It took me some time to become reacquainted with Ian and Hamish, and then the investigation truly became interesting.

Of course, the final 100 pages were the most thrilling. There were two concurrent investigations. One was the stalking of Ian, which became increasingly threatening as the story progressed. The second was an attack on a constable in a rural, extremely small town.

The location of the attack on the constable brought several missing persons related to a widow from the historically most powerful family in town into the investigation. She cooperated with the investigation on her own terms, which influenced the behavior of others in the town.

The two mysteries were resolved in a single violent event that was masterfully written.

A major aspect of the text was the vivid description of lives after WWI. Dealing with the aftermath of the huge number of war dead and debilitated was truly illuminating. It provided a deep insight into the challenges and hardships that people faced during that difficult time.

The story not only kept me on the edge of my seat with its thrilling plot but also made me reflect on the impact of war on society.

Rutledge meets Meredith Channing in this book at a party he attends with his sister, which is given by friends.

Channing guides a seance, but allows Rutledge to be excused from participating as he fears his secrets from the war may be revealed. He has a hunch that Channing knows something about him.

As he leaves the party, he stumbles upon a bullet casing used during the war. Throughout the novel, he keeps finding such casings, and realizes that he is being stalked.

The casings are a separate part of the mystery and have nothing to do with the murder investigation he is called to. The initial crime is the shooting of a constable with an arrow in a woods feared by the village.

Rutledge delves deep into the past and uncovers the secret murder of a young girl.

This discovery leads him on a perilous path as he tries to solve both the mystery of the stalker and the long-buried murder.

The story weaves together elements of mystery, war trauma, and hidden secrets, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

Will Rutledge be able to solve the mysteries and protect himself from the unknown stalker? Only time will tell.

Upon leaving a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 1919, Inspector Ian Rutledge makes a startling discovery. At his feet lies a shell casing from a Maxim machine gun. Little does he know that this seemingly innocuous object will haunt him as he travels around England. First, he heads south, and then north, where he is dispatched to look into the shooting of the local constable. Coincidentally, the constable was one of Chief Superintendent Bowles' favorites. When Ian arrives at the scene, he encounters a town that is closed off to outsiders. He can't even secure a room at the local inn. As he delves deeper into his investigation, he uncovers that the constable's shooting has deep roots in the past.

Another excellent book in the series. The stories do progress at a somewhat slow pace, but they are all the more captivating for it. Each one vividly portrays Ian's ongoing struggle with what is now recognized as PTSD. This particular tale takes place just over a year since the Armistice, adding an extra layer of historical context and poignancy to the narrative.

I wholeheartedly agree with Janet on this particular matter.

When we compare this installment with the earlier entries in this series, it simply pales in comparison.

It lacks the excitement, the innovation, and the charm that made the previous ones so captivating.

It feels rather ho hum, almost平淡无奇.

There is a certain spark that is missing, a je ne sais quoi that fails to engage the reader or viewer on the same level.

Perhaps it's the storyline that seems a bit tired or the characters that lack depth and development.

Whatever the reason, it just doesn't measure up to the high standards set by the earlier entries.

Hopefully, future installments will manage to recapture that magic and bring this series back to its former glory.

The character of Ian Rutledge keeps evolving with increasing complexity, and the murders he has to solve follow suit. This time around, he is confronted with a plethora of suspects, leaving him at a loss as to how to handle the situation. There are more murders or attempted murders than he is meant to be involved in, and to make matters worse, someone is also out to kill him.

When a local constable, who is a favorite of Chief Superintendent Bowles, is shot in the back with an arrow in a supposedly haunted wood, Bowles dispatches Rutledge to sort things out swiftly and quietly. However, there is the case of a long-missing girl, Emma, and it's unclear whether the constable is the culprit. Adding to the confusion, Rutledge keeps coming across empty machine gun shell casings in places only he could discover, such as in his car or on his bed.

Unfortunately, the villagers in Dudlington are not very cooperative either. Everyone seems to be pointing the finger at someone else.

And as if that weren't enough, there is Meredith Channing, an interesting woman Rutledge met at a New Year's Eve party in London. Is she responsible for the shell casings? Does she know Rutledge's secret? How safe is he?

In the end, some of the plot is untangled, but other threads remain unbroken, leaving readers eagerly anticipating Rutledge's next adventure.

This installment in the series was truly remarkable. Rutledge was dispatched north to assist in solving an assault on the local law enforcement officer. Once there, in addition to that particular case, he uncovered two missing persons' cases and a mysterious and disconcerting follower. There was a great deal to sort out. The villagers, for the most part, were unfriendly and uncooperative. However, by the conclusion, the majority of the story lines were resolved in a satisfying manner.

