Marilyn Stasio
Twelve books into a series of mysteries set in England in the aftermath of World War I, the mother and son who team-write under the name of Charles Todd keep finding new ways to gauge the emotional effects of war on the living and the half-dead.
—The New York Times
Kirkus Reviews
Inspector Rutledge confronts a war-weary family in 1920. Where is Walter Teller? An undiagnosed malady has sent him to the Belvedere Clinic. His wife Jenny, his sister Leticia, his brothers Edwin and Peter and their wives Amy and Susannah worry over him, then become alarmed when he disappears. Family members hare off in all directions to find him, reuniting when Scotland Yard sends Inspector Rutledge to help. Nobody seems eager to confide in Rutledge, who, accompanied by the hectoring ghost of Hamish, a soldier he executed during the Great War, wonders if the Tellers of Essex are related to recently murdered Florence Teller, a widow from Hobson. Her husband Peter never returned from the war. Are her Peter and the Essex Peter one and the same? Was she killed to cover up not only bigamy but illegitimacy? And is her death related to Walter's illness? Peter, his leg gimpy from war wounds, falls downstairs and dies. Jenny, distraught at Peter's possible perfidy, succumbs to laudanum poisoning. Walter returns, then vanishes again, only to be waylaid himself. While sorting through the family travails, Rutledge must confront a former suitor of Florence with family woes of his own, as well as a triple murderer who's prowling Westminster Bridge determined to slay Rutledge. Departing from Rutledge's earlier cases (A Matter of Justice, 2008, etc.), the caprices of fatherhood take precedence over the iniquities of war this time, with a subdued Hamish and an emotionally reawakening Rutledge along for the ride. Author tour to Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Francisco
From the Publisher
Compelling.” — San Jose Mercury News on The Red Door
“Fascinating and compelling.” — Winston-Salem Journal on The Red Door
“One of the strongest entries yet in a series that shows no sign of losing steam….Once again Todd perfectly balances incisive portraits of all the characters, not just the complex and original lead.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Red Door
“Engaging and atmospheric.” — Library Journal on The Red Door
“A complex story with lots of unexpected twists and turns….A fun ride to a surprising conclusion.” — Mystery Scene on The Red Door
“Superb…haunting tale of love and loss.” — Globe and Mail (Toronto) on The Red Door
“In The Red Door, Charles Todd shows again that this series about Ian Rutledge, a battle-fatigued World War I veteran and Scotland Yard detective, is as fresh and original as when the shell-shocked detective debuted 12 novels ago.” — Sun-Sentinel (Florida) on The Red Door
“An intriguing story that’s impossible to put down…reminiscent of Agatha Christie.” — Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) on The Red Door
“The book is more than a whodunit. Todd’s characters are well-wrought, his settings evocative, and the book a pleasure to read.” — World magazine on The Red Door
Globe and Mail (Toronto) on The Red Door
Superb…haunting tale of love and loss.
World magazine on The Red Door
The book is more than a whodunit. Todd’s characters are well-wrought, his settings evocative, and the book a pleasure to read.
Post and Courier (Charleston
An intriguing story that’s impossible to put down…reminiscent of Agatha Christie.
Winston-Salem Journal on The Red Door
Fascinating and compelling.
San Jose Mercury News on The Red Door
Compelling.
Sun-Sentinel (Florida) on The Red Door
In The Red Door, Charles Todd shows again that this series about Ian Rutledge, a battle-fatigued World War I veteran and Scotland Yard detective, is as fresh and original as when the shell-shocked detective debuted 12 novels ago.
Mystery Scene on The Red Door
A complex story with lots of unexpected twists and turns….A fun ride to a surprising conclusion.
Post and Courier (Charleston)
"An intriguing story that’s impossible to put down…reminiscent of Agatha Christie."
Post and Courier (Charleston))
"An intriguing story that’s impossible to put down…reminiscent of Agatha Christie."
Winston-Salem Journal
Fascinating and compelling.
Sun-Sentinel (Florida)
In The Red Door, Charles Todd shows again that this series about Ian Rutledge, a battle-fatigued World War I veteran and Scotland Yard detective, is as fresh and original as when the shell-shocked detective debuted 12 novels ago.
Mystery Scene
A complex story with lots of unexpected twists and turns….A fun ride to a surprising conclusion.
World magazine
The book is more than a whodunit. Todd’s characters are well-wrought, his settings evocative, and the book a pleasure to read.
Globe and Mail (Toronto)
Superb…haunting tale of love and loss.
San Jose Mercury News
Compelling.
