A game of fear

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Language
English

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USA Today Bestseller

In this newest installment of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series, Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge is faced with his most perplexing case yet: a murder with no body, and a killer who can only be a ghost.

Spring, 1921. Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Rutledge to the sea-battered village of Walmer on the coast of Essex, where amongst the salt flats and a military airfield lies Benton Abbey, a grand manor with a storied past. The lady of the house may prove his most bewildering witness yet. She claims she saw a violent murder—but there is no body, no blood. She also insists she recognized the killer: Captain Nelson. Only it could not have been Nelson because he died during the war.

Everyone in the village believes that Lady Benton’s losses have turned her mind—she is, after all, a grieving widow and mother—but the woman Rutledge interviews is rational and self-possessed. And then there is Captain Nelson: what really happened to him in the war? The more Rutledge delves into this baffling case, the more suspicious tragedies he uncovers. The Abbey and the airfield hold their secrets tightly. Until Rutledge arrives, and a new trail of death follows… 

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Contributors
Todd, Charles Author
Vance, Simon Narrator
ISBN
9780062905598
9780063217362

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Also in this Series

  • A test of wills (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 1) Cover
  • Wings of fire (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 2) Cover
  • Search the dark (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 3) Cover
  • Legacy of the dead: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 4) Cover
  • Watchers of time: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 5) Cover
  • A fearsome doubt: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 6) Cover
  • A Cold Treachery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 7) Cover
  • A long shadow (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 8) Cover
  • A false mirror / Charles Todd (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 9) Cover
  • A pale horse: a novel of suspense (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 10) Cover
  • A matter of justice (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 11) Cover
  • The red door (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 12) Cover
  • A lonely death (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 13) Cover
  • The confession (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 14) Cover
  • Proof of guilt (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 15) Cover
  • Hunting shadows: an Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 16) Cover
  • A fine summer's day: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 17) Cover
  • No shred of evidence: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 18) Cover
  • Racing the devil: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 19) Cover
  • The gate keeper (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 20) Cover
  • The black ascot (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 21) Cover
  • A divided loyalty: an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 22) Cover
  • A fatal lie (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 23) Cover
  • A game of fear (Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries Volume 24) Cover

Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
The Lord Peter Wimsey and Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries share setting and time period. Both protagonists suffer (to different degrees) from shell shock, and Wimsey's tone is lighter, but readers will find the plots, secondary characters, and intellectual approach to investigation equally appealing. -- Katherine Johnson
Atmospheric and suspenseful, these historical mystery series feature murder investigators grappling with personal demons from their not so distant pasts. While they are set on separate continents during different centuries, both immerse readers in plenty of dark and gloomy historical detail. -- Catherine Coles
Both of these atmospheric historical mystery series star veterans (Ian Rutledge is set post-World War I, and Easy Rawlins after World War II) who parlay their skills into solving crimes. -- Stephen Ashley
Roderick Alleyn and Inspector Ian Rutledge work for Scotland Yard between the World Wars. Though the protagonists are somewhat different, readers will find similarly well crafted and complex procedural plots, vividly realized settings, interesting secondary characters, and a serious tone. -- Katherine Johnson
Set in post-World War I England, these atmospheric mystery series follow veterans working as detectives for Scotland Yard. Even as they struggle to cope under the weight of their trauma, the most puzzling investigations are no match for these competent men. -- Catherine Coles
Though former Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge has more experience solving crimes than amateur Kosuke Kindaichi, both relentlessly pursue the truth in a variety of complex cases in these suspenseful historical mysteries. -- Stephen Ashley
Detective Inspector Ernest Hardcastle and Inspector Ian Rutledge work for Scotland Yard in the aftermath of World War I. Both series feature fascinating, three-dimensional lead characters, interesting secondary characters, and vividly described settings, along with complex and satisfying plots. -- Katherine Johnson
Though Aki Ito (Japantown) is an amateur sleuth and Ian Rutledge is a former Scotland Yard inspector, both investigate cases as they navigate the trauma they faced during times of war in these atmospheric historical mysteries. -- Stephen Ashley
Veterans and former detectives navigate lingering trauma as they investigate a variety of complex cases in these atmospheric and suspenseful historical mysteries. Ian Rutledge takes place post-World War I, while Evander Mills is set during the 1950s. -- Stephen Ashley

