Watchers of Time: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Novel

This is a unique and well written series - shows the damages of war, the heroic nature of some people who will not giv in to its horrors, and the grace of a time gone past. The character development is superb.

Although I really love this series I was disappointed with this particular book. The story was unfocused, the characters underdeveloped and I never came to care for or about them. I read previous books in the series long into the night. I labored to get through this one. I also would like to see less dependence on the Hamish storyline. Ian Rutledge is a strong enough character to stand on his own. I sometimes find Hamish an intrusion rather than an addition to the interest of the book. I'll continue to read through the series and am hoping the next installment will be an improvement over Watchers of Time.

It was especially interesting to see the Titanic from the perspective of contemporaries of the disaster. Weaving that into another family plot in a small East Anglian town was cleverly done. Keeping the protagonist on his feet long past exhaustion was tiring even to read though--let the poor man get some rest already!

As Herbert Baker (Anglican) is dying he insistently asks for a Catholic priest. When he goes to that great beyond he is sent off by both the vicar and the priest. This brings on speculations. Later the priest that questions Baker's sanity is himself dispatched. His dispatcher sets the scene to look like a simple robbery.

The local constable is content to pin the dead on an itinerant strongman (someone not local.) However as a courtesy, London has sent Inspector Ian Rutledge to support the local constabulary in its investigation. Naturedly Inspector Rutledge with the assistance or prodding of Hamish and a prying attitude comes to a different conclusion.

Staying true to the formula this is the fifth of the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries. Instead of pointing out who Hamish is I suggest you start out reading "A Test of Wills." The mystery part of the novel is a series of overlapping stories some are red herrings others are integral to trying to out guess the characters. Aside from the mystery are the descriptions of the time and place (1919) Osterley.

This book was my introduction to the Ian Rutledge series. The series is set in one of my favorite periods of history. Rutledge is an “injured” character; spiritually and emotionally injured from what he endured in the Great War; injured physically as the result of a bullet wound; injured romantically by his fiancé, who has broken the engagement after his return from the trenches. And yet he has retained his training and skills of deduction which he had learned as a detective before the war. And in this story he must use those skills to get to the bottom of multiple murders. This is a great who donut. My only criticism is that it ended a little too soon for my taste. But even with that it’s a great read.

This is a very well-written novel. The main character, Inspector Rutledge, is a sympathetic character who is actually three dimensional. I've started other mystery novels and put them down after a fairly short time because I lost interest. This one I did not. In fact, it was quite engrossing. However, this is not an action-packed novel. It definitely focuses on the characters and the environment the story takes place in. The horrendous nature of World War I is a definite motif throughout, as Rutledge himself was in the war.

However, this book also has some definite downsides, which causes me to be torn between giving it three or four stars. To begin with, the answer to the mystery is a letdown. I suppose for me nothing really beats an Agatha Christie style whodunnit. I would almost say that the book is more of a novel that happens to be a mystery. While I can appreciate this, the book would have been elevated if the solution to the mystery was as good as the novel was well-written. The book also ended completely abruptly, with lack of closure. Partially, this was because there were remaining pages to the book (a preview of another book in reality) so I wasn't expecting it to end. However, it was like listening to an orchestral piece, and it suddenly cutting off.

Another thing which I did not enjoy about this book was the "character" of Hamish...a voice in Rutledge's head. Perhaps one must read other books in this series to really understand the history behind Hamish; while it was explained to an extent, it was never crystal clear to me. However, I did not like Hamish, and would have vastly preferred that they had left him out of the book.

In closing, I would recommend reading this book if you enjoy fiction that takes place in early twentieth century Britain. However, do not expect the mystery itself to be Christie caliber. Instead, read it for the well-written prose.

