Great series.

I was scratching my head at the conclusion -- plus I had grown tired of Hamish way before this entry in the series. But I had to give it three stars because I actually finished it (I sometimes give up after a few chapters on books that aren't well written or interesting.) If you haven't read the previous book you won't understand the references to the woman in Westmoreland, although that's not a deal breaker. The motive for the killings is pretty silly and the sub-plot about the casings is a stretch, and leaves some questions. Again, the details about life in the village brings it to life (more maps, please, as in Cold Treachery.)

I liked this one. 2 mysteries in one although I will say that the 2nd mystery plot didn’t end as satisfactory as I would have liked. Actually, now that I think of it there were really 3 plots. Anyway, Rutledge is again traveling to solve a crime. He meets several likely suspects, including a mysterious woman who follows him from London.

Really good mystery! It was a page turner!

Upon leaving a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 1919, Inspector Ian Rutledge finds a shell casing from a Maxim machine gun at his feet. And these shell casings follow him around England, to the south, and then north, where he is sent to investigate the shooting of the local constable, who happened to have been one of Chief Superintendent Bowles' pets. But when Ian gets there, he finds a town closed up to outsiders, not even able to get a room at the local inn. And he finds with his investigation, that the constable's shooting has roots in the past.

Another excellent book. They do move slowly, and all the stories show his suffering from what is now known as PTSD. This takes place just over a year since the Armistice.

Particularly quick read. Rutledge is sent to a small village to try to figure out what happened to the detective who was investigating the missing of a young girl. As the story evolves, much of the drama seems to involve Frith Woods. Locals think of this as a haunted place and prefer themselves not to ever enter it. The detective Hornsby who has been shot with an arrow while in Frith Woods, was a person who apparently had been going there on a regular basis. It seems that his motivation wise in looking for a grave that he suspected was there.

The story takes various turns as the vestiges of the community, rather backward and few, come into view. Also Ratledge himself seems to be in danger from an unknown source. As the story unfolds, Rutledge manages to decipher many minute details to figure out both who shot the detective and what happened to the young girl.

Inspector Rytledge has been sent to investiagte an attack on Constable Hensley, a man no one seems to like or trust who also has a shady past. While working on the case, Rutledge is also dealing with a mysterious person leaving threatening shell cases for him to find. The case involving Condtable Hensley leads him to investiagte the diasappearance of a pretty young girl a few years back because he feels there is some connection although no proof can be found. This was a gripping mystery and I did not guess the killer's identity or how the case would eventually resolved. One of the best in the series.

Interesting, gripping, fascinating, atmospheric, psychological, awesome. All words I would use to describe these novels. This case finds Ian the target of a stalker while he investigates what turns out to be a web of murder in a small village. He is drawn into the secretive world of the village and gets information on several cases that are interrelated in unexpected ways. Always a treat, this novel was no exception and a great addition to the series. I am always tempted to binge-read this series, then am caught by a desire to stretch them out so that I don't run out. It's a conundrum. :)

If a movie is going to be made from these books - this should be the one!! This book is a great mystery and keeps one guessing until the very last chapter. Another one of my favorite Ian Rutledge books.
A mystery solved without CSI!! The book plods along - and whenever I think it could have gone quicker I realize that the book takes place in 1919 and there is no CSI. They couldn't even take a fingerprint. Surprised that it could be determined that someone was poisoned!!
The one annoying thing - is that it is very obvious that the book was not written by an Englishman - because the word honor is Americanized. Other then that - you can hear the accent and see the English countryside.
This is my favorite Ian Rutledge book. By this book he has become a well established detective.
Things I love:
-tUsing people’s body language to obtain information
-tShort chapters
-tSmall town characters
-tIan Rutledge’s use of gossips
This book begins the “romance” of Ian and Meredith Channing.
BEST USE OF: Tea and lots of it!! Hot tea, cold tea, sweet tea, poisoned tea – I had to have tea while reading this book!!
ALPHA MALE Ian is an 8 in this book
SPUNKY HEROINE Meredith Channing is the only heroine and she is a 10
IMPLIED SEX 0
HEA(HAPPILY EVER AFTER) No one is HEA in an Ian Rutledge mystery
PROLOGUE/EPILOGUE None
Rating System
10 – Perfect – one of my favorites – a keeper forever
Heat Level
0 – You couldn’t even start a fire with this book!!
COVER COVERS IT: ok - a picture of a long shadow - got it. Who's shadow. And the use of the word shadow - has nothing to do with an actual person's shadow.
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: Oh please make a movie or TV series of this book series.

I like to read a series in order so this is the 8th Ian Rutledge book that I have read. I found this to be the most gripping mystery so far. I find that with these books it does take some time to delve into the story and understand the characters but if you stick with it you are rewarded with a great story. This one was a bit different! From the first few pages I was hooked and could barely put it down! I won't go into the story as many have already done that but I must say a very satisfying read!

This was a particularly strong installment in this series. Rutledge is sent north to help solve an attack on the local law enforcement officer. What he finds there, in addition to that case, are two missing persons' cases, as well as a mysterious and unnerving follower. There is a lot to unpack here, and the villagers are generally unfriendly and not helpful. But by the end, most of the story lines are satisfactorily resolved.

This could stand alone, better than some other books in the series. This is a great mix of historical fiction and myster, capturing a very specific moment in time.

The character of Ian Rutledge continues to grow in complexity--and so do the murders he must solve. This time, he's faced with more suspects than he knows what to do about; more murders--or attempted ones--than he is supposed to be involved in; and someone is trying to kill him, too.
When a local constable, a favorite of Chief Superintendent Bowles, is shot in the back with an arrow in a supposedly haunted wood, Bowles sends Rutledge to sort things out quickly and quietly. Trouble is, there's the case of a long-missing girl, Emma, who may or may not have been killed by the constable ... Adding to the confusion, Rutledge keeps finding empty machine gun shell casings in places only he could find them--like in his car, or on his bed.
Worst luck, the villagers in Dudlington aren't particularly helpful, either. Everyone seems to lay blame at everyone else's doorsteps.
And as if that isn't enough, there's Meredith Channing, an intriguing woman Rutledge met at a New Year's Eve party in London. Is she behind the shell casings? Does she know Rutledge's secret? How safe is he?
In the end, some of the plot gets untangled, but other threads are left unbroken, carrying readers expectantly into Rutledge's next foray ...