"great historical mystery and a haunting human tale"
Seven years ago, Ian Rutledge was the policeman responsible
for sending Ben Shaw to the hangman for killing three
elderly, bedridden women. Ian left police work to fight in
France during World War I, but what he saw in the trenches
almost destroyed him. He came back shell-shocked, guilt
ridden and broken with his only grip on sanity being his
work at Scotland Yard. His belief in himself as a good police officer is shattered
when Ben Shaw's widow comes into his office with evidence
that she claims will exonerate her husband. She wants
Rutledge to reopen the case but before he can come to any
decisions he is sent to Marling in Kent. Three veterans of
the war, all with one leg amputated have been murdered and
the local police don't have a clue about who is
responsible. During his investigation, Mrs. Shaw hounds
Rutledge yet he is able to carry on with both cases. The protagonist of this novel acts normal but he carries on
in his head a dialogue with a soldier he ordered killed
before a firing squad in France for failing to obey a
direct order. At times the reader isn't sure if Rutledge
actually believes Hamish is dead but there is ample
evidence he is able to conduct an inquiry and make
brilliant investigations from evidence he gathers. A
FEARSOME DOUBT is a great mystery as well as a haunting
human drama. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted September 4, 2002
|