Once again Inspector Ian Rutledge is sent on what would appear to be a routine, brief inquiry into an existing investigation only to be pulled into the case until its conclusion. It is September 1919, and the inspector is recovering from a gunshot wound received on his last case. He really isn’t physically fit to return to full duty, but recuperating in bed leaves too much time to think about what happened during the war which will drive the inspector mad. So he is approved to go back to work part-time and in lieu of a full-time investigation, he is sent to reassure the Bishop of the catholic diocese that law enforcement is doing everything possible to solve the case of a murdered priest.
Ian arrives in the small village of Osterley where the priest was murdered. He checks in with the local inspector and gets updated on the progress of the case. Initially, the people he talks to are open and friendly, but once they learn he is from Scotland Yard, he is treated with a cool reserve. He is begged by various people who knew the priest to help solve the case. It appears that robbery was the motive, but that just doesn’t feel right to some who knew the priest. Was the priest really as well liked as everyone claims? Who had a motive for killing him if this was not a robbery gone wrong? A scapegoat is captured and the inspector from Osterley is satisfied he has the right man, but Ian disagrees. As Inspector Rutledge doggedly keeps asking questions, he eventually discovers there is much more hidden than revealed and determines that justice will be served no matter the cost.
Charles Todd does an exceptional job of revealing the mind and emotions of the scarred and unsettled inspector. Readers see fascinating insights as to how his mind works with his guilt-ridden soul manifested in the voice of Hamish MacLeod, the man the inspector ordered executed during the war for dereliction of duty. I also really enjoyed the detailed descriptions of the various scenes present in the setting of the case as it made me able to visual in my mind what it might look like as if I was really there. This series of mysteries requires some deeper thinking and deeper views into how the human being thinks and feels; the raw emotions exposed and vulnerabilities laid out for the inspector to use in solving the crime. These are not simply light-hearted “whodunits” read and the forgotten, but require readers to invest some of themselves. I shall be reviewing A Fearsome Doubt, the inspector’s next case.

I personally love the Ian Rutledge series. They are somehow calming at the same tie as they are unexpected. Thoughtful might not be the right word, but it's as close as I can come. These books don't have violent chase scenes, but they do have their own thoughtful intensity. I've never yet predicted the end, even when I somehow stumble into the right ballpark.

Watchers of Time, more than other Ian Rutledge mysteries, demonstrates Rutledge's personal desperate need to get it right, rather than convenient, or what's best for his career.

I'm making my way through this series, and enjoying all the books to some degree. This is one of those I enjoyed more. The mystery and the characters that come with it are inherently interesting (though my own interest in religion and how it functions in people's lives may make it so). The ongoing commentary of Hamish MacLeod, Inspector Rutledge's personal ghost, which in one or two of the books seems almost pointless, is better integrated here. While a few key clues are revealed quite late, I didn't have the feeling I had with at least one of the earlier books: that the author cheated those readers trying to solve the case on their own.

Once again Inspector Rutledge is sent out of London to deal with a murder in a rural constituency. This time he goes out to the 'Boards' of East Anglia, which even today is a desperately poor part of England. A priest has been murdered and his Bishop has asked Scotland Yard to make sure that the local constabulary doesn't 'muck it up'.

The local chap, Inspector Blevin, is determined to prove that the person who did it was not one of his 'flock'. He quickly latches on to a suspect who he is determined to hang, so as to be done with it. The problem is that there's little or no proof that he did the deed, and has an alibi for the day of the murder.

Inspector Rutledge must work he way through a cast of characters, all of whom know some of the truth, but only the real murderer knows the whole truth. Rutledge is determined to track that person down and bring them to justice.

One of the side characters is a young lady by the name of May (Marianna) Trent who has her own secrets. She is tormented by an sevent that she doesn't remember and doesn't want to face. Sound familiar. Like many victims of shock, she has no memory of before or after the event, the sinking of the Titanic. She still has nightmares, but can't remember what happen to her elderly companion, or how she managed to get safely away. She makes the perfect mirror image for Rutledge, who more than once comments on her appearance.

The denouement is interesting but the ending (which are separate) is in itself a disappointment. It's almost as if you can see

'TO BE CONTINUED' after the last paragraph. You get the feeling that this story will be revisited at some time in the near future.

Watchers of Time by Charles Todd is a misty, moody mystery. Scotland Yard Inspector Rutledge is sent off to Norwich to show the Yard's support of local enforcement when a priest is murdered. It's all for show and Rutledge, who is still recuperating from a gunshot wound, knows his boss just wants him out of the office. He fully intends to just go through the motions as he knows he's expected too, but things start to bother him about the case from the beginning. Hamish, who is a ghost or figment of Rutledge's troubled mind, left over from the war, doesn't help matters. Ever vigilant, Hamish carries on an almost constant dialogue with the Inspector.
It's a small, tight community and the Chief Constable cannot accept that the murderer could be a local, so he rejects any clues pointing towards the people he's known all his life. This leads Inspector Rutledge to follow a strange trail that leads him to a variety of suspects, including peculiar women, a carnival strong man and the local Lord. All through the story Rutledge tries to talk himself into just doing nothing, like he was suppose too, but new clues and suspects just keep popping up and he can't manage to ignore them. Hamish argues all sides of every question, and adds his own interesting insights. The unusual ending makes it a classic English murder mystery.

In this mystery, we find ourselves with Scotland Yard's Inspector Rutledge, traveling way off the beaten track, in Norfolk. He has not yet healed from the wounds of his last case, nor the wounds of World War I. But duty calls. His task: to determine the reason why an ordinary parish priest has been murdered.

