Charles Todd’s latest Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery, A Day of Judgent, takes the Scotland Yard officer into communities that haven’t forgotten or forgiven the events of the Great War, and the Germans who threatened the coast.
Rutledge has finally been promoted to Chief Inspector, but his boss still sends him to Northumberland when the body of a local man is washed up. Rutledge is to use discretion because the Church of England is worried that a murder investigation will threaten the pilgrims and tourism associated with nearby sacred sites. Rutledge is aware that he seems to be the only one who wants to solve the case. Everyone else wants to protect the status quo, the Church, Scotland Yard, and the local people who have been their own law. They don’t want an inspector from Scotland Yard interfering in their coastal villages.
The locals see the dead man as a Hun lover. They still harbor hatred toward the German submariners who sank ships and mined the waters, making it difficult to continue their fishing livelihoods. Before long, Rutledge knows someone moved the body, and ransacked his cottage. No one seems to regret his death, other than one nearby neighbor who reluctantly takes Rutledge out in his boat. But, as he observes the fishermen and workers, Rutledge knows he’ll have to dig beneath the suspicion and resentment to find answers. It takes a second murder to send the inspector down the right path.
While I appreciated the difficulties in Rutledge’s investigation, and the careful steps he had to take so he didn’t stir up more resentment, he spent way too much traveling the roads while working on his case. There were too many descriptions of the roads, the landscapes, and too many repetitive descriptions of Rutledge’s meals. If those had been edited, the book would have been much shorter, and easier to follow. I enjoyed the stories of Rutledge’s war experiences and his current cases, but I bogged down in all the roads and travels. A Day of Judgment became days spent on the road in a slightly boring book.
Charles Todd’s website is http://charlestodd.com
A Day of Judgment by Charles Todd. Mysterious Press, 2026. 368p.
FTC Full Disclosure – The publicist sent a copy of the book with no promise of a review.
Oh, dear! I’m so glad you warned us, Lesa. I don’t think I’ve ever missed one of his books, so I’ll probably read this one anyway, or at least start it. But it sounds like I’ll do some skimming!
I’ll be curious as to what you think since you’re a regular reader, Kim. According to the paper I received this is his first full-length Rutledge novel since his mother died.
I read the first few but gave up long ago. Just didn’t really hold my interest.
I get it, Jeff. And, Rutledge hasn’t moved on emotionally since the war, until this book. Mentally, I’m not so sure. So, I get it.
I read one of his later books, but decided to not to read any more, there are so many other authors to choose from..
You’re right, Carol. There are. Why continue with an author whose books don’t work for you?
I think this review is spot on. I have been a longtime fan of Charles Todd and Ian Rutledge, and in my view this has been the weakest and most plodding; way too much description of Rutledge having breakfast, dinner, etc. Superfluous stuff. Perhaps the writer struggled with this one, and certainly writing is hard. I won’t give up on Todd or Rutledge, but this one has been not up to past efforts
This is his first Rutledge novel without his mother, and it makes me wonder, Ron. We’ll see.
I have always looked forward to the new Ian Rutledge novels but this one was disappointing. It moved so slowly, with paragraphs and paragraphs describing meals ( which made me hungry and lead to snacking!). There were too many descriptions of architecture that added nothing to the story line. I won’t give up on Charles Todd; I’ll read the next book when it arrives. But I hope it will be faster paced.
I agree, Barbara. I’m willing to give it another chance, but it was so slow!
Thanks for perspectives . I came hear to see if anyone else felt as I did, that this book is surprisingly plodding, almost flat. I can’t get the spark of Rutledge’s personality at all! I’m guessing the original author, the Mother of the team, had the gifts for drawing us in to characters (and I’ve read every book in this series, as well as those in the Bess series). And that the son simply doesn’t have those gifts. I agree about the endless geographical details, which seem to have no import other than to give us cognitive maps and history. But it’s the lack of spark and vitality of the characters that is most disappointing!
You’re welcome. It takes a little while since everyone doesn’t read the book at the same time, but I think a number of us feel the same about this book. It doesn’t have a “spark”, as you said.