Legacy of the Dead

Inspector Ian Rutledge #4

by Charles Todd

The weathered remains found on a Scottish mountainside may be those of Eleanor Gray, but the imperious Lady Maude Gray, Eleanor's mother, will have to be handled delicately. This is not the only ground that Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard must tread carefully, for the case will soon lead him to Scotland, where many of Rutledge's ghosts rest uneasily. But it is an unexpected encounter that will hold the most peril.
For in Scotland Rutledge will find that the young mother accused of killing Eleanor Gray is a woman to whom he owes a terrible debt. And his harrowing journey to find the truth will lead him back through the fires of his past, into secrets that still have the power to kill.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, British Literature

356 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 29, 2000

About the author

Charles Todd was the pen name used by the mother-and-son writing team, Caroline Todd and Charles Todd. Now, Charles writes the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Series. Charles Todd ha spublished three standalone mystery novels and many short stories.

Reviews

[Heidi (on slight hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t let the quiet unfolding of these mysteries lull you into thinking they’re dull. Rather like the quiet before a storm, these books pick up steam and wham— end with a tsunami of emotions.

It took me about 75-80 percent of the book to even barely consider the culprit. For most of the book there are two distinct possible crimes and neither seem remotely connected.

However, there are ghosts of the past swirling throughout, and not just the one in Rutledge’s mind. Hamish and his beloved Scotland figure prominently in this mystery. And so does the continued aftermath of The War.

That fifth star was honestly earned in the last few chapters. The ending is quietly powerful, tragic and justified. And hopeful.

(Reviewed 11/10/19)

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating 4.5 (1/2 demerit because .... %#@#$asdfjkl cliffhanger)

A beautifully written, character-driven mystery. Bravo!

I have a soft spot for World War I veteran, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge. There, I said it. There is no rational explanation of my love for this series or Rutledge as a character. After the first installment I usually picked up the next novel "just to see what is the next mystery", I read the first chapter or two and then dived in full force leaving the book (or books) I was reading at the moment, to wait till I finish with with my favorite inspector.

Rutledge is not a dangerous bastard (like Jorg from the Broken Empire "GO, JORG!"), not a *sigh* great book-boyfriend or sexy supernatural (like ... oh there are too many), he does not go shirtless, we don't see his well sculpted muscles, he doesn't send shivers down ladies spines and doesn't make me snigger at his witty comments .... but I love him all the same and sometimes a little more. Actually sometimes I feel even a little possessive, there were a few times in the novels when his battered heart stirred a little for some damsel accused (or suspected) of some crime ... I was glad for him, but there wasn't one good enough for him, yet. Ha ha ha ha (crazy laugh) I'm going "mother hen" fangirling over Ian Rutledge.



This novel takes the reluctant Rutledge (and his tormentor, Hamish) to Scotland. Including Hamish, almost every soldier that fought and died in France under his command was Scottish, and the case threatens to become a torment of epic proportions for our war scarred veteran.

This was maybe the best novel so far, but also the most frustrating. Dear authors,... a cliffhanger? Really?



Personally I like my mysteries tied up at the end in a perfect little bow, this one especially for more than one reason. I just hope everything is explained in the next novel, and that the cliffhanger business is a one time deal.

[Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rutledge has to go to Scotland to solve a murder, which he definitely doesn't like. Thoroughly enjoyed this mystery.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off kind of slow, though the pace did pick up a little as it went on. I have to say, I really hated the ending. It was so abrupt. Didn't seem like an ending at all. I almost wish Fiona could have remained an abstract vision in Hamish's memory. I suppose we are to assume at the end that the police found Rutledge's notes, he survived (since he is the main character), everyone believed his story and Fiona was set free.

I would have liked to have seen Fiona's reaction. I also would have liked to see the reunion with little Ian and how, and if, David Trevor welcomed the boy and Fiona into his home. There are definitely loose ends which need to be tied up. Will Fiona play a part in any future books? Now that she's been resurrected from Hamish's mind, I hope so. Especially since she now has a connection with Ian's godfather. Also, the death of Eleanor Gray is treated like an afterthought in the end.