There are so many more questions than answers.

Why would Herbert Baker, a decent, elderly Church of England sexton call for a Roman Catholic priest to minister to him at his deathbed? And what, pray tell, might that have to do with the murder of Father James, shortly thereafter? Coincidence? Or are the two somehow interconnected? It is up to Inspector Ian Rutledge to investigate - and perhaps glean the truth of the matter.

Inside his head, the ubiquitous presence of Hamish, Ian's dead sergeant, offers his share of observations about the town and the crime.

And just who are these townspeople: the confident doctor; Walsh, the carnival strongman; Sims the callow vicar; Patricia and May, the beautiful yet mysterious women; the cautious local inspector; Lord Sedgwick the friend of the King; his two sons, who comprise the parvenu family from the manor; Monsignor Holstein the priest's concerned supervisor; Peter the poor soul who came back from the Great War with his nerves shattered; how might each of them be connected to the crime? Not to mention the quiet, closed-mouthed people of the village who have little to say to an outsider?

Rutledge needs to know; we want to know. Hamish is there to help. Throughout, we see people trying to pick up the tatters of their lives as they live in the first uncertain year after the Armistice, Rutledge included.

Moreover, what other mysteries does the village of Osterly hold? The tides receded into unmanageable marshland decades ago, taking prosperity with them. Now, the people live on the edge of the marsh, struggling to get by, keeping up appearances. Will Rutledge's presence in Osterly help the situation, or will he stir up old secrets best left hidden? Will Osterly help Rutledge on his road to recovery, or will he become hopelessly enmeshed in a personal and professional disaster?

Are the suspicions unfounded? Was the murder just a random act of violence, or was it cold blooded malevolence? The mystery is shrouded in questions, even as the atmosphere is as greyly murky as a mist off the sea. Yet, somehow, Rutledge senses that there is more to be discovered. He questions, he explores, and he weighs the facts, even as he wrestles with his own ghosts of the past.

As time watches, watches, watches.

Todd's books with his traumatized detective, Rutledge, are always books I go looking for. Rutledge is a survivor of sorts of WWI, but though his body survived it, his mind continues to deal with the horrors he saw during the war, and the things he was required to do being in a leadership position. The war may be over, but England is still paying the price for the loss of so many young men, and dealing with many other men who are damaged beyond recognition. In the midst of all this, normality returns in that crimes are being committed and need to be solved. And Rutledge is trying his hardest to continue his life, even in the constant presence of Hamish, the Scotsman who he had to courtmarshal for disobeying an order.

A clergyman dies suddenly and unexpectedly, and violently...leaving both a small town and her resident policemen wondering who is safe, if a clergyman known to do good was not. The Yard sends in Rutledge to find out if there is more to this murder than a simple burglary. And it is all too apparent that the amount of violence with which the murder was done had an emotional context. The problem is, there are so many people involved, and all of them only seem to have bits and pieces of the puzzle to tell Rutledge. And no one wants the murderer to have been someone from their small part of the world...

Rutledge is learning to live with Hamish being there to the point of sometimes warning people they are going to sit where Hamish's place is in the car. Rutledge catches himself, knowing that he would be sent away from the one thing in his life he can do and occupy himself with if other people thought that Hamish is a constant in his life. Rutledge always has to be on guard to make sure he doesn't do or say the wrong things around others, and yet in some ways Hamish is not only his conscience, but someone who looks at these crimes from another viewpoint.

Todd's plots are always good, and his characterizations are also...but this time, the book seemed to drag on longer than it needed to. Occasionally it felt repititious, but Todd brings alive the time period after World War I, when so much changed. Not only did the men change but the way of life in England, the roles of women in society, and changes in how the poor and middleclass viewed the aristocracy also changed...in many ways for the better. The original crime committed in this book occurred way before the death of the clergyman, but the selfishness of those involved continued over the years ultimately leading to their discovery.

Karen SAdler

I am not going to summarize the plot; several others have done a great job doing that. I am also not going to point out errors in the text -- even this Texan was able to find some. I will even admit that some of the series' mysteries are a bit thin from a plot perspective (though not this one, in my opinion).

What I am going to do is to recommend that you buy each and every one of the Ian Rutledge books. Why? Because they are fascinating. The writing is gorgeous. The characters (even minor ones like Peter Henderson and Virginia) come alive in ways that few novelists can duplicate. And, though there are errors, the authors treat their subject (which really is not a person but a time period: England after WWI) with affection, respect, and great care. If you want to know about this time and place, I doubt that there is any better way than reading one of these books.

