A Pale Horse

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Late on a spring night in 1920, five boys cross the Yorkshire dales to the ruins of Fountains Abbey, intent on raising the Devil. Instead, they stumble over the Devil himself, sitting there watching them. Terrified, they run for their lives, leaving behind a book on alchemy stolen from their schoolmaster. The next morning, a body is discovered in the cloisters of the abbey--a man swathed in a hooded cloak and wearing a gas mask.

Scotland Yard dispatches Inspector Rutledge to find out who the man was and why he died in such mysterious circumstances. But the villagers clearly have something to hide. And what does the huge chalk sculpture of a pale horse of the Apocalypse have to do with the crime?

©2008 Charles Todd (P)2009 BBC Audio

Another Excellent Entry

Well read and a fantastic storyline. At some point you want to see Rutledge catch a break with his bosses but that's the thing... the characters are so we'll developed that you find yourself invested. This series is a master work.

Terrific

In my teens I became a voracious reader. I read books of several genres sci-fi, westerns, espionage, biographies, and mystery. When I discovered Agatha Christie I was hooked for at least a dozen of her books. Sadly I lost interest in reading for several decades. I’ve been out of work with some physical issues and have gotten back into reading again.
Charles Todd rekindled my love for a good who-dunnit. I’m hooked! Great story and excellent narration.

A change of voice

I love this series, so real. The first thing I noticed was the narrator's way of telling the story. I checked and it's not the same narrator. It makes a difference in how the story is heard, on how the story is told. Still it's a good story.

Enjoyable!

Very much enjoyed this book, the main and supporting characters, story line, and of course the narrator. Can't go wrong here, and will purchase the other books in this series as well.

Beautifully written and narrated

but extremely dark and depressing. Well-developed characters but none who are likeable in the least.

Eerily Strange and Wonderful Listen

The biblical parallel regarding the pale horse gave me cold chills as I began listening to Book 10 in the Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery Series. Yes, this one is a bit more mystical and frightening as five boys traipse across the meadows dales to the ruins of Fountains Abbey in 1920 Yorkshire intent on raising the devil. The schoolmaster, a devout Quaker, and conscientious objector, his wife with her hideous scar from a wound inflicted upon her by a drunken man, are a strange pair, leaving you with more questions than answers. As Rutledge searches for the truth, he meets with a lot of resistance in the small, tight-lipped village, and he and Hamish go back and forth (in his mind) about who is actually the guilty party. I have to say this is one of the most interesting yet, and I had to listen closely to get all the nuances. Excellent atmospheric tale.

Unfortunately it's a different narrator who

With this audible book the narrator changes and it is not a good change. The previous narrator of books 1-9 brought the character of Ian Rutledge to life and the haunting brogue of Hamlisch was clear. Now The inspector sounds bored, not haunted and thenScots brought is so slurred that "beware" sounds like "ware".
The performance takes a 5 star story and reduces it to 4 stars. Very disappointing. Even more so that this new narrator continues into the next book. If I didn't listen to audible in route I would just pick up a kindle copy of the remaining books - but no time to stop and read so I'm stuck with a mediocre narrator😢

Kept Waiting for it to Improve

The story was long, there was no real plot, and the female characters were horrendous. I’d like to try another Inspector Rutledge story to see if this was a fluke. Hopefully, they’re better than this one.

Suspense and twists and turns

The story kept me on the edge of me seat making my work commute enjoyable?!?! I know ONE HOUR in the truck one way- enjoyable! And when I arrived at work I sat listening for an additional 10 minutes. The storyteller was spot on too.

Clever, British crime thriller. Excellent narration.

Similar to a Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie story. Would’ve liked it more clever ending. The narration was so well done that I could not stop listening. Very enjoyable.