The slow start and the loose ends really brought the rating down for me. As usual, the writing was good, but the interplay between Rutledge and Hamish in this book was a bit of a letdown. Considering the circumstances, I was expecting a much more intense reaction from Hamish.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the heck is up with the ending? There were so many loose bits of unanswered questions and unresolved relationships that I felt like the rug was completely pulled out from under me. But until the fateful moment when the unsuspecting reader is hurled off a cliff (there's no hanging from this cliff), I was completely absorbed in the story. I enjoyed the characters: Hamish's fiance, Ian's godfather, etc. I enjoyed the intricate plot that seemed to continually wrap itself up in knots. And then, just at the end, when all the various pieces should have come together--nothing. What happens to Fiona and the boy Ian? There should have been the satisfaction of Inspector Oliver's comeuppance. And what happens to Fiona and the boy? We miss Fiona's discovery of Rutledge's surprising connection with the boy Ian, we miss confronting McKinstry about the engraving on the brooch (why the hell did he do that?), David Trevor learning that Ross left behind a son, etc. etc. I feel like it was me left bleeding out in the dark of the inn, waiting for some resolution or rescue or something--something.

[Andree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less into this one. I found the dual cases tricky. I thought the way they were tied together felt both too convoluted and too convenient. Also too convenient? The resolution of who little Ian's father is. I liked meeting Hamish's former love Fiona, and was intrigued for the first half of this, but somewhere around the middle it just became too.... much. The mystery is perfectly competent, but not a favourite.

Also, it ends really abruptly, on a sort of cliff-hanger I guess? But mostly it just felt like a really odd place to end.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so predictable...find an author whom I like and then read every book written by that person as fast as I can get my hands on them. So after reading several of the latest Todd works about Inspector Ian Rutledge, I moved back to the earlier books. The most challenging aspect about doing this is knowing I have to read more about the demons that haunt him following WWI, but I have come to look forward to how the characters you meet in every book are putting their lives together following the war. There are subtle lessons here for us as we work through our political, social and economic issues.

I can never anticipate the resolution of the several mysteries that tie Todd's books together, and there is always some thought that he raises that stays with me at the end. Here, the questions of someone knowing something about you that could harm you or be used against you, who could profit from that knowledge are so foreign to my experience, but the message "whatever happened...you must never let it conquer you" resonated with me.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are complex and surprisingly enjoyable read. I say surprising because of all the angst and heartache and demons Inspector Rutledge is battling with after returning form WWI to his former life as a Scotland Yard inspector. Such a tortured man, but such an intelligent one as well. For all his personal troubles, he still has retained the ability to appraise the character of people and have compassion in evaluating the situation and the participants.

Rutledge is tormented in his mind by the voice of a soldier, Hamish McLeod he needed to execute for cowardice. He his tortured by what he needed to do to keep up the moral and courage of the rest of the troop, by having this one man executed; and all for naught in a sense, since just after, they were shelled and the man would have been killed, without Rutledge having to execute him.

Lo and behold, in this book, Rutledge comes face to face with Hamish's fiancee, the accused murderess. What a shock for Rutledge and the man lodged in his head. What an intense story.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a perfect part of this series. Inspector Ian Rutledge continues to discover the real mystery behind the crime he is to solve. Even the past does not prevent him from a committed search—to reveal the real from the scapegoated, to reveal the one who relentlessly persecutes an innocent woman, and why.
In the process, the Inspector reconnects with family who live in Scotland. He also connects with the land and the people that he came to know during the war—came to know through the stories of one of the Scots soldiers he led. The internal process of laying to rest his internal 'stress' from the war is furthered. And the reader can carry the hope forward that this piece of his past will not get the best of him. He will be living to solve many a mystery.

