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Racing the Devil: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery


Racing the Devil: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

In World War I, the Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was a particularly brutal skirmish pitting England and France against Germany. RACING THE DEVIL focuses on a group of British soldiers who make an interesting pact inside a French farmhouse on the eve of that battle.

These seven men had one thing in common in addition to their fear of the upcoming battle: a love of motorcars. To that effect, they talk about the famous racer Randolph Graves, who raced at more than one Grand Prix de Monte Carlo. They agree that whoever in their group should survive the Somme Offensive shall participate in their own race. Their route would be run from Paris to Nice approximately one year after the war and continue each successive year as long as there are able participants.

Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard finds himself sent to the small town of East Dedham to investigate the death of the local rector. Rector Wright was found dead inside a motorcar that belonged to Captain Standish, ironically one of the seven British officers involved in the aforementioned pact. Standish had not leant the rector his car nor was he aware that it was being used without his consent.

"RACING THE DEVIL will keep readers guessing right up to the end in a novel so suspenseful you will feel that you are racing in a motorcar along with the characters at the heart of this story."

When Rutledge learns from Standish the particulars of their racing pact, the case opens to a far wider scope. It turns out that a few other members of Standish's group suffered unfortunate accidents. In one case, the motorcar was forced off the road by another. Could this be related to the death of the young rector? Might the assailant have assumed that Standish was driving the vehicle? If so, who might be targeting them and why?

What began as a harmless agreement now becomes something far different, and it will take someone with Rutledge's keen and unique sleuthing ability to flesh out the case. Readers of this highly enjoyable series are well aware of Rutledge's constant companion, Hamish MacLeod, who exists only in his mind. MacLeod could be seen as a guardian angel or an astute sounding board Rutledge uses to bounce ideas off of during difficult cases. Specifically, he exists as part of Rutledge's own tortured conscience. You see, Rutledge had to condemn MacLeod to death for violating a direct order during World War I. MacLeod may have hung for his crimes, but Rutledge is the one serving a life-long sentence borne out of his own guilt.

When a second man is murdered in East Dedham while Rutledge is there, it becomes obvious that this is no mere coincidence. Rutledge works with local town law enforcement but recognizes that the answers must lie within Standish. Only he will be able to pinpoint the individual who might be targeting the Paris to Nice racers. Standish makes it clear to Rutledge that he and his troop mates were not racing each other but had already raced the devil and won.

The mother/son writing tandem that is Charles Todd are at the top of their game with RACING THE DEVIL. Here, there is a crossover with Todd's other series, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and we actually get to see a brief meeting between Rutledge and Crawford. I am a movie buff and loved the reference to the famous British actress Gladys Cooper. My recollection of Cooper involves films when she was much older like My Fair Lady and The Bishop's Wife, as well as a classic episode of “The Twilight Zone” called "Nothing in the Dark," which co-starred a young Robert Redford. What I did not know was the impact a much younger Cooper had on many the British soldier. It seems that several of them kept a picture of her in their wallets, especially if they were without their own permanent sweetheart.

It is the little things like that reference, along with brilliant plotting and intriguing mysteries, that make this series such a delight. Charles Todd may have seen Rutledge grow beyond World War I, but he will be forever trapped there --- a fact that is amplified by the constant “appearances” of MacLeod. RACING THE DEVIL will keep readers guessing right up to the end in a novel so suspenseful you will feel that you are racing in a motorcar along with the characters at the heart of this story.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on February 17, 2017

Racing the Devil: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
by Charles Todd