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vesper1931's review against another edition
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
1910 Alan Barrington escapes the country after being the main suspect in a murder. Now in 1921 has he been sighted back. Inspector Rutledge is given the cold case to find him and arrest him.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its interesting and likeable main character. Another good addition to this series.
An entertaining and well-written historical mystery with its interesting and likeable main character. Another good addition to this series.
rojo25's review against another edition
5.0
My second Ian Rutledge book. Loved it. I enjoy the good old fashioned police detective work in these stories. Characters are terrific. The research done by Charles Todd about this period of time is exceptional. Hard to not give a lot of information without giving the ending away. Just good, intelligent and suspenseful writing.
taisie22's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
5.0
I pick up the Ian Rutledge books occasionally, and I've found them mostly good reading. The premise of a man who has come back from WWI with a man he shot during the war inside his head is interesting, and Hamish certainly adds comments and clues to Ian Rutledge's investigations. The Black Ascot is one of the best of the series, in my estimation. I didn't know who the bad guy was until the end, and I enjoyed the twists and turns the story took to get there.
Before the war, a man was accused of tampering with a car's brakes, causing the driver serious injury and killing that man's wife. The man disappeared before a trial, but the uproar in England was similar to the OJ trial here, selling lots of newspapers and causing embarrassment to Scotland Yard. Ian Rutledge takes up the case for a review after ten years and finds more than he bargained for. He's determined to find the man who got away and travels all over England in the hunt.
As I said, this is one of the best of a very good series. If you like historical mysteries, then I suggest you pick this one up.
Before the war, a man was accused of tampering with a car's brakes, causing the driver serious injury and killing that man's wife. The man disappeared before a trial, but the uproar in England was similar to the OJ trial here, selling lots of newspapers and causing embarrassment to Scotland Yard. Ian Rutledge takes up the case for a review after ten years and finds more than he bargained for. He's determined to find the man who got away and travels all over England in the hunt.
As I said, this is one of the best of a very good series. If you like historical mysteries, then I suggest you pick this one up.
lgiegerich's review against another edition
3.0
Took some interesting turns for Rutledge, but didn’t have the same urgency as others.
magistratrium's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe a 4 1/2 star read. The plot was complicated and full of twists and turns. I especially liked Rutledge's internal struggle in this one. The uncertainty about his future was well done. I can hardly wait to see where this series go next.
kriscricket's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nonna7's review against another edition
5.0
As I was reading this, I realized that I missed the one that came before this one, The Gate Keeper, so there were some references that I didn't quite understand. This didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying this one. Rutledge learns that a man who ran away before his trial for murder may be back in England. He reports it to his superior who tells him to follow up the report and bring back the fugitive if he can find him. Rutledge approaches this in his usual meticulous fashion. Then something shocking happens which causes him to rethink his ability to function with the shell shock he has been hiding from the world. Shell shock is considered shameful and weak which isn't surprising. We have really only come to grips with shell shock now known as PTSD. I don't want to give too much away in this one. Suffice it to say that there is a LOT going on here including a gross misunderstanding. As always the background is impeccable. I do find myself aching for Rutledge to find peace, but that would make the series far less interesting.
justasking27's review against another edition
4.0
I thought I knew where this was going, but was wrong, which is always a plus for me in a mystery. As is often the case with this series, a lot of time is spent drawing out the puzzle and following Inspector Rutledge as he treks across England searching for clues. In this case, he is searching for clues about a long ago murderer. I especially enjoyed learning about the characters involved in the cold case, and how each piece of the puzzle slowly settled into place. Already looking forward to the next in this series!
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
4.0
The Black Ascot was a famous horse race that took place in 1910 in honor of the recently deceased King Edward VII. Everyone wore black to the race to show their mourning for the beloved king.
After the race, there was a notorious murder of one of the attendees, a murder that was never solved. Or at least the suspect was never apprehended.
The suspect was one Alan Barrington, a wealthy man who had the means to give the police the slip. He disappeared, apparently having left the country, and never a trace was found.
Years later, in 1921, England and Europe had suffered through a great war that made news of one lone murder pale in comparison. Inspector Ian Rutledge, one of those who suffered in the war, had returned to his pre-war job with Scotland Yard, and he received a tip from a former convict that Alan Barrington had been seen in England again. His tip was credible enough that Rutledge felt a responsibility to report it to his superior. Subsequently, he began a quiet review of the records of the cold case with a view to investigating whether Barrington might indeed have returned to England and possibly finally bringing him to justice.
As he investigates, he finds some anomalies in the facts that are known and begins to wonder if, in fact, Scotland Yard had been chasing the wrong man. Rutledge follows the clues where they lead visiting the villages that lend so much verisimilitude to these historical mysteries.
In the midst of his investigation, a shocking event sends Rutledge into a recurrence of the shell shock which he suffered as a result of his wartime experiences and threatens to disable him and end his career, the only thing that had given structure and purpose to his life since the war.
Nevertheless, he perseveres, somewhat in the manner of a drowning man grabbing at straws, and yet he pursues his quarry and in the end finds the solution to the cold case.
This was another fine effort from the mother and son writing team that goes by the name of Charles Todd. Their depiction of the culture of 1920s England seems spot-on, especially in the way that the country is still so affected by all the consequences of the Great War, the loss of so much of the male population and disablement of so many more. The ramifications for the country were far-reaching.
The poignancy of the depiction of the effects of shell shock/PTSD is one of the strengths of this series and it is particularly strong in this entry.
After the race, there was a notorious murder of one of the attendees, a murder that was never solved. Or at least the suspect was never apprehended.
The suspect was one Alan Barrington, a wealthy man who had the means to give the police the slip. He disappeared, apparently having left the country, and never a trace was found.
Years later, in 1921, England and Europe had suffered through a great war that made news of one lone murder pale in comparison. Inspector Ian Rutledge, one of those who suffered in the war, had returned to his pre-war job with Scotland Yard, and he received a tip from a former convict that Alan Barrington had been seen in England again. His tip was credible enough that Rutledge felt a responsibility to report it to his superior. Subsequently, he began a quiet review of the records of the cold case with a view to investigating whether Barrington might indeed have returned to England and possibly finally bringing him to justice.
As he investigates, he finds some anomalies in the facts that are known and begins to wonder if, in fact, Scotland Yard had been chasing the wrong man. Rutledge follows the clues where they lead visiting the villages that lend so much verisimilitude to these historical mysteries.
In the midst of his investigation, a shocking event sends Rutledge into a recurrence of the shell shock which he suffered as a result of his wartime experiences and threatens to disable him and end his career, the only thing that had given structure and purpose to his life since the war.
Nevertheless, he perseveres, somewhat in the manner of a drowning man grabbing at straws, and yet he pursues his quarry and in the end finds the solution to the cold case.
This was another fine effort from the mother and son writing team that goes by the name of Charles Todd. Their depiction of the culture of 1920s England seems spot-on, especially in the way that the country is still so affected by all the consequences of the Great War, the loss of so much of the male population and disablement of so many more. The ramifications for the country were far-reaching.
The poignancy of the depiction of the effects of shell shock/PTSD is one of the strengths of this series and it is particularly strong in this entry.