[Larissa Brenner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Ian Rutledge series. Yes, cliffhanger was annoying, but it made sure I have #5 on my nightstand the day after finishing it. Such a complex relationship with Hamish, and yet totally relatable. These mysteries have twists and turns and keep me guessing to the end. Beautiful writing that feels like literature and yet falls on the Mystery shelf. A great combination.

[Deb Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite of the Inspector Ian Rutledge series so far, this the fourth book in the series. I've found that these books could be read as stand-alones, but I am glad to be reading them in order.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 Stars.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT?? I can’t believe how this book ends! I think I will have to go right on with the next book in the series. It been a while since I started the series, but Inspector Rutledge’s life and how he has struggled with emotional problems from his experiences in WWl. He is back at work as he travels to Scotland to investigate why a young mother has been jailed because authorities claim the little boy isn’t hers and that she killed his mother. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for this belief; so Rutledge is quick to delve into the case. So I’ll download the next book to see what will happen next.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one in the series. What legacies do the dead leave us with? Old hurts and haunting memories? Duties? Rutledge comes face to face with the legacy left to him and must save a woman accused of murder before she becomes his next burden.

[Alonzo Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid entry in a solid series, but it falls prey to a fault of the modern series mystery — an abrupt ending that leaves a lot of threads dangling. Will I ever discover what happened to the wrongly accused victim, so cruelly slandered by the real killer? What about her child, stripped from her by the authorities? Will our detective hero be able to come to terms to the voice in his head? This mystery keeps its secrets well, but does not reveal them all at the end, like it is supposed to. (I’m still not clear why everyone KNOWS who the victim is — when all they find is a stack of bones. I am also puzzled by the absolute awfulness of the local police inquiry. They seem absolutely uninterested in the source of the poison pen letters that set the whole drama up.)

I think you are supposed to stay tuned until next time, but my wife did not buy me series entry #5. Alas.

So, for me, this a book that succeeds more on an emotional novelistic level than on the basic, chock full of holes and assumptions mystery plot.

[Karen A. Wyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

In contrast to the second and third books in this series, this novel makes the most of the ongoing and tortuous dilemma of its central character, police detective Ian Rutledge: that he carries with him the audible presence of Hamish McLeod, the friend and subordinate he felt compelled to execute during World War I. I can't say much without spoilers, but the story revolves around Rutledge's encounter with someone known to Hamish and important to him.

As always, Todd (or rather, the mother-and-son writing team that writes under the son's name) includes many poignant details and forcefully convey the devastation wrought by WWI.

The mystery wraps up with a dramatic climax. However, as in the first book, the authors hide rather too many key details until the end. "OH! Of course! I should have known, but I didn't!" is a satisfying reaction to the culmination of a mystery. "What the hey? If I'd known all that, I might have guessed it!" is less so.

The recap of key facts is a bit longer than ideal.

My final nitpick: there is at least one continuity error in this series. The time and manner in which a certain machine gun was silenced is more chillingly ironic in this (and in the second) book, but definitely inconsistent with the account in the first. What ended Rutledge's prewar engagement is not as clearly different in the first book and in this one, but if the first book states the facts, the description here is arguably misleading.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember whether I read this one first, but from the references in book #5 which I finished last week, I knew i had to (re)read it. One doesn't have to read these in order, I find, though it is probably better to do so.

So--we find out what has happened to Hamish's fiancee Fiona, since his death. She has one very powerful statement that is true of all women--and since women can now serve in a number of military forces--men as well. (Well, really, of any civilian victims of war ; and children of those who fell in war). Very moving, very utterable sad, and very much going to be true in the future as well.

I became a little confused about who was the father of the little boy, Ian--and indeed post the book's finishing, how this was ever going to be proved and how his future would be decided legally, but such questions are outside the mystery and we know what the dispositions were even if not knowing the how. Hence the four stars.

What we don't know if what happens to Fiona. The book ends with a lot of loose ends in terms of the people, not the actual mystery, and so far in the books #5 on that I have read, no mention of Fiona--and Hamish seems not upset by what did happen to her...which is odd, one way or another. In fact, he seems to "mellow" in subsequent books as time distances (to the extent it does) from the war.

