MostlyFiction Book Reviews » Charles Todd We Love to Read! Wed, 14 May 2014 13:06:32 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3 A LONELY DEATH by Charles Todd /2011/a-lonely-death-by-charles-todd/ /2011/a-lonely-death-by-charles-todd/#comments Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:41:44 +0000 /?p=15605 Book Quote:

“I’m writing to say good-bye. My decision has been made and by the time you read this, there will be no turning back. I have tried….But the war changed me, it changed my family, it changed everything, and finding my way again to what I knew before isn’t possible.”

Book Review:

Review by Eleanor Bukowsky  (JAN 23, 2011)

A Lonely Death, by Charles Todd, is one of the most haunting mysteries in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. The year is 1920 and the First World War has taken an enormous toll on the young Englishmen who naively went off to battle, expecting excitement and adventure. What they found, instead, was terror and violent death. Those who returned were often shell-shocked and/or physically maimed; their families suffered along with the damaged soldiers.

Rutledge barely made it through the war. He was nearly buried alive, and at times, wishes that he had never been rescued. He was severely traumatized by his horrific experiences and bears boundless guilt for his role in sending his men to their deaths. One deceased Scottish soldier named Hamish MacLeod still gives Ian no peace. Rutledge walks around with the young Highlander’s voice, “relentless and unforgiving,” resounding in his head, chiding him, giving advice, and reminding Rutledge that he does not deserve to live a normal life.

At least his work gives Rutledge some respite from his despondency. After he sees off Chief Inspector Cummins, who is retiring, Rutledge is called to Eastfield, Sussex, where a series of deaths by garroting have left three men dead in nine days. This case will prove to be a crucible that will test Rutledge’s determination and strength of character. He, along with Constable Walker and others, must determine why these particular men were targeted. Did the murders have something to do with events that occurred during the war? The evidence points in a number of different directions and the answers are far from obvious. In addition, Rutledge looks into a cold case that Cummins had always wanted to solve, but could not. This subplot is not particularly realistic, but it is intriguing nevertheless.

The mother and son who collaborate under the name Charles Todd have created a complex novel of psychological suspense with a large cast of memorable characters, evocative descriptive writing, and meticulous attention to historical detail. A Lonely Death is a wrenching story of revenge and sorrow. Charles Todd’s fine work of fiction is not only a commentary on the hellish price of war, but it is also an incisive look at the battles we wage each day–with our acquaintances, relatives, employers, and even with ourselves. Few emerge from these encounters unscathed. Inspector Ian Rutledge, alas, still has a great deal of healing to do before he can face the future with equanimity.

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-5from 41 readers
PUBLISHER: William Morrow (January 4, 2011)
REVIEWER: Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: Charles Todd
EXTRAS: Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: Read our reviews of:

A Duty to the Dead

A Pale Horse

A Test of Wills

Bibliography:

Inspector Ian Rutledge series:

Francesca Hatton series:

Bess Crawford, British army nurse:

]]> /2011/a-lonely-death-by-charles-todd/feed/ 0 A DUTY TO THE DEAD by Charles Todd /2009/duty-to-the-dead-by-charles-todd/ /2009/duty-to-the-dead-by-charles-todd/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:30:26 +0000 /?p=5398 Book Quote:

“It does you credit to want to set the world to rights, my dear, but…I see no point in investigating a tragedy that lies in the past where it belongs. Fifteen years is a long time, witnesses die, attitudes change, and it is almost impossible to make a judgment on new facts when the old ones can’t be reconstructed.”

Book Review:

Review by Eleanor Bukowsky (OCT 5, 2009)

A Duty to the Dead, by the mother-and son writing team known as Charles Todd, opens in 1916 on a hospital ship, Britannic, that is sailing off the coast of Greece. Elizabeth Crawford is a nurse stationed on the ship, who has worked tirelessly tending to the British casualties of World War I. Some of the soldiers in her care suffer from severe mental and/or physical wounds, and many do not pull through. Bess’s work has toughened her up considerably; however, she remains an extremely sensitive and compassionate woman. Against her better judgment, she develops strong feelings for an injured soldier named Arthur Graham. On his deathbed, Arthur begs Bess to deliver an important message to his brother in Kent. After putting off the task for a while, Bess finally finds the time to visit Arthur’s relatives.

Much to her consternation, Bess discovers that the Graham family is dysfunctional, if not delusional. Mrs. Graham, the widowed mother of three boys, is brusque and bossy; her cousin, Robert, has the run of the house, but rarely expresses a personal opinion; Jonathan, a lieutenant who is recovering from a severe facial wound, is blunt and prickly; and Timothy has a clubfoot that has kept him out of battle. Most troubling of all is the fate of another brother, Peregrine, who for fifteen years has been locked up in an asylum after allegedly butchering a housemaid when he was a teenager. Rather than see him hang for his crime, Peregrine’s mother arranges for him to be kept under lock and key for the rest of his life. Bess soon suspects that the Grahams are withholding key information, but she has no hard evidence to support her theory.

Bess Crawford is one of those formidable “stiff-upper-lip” individuals who is intolerant of liars and makes no excuses for herself or others. Whether she is nursing a patient with pneumonia, calming a shell-shocked veteran, or conducting an investigation that may shed light on the past, Bess is courageous, highly intelligent, keenly observant, and not too concerned about her own safety. Her father, Richard Crawford, is a career army officer who is appalled but unsurprised at his daughter’s rashness. Bess has always been fiercely independent and determined to finish what she starts, no matter how difficult the task.

The authors skillfully evoke the bleak atmosphere of wartime England when all able-bodied men are shipped to the front. Even those who survive often return disfigured or so severely traumatized that they can no longer function in society. In addition, Todd vividly portrays the insular life of a small village where the rector does his own carpentry, everyone gossips about their neighbors, and long-buried secrets are difficult to unearth. A resolute Bess not only spends her own time and money conducting a lengthy investigation, but she also endangers herself to help someone who may be an innocent victim of a vicious conspiracy. A Duty to the Dead is a strong work of historical fiction that forcefully depicts the horrors of war and illustrates the terrible consequences of covering up the truth for all the wrong reasons.

AMAZON READER RATING: stars-4-5from 82 readers
PUBLISHER: William Morrow (August 25, 2009)
REVIEWER: Eleanor Bukowsky
AVAILABLE AS A KINDLE BOOK? YES! Start Reading Now!
AUTHOR WEBSITE: Charles Todd
EXTRAS: Excerpt
MORE ON MOSTLYFICTION: Read our reviews of:

A Pale Horse

A Test of Wills

If you like this book, you will like:

Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear

The First Wave by James R. Benn

Bibliography:

Inspector Ian Rutledge series:

Francesca Hatton series:

Bess Crawford, British army nurse:

]]> /2009/duty-to-the-dead-by-charles-todd/feed/ 0