What sets this apart is that it could function independently, perhaps even better than some of the other books in the series. It offers a wonderful blend of historical fiction and mystery, effectively capturing a specific moment in time. The details and the atmosphere create a vivid and engaging narrative that keeps the reader hooked from start to finish.

Overall, it is a great addition to the series and a must-read for fans of historical mysteries.

Another installment in the Inspector Rutledge series.

This particular story has the shell-shocked (PTSD-afflicted) inspector delving into a case in Northumberland. Here, the resident constable was severely wounded when someone shot an arrow into his back.

As Rutledge investigates this case, he discovers that he has become embroiled in a far more intricate situation. It involves disappearances and possible murders that date back many years.

The village where the action unfolds is minuscule and extremely insular. The citizens there know an excessive amount about one another and feed off gossip.

All of this makes for a very challenging investigation for Rutledge (and his loyal mental companion, Hamish).

Rutledge appears to be a bit more at ease with Hamish, who truly helps to concentrate Rutledge's thought processes.

It's a captivating tale that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat as Rutledge navigates the complex web of secrets and lies in the village.

Will he be able to solve the case and bring the perpetrators to justice? Only time will tell.

Multiple and intense plots are gradually coming to a resolution in a truly shocking climax. The story has been filled with twists and turns that have kept the readers on the edge of their seats.

"He thought sometimes, in the dark corners of his mind, that the dead were the lucky ones. They hadn't been disillusioned." This thought of the protagonist adds a layer of depth and complexity to the narrative. It makes the readers wonder about the true nature of his experiences and the toll they have taken on him.

The introduction of Meredith Channing is an intriguing development for Inspector Rutledge's life. She has proved to be helpful for some of the book's reveals, which has added an element of mystery and anticipation. It will be extremely interesting to see if she continues to play a significant role in the next book. Will her relationship with Inspector Rutledge evolve? Or will she fade away into the background? Only time will tell.

Ian Rutledge is dispatched to Dudlington with the task of uncovering the identity of the person who shot Constable Hensely in the back with an arrow.

Upon arrival, he quickly realizes that he is faced with several mysteries that need to be solved. The question of why Hensley was in Frith’s wood leads to another query: what happened to Emma Mason?

Adding to the complexity, Ian is seemingly being stalked by an unknown adversary who continuously leaves shell casings for him to discover and even takes a shot at him on the road to Dudlington.

Despite the challenges, Ian perseveres and, with the help of the Todds, manages to tie all the loose ends together and solve each mystery.

This installment in the Ian Rutledge series is yet another excellent addition, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

It showcases the author's skill in crafting a captivating mystery with well-developed characters and a thrilling plot.

Overall, it is a must-read for fans of the genre.

Particularly quick read. Rutledge is dispatched to a diminutive village with the task of uncovering the mystery surrounding what befell the detective investigating the disappearance of a young girl.

As the narrative progresses, a significant portion of the drama appears to center around Frith Woods. The locals regard this as an eerie, haunted place and would rather avoid entering it at all costs. The detective, Hornsby, who was shot with an arrow while in Frith Woods, had seemingly been frequenting the area regularly. It seems his motivation was to search for a suspected grave there.

The story takes numerous twists and turns as the remnants of the rather backward and small community come into focus. Additionally, Rutledge himself finds himself in peril from an unknown source. However, as the story unfolds, Rutledge is able to untangle many minute details, ultimately determining both who shot the detective and what happened to the young girl.

This engaging tale keeps readers on the edge of their seats, eager to discover the full truth behind the mysteries that lurk within the village and Frith Woods.

I've truly relished the Inspector Rutledge series, and this particular book is a part of it.

This one presents a highly intricate mystery, or rather two mysteries to be exact. It skillfully withholds the secrets until the absolute final moments.

While I wasn't quite as completely satisfied as I had been in my earlier readings of this series, it still managed to captivate me and hold my attention throughout.

The story unfolds in a way that keeps you guessing and eager to uncover the truth. The characters are well-developed, and the setting adds an extra layer of authenticity to the narrative.

Despite not meeting my highest expectations, it's still a worthy addition to the series and I would definitely recommend it to fans of mystery novels.

Overall, it's an engaging read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

As usual, this book is a dependable page turner.

It always manages to keep me engaged from start to finish.

One of the things I really like about it is that there are usually several mysteries going on simultaneously.

This makes it extremely challenging for me to predict how they are all going to come together in the end.

I find myself constantly guessing and trying to piece together the clues, but just when I think I have it all figured out, there is a new twist that throws me off.

The author does an excellent job of creating a complex and engaging plot that keeps me on the edge of my seat.

I can't wait to see how everything resolves and what new surprises the author has in store for me.

Overall, this is another great addition to the series and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery.