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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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The Red Door
by Charles Todd
A woman prepares for
her husband's return from World War I, painting the front door
red, but he never returns. On the anniversary of his return
to Scotland Yard, Inspector Ian Rutledge is called to investigate the
case of Walter Teller, a man who has gone missing during his treatment
at Belvedere Clinic. He suffers from a mysterious disease
that leads to increasing paralysis, but even more odd is his sudden
reappearance and the sudden disappearance of an illness. The
Teller family gives conflicting reports, prodding Inspector Rutedge to
look more deeply at the case. Solving the case leads Rutledge to
the woman behind the red door, an isolated woman with no known enemies,
but whose bludgeoning death appalls Rutledge. The more Inspector
Rutledge investigates the Teller case, the more family secrets and even
lies create troubling questions. When the prime suspects end up
meeting their deaths, is it by accident or design? Inspector Ian
Rutledge feels determined to seek justice but can he solve all the
disparate clues before it is too late?
As twelfth in the Ian Rutledge series, THE RED DOOR may make an unsettling
start to newcomers to the series like myself, coming to his book fresh
from Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series in A DUTY TO THE DEAD.
Primarily, the question of Hamish's identity leaves a reader new to the
series puzzled initially. Who is he? What is his role in
the unfolding story? As the voice of a fallen soldier inside of
Inspector's head, one feels the effects of the Great War linger on
after the armistice. Indeed, as more details emerge later in the
book not only about Hamish but also the case itself, World War II and
its aftermath become pivotal elements to the richness of this
historical mystery. While the seeming disconnectedness of Hamish might
cause new readers to pause and re-read certain sections in the
beginning, the developing mystery makes the effort well worth it for
readers who crave a mystery with enough richness and intricacy to keep
one guessing until the final connection is finally unraveled.
Twisting and turning, the clues lead one way until the next clue or
corpse is discovered. THE RED
DOOR does not present a straightforward line from murder through
clues to the culprit. Instead, THE
RED DOOR creates an interconnected nexus to thrill mystery
lovers who enjoy a true puzzle in which the whole emerges only with the
final pieces.
In this historical mystery, mother
and son writing team Charles Todd evokes the desolation of
World War I in ways history books often do not, especially as THE RED
DOOR focuses on the time period immediately afterwards.
The war
itself might be over but not in the mind of the characters. The
war and its aftermath change even the personal lives of the characters
and their children. Inspector Ian Rutledge himself struggles with
his memories and past actions as do those he investigates. His
pursuit of justice even in the face of a possible easier route creates
some of the most moving passages in the book. Above all, THE RED DOOR is a historical
mystery which evokes the power of the past on multiple levels, not only
in the setting but as the heart of the story. While THE RED DOOR
differs from the Bess Crawford series to date in narrative style and in
tenor, both fulfill a craving for viewing WWI through a new, rich
fictional perspective.
Publisher: William Morrow (December 29, 2009)
An Inspector Rutledge Mystery
Author
website
Other Inspector Rutledge Mysteries: A Test of Wills, Wings of Fire,
Search the Dark, Watchers of Time, Legacy of the Dead, A Fearsome
Doubt, A Cold Treachery, A Long Shadow, A False Mirror, A Pale Horse, A
Matter of Justice
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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