A Matter Of Justice: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery (Hardcover)

"This series makes the anguish of the First World War and its scarred veterans as fresh as our own. Lovers of the British cozy will enjoy the range of settings, from cottage gardens to the remote Scilly Isles to fine country estates." (Charlotte Observer )

"A sharp look at a country recovering from the devastation of war. Although it is set in the early 20th century, Todd's novels are timeless." (South Florida Sun Sentinel )

"Few people writing today are as deft as Todd at creating historical fiction....A Matter of Justice is an intricately plotted mystery dealing with the lingering effects of yet another war." (Winston-Salem Journal )

"What has distinguished the Rutledge series from other historical crime fiction is that it often transcends the whodunit formula with its concerns about the morality of war and the terrible toll it took on the British nation." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette )

"There's no end to war in Charles Todd's unnervingly beautiful historical novels....Here the mother and son who write under the name Charles Todd get it all right." (New York Times Book Review )

"In the stellar 11th Insp. Ian Rutledge mystery, Todd seamlessly combines a fair-play whodunit with a nuanced look into the heart of darkness in the human soul." (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

"Literate and wise, A Matter of Justice combines a plot worthy of Christie with characterization reminiscent of [P. D.] James and a profound melancholy that channels [Ruth] Rendell....The discerning reader with find not only intellectual stimulation but also moral enlightenment." (Richmond Times-Dispatch )

"Charles Todd hasn't made a misstep yet in his elegant series featuring Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge, and A Matter of Justice keeps the streak going." (Cleveland Plain Dealer )

"Another triumph...This is a historical mystery that should be used as a guide on how to do it right. Intriguing and complex, this is a superbly rich novel and a real treat for mystery fans." (Crime Spree magazine )

"The plot is as complicated as any that Agatha Christie contrived, with characters as dark and complex as any of P. D. James'....Just the ticket." (Wilmington Star News )

"A wonderfully plotted mystery will keep you engrossed and guessing right up to the end....This terrific read will please longtime fans and those new to the series." (Romantic Times )

"Complicated, thoughtful, atmospheric historical mysteries of small-town England, as richly flavored as Guinness Stout." (Sullivan County Democrat )

"Smoothly constructed." (Booklist )

"With its typically intricate plotting, detailed characterizations, and red herrings, this is a compelling addition to the popular Ian Rutledge series." (Library Journal )

"[A] complex British-style police procedural that explores the intersection of justice and vengeance served up cold. It's especially recommended for readers who relish P. D. James's Adam Dalgliesh mysteries." (Boston Globe )

"A compelling book, as Charles Todd's books always are. It seizes the reader's interest at the very first page and keeps it until the end." (Mystery News )

The superb new entry in the historical series the New York Times Book Review hails as "outstanding" and the Cleveland Plain Dealer calls "superb"

At the turn of the century, in a war taking place far from England, two soldiers chance upon an opportunity that will change their lives forever. To take advantage of it, they will be required to do the unthinkable, and then to put the past behind them. But not all memories are so short.

Twenty years later, a successful London busi-nessman is found savagely and bizarrely murdered in a medieval tithe barn on his estate in Somerset. Called upon to investigate, Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge soon discovers that the victim was universally despised. Even the man's wife—who appears to be his wife in name only—and the town's police inspector are suspect. But who, among the many, hated him enough to kill?

Rutledge tenaciously follows a well-concealed trail reaching back to an act so barbarous and with consequences so devastating that even the innocent are enveloped by the murderous tide of events. As he summons all his skills to break through a wall of silence in time to stem this tide, others are eager to twist the truth for their own ends. When justice takes a malevolent turn, can Rutledge's own career survive?