The Gatekeeper
An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
Published on 22. March 2018
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-06-267871-3 (ISBN)
Description
Scotland Yard's Ian Rutledge is a witness to murder in the twentieth installement of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling series
Rutledge gives the bride away at his sister's wedding, filling the role of his late parents. And when the evening ends, he's too restless to sleep. Changing his clothes, he begins to drive aimlessly. Late that night, he comes upon a motorcar standing, doors wide, in the middle of a dark and lonely road. Standing beside the motorcar is a woman with blood on her hands and a dead man lying at her feet.
She swears she didn't kill him-and there's no weapon to be found. Is her story the truth, that a stranger stopped them as they drove home from an evening party, and then without warning, took out a revolver and fired one shot at Stephen Wentworth before disappearing into the night? Certainly there's no sign of him now! And she swears she never saw the man's face.
The victim is well-liked in the village where he lives, yet his bitter family accuses him of murder. Who did he kill? And has retribution finally caught up with him? Or has his companion lied all along?
Rutledge manages to persuade the Yard that this should be his inquiry, although he is a witness after the fact. He believes this will give him an edge, but the Chief Superintendent is not completely convinced. Nor is Hamish, who flatly tells Rutledge he's evading the fact that he's not ready to go back to London, that the wedding has brought back too many memories he's unwilling to face.
Wolf Pit, the village where Stephen Wentworth lived, is where the last wolf in England was killed in Medieval times. When there is another death, the evidence begins to suggest that a lone killer, like a lone wolf, is hunting prey of his own.
Rutledge gives the bride away at his sister's wedding, filling the role of his late parents. And when the evening ends, he's too restless to sleep. Changing his clothes, he begins to drive aimlessly. Late that night, he comes upon a motorcar standing, doors wide, in the middle of a dark and lonely road. Standing beside the motorcar is a woman with blood on her hands and a dead man lying at her feet.
She swears she didn't kill him-and there's no weapon to be found. Is her story the truth, that a stranger stopped them as they drove home from an evening party, and then without warning, took out a revolver and fired one shot at Stephen Wentworth before disappearing into the night? Certainly there's no sign of him now! And she swears she never saw the man's face.
The victim is well-liked in the village where he lives, yet his bitter family accuses him of murder. Who did he kill? And has retribution finally caught up with him? Or has his companion lied all along?
Rutledge manages to persuade the Yard that this should be his inquiry, although he is a witness after the fact. He believes this will give him an edge, but the Chief Superintendent is not completely convinced. Nor is Hamish, who flatly tells Rutledge he's evading the fact that he's not ready to go back to London, that the wedding has brought back too many memories he's unwilling to face.
Wolf Pit, the village where Stephen Wentworth lived, is where the last wolf in England was killed in Medieval times. When there is another death, the evidence begins to suggest that a lone killer, like a lone wolf, is hunting prey of his own.
Reviews / Votes
"As always in this singular series... the melancholy tone that distinguishes the Rutledge series is a reminder that war never ends for the families and friends of lost loved ones. It just retreats into the shadows." -- Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review TOP PICK IN MYSTERY: "Readers can't ask for more than Todd's masterful plotting, terrific characters and one of the finest protagonists in modern suspense." -- BookPage.com "The best one yet... It is a rare case when a book this far into a series can still surprise, but that is exactly what The Gate Keeper does. Highly recommended for historical mystery fans." -- The BOLO Books Review "In a series known for intelligent plots, Todd's 20th novel about Ian [Rutledge] excels. The Gate Keeper delivers an emotional novel... as well as an involving story about how the war affected other former soldiers and the families and towns to which they came home." -- SouthFlorida.com "Exceptionally clever plot... As always, Todd... deepen[s] their crafty whodunit with a moving exploration of their astute sleuth's inner torments." -- Publishers Weekly <strong>(starred review)</strong> "For Todd fans, it's another excuse to keep reading." -- Wilmington Star News "This mystery is one of the finest in the series... One of the best I have read by Charles Todd-very highly recommended!" -- Historical Novels Review "Charles Todd (actually a mother-son writing team) pulls off the voice-in-the-head device exquisitely. Moreover, the series is populated with highly nuanced characters, and the historical research is spot on. In Racing the Devil, the pacing is compelling." -- <em>Newark Star Ledger</em> "Inspector Rutledge shares the pantheon with Morse, Rebus, and even Sherlock Holmes--a fascinating, complex, and heartbreaking hero we admire, respect, and cannot forget. Charles Todd's brilliantly evocative and historically revealing mysteries are top shelf, top drawer, and top of my list." -- Hank Phillippi Ryan, Anthony, Agatha and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author of <em>Say No More</em> "Todd writes a rich mystery, but in investigating the murder Rutledge also probes the psychic wounds of the village and tries to minister to the collective survivor guilt of the living. `The dead,' as the voice in his head tells him, `still believe it was worth dying for.'" -- Marilyn Stasio, <em>New York Times Book Review</em> "Todd's rich storytelling shines in Racing the Devil, showing an England forever changed by The Great War, yet determined to survive." -- <em>South Florida Sun Sentinel</em>More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 158 mm
Weight
270 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-267871-3 (9780062678713)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2018
1st Edition
HarperCollins
from
€8.99
Available for download
Person
Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. Among the honors accorded to the Ian Rutledge mysteries are the Barry Award and nominations for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association's Dilys Award, the Edgar and Anthony Awards in the U.S., and the John Creasey Award in the UK. A mother-and-son writing team, they live on the East Coast.