A Matter of Justice

Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

After two London men end their business partnership, one of them is savagely murdered in a medieval tithe barn on his estate in Somerset.

Investigating the killing, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge discovers that the victim was universally despised in Cambury - even the victim's wife and the town's police inspector are suspect. And yet in London circles, the man was highly regarded. What triggered his death?

Rutledge doggedly follows a well-concealed trail that finally leads him to the one person who knows the whole truth. But it's too late to stop a spreading evil and a vicious settling of scores.

As the seasoned inspector comes to understand the larger picture, he realizes he may not be able to prove what he suspects. In spite of his skill, this may be the only case in which Rutledge fails to get his man.

©2009 Charles Todd (P)2009 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"In the stellar 11th Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery, Todd (the pseudonym of a mother-son writing team) seamlessly combines a fair-play whodunit with a nuanced look into the heart of darkness in the human soul." ( Publishers Weekly)

He is damaged, desirable and determined

I am not telling you what happens. This is post WW1.It is a murder mystery. The phone is a new toy, there are motor cars and peculiar people. Maybe. A story of revenge rage and greed. Sound familiar? Simon Prebble does read well and I am sad there is only two Audible books in this series.
I know nothing of Charles Todd, so I will be checking out inter library loans.and looking in my local library.

Inspector Rutledge 's determination for justice

Interesting, and gripping mystery. I would read/listen to another by same author. Enjoyed English accents

Mystery till the end

Rutledge is wonderful, fair and humble and tenacious! The characters are well played and the plot is twisted into time and history and makes a strong base for the story to unfold. Hamish is a gift to listen to even tho Rutledge has a sad past with him. I’m reading more books by Todd now.

Entertaining procedural through the end

This is my first listen to one of Charles Todd's mystery series. I chose it after a marathon of three of James Lee Burke's novels, needing a change of pace from Burke's contemporary and considerably more violent police procedurals. Like all good series writers, Todd brings the neophyte up with speed with his characters by moderate amounts of judiciously placed flashbacks and reflections. I enjoyed the post-WWI settings of London and surrounding villages, with side trips to St. Ann's. I enjoyed "knowing" at the outset the history of the murdered victim, and then listening to Rutledge try to piece it all together. Rutledge was a fine character, doggedly persistent in uncovering the truth when he could have easily washed his hands of the crime once a trial-worthy suspect was found. Like other mysteries I've enjoyed, I wound up listening to the last two hours late at night, unable to sleep because Rutledge was so close to revealing the oddly intertwined relationships that led to the murder. I simply couldn't wait to know how it all would play out in the end. It was difficult for me to keep track of all the characters through audio (some considerably minor but they still pop up frequently), and so I might have lost some of the character development that I usually enjoy in these well-paced novels. It was challenging to believe that the murdered victim might have actually had some redeeming qualities: I don't know if Todd just wanted to confound the reader/Rutledge in the quest to find the murderer or if the point was to highlight the strange confluence of guilt and evil. In any case, it added to the tension and kept me glued to my earbuds.

I love the narration of Simon Prebble who has an uncanny ability to modulate his voice just enough to discern the different characters without making them into caricatures. I highly recommend this particular novel in the series and hope to listen to some of Inspector Rutledge's adventures

Ok but....

This it the first Ian Ruthledge story I've listened to and found the story a bit annoying in parts - the repetitive introjections by "Hamish" was just too much at times. The detective seemed too befuddled to be effective in assessing each potential clue. Maybe more reflective of reality but a drag after a while. I'm giving it 3 stars for the narration of Simon Prebble who does a good job.