What do readers think of A Lonely Death by Charles Todd? Write your own review.

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

First I have to say how much I enjoy Inspector Ian Rutledge. I love his humanity and his intelligence and his courage and perseverance. I have read several of his books, but sadly, A Lonely Death was not my favorite. However, it was still good and I would never quit reading Charles Todd's books. A Lonely Death just seemed a bit disjointed, too much going on in different places. It was kind of hard to care a lot about the outcome. And yet, still superior to so many other mystery books out there. And I can recommend it to my friends that prefer to read something clean, without all the sex and gruesome violence details. Todd always creates a few new compelling characters and gives us another slant on the ways that war affects everyone's lives. I am anxious to read more of his work.

I was delighted when selected to review "A Lonely Death" since I have enjoyed other Ian Rutledge books. I've always loved mysteries, most especially English ones, and particularly stories in the aftermath of The Great War. This book suffers from too many storylines, too many bodies, and too much talk of motoring from one village to another! That said, I think the book would benefit with tightening up, and getting rid of the inter-office politics at Scotland Yard! Rutledge charged with murder! Scandalous! And please, authors, allow some relationship happiness for Ian.

I always enjoy Charles Todd books, and this was no exception. Inspector Rutledge is at his best when he is involved in a crime related to the war. In A Lonely Death we actually see him working two crimes at the same time. Although it was slow in a few places, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys seeing a crime solved by an astute detective instead of with technology.

In Charles Todd's 13th Ian Rutledge mystery, once again the puzzle seems to lead back to the war. I always enjoy these adventures and learn something new about the time or the war. Several young men have been killed in Eastfield near Hastings and the Yard is called in to avoid any favoritism. Rutledge still has strained relations with his superiors at the Yard, even leading to his being arrested for murder. This puzzle leads to a conclusion which goes beyond the war and has many deaths along the way. As in all previous books in the series, the voice of Hamish guides and chides Rutledge. And this story suggests a romantic interest for him, only to move it seemingly beyond his reach. Once again, Todd holds readers' interest with new developments and compelling twists as Rutledge works toward a conclusion. The scene was well set and the characters believable, but there seemed to me excessive violence for the motivation revealed.

I could not connect the dots in this mystery - somehow the Scotland Yard Inspector solved the case but it was difficult to follow the thread and see how his conclusions were reached. Usually I am really good at picking up the clues and guessing at "who did it". Not so in this case. The book was a nice read but not a gripping mystery. This book is definitely not for someone who wants to read a real robust thriller.

I found this book very difficult to follow and the characters were dry and uninteresting. The plot line was disappointing since the book is a whodunnit and the who the perpetrator was, wasn't ever much of a mystery. Some books impact you, some change you, some entertain you. This one bored me.

I have wanted to read something by Charles Todd for some time and A LONELY DEATH was my start. I could not read it at a fast clip which was actually a good thing. The author presents the novel in a very methodical pace and a swift reading would be disrespectful both to the language utilized and the developing plot of this complicated mystery. I also was refreshed by the author's "everyman" approach to Inspector Rutledge. He is presented as wonderfully human, with warts and all, not a Jack Reacher or a Mitch Rapp both of whom always tie everything up nicely.Worth my time and worth yours as well. I recommend this book.