Reading this novel was an interesting experience. One of the important characters is a constable named Hensley. Hensley was my mother's maiden name and my middle name. It is not an uncommon name in North Carolina and Tennessee, but where I have lived most of my life in the western U.S. it is a very rare name. In fact the only time I've seen the name Hensley has been on the trucks of a local beer distributor. As I read A Long Shadow, I found myself feeling startled each time Constable Hensley was mentioned. Strange. The novel, however, is a good one!

Ian Rutledge breaks my heart. On the surface, he's an upper class British officer returned from the front after WWI to resume his position as an inspector at Scotland Yard. Underneath the handsome facade, he is the ultimate casualty of a terrible war-- tortured by his memories, haunted by a decision made in the heat of battle and abandoned by his fiancée, he throws himself full force into solving the cases he's assigned. Instead of a partner or a sidekick, Rutledge has only the ghostly specter of a dead colleague and brother-in-arms, Hamish McCleod, to help him sort out the details. Smart and original.

As Rutledge moves to a new case, the attack on a Dudlington Constable Hensley, he is stalked by an unknown person, who is leaving empty Machine gun cartridges, like used in the war, where Ian can find them. It starts at a party held by a friend of his sister's, where he is also introduced to a Mrs. Channing, attending to conduct a seance for entertainment. She later follows him to Dudlington because she is sure he is in danger. In Dudlington everyone is staying mute about its town secrets, making it hard for Ian. They all believe that Frith's Wood is haunted by Saxon ghosts, and that the Constable was wandering through the woods nevertheless, probably looking for the body of the missing Emma Mason, granddaughter of Mrs. Ellison. He is under suspicion that he may have killed her, since she was very attractive and was believed to flirt with all the men of the hamlet.

Mr. Keating owns the Oaks Inn, and is unfriendly, and is unwilling to give Ian a room. In the process of the investigation, the Rev Towson is attacked, and the stalker tries a number of times to kill Rutledge. In solving the crime of the arrow attack on the Constable, who eventually dies, Rutledge also determine the fate of Emma and her mother. All connected to the family and its status and reputation.

Whenever I read a Charles Todd novel, I am always delighted by the depth and breadth of the writing. This book is surprising in it's complexity even for a Todd novel. When Ian Rutledge is sent to a small village to investigate the shooting by bow and arrow of the village constable, Hensley, he is surprised until he is told by his mercuric supervisor, Bowles, that Hensley was a good man, and he wants this shooter found and punished. Rutledge can't help but wonder why this is so important. When he gets to the village, he discovers that there is much more to the story. A young girl had disappeared two years before. Some in the village assume that Hensley was responsible for the death of the young woman. Others think that she went to London looking for her mother who had disappeared years before. Meanwhile, Rutledge is finding shell casings left for him. Then someone shoots at him, but it appears to be more of a warning shot. Honestly, this one went in so many directions with so many red herrings, it really kept me guessing. I'm not ashamed to admit I wasn't expecting the ending. This is a terrific book.

I’ve enjoyed all the Ian Rutledge books that I’ve read/listened to.

These novels are fine while I'm reading them. The writing is decent. But five mins after I'm done, I've forgotten everything that happened in the story.

Very good. I'm not sure where in England we were this time, but it was a cold, dreary place for sure.
I had no idea "who done it" ever. There was kind of a loose thread in the previous book that this book snipped off. Not going there. In addition to the murder, there was a side story of a stalker. I felt that was extraneous, confusing, distracting, and totally unnecessary. It added nothing to the plot. There was also a female character with ESP that was likewise unnecessary. Hamish does an excellent job of being the watch dog. After the murderer was revealed, I felt there were some things left unexplained/unresolved.

Kept me reading to see if my suspicions were correct or not. I was correct on a few but not all. Anxious to see what’s next in the series

I actually struggled with deciding whether I liked this book or not. I have enjoyed earlier books in the series and do find Ian Rutledge to be an engaging character. I initially was inclined to give this book three stars but, on further thought, knocked off a star. This book does do somethings well. I found the plot around Rutledge's stalker to be engaging. This provided the most suspense.

However, the main mystery here was not quite as engaging. For me, a major reason for this was that the series is becoming increasingly repetitive. Each book follows the same basic set-up, i.e. a crime is committed in a rural community and Rutledge has to venture out there alone to get the facts. He is faced with reluctant and suspicious citizens and an often hostile local police force. Meanwhile, he tries to deal with the sometimes helpful but often biting and sardonic voice of the dead Corporal Hamish McLeod. He is also trying to keep his grip on sanity and deal with his PTSD.

Many of those he encounters start to feel like the same characters from previous novels with their names changed leading to a sense of déjà vu. As someone who finds the best fiction has strongly defined and engaging characters, this is a major problem. Some of the characters who have been in the series since its inception still seem to be one-dimensional. I take no pleasure writing this review, as I do believe the Todds (it's a mother and son duo) are good writers and can create interesting characters and stories. I'm planning on giving this series one or two more books based on what I feel the authors do well, i.e. show the impact of WWI on all aspects of British society, strongly evoke settings, provide a vivid picture of Rutledge that draws my attention and makes me want to know what is going to happen to him.

In conclusion, let me suggest a setup that I would find more engaging for a future novel. Unfortunately, from a quick glimpse at some future novels this does not appear to have happened. Anyone is free to correct me on that. Here we go. Rutledge does not go off to a rural village alone and is forced to work closely with his colleagues in London on a massive complicated case. While trying to do this, he is still struggling with his PTSD and its associated symptoms, e.g. Hamish, claustrophobia, flashbacks etc. If he can't handle it he may be killed, get fired or be re-institutionalized. Just writing that description makes me excited for that novel.

Audiobook- Samuel Gillies is a good narrator.
Ian Rutledge mysteries are in the English cozy genre, with no sex, some rough language, just realistic. They take place after WWI, and have great attention to detail. The plight of soldiers after the war, and the recovery of the whole country, is often at the forefront. Rutledge is admirable, and the characters are well drawn. Rutledge suffers from "Shell shock" and has a voice in his head. It is important to show the damage men suffered from the war, but I would be happy if that wasn't a part of it. It may turn some people away from the stories if they get tired of that aspect. The mysteries are very good, and the progression of things in his life are part of the story as well. Read in order. (Same review for all Ian Rutledge books.)

I've enjoyed the Inspector Rutledge series, of which this book is one. This one is a well-entangled mystery (or two, actually), that it doesn't divulge the secrets of until the very end. I wasn't quite so satisfied as I have been in earlier reads of this series, but it still drew me in and kept me.

Recommended!

I love these books. Would have left 5 stars but this one was a little more disjointed for my taste.
There were some characters that were well developed and some that could have used a little more.