In September 1919 in Osterly, Herbert Baker is near death from congestive heart failure. Instead of demanding the appearance of his Vicar, Herbert asks for Father James to talk to him in private. The kind Father visits Herbert though they are of different religions. Not long afterward, Herbert dies. Father James never seems quite the same after his deathbed visit. A few weeks later, an assailant attacks Father James killing him with a large crucifix. The culprit arranges the crime scene to look as if Father James interrupted a robbery in progress.

Bishop Cunningham asks Chief Superintendent Bowles to dispatch a Scotland Yard detective to assure church officials that the police are running a proper investigation. Bowles sends Inspector Ian Rutledge, who starting with an interview with Monsignor Holstein begins to have doubts that robbery occurred. Advised and lectured by the deceased Corporal Hamish MacLeod, who occupies part of his mind, Ian begins to unravel a much greater tragedy than even the cold-blooded murder of a priest.

The Rutledge historical mysteries are unique because the reader does not know whether Hamish is a ghost or Ian suffers from battle fatigue syndrome. The story line of WATCHERS OF TIME, like its precursors, bring the post World War I era in England (this time the Norfolk area) to vivid life. This enables the audience to taste a bygone period of their parents and grandparents that is quickly fading into the dust of history books. The who-done-it is cleverly devised as expected by Charles Todd, but as usual the charcaters including Hamish make the novel a sub-genre stand out.

Harriet Klausner

I'm fascinated by Inspector Ian Rutledge. The more I read about WWI and its aftermath, the more I'm astonished that anyone survived and appalled by the level of brutality. It has become a forgotten war. So novels like Charles Todd's series are especially important. I love that Mr. Todd reveals so little of the back story,

About the book itself, the mystery reveals itself slowly as the Inspector sifts rumors and half-truths amid village politics. Great read--and I'm looking forward to many more. I've just got to find out what happened in Scotland............

The murder of a Catholic pastor sends Rutledge to Norfolk where the local police seek only that the killer not be anyone that they know. Angst ridden visitors and WW1 vets coupled with some old mysteries add complexity to what seems to be murder emanating from an interrupted burglary. The surprising solution will really upset the bucolic atmosphere of Osterley.

I am not going to summarize the plot; several others have done a great job doing that. I am also not going to point out errors in the text -- even this Texan was able to find some. I will even admit that some of the series' mysteries are a bit thin from a plot perspective (though not this one, in my opinion).

What I am going to do is to recommend that you buy each and every one of the Ian Rutledge books. Why? Because they are fascinating. The writing is gorgeous. The characters (even minor ones like Peter Henderson and Virginia) come alive in ways that few novelists can duplicate. And, though there are errors, the authors treat their subject (which really is not a person but a time period: England after WWI) with affection, respect, and great care. If you want to know about this time and place, I doubt that there is any better way than reading one of these books.

In September 1919 in Osterly, Herbert Baker is near death from congestive heart failure. Instead of demanding the appearance of his Vicar, Herbert asks for Father James to talk to him in private. The kind Father visits Herbert though they are of different religions. Not long afterward, Herbert dies. Father James never seems quite the same after his deathbed visit. A few weeks later, an assailant attacks Father James killing him with a large crucifix. The culprit arranges the crime scene to look as if Father James interrupted a robbery in progress.

Bishop Cunningham asks Chief Superintendent Bowles to dispatch a Scotland Yard detective to assure church officials that the police are running a proper investigation. Bowles sends Inspector Ian Rutledge, who starting with an interview with Monsignor Holstein begins to have doubts that robbery occurred. Advised and lectured by the deceased Corporal Hamish MacLeod, who occupies part of his mind, Ian begins to unravel a much greater tragedy than even the cold-blooded murder of a priest.

The Rutledge historical mysteries are unique because the reader does not know whether Hamish is a ghost or Ian suffers from battle fatigue syndrome. The story line of WATCHERS OF TIME, like its precursors, bring the post World War I era in England (this time the Norfolk area) to vivid life. This enables the audience to taste a bygone period of their parents and grandparents that is quickly fading into the dust of history books. The who-done-it is cleverly devised as expected by Charles Todd, but as usual the charcaters including Hamish make the novel a sub-genre stand out.

Harriet Klausner

I'm fascinated by Inspector Ian Rutledge. The more I read about WWI and its aftermath, the more I'm astonished that anyone survived and appalled by the level of brutality. It has become a forgotten war. So novels like Charles Todd's series are especially important. I love that Mr. Todd reveals so little of the back story,

About the book itself, the mystery reveals itself slowly as the Inspector sifts rumors and half-truths amid village politics. Great read--and I'm looking forward to many more. I've just got to find out what happened in Scotland............

