A Fatal Lie

Complexity. Crime novels often exclude many of the real-life dead ends that non-fiction detectives pursue in their cases. In the 23rd installment of the mystery series featuring Inspector Ian Rutledge by the mother-son team writing as Charles Todd, Rutledge meanders down lots of dead ends. Even longtime fans of the series may become frustrating that in this novel titled, A Fatal Lie, Rutledge seems to be more puzzled by the half-way point than he was at the beginning. I found the complexity to be just what I needed in spending more time with this intriguing and troubled protagonist. I found that my own “brain fog” from covid-19 fatigue was akin to Rutledge’s loss of sleep as he drove around a northern Welsh county in circles for this 1921 case. As the Todds piled on more characters and led others to reappear, I felt Rutledge’s fatigue and found myself trying extra hard to figure out the puzzle, which I found to turn the fatigue into excitement. Fans of crime fiction and this series may be challenged by this installment, but I found the detective and the case to be top notch and satisfying by the end. Rating: Four-star (I like it) Click here to purchase A Fatal Lie from amazon.com.