JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Simon Vance transports listeners to the south of England in 1921 as Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent to investigate the report that Lady Benton has witnessed a murder. However, her sanity is questioned when it’s apparent there is no body or any other sign of foul play. Rutledge must carefully unravel the web of secrets and lies that are key to the murder. Vance, the perfect narrator for this series, calls on his pitch-perfect timing and range of authentic-sounding accents to help build an atmosphere of fear and intrigue. His characterizations are strong, including those of Lady Benton, with her stiff upper lip, and Hamish, Rutledge’s “inner ghost,” with his rich Scottish brogue. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 12/06/2021
In bestseller Todd’s excellent 24th Ian Rutledge whodunit (after 2021’s A Fatal Lie), the psychologically damaged Scotland Yard inspector, who’s haunted by the ghost of a subordinate whom he was forced to execute for disobeying futile orders during WWI, has another specter to deal with in 1921. Lady Benton, an Essex noblewoman, has reported seeing one man murder another—but she identified the killer as a dead man, Captain Nelson, and the supposed corpse was never found. There’s little doubt that Lady Benton was mistaken at best, as Nelson, who was stationed at the airfield built on her property during the war, was seen years earlier dying in a car crash, though whether the death was an accident or suicide is uncertain. Rutledge, who believes she did see something disturbing, probes both past and present to get at the truth. Todd (the mother-son team of Caroline and Charles Todd) has rarely been better at creating a creepy atmosphere to enhance their nuanced exploration of human darkness. Rutledge remains one of today’s most fully rounded mystery leads. Agent: Lisa Gallagher, DeFiore & Co. (Feb.)
From the Publisher
Excellent…Todd has rarely been better at creating a creepy atmosphere to enhance [a] nuanced exploration of human darkness. Rutledge remains one of today’s most fully rounded mystery leads.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A Game of Fear continues the high standards readers have come to expect from Todd. It is a testament to both authors’ considerable talents, and a wonderful tribute to the late Caroline Todd.” — South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“[A Game of Fear] continues the adventures of one of the more complicated and unique protagonists in a series you will ever find, which makes for a rich blend of history and intrigue." — Book Reporter
“A superior example of crime fiction, a haunting exploration of war and its legacies and a sterling reaffirmation of its authors’ humanity, A Game of Fear offers escapist pleasures—including a breathless climax—while simultaneously eliciting thought on intellectual and moral issues.” — Fredericksburg Freelance-Star
“The novel is written with a gentle familiarity, drawing the reader in to a detailed portrayal of characters with their own needs and personal history in habiting a world that recent literature has brought into focus for the 21st century reader. Recommended.” — Historical Novel Society
“Each of Charles Todd’s engrossing novels about Scotland Yard Insp. Ian Rutledge, set post-World War I, puts a spotlight on often forgotten details about the Great War. It’s this minutia that illustrate the war’s effect on the characters and the region . . . Charles Todd are experts at subtly drawing parallels to 21st century concerns. The Great War ended more than a century ago but Ian’s personal issues and his investigations are relevant today.” — Florida Sun Sentinel on A Fatal Lie
“A Fatal Lie provides an excellent book with which to walk into Rutledge’s pursuit of crime and determination to make things right . . . Those who value similar portrayals of place as character—as in Louise Penny’s Three Pines, for instance—will treasure A Fatal Lie and its Welsh backdrop. As a police procedural, also, the book’s persistent untangling of motive, means, and opportunity provides an instant classic for this mystery genre, along with an intriguing exploration of the heart’s effects on the mind.” — New York Journal of Books
“Fans of the series will want Todd’s latest historical mystery.” — Library Journal on A Fatal Lie
“[A] very captivating and page-turning mystery.” — Fresh Fiction on A Fatal Lie
“This is the type of classic-style mystery that we have grown to love from Charles Todd, and it never fails to deliver.” — BookReporter.com on A Fatal Lie
"This is a series, written by a mother-and-son team under the Charles Todd pseudonym, that shows no signs of slowing down. As always, this one combines crisp plotting with stylish prose. Ideal for historical-mystery devotees." — Booklist on A Divided Loyalty
“Todd once and for all establishes the shell-shocked Rutledge as the genre’s most complex and fascinating detective.” — Entertainment Weekly
“It is an intense ride to take . . . but one that is well worth it.” — Book Reporter on A Divided Loyalty
“Ian’s resilience and his complex persona continue to make him an endearing character. And Todd, the mother-and-son writing team of Caroline and Charles Todd, continue their superior storytelling.” — Florida Sun Sentinel on A Divided Loyalty
“The investigation and its ultimate destination are gripping.” — Kirkus Reviews on The Black Ascot
“You’re going to love Todd.” — Stephen King
"The melancholy tone that distinguishes the Rutledge series is a reminder that war never ends for the families and friends of lost loved ones. It just retreats into the shadows.” — New York Times Book Review
“Their ability to make a century-old time and place feel as real as today is beautifully showcased in the latest Rutledge novel, and series fans should not miss it.” — Booklist
New York Journal of Books
A Fatal Lie provides an excellent book with which to walk into Rutledge’s pursuit of crime and determination to make things right . . . Those who value similar portrayals of place as character—as in Louise Penny’s Three Pines, for instance—will treasure A Fatal Lie and its Welsh backdrop. As a police procedural, also, the book’s persistent untangling of motive, means, and opportunity provides an instant classic for this mystery genre, along with an intriguing exploration of the heart’s effects on the mind.