The murder of a Catholic pastor sends Rutledge to Norfolk where the local police seek only that the killer not be anyone that they know. Angst ridden visitors and WW1 vets coupled with some old mysteries add complexity to what seems to be murder emanating from an interrupted burglary. The surprising solution will really upset the bucolic atmosphere of Osterley.

I began reading Charles Todd’s books in the fall I think I have read over 20 now. Love the returning main characters like Bess, and Rutledge. The descriptions of the scenery and the homes and inn make you feel like you are there. Love the descriptions of the people, and the meals. Wanted to have a cup of tea while reading them!

These books are terrific, and _Watchers of Time_ is no exception. In the reviews that other readers have written, I've read only one criticism that I thought was possibly valid--that these books take longer than they should to develop the plot. They drag things out more than they should. In _Watchers of Time_, we slog through 231 pages, of 421 total pages--more than halfway through the book--before THE key plot element is introduced for the first time. I love these books, but I question whether it's necessary to stretch out the plot so strenuously. This book would be just as good--and maybe even better--at 321 pages instead of 421. That's why I give it 4 stars instead of 5.

I like the writing style, and the setting of England soon after WWI. This entry is okay, although spends too much time on the extremely large red herring (the accused); and I really would have liked to see a map of the area. I will probably continue reading the series, but am really tired of the spectre of Hamish having imaginary conversations with Rutledge; those who have not read earlier entries probably have no idea what he's doing in the story or Rutledge's head.

Having read all of the Inspector Rutledge novels as they came out, I'm beginning to wonder if Charles Todd hasn't written himself into a bit of a corner, with his dependence on Hamish to provide a counterpoint to Rutledge's thoughts. Am I the only person who's beginning to wish that Todd would allow Rutledge to pull himself together a bit? I realise that those returning from the Great War underwent a shattering experience that left life-long scars; but surely allowing poor Rutledge some kind of normality in his life after five books isn't asking too much. And I do wish that some British friend or editor would point out some of the more glaring errors the American author commits, both in what characters say and the way in which they refer to things. And please: I'm tired of reading that everyone takes cream in their tea! No self-respecting tea drinker puts cream in tea. Even more glaring in THE WATCHERS OF TIME is an error regarding the TITANIC. Todd seems under the misapprehension that survivors and victims of the tragedy were taken to Ireland, when in fact survivors were taken (via the CARPATHIA) to New York, while the majority of the bodies recovered were taken to Halifax, where many are still buried. When authors fail to do their research on something as well known as the TITANIC disaster, it makes me wonder what other errors they're committing. I understand Todd is working on his sixth Rutledge novel; I can only hope he eases off on Hamish's harangues, and employs a British proof-reader.

Charles Todd has done it again a mystery with lot of twist and turns. I enjoy the individual life struggles that many of the so many of the characters are going though. The use of history in the story line is great. Another must read mystery by Charles Todd.

Todd's description of a "pitcher of thick cream" (page 32) for adding to tea pretty much summarizes the deep flaws of this novel. The author is glaringly lacking in experience of England, English habits, and English vocabulary. He frequently uses anachronisms as well.
For starters, has this author[s] never been invited to someone's house for tea? (That might say a lot about him right there...) The English do not put "thick cream" or any kind of cream, for that matter, in tea. They use milk They do not use a "pitcher," either: the word is a "jug".
Ludicrously, Todd also has a stream of commuter traffic exiting Cambridge! In the early 1920's?
The English (certainly not in the first half of the 20th century) do not use the words "quit" (this one is quite horrifyingly not OK), "wedding party", or "parlor." The latter is a "drawing room" or "sitting room", and it has a "sofa", never a "couch."
I really don't understand why this author is so well-received. His plots don't have any oomph, and the range of cultural and historical errors in his work suggest complete lack of familiarity with his territory and/or sheer laziness.

I stumbled on to a Charles Todd book accidentally while perusing the shelves in the local library. Am not sure which of his books were the first I read but I liked it so much I checked out five of his and read them one after the other without ever tiring of the two main characters, Ian Rutledge and Hamish. The descriptions of the English and Scottish country side and little towns were almost poetic. Even though murder most foul was the subject the books had a tranquilizing affect afforded by reading of a bygone era in the aftermath of World War I. I am looking forward to his new book in early 2006.

Wonderful books, filled with great historical detail and texture. But aside from historical accuracy, the emotionally authentic portrayal of the post-traumatic stress consequences of war is profound.