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Content snapshot
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Violence
Some
Hostage situation; murder investigation; the tension of a standoff
Language
Barely any
Period-appropriate language
Sexual Content
Barely any
Mild; a marriage under extreme duress
Substance Use
Barely any
Mild
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
Very strong; the question of whether a man who looks guilty is guilty; Rutledge's Hamish-complicated judgment; the Devon setting as counterpoint to London's certainties
What this book is about
The ninth Ian Rutledge mystery involves a hostage situation in a Devon village: a man is holding his wife at gunpoint, claiming he's protecting her from whoever murdered their friend. Rutledge must determine if the man is guilty or genuinely protecting someone, while Hamish's voice complicates every judgment. The Todd series is at its best when it uses the mystery structure to test Rutledge's wounded moral compass.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
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