A Divided Loyalty by Charles Todd

New novels by the mystery writing duo, mother and son team, Charles and Caroline Todd, known as Charles Todd, always find themselves bumped to the top of my “to read” pile. The Todds write, together, two mystery series, one featuring Nursing Sister Bess Crawford, and the other Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. Set during the years of the First World War and immediately after, the time period reflects the authors interest in a time when their uncles and great uncles served in the Great War.

Both series are set in Europe and England, and always feature characters who have been profoundly affected by their wartime experiences. Both authors are well educated and well travelled, often visiting the setting of their novels. There is often a new Bess Crawford mystery novel published in the fall of each year, and a new Rutledge early in the spring. The most recent is A Divided Loyalty, the 22nd instalment of The Inspector Ian Rutledge series.

“Murder to the Todds is the jumping off point in a story about ordinary people driven to do something they would never have considered possible until pushed too far. And sometimes they are the hardest to catch for that very reason.”

That is certainly the case in A Divided Loyalty. Though I suspected the identity of the culprit at almost half way through the story, I doubted myself until the end, staying up far too late reading the last few chapters. That of course is a big part of the pleasure in reading a mystery novel, especially one in a series.

This series began in 1994, so those of us who have been reading them for over two decades know our detective as well as any of his closest friends and family. We have also learned a lot about how Scotland Yard operates, and know quite well all of Rutledge’s colleagues. Each new novel provides some background for new readers and can certainly be read on it’s own, but there is pleasure to be found in re-visiting an old make-believe friend.

In this particular case we begin with Chief Inspector Brian Leslie who is investigating a murder in Avebury, not too far distant from London in a fast car or by train. A body has been found near the standing stones. She is a woman who will remain unidentified after several weeks, and the death will be considered a murder by persons unknown, unsolved, but case closed. 

When a second body is found, in a town not too far from Avebury, it is Rutledge who investigates, and this time the case is quickly solved. With that success behind him, Rutledge is sent to poke around in the earlier case to see if there is any connection, or perhaps new evidence. Rutledge is more than a bit of a terrier and he is, as always, determined to figure out the mystery of this woman’s identity, why she was killed, and who killed her. Which of course he does, though it takes some time and a great deal of doubt as he comes closer and closer to the answer.

And now we have to wait another year to spend a few days with Ian Rutledge again!