The Gate Keeper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

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On a deserted road, late at night, Scotland Yards Ian Rutledge encounters a frightened woman standing over a body, launching an inquiry that leads him into the lair of a stealthy killer and the dangerous recesses of his own memories in this twentieth installment of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series.

Hours after his sisters wedding, a restless Ian Rutledge drives aimlessly, haunted by the past, and narrowly misses a motorcar stopped in the middle of a desolate road. Standing beside the vehicle is a woman with blood on her hands and a dead man at her feet.

She swears she didnt kill Stephen Wentworth. A stranger stepped out in front of their motorcar, and without warning, fired a single shot before vanishing into the night. But there is no trace of him. And the shaken woman insists it all happened so quickly, she never saw the mans face.

Although he is a witness after the fact, Rutledge persuades the Yard to give him the inquiry, since hes on the scene. But is he seeking justiceor fleeing painful memories in London

Wentworth was well-liked, yet his bitter family paint a malevolent portrait, calling him a murderer. But who did Wentworth kill Is his death retribution Or has his companion lied Wolf Pit, his village, has a notorious history: in Medieval times, the last wolf in England was killed there. When a second suspicious death occurs, the evidence suggests that a dangerous predator is on the loose, and that death is closer than Rutledge knows.

Reviews

As always in this singular series... the melancholy tone that distinguishes the Rutledge series is a reminder that war never ends for the families and friends of lost loved ones. It just retreats into the shadows. Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review TOP PICK IN MYSTERY: Readers cant ask for more than Todds masterful plotting, terrific characters and one of the finest protagonists in modern suspense. BookPage.com The best one yet... It is a rare case when a book this far into a series can still surprise, but that is exactly whatThe Gate Keeperdoes.Highly recommended for historical mystery fans. The BOLO Books Review In a series known for intelligent plots, Todds 20th novel about Ian [Rutledge] excels. The Gate Keeper delivers an emotional novel... as well as an involving story about how the war affected other former soldiers and the families and towns to which they came home. SouthFlorida.com Exceptionally clever plot... As always, Todd... deepen[s] their crafty whodunit with a moving exploration of their astute sleuths inner torments. Publishers Weekly (starred review) For Todd fans, its another excuse to keep reading. Wilmington Star News This mystery is one of the finest in the series... One of the best I have read by Charles Toddvery highly recommended! Historical Novels Review Charles Todd (actually a mother-son writing team) pulls off the voice-in-the-head device exquisitely. Moreover, the series is populated with highly nuanced characters, and the historical research is spot on. In Racing the Devil, the pacing is compelling. Newark Star Ledger Inspector Rutledge shares the pantheon with Morse, Rebus, and even Sherlock Holmes--a fascinating, complex, and heartbreaking hero we admire, respect, and cannot forget. Charles Todds brilliantly evocative and historically revealing mysteries are top shelf, top drawer, and top of my list. Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of Say No More Todd writes a rich mystery, but in investigating the murder Rutledge also probes the psychic wounds of the village and tries to minister to the collective survivor guilt of the living. The dead, as the voice in his head tells him, still believe it was worth dying for. Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review Todds rich storytelling shines in Racing the Devil, showing an England forever changed by The Great War, yet determined to survive. South Florida Sun Sentinel

Author Bio

Charles and Caroline Todd are a mother-and-son writing team who live on the east coast of the United States. Together, they have written nearly thirty mysteries, including the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series.