Synopses & Reviews
“One of the best historical series being written today.”
—Washington Post Book World
The accolades keep pouring in for Charles Todd and his New York Times Notable, Edgar® Award-nominated series featuring British police inspector and shell-shocked World War I veteran Ian Rutledge. In The Red Door, a disturbing puzzle surrounding a lie, a disappearance, and a womans death ensnares the haunted investigator. Richly atmospheric and unputdownable, The Red Door proves once more that New York Times bestseller Charles Todd belongs in the august company of Ruth Rendell, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, Ian Ransom, Peter Robinson, P.D. James, and the other contemporary masters of British mystery.
Review
“One of the strongest entries yet in a series that shows no sign of losing steam….Once again Todd perfectly balances incisive portraits of all the characters, not just the complex and original lead.” Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Red Door
Review
“Compelling.” San Jose Mercury News on The Red Door
Review
“Superb…haunting tale of love and loss.” Globe and Mail (Toronto) on The Red Door
Review
“A complex story with lots of unexpected twists and turns….A fun ride to a surprising conclusion.” Mystery Scene on The Red Door
Review
“Fascinating and compelling.” Winston-Salem Journal on The Red Door
Review
“An intriguing story thats impossible to put down…reminiscent of Agatha Christie.” Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) on The Red Door
Review
“The book is more than a whodunit. Todds characters are well-wrought, his settings evocative, and the book a pleasure to read.” World magazine on The Red Door
Review
“In The Red Door, Charles Todd shows again that this series about Ian Rutledge, a battle-fatigued World War I veteran and Scotland Yard detective, is as fresh and original as when the shell-shocked detective debuted 12 novels ago.” Sun-Sentinel (Florida) on The Red Door
Review
“Engaging and atmospheric.” Library Journal on The Red Door
Synopsis
"One of the best historical series being written today."
--Washington Post Book World
The accolades keep pouring in for Charles Todd and his New York Times Notable, Edgar(R) Award-nominated series featuring British police inspector and shell-shocked World War I veteran Ian Rutledge. In The Red Door, a disturbing puzzle surrounding a lie, a disappearance, and a woman's death ensnares the haunted investigator. Richly atmospheric and unputdownable, The Red Door proves once more that New York Times bestseller Charles Todd belongs in the august company of Ruth Rendell, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, Ian Ransom, Peter Robinson, P.D. James, and the other contemporary masters of British mystery.
Synopsis
At the end of a terrible war, a woman painted the door to her house red to welcome her husband home from the Front . . . but he never returned. Two years later, in the English summer of 1920, she lies lifeless behind that door, savagely bludgeoned to death.
In London, a man suffering from a mysterious illness goes missing, and his family members offer conflicting accounts of one another's whereabouts at the time of his disappearance. Then, suddenly, he reappears, miraculously recovered, offering no clues to the puzzle or to the reason behind his brothers' and sister's silence and rage.
Now Inspector Ian Rutledge, still haunted by the battlefield's horrors, must solve two possibly connected mysteries. He must uncover the family secret that nearly drove one man mad, and bring a ruthless killer to justice.
About the Author
Charles Todd is the author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother and son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Charles Todd