A review by megmcardle
The False Mirror by Charles Todd

4.0

A rainy afternoon seemed the perfect time to read the newest entry in the moody Charles Todd mysteries about shell-shocked Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge. As a big fan of the time period, I have always liked series like this and the Maisie Dobbs books by Jacqueline Winspear, because they take you so vividly to a time and a place absolutely dominated by a shared experience, World War I. Rutledge is an interesting character, deeply scarred by his war experiences, but trying to move on with his career in Scotland Yard. His coping mechanism is an unusual one, in that he hears (in his head) the voice of one of the men who died under his command in the trenches. This distinctive inner voice is both an intense distraction, but also a second conscience. And strangely enough it makes him a better policeman. The plots of the series are not nearly as interesting as watching poor Rutledge battling his demons. Author Todd writes classic examples of what used to be called the "fair play" mystery, where all of the information that a reader might need to solve the mystery is provided, if hidden amongst red herrings. He cheats a bit here, and the story drags a little in the middle, but it contains a good climax and reveal, which manages to surprise due to the large number of possible suspects. If it had been a little tighter plotted, I would have happily given it more than a guarded 4 stars. As it is I still look forward to the next in this interesting series.