The
mother and son writing team, Charles and Caroline Todd, aka
Charles Todd, have authored two series of books: the Bess
Crawford and the Ian Rutledge mysteries. What can only be
classified as historical mysteries, these books brilliantly
mix a little WWI history, a suspenseful crime plot, and very
engaging characters. Their most recent novel, A Question of
Honor, takes Bess back and forth between her days in India
in 1908 to her time in England and France in 1918. The next
Ian Rutledge book, Hunting Shadows will be released
early next year.
Caroline and Charles Todd decided to collaborate because they
had a common interest: English movies, literature, and the
First World War era. The Crawford series takes place during
WWI while the Rutledge series starts in 1919, at the immediate
aftermath. Although their novels fascinatingly explore the
cat and mouse chase between detective and criminal, each series
has a different perspective. The authors commented, “Bess
is more like an unwilling accomplice. She finds herself involved
in something she must deal with since she never goes hunting
for a case to solve. They are always thrust upon her. We would
describe her as an amateur sleuth who gets involved because
of her clear sense of moral responsibility. On the other hand
the Ian Rutledge series are more police procedurals. Being
a Scotland Yard detective he probes, corners, and questions
suspects and has the badge behind him.”
Both characters are very compelling and intriguing. Since
Bess is a British nurse during WWI readers are presented with
a gripping storyline. Her experiences and perspective of being
a battlefield nurse, including the conditions of hospitals
in France and England, are also explored. The other series
character, Ian, is a former military officer who now works
for Scotland Yard and must hide his battle with shell shock,
or PTSD as it is known today. The authors are able to show
this through the character Hamish, who is described by them
as “the epitome of those who died under Rutledge’s
leadership, his coping mechanism for survival guilt. Hamish
is his alter ego.”
What makes these books very interesting is the reminder of
how detective work used to be done and solved without the
use of technology: no DNA samples, no fingerprint computer
comparisons, and no bullet examinations under a microscope.
The main characters, Bess and Ian, are considered students
of human character and behavior, using “body language,”
to help solve the crime along with their wit and instincts.
The story always involves a number of suspects where the characters
try to find the culprit who attempts to foil their every move.
The most recent Bess Crawford novel, A Question of Honor,
delves into a number of issues. Besides the setting of
war, there is the discussion of a regiment’s reputation
when an officer is accused of killing five people, and the
lives of British military children boarded by strangers in
England while their parents were in India. They emphasized
the latter by using the real life experiences of the writer
Rudyard Kipling and noted in the book, “The most shocking
experience a child can suffer…helpless, afraid, abused,
and no escape.”
The authors also gave a heads up about their next book, Hunting
Shadows. It has Ian Rutledge battling PTSD and an almost
paralyzing claustrophobia as he searches for a possible serial
killer. This case will lead Rutledge figuratively and literally
back to the WWI battlefields as he matches wits with the different
suspects. The authors promise to give the readers many twists
and turns, noting that things are not as they appear to be.
As always, the writing of the mother and son Todd team is
superb. In their series they allow the reader to go back to
a different era and view of the world. With the backdrop of
WWI, the mysteries are complex, suspenseful, and insightful.
Reviews of other titles in this series
Duty
to the Dead, #1 [review]
Impartial Witness, #2 [review]
Bitter Truth, #3 [review
1] [review
2]
An Unmarked Grave, #4 [review]
A Question of Honor #5 [review]
An Unwilling Accomplice #6 [review]
A Pattern of Lies #7 [review]
The Shattered Tree # 8 [review]
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