A FALSE MIRROR features the fascinating Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. This is Rutledge’s ninth outing, penned by the mother-and-son team that goes by the name Charles Todd, and fans of the series should be well-pleased by the continuation of the storyline. Rutledge’s first appearance (A TEST OF WILLS) was set in June 1919, and each successive book takes place in a subsequent month. Thus, we come to the current title and February 1920.

Rutledge had a very difficult war, suffering from shell shock, and his return to the force has not been welcomed by all. His chief superintendent dislikes him profoundly, and there’s another issue that haunts Rutledge, literally: Rutledge has a ghost that accompanies him at all times, and with whom he occasionally has mostly silent discussions.

The ghost is one Hamish MacLeod, a soldier who disobeyed an order and was sentenced to be executed by Rutledge himself. Now, in some twisted example of guilt expiation, MacLeod follows Rutledge around and proffers opinions on the case. It could be really silly if overdone, but the authors use this only sparingly and it’s much more effective because of that.

In the backwater town of Hampton Regis, a man has been brutally beaten into unconsciousness. His suspected attacker flees to the home of the injured man’s wife, and takes the wife and housekeeper hostage. He wants to talk to Rutledge, a fellow veteran, and refuses to leave the house. This pleases neither the chief superintendent nor Rutledge, but Rutledge must visit the town to restore order. And when he arrives, order is not restored. The beaten man goes missing, and bodies begin to pile up. Is the main suspect sneaking out of the house and killing people? Or is it someone else?

The authors manage to recreate the atmosphere of World War I-era Britain fairly well, complete with all the social restraints and class distinctions. Some of this can be frustrating for the modern reader, especially when the characters act in an outrageous manner. The way the main suspect ends up in the house with the wife of the brutalized victim, and his ease at holding both local police and Scotland Yard at bay, seems quite improbable. But even with the occasional misstep, the authors manage to write a great story with deep emotional currents, characters that have a real sense of place and presence, and a main protagonist with a shtick that instantly grabs the reader. Well done. –Mark Rose

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