So, I hope no spoilers in the above, but enough said to provoke GRs to read this book.

[Patsyann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am just addicted to these books. The mystery just does not get solved easily - in fact after reading the book - you wonder if it got solved at all. The mystery is in the mystery.
No sex, no romance, sometimes just sadness - but great stories that keep you reading the book till the end.
I am a World War I fanactic and these books really tell the story of the aftermath of the war and those affected by it.
While reading this I felt that you could really put all of the characters of this book into the year 2019 and replace World War I with the war in Afghanistan and most of the psychological aspects would remain the same. The only difference - determining identity with DNA. It is amazing how the mystery is solved with out 21st century forensics - but Ian Rutledge does it - a kind of 1900 Mentalist!!
And they should make a PBS mini series with "Test of Wills"and "Legacy of the Dead" It would be great TV!! One of my favorite Ian Rutledge Mystery.
BEST USE OF: Secrets, hiding secrets, tragic deaths in WWI
DRIVING THROUGH ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND: 10+
HEA - None here
EPILOGUE: Will be in next book of series
Rating:
10 - Always a keeper
Heat:
1 - Gave it a one because there was sex - just not in the book - more in the past!!
COVER COVERS IT: Great cover!!
HOLLYWOOD CALLING: This book series would make a great TV series! And this book would be the greatest.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this series. This time Rutledge is sent to Scotland. A place he does not want to go because of memories of the war. He visits his godfather while there. The novel takes place in the area where the border between Scotland and England was raided back and forth for generations. Like most novels set in the time after WWI there was a lot of loss of life in the war. Millions of men died. Whole generations of families had no sons or male relatives left. Also no horses and some other farm animals. For some reason I have been reading a lot of novels set in the time between the wars. The history classes I had never mentioned the loss of life. Many men returned disabled in physical and mental, they called shell shock. Now PTSD. One of the men in his charge left behind a fiancé. She is being charged with murder after a poison pen campaign in the village. She has a 3 year old son. It is determined she can not be his mother and she lied about being a war widow. The town wants to hang her because there is evidence of a murder, bones, found not far away. She will not say who the mother and father of the child are. The end of the novel prove her innocence, but Rutledge is severly wounded. Closed to death and the novel ends. SO WHAT HAPPEND TO FIONA AND IAN. NOT EXPLAINED TO MY SATISFATION. COME ON!

[Lawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles Todd continues the investigations of Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. This series continues to keep the reader engaged with the same strength as Rutledge's introduction in "A Test of Wills." This time Rutledge is sent to Scotland to discover whether the bones of a skeleton discovered on the moor might belong to Eleanor Gray, a young lady of high social standing who disappeared in 1916. Rutledge's constant psychic companion Hamisch MacLeod is in full voice in "Legacy of the Dead." The young woman being held in jail as a suspect for the murder on the moor is none other than the girl to whom Hamisch was engaged before he went to war in France. His only love, Fiona, has taken his name, claims to be a war widow, and has a child whom she has named after Rutledge because of the respect in which MacLeod had held Rutledge in life. Whose child has Fiona been raising? And why won't she reveal the identity of the mother or the father of the child? What secret does she hold more important than her own life? If Rutledge doesn't unravel the mystery of the child's identity and learns the true fate of the body on the moor, Fiona will go to the gallows. Another winner from the mother and son team writing under the name Charles Todd.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this one, there is murder and there is mystery. But, true to this series, these aren't front and center. The war-damaged Ian Rutledge confronts other damaged characters in post-WW1 England and Scotland, both countries also suffering from so much loss. And like in any good cozy murder mystery, there are red herrings, suspicious characters, a village, a huge country manor, and all other accouterments we know and love. Is there enough information to allow one to guess the villian(s)? Perhaps not, but the mysteries are piled high, many are resolved, and we get a classic cliff-hanger! I have the fifth one, "Watchers of Time" here in my home office and it's eyeing me now, but I'll resist and read a few other works first, enjoying the anticipation. (By the way, the story of England recovering from WW1 and then gearing up for WW2 is best captured, in my opinion, by Anthony Powell's incredible "A Dance to the Music of Time" and I recommend reading all 12 novels of "Dance" in order. I read them last year, about one a month, for a truly rewarding experience.)

