Goodreads asked Charles Todd:

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Charles Todd CHARLES AND CAROLINE: Because of the state of the roads in England in 1920, it often takes Rutledge a day, even two, to reach the scene of the crime. And so we wondered how it would change the inquiry if he was there just after the murder occurs. If he was still on leave for his sister’s wedding, could he persuade the Yard that this gave him a unique take on the crime? What’s more, he has a chance to interview people still in shock as the news of Stephen Wentworth’s death spreads. It was in interesting twist on what usually happens, and we are always looking out for a fresh approach to the stories we want to tell. It also gave us insight into how Rutledge faces the changes in his own life when his sister marries. While he wants and expects her to be happy, he knows his interactions with her in future will be different. They had become quite close since their parents’ death, but from now on she will be closer to her husband than to her brother. Although she was never aware of his shell shock, her steady presence in his life since the war’s end had been something he’d come to count on, and he isn’t sure how he will handle losing that. Drawing these two very different concepts together—the murder and the personal interactions—was the sort of challenge we like best.

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