis, a small harbor town on the southern coast of England, is a most unlikely place for violence. Yet, one spring morning, a man is found on the strand so severely beaten that he slips in and out of consciousness. The prime suspect? His wife's jilted lover, who served with Rutledge in the recently ended Great War—but who left the Front under a cloud. Badly wounded, yes, but did someone also cover up cowardice? It falls to Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge to find out.

Questions Relating to A False Mirror

  1. In A False Mirror, people see reflections of themselves that they believe are true. Even Rutledge sees in the love triangle an echo of his relationship with Jean. How does this affect his objectivity when dealing with Mallory or Felicity?
  2. How does Felicity change or grow in the course of the novel?
  3. Guilty consciences play a role in the actions of characters. For instance, the rector, who sees his own failure and Stratton who sees his own guilt. How does this impact their actions?
  4. Which character had the most impact on you, in the course of the novel? Why?
     

Questions Relating to The Inspector Ian Rutledge Series

  1. In World War I "shell shock" was considered cowardice, loss of nerve, a disgrace. Today’s modern diagnosis is post traumatic stress disorder. How does Rutledge’s shell shock and his perception of responses to it affect his behavior and that of others?
  2. How important a part in Rutledge’s recovery does his fiancée Jean play, and how does her rejection affect his relationship with other women. Does he often find in them something that was lacking in his idealistic memory of Jean?
  3. How does the setting affect the characters?
  4. The interaction between Chief Superintendent Bowles and Rutledge is based in part on the changing face of Scotland Yard—Bowles is the up-through-the ranks man, while Rutledge represents the new better educated and trained policeman. How strong an influence is a boss in the lives of most people?
  5. Murder, according to the authors, is a failure in relationships. Do you think an ordinary person can be driven beyond their ability to endure or cope, and see murder as the only way out?
  6. Hamish, whose voice Rutledge hears, is a strong character in his own right. Yet he’s seen through Rutledge’s eyes. How do you respond to Hamish as a man? What role does Hamish play?
  7. Rutledge was rejected by his fiancée Jean. And afterwards he’s resisted involvements. Do you feel a love interest for Rutledge is possible?
  8. In their books looking back at the Twentieth Century, both Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw referred to World War One as the pivotal event that shaped the rest of the century. How does Rutledge’s experience in the trenches shape your view of war?


Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of HarperCollins Publishers. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $60 for 12 months or $20 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Book Club

Book Jacket
Broken Country (Reese's Book Club)
by Clare Leslie Hall
A love triangle reveals deadly secrets in this thriller for fans of The Paper Palace and Where the Crawdads Sing.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Angelica
    by Molly Beer

    A women-centric view of revolution through the life of Angelica Schuyler Church, Alexander Hamilton's influential sister-in-law.

  • Book Jacket

    The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant
    by Liza Tully

    A great detective's young assistant yearns for glory, but first they have learn to get along in this delightful feel good mystery.

  • Book Jacket

    The Original
    by Nell Stevens

    In a grand English country house in 1899, an aspiring art forger must unravel whether the man claiming to be her long-lost cousin is an impostor.

Win This Book
Win These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas

"[An] atmospheric tale of unexpected hope." —Lisa Wingate, New York Times bestselling author

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

W the C A the M W P

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.