A
Pale Horse
An
Ian Rutledge Mystery
Charles
Todd
William
Morrow (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-06-123356-0 (0061233560)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-123356-2 (9780061233562)
Publication Date: January 2008
List Price: $23.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Late on a spring night in 1920, five boys cross the
Yorkshire dales to the ruins of Fountains Abbey, intent on raising the
Devil. Instead, they stumble over the Devil himself, sitting there
watching them. Terrified, they run for their lives, leaving behind a
book on alchemy stolen from their schoolmaster.
The next morning, a body is discovered in the cloisters of the
abbey–a man swathed in a hooded cloak and wearing a gas mask.
There are no clues other than the left–behind book. In an
effort to uncover the dead man's identity, one of the police
constables, who fancies himself a portraitist, sketches a likeness to
send to other police stations. It turns out there's a strong chance the
man worked on poisoned gases for the British government after the
Germans had used them at Ypres during the late war.
Scotland Yard dispatches Inspector Rutledge to confirm the ID and to
find out why the man died in such mysterious circumstances. Rutledge
begins his investigation, dealing with villagers who clearly have
something to hide and trying to decipher if the death links back to the
Great War. And what does the huge chalk sculpture of a pale horse of
the Apocalypse have to do with the crime?
Review:
The mother and son team of Caroline and Charles Todd (writing as
Charles Todd) have crafted a wonderfully atmospheric story in A Pale Horse,
the tenth mystery in this series featuring Scotland Yard Inspector Ian
Rutledge.
It is April, 1920. A man has been murdered in an abbey in Yorkshire.
The unusual circumstances of the crime are that he was clothed in a
monk's robe and a gas mask, similar to those worn by the Germans when
they released their lethal gasses in the Great War. He was also found
with a book on alchemy. His identity is unknown. And he was not killed
where he was found, rather his body moved there sometime after his
murder. Meanwhile, a man has gone missing in Berkshire, over 200 miles
to the south of Yorkshire. Inspector Rutledge is sent to investigate
but isn't even given the name of the missing man. A link between these
two cases seems unlikely and yet, as Rutledge begins to ask questions,
he's not sure they aren't. In nearby Wiltshire, a village lies beneath
a green knoll where centuries ago a chalk white horse was etched into
the limestone. Below the horse is a community of old homes originally
built for lepers, outcasts from society. The current residents also
want to separate themselves from others, but for reasons known only to
them. With no one admitting to knowing anything, Rutledge must use
every resource available to him to determine what has happened and why.
A
Pale Horse is a brilliantly
written mystery, carefully and meticulously plotted. Rutledge, who
suffers from shell shock from his service in the Great War, and his
inner self, Hamish McLeod, make a terrific investigative "team". Other
characters are equally memorable and add immeasurably to the thrill in
following the investigation as it crosses the counties of England. At
times Rutledge isn't even sure he's pursuing someone, yet he must
continue as he believes that he has to speak for the dead.
The title no doubt refers to the horsemen of the apocalypse, the fourth
of which, Death, rides a pale horse. It's deceptively clever. A Pale Horse
is a hard book to set down as seemingly each page offers another
opportunity for intrigue. It is highly recommended.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of A Pale Horse and to HarperCollins for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read A Pale Horse? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
A
Test of
Wills
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), August 1996
ISBN-10: 0-312-14431-8 (0-312-144318)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-14431-9 (978-0-312-144319)
Wings
of
Fire
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), March 1998
ISBN-10: 0-312-17064-5 (0-312-170645)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-17064-6 (978-0-312-170646)
Search
the Dark
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), May 1999
ISBN-10: 0-312-20000-5 (0-312-200005)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-20000-8 (978-0-312-200008)
Legacy
of
the Dead
Bantam (Hardcover), October 2000
ISBN-10: 0-553-80168-6 (0-553-801686)
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-80168-2 (978-0-553-801682)
Watchers
of Time
Bantam (Hardcover), October 2001
ISBN-10: 0-553-80179-1 (0-553-801791)
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-80179-8 (978-0-553-801798)
A
Fearsome Doubt
Bantam (Hardcover), October 2002
ISBN-10: 0-553-80180-5 (0-553-801805)
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-80180-4 (978-0-553-801804)
A
Cold
Treachery
Bantam (Hardcover), January 2005
ISBN-10: 0-553-80349-2 (0-553-803492)
ISBN-13: 978-0-553-80349-5 (978-0-553-803495)
A
Long
Shadow
William Morrow (Hardcover), January 2006
ISBN-10: 0-06-078671-X (006078671X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-078671-7 (9780060786717)
A
False
Mirror
William Morrow (Hardcover), January 2007
ISBN-10: 0-06-078673-6 (0060786736)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-078673-1 (9780060786731)
A Pale Horse
William Morrow (Hardcover), January 2008
ISBN-10: 0-06-123356-0 (0061233560)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-123356-2 (9780061233562)
A
Matter
of Justice
William Morrow (Hardcover), January 2009
ISBN-10: 0-06-123359-5 (0061233595)
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-123359-3 (9780061233593)
Omnimystery
keywords for A Pale Horse
...
Location(s) referenced: Berkshire, Wiltshire, Yorkshire,
England.
