Questions About A Test of Wills (Inspector Ian Rutledge, #1)

by Charles Todd (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (7)

I read this book with a friend, and both of us are confused about the ending. Rutledge goes into the house; confronts "Maggie," who tells him that she has killed...Helena. In the bedroom is someone who has been killed. Who is it? I know Maggie had a split personality? because of Helena being run over by a car in childhood days. So who was in the bedroom lying in all the blood? And who killed that person?

Italo Italophiles

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George

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Italo Italophiles SPOILER: I think the idea was that she was near the copse when the horse arrived with the headless body, and she assumed it was her father. The body f…moreSPOILER: I think the idea was that she was near the copse when the horse arrived with the headless body, and she assumed it was her father. The body fell off the horse there and she saw it and suffered severe shock, similar to the shell shock of Ian and the many soldiers. That's why he understood what she needed to recover.

Then each time she saw her father in the house, she assumed it was a ghost or spirit and it freaked her out, much like the voice of Hamish freaks him out, but he's an adult and can mask it better.

Only when she started to recover from the shock, could she see that it was really her father, attacking Ian, not a ghost standing in the room like before, she understood that he wasn't dead after all.

That's my take, at least. I'm surprise your question wasn't answered earlier. I'd be curious to see other takes on it. Cheers!(less)

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Is "Hamish" carried forward in subsequent books in the series?

Cricket Muse Considering how Rutledge gave Hamish multiple opportunities to redeem himself it’s curious why Rutledge doesn’t point out to Hamish it was his choice …moreConsidering how Rutledge gave Hamish multiple opportunities to redeem himself it’s curious why Rutledge doesn’t point out to Hamish it was his choice to die that forced Rutledge’s decision. Maybe this will eventually happen as Rutledge heals from the war.(less)

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is this a family friendly book?