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A string of poison pen letters stirs up the village of Duncarrick, in the Scottish borderlands. Fiona MacDonald, war widow and young mother, is the target of this vitriol and soon is accused not only of loose morals but of kidnapping & murder. Inspector Rutledge is sent to investigate after the remains of a body are found in Glencoe, attributed to missing heiress Eleanor Gray. Visting Scotland is the last thing Rutledge wants to do, though, because of its strong connection to Hamish, whose voice in his head he is desperately trying to silence. His shock is amplified when he discovers that Fiona MacDonald is none other than the woman Hamish was to marry. Embroiled in a confusing mess of lies and secrets, his investigation becomes personal and desperate.

I'm pretty sure I held my breath for the last 20-odd pages. What a great book in the series! There's a nice little cliffhanger at the end, too.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an intense book and an intricate mystery! Well done, Charles Todd! Please keep up the good work! (I say, 16 or so books behind the current release in the series.) Several times, I had to put the Kindle down in shock and amazement and walk away for a moment to deal with the revelations.

Note: Either England and Scotland combined form a very small, tightly-knit universe, or there were a lot of converging coincidences.

I sometimes wonder if this series has something supernatural going on in Hamish's existence, and I love that it can be taken as straight historical fiction with (fictional?) psychology AND a story where our protagonist is saddled with the presence of a talkative ghost simultaneously, depending on how the reader is feeling. (I know, he says Hamish isn't a ghost, but sometimes I have to wonder). I am LOVING this series. More, please. Also, what an ending!

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly I thought this #4 in the series, one of the best I have read so far. The suspense built throughout and, as usual, the post World War I timeframe and the British setting is very appealing. This book even found Ian in Scotland, in Hamish's home area. BUT, the number of coincidences and the too neatly wrapped up solution to the mystery detracted from my overall enjoyment. Instead of the strong 4 stars I intended to rate this has been knocked down to 3.6 – still one of the better books in the series.

[May · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome read!!! I haven’t read Charles Todd in a long time & certainly read this out of order. I had forgotten how much I appreciate these writers’ skill in creating characters you care about, developing plot lines that keep you guessing, while invoking the impact of WWI on those who survived it
My frustration with this one is the cliffhanger ending. I read books 5 & 6 years ago & don’t remember if Fiona is released or if young Ian is ever brought to his grandfather.
Are there any readers who know??

[Eleni · Rating 5 out of 5]

l loved this book and I was never a mystery fan in the past, but the characters are so compelling in this series that I am completely besotted. I'm casting it in my mind and wondering why they haven't adapted this for Mystery on PBS. Anyway, historical fiction fans, those with an interest in World War I and its aftermath especially, will enjoy this book.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always Charles Todd wrote a murder mystery that held you to the very end with complex personalities. Humanity is portrayed with all the layers of passion, deception, self deception, fear, love, denial, and rugged honesty that is Todd's trademark. Culture, caste, history, and geography are tightly woven into the story.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

1919 Inspector Rutledge has been sent to Scotland. The remains of a female have been found, but do they belong to Lady Eleonor Gray, missing since 1916. Her mother Lady Maude refuses to believe so. Meanwhile in Duncarrick, Fiona MacLeod has been accused and arrested for among other crimes, murder.
An enjoyable and well-written historical mystery with its interesting main character

[Anne Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been the best-written yet of this series: tight, taut, spectacular investigative sleuthing, character portrayals. I stayed up last night until I couldn't stay awake any more, and then started it again after breakfast.

[eyes.2c · Rating 5 out of 5]

A shunned woman who were also havoc for Hamish and Ian. A missing woman from a wealthy family and a child. Dark deeds in Scotland. Another intricate Rutledge mystery!