Kerry Hammond is here to tell us about the 18th book in the
Ian Rutledge WWI series.
No Shred of Evidence by Charles Todd was released on
February 16, 2016, by William Morrow
Publishers in Hardcover. It is the 18th book to feature WWI soldier and
Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge. I am a huge follower of this series and
have read each and every installment. I always look forward to the next book and jump at the chance to review it.
Then book begins one autumn day in 1920, in a coastal village
in Cornwall. Four young women from well-known families go out in a rowboat to
pass the afternoon. They see a local man in another boat and he is sinking and
calling for help. They attempt to provide assistance and the man is severely
injured as he is pulled out of the water with the help of a local farmer. The
injured man is in a coma, and the local farmer claims that the four girls
attempted to murder the man rather than save him. When the injured man dies, the
attempted murder charge becomes one of murder.
If the witness is to be believed, it is a clear-cut case of murder. But if the witness is
lying, four innocent women could be convicted of a crime they did not commit. Scotland
Yard sends Rutledge to investigate when the original inspector dies of a sudden
heart attack during his investigation. Rutledge is suspicious when he finds out
that all of his predecessor’s notes are missing, and he must re-interview each
and every person involved in the case. The conflicting accounts of the
afternoon make it extremely difficult for him to determine whether the witness
had a reason to lie, or whether one of the women
had a reason to kill.
One of my favorite aspects of an Ian Rutledge novel is
Rutledge’s ability to verbally put people in their place. He investigates
murders in small town settings, where there is a high level of local gossip and
conjecture. He often sees the accused convicted in the eyes of the villagers
before they even see their day in court. The comments made by these people can
be frustrating as they make assumptions
and pass blame. But Rutledge always has a wonderful retort and I find it extremely satisfying when his comments call
out the person’s prejudice or ignorance. His delivery is nothing but calm and
rational, which further makes his point. I love watching him methodically
investigate a crime and get to the truth. I highly recommend not only this book but the series as well.
This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the
publisher. The review is fair and independent.
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