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NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the appeal factors creepy, and they have the genre "historical mysteries."
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NoveList recommends "Detective Kosuke Kindaichi novels" for fans of "Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
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NoveList recommends "Easy Rawlins mysteries" for fans of "Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
NoveList recommends "Captain Jim and Lady Diana" for fans of "Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors intricately plotted, and they have the genre "historical mysteries"; and the subject "detectives."
NoveList recommends "Evander Mills novels" for fans of "Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
NoveList recommends "Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries" for fans of "Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
NoveList recommends "Roderick Alleyn mysteries" for fans of "Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Dorothy L. Sayers, author of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, wrote following World War I, when Todd's mysteries are set. Her creative development of character, clever puzzle mysteries, and vivid descriptions of settings around Britain will appeal to Todd's readers, especially those who enjoy the societal issues raised in Sayers's works. -- Katherine Johnson
Both of these authors share the ability to create a sense of place and time period from just a few details. Their languidly-paced mysteries focus on both the story and the complex characters that they create. -- Krista Biggs
Though Stephen Booth writes contemporary police procedurals and Charles Todd produces two series -- about a loner CID detective (Ian Rutledge) and a World War I nurse (Bess Crawford) -- both provide insightful psychological portraits of their characters within detailed English settings. Their plots feature painstaking development and gripping action. -- Katherine Johnson
Ngaio Marsh wrote mysteries during the Golden Age of mystery stories, when Todd's stories are set; Todd's creative development of character, clever puzzle mysteries, and vivid descriptions of settings around Britain will appeal to Marsh's modern fans. -- Katherine Johnson
Charles Todd and Laurie R. King write character-driven historical mysteries set primarily in the World War I and post-war era. Carefully researched details contribute to a strong sense of place in both authors' work, although Todd's stories have a darker tone and elements of psychological suspense. -- Krista Biggs
Fans of thoroughly researched historical mysteries with well crafted character development, clever plots, and vividly detailed, accurate period settings may enjoy both Candace Robb and Charles Todd. Robb sets her mysteries in the 14th century, while Todd's take place in the period following World War I. -- Katherine Johnson
Though Scottish author Josephine Tey lived and wrote in the years following World War I, while Charles Todd's mysteries are well researched historical novels, they share similarly well-developed characters, intricate, leisurely psychological puzzles, and vivid descriptions, while keeping explicit violence mostly off-stage. -- Katherine Johnson
These authors' works have the genre "historical mysteries"; and the subjects "world war i veterans," "english history," and "british history."
These authors' works have the appeal factors angst-filled, and they have the genre "historical mysteries"; and the subjects "world war i veterans," "english history," and "british history."
These authors' works have the subjects "world war i veterans," "rutledge, ian (fictitious character)," and "english history."
These authors' works have the genre "historical mysteries"; and the subjects "world war i veterans," "police," and "murder."
These authors' works have the appeal factors moving, and they have the genres "historical mysteries" and "victorian mysteries"; and the subjects "murder investigation," "police," and "murder."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

The twenty-fourth Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery is set in the spring of 1921. A resident of a small village in England swears she witnessed a murder, and she swears she knows who the killer is. But here's the thing: the man she accuses of murder has been dead for several years. Oh, and nobody can seem to find the alleged murder victim. Is the witness simply out of touch with reality? Or, as Rutledge begins increasingly to suspect, is the truth about Captain Nelson, a dead man accused of murder, even stranger than anyone could have imagined? Charles Todd is a pseudonym for the mother-and-son writing team of Caroline and David Watjen. The duo wrote two very successful series, the Rutledge mysteries and the Bess Crawford mysteries, before Caroline's death in August 2021 (the last Crawford novel written by the duo is scheduled to appear in 2022). 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.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

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.)

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Library Journal Review

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.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Booklist Reviews

The twenty-fourth Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery is set in the spring of 1921. A resident of a small village in England swears she witnessed a murder, and she swears she knows who the killer is. But here's the thing: the man she accuses of murder has been dead for several years. Oh, and nobody can seem to find the alleged murder victim. Is the witness simply out of touch with reality? Or, as Rutledge begins increasingly to suspect, is the truth about Captain Nelson, a dead man accused of murder, even stranger than anyone could have imagined? Charles Todd is a pseudonym for the mother-and-son writing team of Caroline and David Watjen. The duo wrote two very successful series, the Rutledge mysteries and the Bess Crawford mysteries, before Caroline's death in August 2021 (the last Crawford novel written by the duo is scheduled to appear in 2022). 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. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

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.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

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.)

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly.

Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly.
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