Wings of Fire by Charles Todd
Book Review: Wings of Fire by Charles Todd
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Format: Print, 323 pages
Source: White Elephant Sale at the Oakland Museum
In Wings of Fire by Charles Todd, Ian Rutledge is a damaged Scotland Yard inspector, recently returned from the horrific conditions of World War I. He’s something of a pariah in the stuffy bureaucracy, suffering from a debilitating case of “shell shock.”
I must confess I did not fully grasp how horrific World War I was until one of my students did a report on it. You’ve heard of mustard gas, but that’s just the beginning. Apparently, World War I was the conflict that ushered in trench warfare. It is what I learned about trench conditions that gives me nightmares. I’ll spare you. But knowing what I do, I am not surprised Ian Rutledge returned a haunted man.
Yet Rutledge is haunted by more than memories. It was his duty to court-martial and execute one Hamish MacLeod, a man who proclaims his innocence and has now taken the form of a ghost inside Rutledge’s head. The remarkable part of this series is that Hamish observes Rutledge’s detecting, offering criticism as well as guidance. I find it fascinating to witness their inner dialogue. Though he regularly upbraids Rutledge for his death, Hamish is an insightful ghost, empathetic toward crime victims and families.
In Wings of Fire, Rutledge has been dispatched to the countryside, (banished a more apt description), to rubber stamp the official determination of three deaths, including that of poet O.A. Manning whose work helped Rutledge through his struggles with post traumatic stress disorder. But Scotland Yard, in league with the village police, has made a mistake. Rutledge is not a rubber stamper. Instead, though he burns from the slight, he pursues the truth even as he offends many in Barcombe of Cornwall. That’s because many in Barcombe have motives for murder. Was it the renowned poet herself in a homicide-suicide? Was it the disinherited step-brother? The widow? Perhaps the butler?
Wings of Fire is a thoughtful novel that I recommend to readers who enjoy history, mystery, and…ghosts. Best start with the first book in the series though—A Test of Wills.
12 thoughts on “Wings of Fire by Charles Todd”
The victim has come to haunt his killer. This sounds very dark, not only because of the war itself (by saying “I’ll spare you” you revealed quite a lot without spoiling the surprise), but also because of the psychological effects it had on the character. I think that even with the war ended, people who fought will always carry it with them.
Ah, I see I wrote that in an unclear way. What I meant was I’ll spare you what I know about WWI trenches from my student. The series is not really that dark. In fact if I remember correctly, there are no actual war scenes in the series. The stuff about the war comes out through the dialogue between Rutledge and Hamish and through Rutledge’s internal thought. The author does a good job of sprinkling in their back story without the info dump lazier writers resort to.
In some ways I would compare this series to P.D. James’s Adam Dalgliesh books, certainly no darker than those, probably a little less so. Rutledge reminds me of Dalgliesh in his quiet demeanor and deep reflections. Plus they both take solace from poetry. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that Charles Todd (actually a mother-son team) took inspiration from P.D. James.
I’ve not read a book like this before. It’s not usually the type I would choose, but , after reading this I might give it a try.
Hi Yolanda. I’ve had that experience myself–reading a book outside of my usual genres, sometimes because of a review and sometimes because of my book group. I don’t always like the book, but I’m always glad I tried something new. Let me know what you think of Wings of Fire!
I think it has taken me so many years to even be into historical novels. They really can be such an interesting way to go back in history.
So true, Denise. I would much rather read a historical novel than study history in a textbook!
I enjoy history, and mystery, but ghost… nah, I rarely read books that contain ghost, except it’s include humour :))
There are a few of those humorous ones. The Canterville Ghost is rather funny.
Sounds interesting. A unique take on being haunted. Sounds like something my husband would enjoy as well.
I agree, Michelle. It is a unique approach to combine ghost fiction and mystery. I hope your husband enjoys the series!
This is an author that I’ve been wanting to try! I love a good mystery and a historical mystery sounds even better. I’ll be adding the first book to my TBR list thanks to your review!
Yay, I’m so glad! Please check back in and let me know what you think of the first book.