Book Summary and Reviews of A Lonely Death by Charles Todd

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Elizabeth

A Page Turner
Three murders in a small town....Scotland yard is involved....all the same method of murder, but no weapon and no clues. The townspeople are terrified about who will be next especially since there is really no connection between the men who were murdered. The only similar thread is the victims were alone or in an isolated area and had been officers in the armed forces during WWI, and they all had identification discs in their mouths from other dead soldiers.

Scotland Yard's, Ian Rutledge, was coming up short with all clues and interviews. Everything turned up a dead end. Mrs. Saunders, the ever-present lady in the window, can't even help him even though she said she sees everything no matter what time of the day or night.

As events begin to unfold, and the characters become alive from all the great detail, the story turns to page-turning status with its twists and turns and sub plots.
This was my first Ian Rutledge Mystery....Rutledge is a character you want to know better. The beginning pages were a little confusing trying to get all the characters straight....especially figuring out who Hamish was, but once you had everyone sorted out and the plot continued...wham...it was difficult to put down.

I definitely will be reading more of these mysteries....superb author. Ohhhhhhhhhhh....I did enjoy it a lot. 5/5

Sherry H. (Naperville, Illinois)

A Lonely Death
Charles Todd seduced me on the first page. “A Lonely Death” is a mystery that touches on the effects of war, keeping secrets, and hidden agendas. I loved the book because his character and scenery descriptions took me to post WWI England. His main character, Inspector Rutledge and his haunted conscious, personified by Hamish, is raw, complex and very believable.

This would be a good selection for a book club. It’s a good mystery with a number of other topics to explore and discuss.

Barbara_E

Another outstanding book in the series
I always look forward to the release of a new Charles Todd mystery, and "A Lonely Death" did not disappoint. The plot is carefully crafted and held my attention throughout. I especially enjoyed how all the characters in this small English village really came alive on the page. I also enjoy the development of Ian Rutledge throughout the series--there is always something new that we learn about him or some change that occurs to his character in the book. I highly recommend this book and all the others in the series.

Maryanne K. (Spanaway, WA)

A Lonely Death
The Ian Rutledge detective series never disappoints. In this latest installment, the main character continues to evolve. As the voice in his head moves further into the background, Ian Rutledge becomes an even more sympathetic, human character. I always look forward to a new installment in this detective series that doesn't rely on forensics, but on investigation and deduction.

Jan B. (Aiken, SC)

A Lonely Death
Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Ian Rutledge has returned in an intriguing case that kept me guessing until the end. As usual, I was not disappointed by the writing team of Charles Todd. The characters are complex and well drawn. Ian Rutledge risk all to solve this dark case even as he continues to deal with his own darkness resulting from the war. If you are looking for a well written story filled with complex psychological characters and twist and turns this is a read for you.

Patricia S. (New Canaan, CT)

Another Inspector Rutledge winner
Although I haven't read any of the other 12 Rutledge mysteries written by the mother-son writing team Charles Todd, I'm looking forward to starting tomorrow. I had to refer back to a review of the first book to understand more about Rutledge's alter ego Hamish Mcleod. This book has many layers and many deaths and just when you think you've solved the mystery-something else happens in the small towns in England. I liked that it took place in the 1920's when life was a little less electronic.

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