A Long Shadow

A permeating presence in "A Long Shadow: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Novel" by Charles Todd is a place called Frith's Wood next to the village of Dudlington in the East Midlands region of England, about 70 miles northwest of London. The inhabitants of Dudlington superstitiously avoid the dense Wood, considering it to be fearsome and deathly. They believe the place to be haunted by Saxon dead, who were villagers many centuries ago that raiders had herded into the Wood and slaughtered. One man who can't seem to stay away from Frith's Wood is Constable Hensley. He is not a native of Dudlington. In more recent years he had been assigned there from Scotland Yard in London. Hensley tries to hide that he goes into the Wood. But many windows in Dudlington can look out across the fields. People wonder, why does he go snooping around there? On Hensley's last visit, someone did more than just see him. The person shot him in the back with an arrow, almost killing him, landing him in hospital. This attempted murder is what prompts London to dispatch Inspector Ian Rutledge to investigate. More than Frith's Wood is haunted. Rutledge is being trailed. Someone has been leaving cartridge casings carefully inscribed with death heads for Rutledge to see. From his four years in France in the First World War, Rutledge is fully familiar with these casings and knows they are a warning. Rutledge soon learns that a young woman, Emma Mason -- "too pretty for her own good" -- has been missing from the village. Some say she left her grandmother's house and went off to London to find her mother. Some believe Emma is dead. Constable Hensley is under suspicion. Are these happenings related? Who is putting Rutledge in danger? Who is responsible for Emma's disappearance? Who shot Hensley with an arrow? What hides in Frith's Wood? There are secrets in this village. The plot is complicated and pleasing. The characters are well drawn. There is plenty of suspense. The writing is excellent (354 pages).

Here is the perfect book for you. These books by Charles Todd are absolute perfection! There are about 10 in the series so far. They are mysteries set between the World Wars in England. The main character is Ian Rutledge, an ex-officer in World War 1, who has rejoined Scotland Yard. Dectective Rutledge is haunted by the voice of Hamish who was his sergeant in the war. Rutledge shot and killed Hamish when he refused a direct order to lead his men into battle. Hamish taunts Rutledge as well as gives him advice about the cases he tries to solve. I know this sounds pretty far fetched but wait, this is not even the most unbelievable part. These stories are written by two Americans, a man and his mother. One lives in New York and one lives in North Carolina. I don't know how any of it works. But is does. These are the most interesting English mysteries I have ever read. And they are so well written! A Long Shadow is the 8th in the series. You really should read them in order. Goggle Charles Todd and find out the order.

Just finished A Long Shadow and agree: couldn't put it down. This series has been a dependable source of suspense and excitement, and in additon I find Ian and many other characters described in a way that makes me feel I know them. And Hamish! How wonderful it would be to have a Hamish riding in the back seat with constant comments, warnings, and insights, welcome or not. I've found some insights,too in earlier books, about the welcome home received by many soldiers after WW I: widespread lack of compassion for those who'd lost limbs, and especially for the "shell-shocked"...it's infuriating to think that people who were relatively safe at home during the war were ungrateful to the youth who'd risked their lives and spent years in the unimaginable misery of the trenches. I checked and found that this callousness was truly widespread and common.

A LONG SHADOW is the eighth in the series featuring Scotland Yard's Inspector Ian Rutledge. Set in England after World War I, Rutledge returned from war damaged from the many traumatic experiences including having to execute a subordinate. He now carries the ghost of Hamish around with him with whom carries on inner dialogue. Hamish acts as his conscience and is very much a character in all the books. In this entry,Rutledge is sent to Dudlington where a constable was shot in the back with a bow and arrow. It's not long before another case comes to his attention. A seventeen-year old girl is missing, and no one knows what happened to her. She seemingly vanished into thin air. There seems to be a connection between the constable who was shot and the missing girl. Rutledge delves into old secrets involving family pride and unbendable will. In addition to doing his job, Rutledge is being stalked by an enemy or enemies unknown to him. Despite danger to himself, Rutledge is determined to unravel the secrets and lies that have been buried too long. The Ian Rutledge series has fast become one of my favorite mystery series if not my favorite. Each book is better than the last, and the last was pretty excellent. The are hard books to put down, so leave plenty of time to read. The stories are as much a character-study as they are a well-plotted historical mystery. Rutledge is a tortured hero so the atmosphere is always a bit dark and melancholy. He is a hero for whom you can totally root-likable, somewhat fragile and always interesting. Highly recommonded.

This is the eighth entry in this outstanding series featuring Ian Rutledge and his constant companion Hamish is set in 1919 and continues the story of the haunted Rutledge. In this outing, Rutledge is sent to the remote village of Dudlington to investigate the attempted murder (by bow and arrow) of the local constable. Rutledge is faced with a close-mouthed community suspicious of outsiders and determined to keep its secrets. Slowly, but surely Rutledge begins to gather information. Almost immediately, he realizes that the attempt on the constable's life may be linked to the disappearance of a young lady in the village. His attempts to solve the mystery of who shot the constable and why are hampered by a stalker who somehow knows where he will be almost before he himself knows. In the end, Rutledge solves the crime and, almost simultaneously, discovers who wants him (and Hamish) dead. This is another "I can't put this down even though it's two in the morning and I have to go to work in five hours" entry. Charles Todd sits at the top of my list of the best authors writing mysteries/procedurals today. Todd continues to develop the personality of both Rutledge and Hamish and the relationship between the two. Todd's descriptions of the village, its inhabitants, and the surrounding land are vivid - so vivid that while you're reading you can almost feel the rising winter's wind stealing its way into your bones. This is an outstandingly written series and deserves a very large following. If you are new to the series, I suggest you start with the first book "A Test of Wills" to understand the relationship between Rutledge and Hamish as well as watch the author grow these two. Along the way, Todd writes a wonderful procedural and shares each bit of information with the reader. Just when you figure out who the culprit is, Todd throws yet another piece of the puzzle into the mix and both you and Rutledge are forced to change your minds.