The Red Door

An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

June 1920. In a house with a red door lies the body of a woman who has been bludgeoned to death. Rumor has it that two years earlier, she'd painted that door to welcome her husband back from the Front - only he never came home.

Meanwhile, in London, a man suffering from a mysterious illness first goes missing and then just as suddenly reappears. He is unable to explain his recovery.

Inspector Ian Rutledge must solve the cases. Who was the woman who lived and died behind the red door? Who was the man who never came home from the Great War, for the simple reason that he might never have gone? And what have they to do with a man who cannot break the seal of his own guilt without damning those he loves most?

Solve another case with Inspector Ian Rutledge.

©2010 Charles Todd (P)2010 BBC Audiobooks America

Critic reviews

"One of the strongest entries yet in a series that shows no sign of losing steam. Once again Todd perfectly balances incisive portraits of all the characters, not just the complex and original lead." ( Publishers Weekly)

A cliff hanger all the way

This is a great mystery book and it keeps you hanging in suspense all the way. It is not at all obvious who the guilty person is. There are so many details that makes this story come alive and Simon Prebble's narration is first rate. The only part I found hard to swallow was "Hamish" Ruteledge's WWI Ghost who talks to him and often forces him to focus on small details. This is a great mystery and thank goodness there is none of the "detective in danger" which is so prevalent in many of today's mysteries. This is good solid police work and every character in the book is well delineated. I recommend this highly.

Knotty problems

We’re talking major disfunctional family!!! Perfect performance by mr prebble! Complex and lengthy plot at times, but twisty! My first book from this series and it kept my interest!

A hard listen

I found this book very hard to listen to. I think I would have enjoyed it more in print. A family saga with many members introduced all at once in the beginning, and a narrator with NO distinction between characters. While his voice is wonderful, I found it difficult to know who was talking. I also felt no attachment to the characters. I actually gave up with 2 hours left.
As I said, better to read this one in print.

another good story in the series

overall both performance and story were great once again you kind of get left hanging a little bit but if you're reading all the books it won't bother you

my favorite yet

Ian Rutledge mysteries are always colorful and interesting. This one had more twists and turns than usual. I liked this one best.

One of the Best of the Series

Kept guessing until the last ten minutes….. fantastic writing! Had already listened to it many years ago so it was like listening to it for the first time and just as good. Just hate there will be no more.

The Yarn Unraveled for Me . . .

The performance was really good . . . the story, though, was like chasing a two year old in a candy store . . . not easy and not very rewarding . . . it got good in the end, but trying to tie up all the unraveled yarn by that time was impossible . . .

Intricate

Glad I didn't pay attention to the negative reviewers on this one! Loved all the ins and outs. For all the Todd/Rutledge lovers, this is a treat.

Excellent Book

I bought this book on a recommendation from Audible. I enjoyed it a lot. Charles Todd did an excellent job creating believable characters and crafting a story that hangs together well. Although I had an idea who the guilty party was I was uncertain until the end. A really excellent book! I look forward to reading and listening to other books by Charles Todd.

Simon Prebble IS Ian Rutledge - A+

My first Charles Todd mystery was not in sequential order. However, after listening to Simon Prebble's excellent acting and narration skills, I got hooked. Yes, good writing is essential and I have marveled at how the combined writing skills of two people, under one pen name, could be so consistently creative. But now, I am a bit of a snob. I admit it. As much as I would like to listen to the rest of the Ian Rutledge books, Simon Prebble's presentation of the Ian Rutledge character is so consistent, so compelling and so authentic (if you can say that about a fictional character), I could not enjoy them in the same way. This is another great mystery narrated by a master.