BookReporter.com on A Fatal Lie
This is the type of classic-style mystery that we have grown to love from Charles Todd, and it never fails to deliver.
Fresh Fiction on A Fatal Lie
[A] very captivating and page-turning mystery.
Florida Sun Sentinel on A Fatal Lie
Each of Charles Todd’s engrossing novels about Scotland Yard Insp. Ian Rutledge, set post-World War I, puts a spotlight on often forgotten details about the Great War. It’s this minutia that illustrate the war’s effect on the characters and the region . . . Charles Todd are experts at subtly drawing parallels to 21st century concerns. The Great War ended more than a century ago but Ian’s personal issues and his investigations are relevant today.
Book Reporter
[A Game of Fear] continues the adventures of one of the more complicated and unique protagonists in a series you will ever find, which makes for a rich blend of history and intrigue."
Historical Novel Society
The novel is written with a gentle familiarity, drawing the reader in to a detailed portrayal of characters with their own needs and personal history in habiting a world that recent literature has brought into focus for the 21st century reader. Recommended.
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
"A Game of Fear continues the high standards readers have come to expect from Todd. It is a testament to both authors’ considerable talents, and a wonderful tribute to the late Caroline Todd.
Fredericksburg Freelance-Star
A superior example of crime fiction, a haunting exploration of war and its legacies and a sterling reaffirmation of its authors’ humanity, A Game of Fear offers escapist pleasures—including a breathless climax—while simultaneously eliciting thought on intellectual and moral issues.”
Historical Novels Society
The novel is written with a gentle familiarity, drawing the reader in to a detailed portrayal of characters with their own needs and personal history in habiting a world that recent literature has brought into focus for the 21st century reader. Recommended.
Oline Cogdill
"A Game of Fear continues the high standards readers have come to expect from Todd. It is a testament to both authors’ considerable talents, and a wonderful tribute to the late Caroline Todd.
Booklist on A Divided Loyalty
"This is a series, written by a mother-and-son team under the Charles Todd pseudonym, that shows no signs of slowing down. As always, this one combines crisp plotting with stylish prose. Ideal for historical-mystery devotees."
Entertainment Weekly
Todd once and for all establishes the shell-shocked Rutledge as the genre’s most complex and fascinating detective.
Book Reporter on A Divided Loyalty
“It is an intense ride to take . . . but one that is well worth it.
Florida Sun Sentinel on A Divided Loyalty
Ian’s resilience and his complex persona continue to make him an endearing character. And Todd, the mother-and-son writing team of Caroline and Charles Todd, continue their superior storytelling.
New York Times Book Review
"The melancholy tone that distinguishes the Rutledge series is a reminder that war never ends for the families and friends of lost loved ones. It just retreats into the shadows.
Stephen King
You’re going to love Todd.
New York Journal of Books on A Fatal Lie
A Fatal Lie provides an excellent book with which to walk into Rutledge’s pursuit of crime and determination to make things right . . . Those who value similar portrayals of place as character—as in Louise Penny’s Three Pines, for instance—will treasure A Fatal Lie and its Welsh backdrop. As a police procedural, also, the book’s persistent untangling of motive, means, and opportunity provides an instant classic for this mystery genre, along with an intriguing exploration of the heart’s effects on the mind.
Library Journal
09/01/2021
It's 1921, and Scotland Yard again hands Inspector Ian Rutledge bizarrely challenging cases, but nothing quite like his latest: the woman presiding over a stately manor called Benton Abbey in sea salt-drenched Essex claims to have seen a brutal murder committed by Captain Nelson. There is no body, Nelson supposedly died during the Great War, yet Lady Benton seems perfectly calm and reasonable when interviewed. What's going on? With a 100,000-copy first printing.
JUNE 2022 - AudioFile
Narrator Simon Vance transports listeners to the south of England in 1921 as Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent to investigate the report that Lady Benton has witnessed a murder. However, her sanity is questioned when it’s apparent there is no body or any other sign of foul play. Rutledge must carefully unravel the web of secrets and lies that are key to the murder. Vance, the perfect narrator for this series, calls on his pitch-perfect timing and range of authentic-sounding accents to help build an atmosphere of fear and intrigue. His characterizations are strong, including those of Lady Benton, with her stiff upper lip, and Hamish, Rutledge’s “inner ghost,” with his rich Scottish brogue. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
