A Divided Loyalty

A Novel

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Scotland Yard detective Ian Rutledge is assigned one of the most baffling investigations of his career - a cold murder case with an unidentified victim and a cold trail with few clues to follow.

Chief Inspector Brian Leslie, a respected colleague of Ian Rutledge’s, is sent to Avebury, a village set inside a great prehistoric stone circle not far from Stonehenge. 

A young woman has been murdered next to a mysterious, hooded, figure-like stone, but no one recognizes her - or admits to it. And how did she get there? Despite a thorough investigation, it appears that her killer has simply vanished. 

Rutledge, returning from the conclusion of a case involving another apparently unknown woman, is asked to take a second look at Leslie’s inquiry, to see if he can identify this victim. But Rutledge is convinced Chief Superintendent Jameson only hopes to tarnish his earlier success once he also fails. 

Where to begin? He, too, finds very little to go on in Avebury, slowly widening his search beyond the village - only to discover that unlikely - possibly even unreliable - clues are pointing him toward an impossible solution, one that will draw the wrath of the Yard down on him, and very likely see him dismissed if he pursues it. But what about the victim - what does he owe this tragic woman? Where must his loyalty lie?

©2020 Charles Todd (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

This Might Be the Best One Yet!!

Since having to wait for months after pre-ordering A Divided Loyalty, my intention had been to just go slow and listen just an hour or two at a time to savor the book! This was ALL but impossible! From the very beginning it was obvious this was going to be one of author’s best yet. And the end of the tale does not end until the very END... and it’s a shocking end at that. And Simon Prebble: What can I saw! If he ever stops narrating Charles Todd’s books, I’m done! No one could read Ian Rutledge but Prebble. And his narration after the telegram is so moving you could not help but believe that he was not acting at all.. but in fact was speaking the gut wrenching way Rutledge would be feeling. Just a superb story and narration!

Wonderful timeless

Great story with great characters, I think I figured out Charles Todd and his mother, it’s how the two of them work together and make such great stories. It’s their love of history yes but also they bring different viewpoints that make the story so special

One of the best

I always enjoy the Charles Todd books but some are better than others. This one was excellent. I did have a sense of the actual criminal early on, but it didn’t matter. The story was masterfully complex with twists and turns and red herrings—and lots of characters to keep the intrigue at a high level.

Totally Depressing

I’ve continued to listen to this series because I kept hoping the authors would write a storyline where Scotland Yard would recognize and reward Rutledge for a job well done. Hasn’t happened yet.
Rutledge’s character is almost one dimensional. And, I have to ask, when does he ever ‘get’ the girl?
What’s the readers big take-away here? War was hell and its impact on everyone was terrible.

5 stars are not enough

I love modern British mystery novels and have read/listened to all of this series as well as most of the others. This is so far above the pack that five stars are inadequate.

A remarkable series.

Every book in this series is so well written and narrated. A Divided Loyalty is an outstanding addition to the Inspector Rutledge series.

Good mystery, great characters, great atmosphere

A Divided Loyalty b Charles Todd takes place in early 1920s England. A place still spinning from WW I. The scars of that war, the mental anguish, follows Inspector Rutledge wherever he goes. This is a good mystery. Very atmospheric. The narration by Simon Prebble paints the scenes and brings the characters to live.

Another excellent mystery!

Relatable characters, plot twists and human nature make for another excellent mystery by these authors. Ian Rutledge has become one of my favorite characters of all time and Simon Prebble was an inspired choice for narrator of this series. I have always appreciated the way this author presents PTSD and mental illness in general. The authors also are very good at writing a good mystery story. Please keep writing more in this series!

My favorite author, character and narrator

Simon Prebble continues to do an outstanding job of bringing a post-WW1- feel to his narration of the ongoing life and investigation of Inspector Rutledge. It is easy to walk along side him as he investigates this latest case with a great twist at the end. I hope there are many more stories to come....

Good Story once again

I knew the ending half way through. No matter, the journey to conclusion was interesting, LIke that Hamish is a smaller part of the story, that is as it should be. Looking forward to the next in the series. AS always, Simon Prebble is a Star.

A great storyline.

One of many from Charles Todd I've enjoyed.
As mentioned on previous reviews, my only gripe is the use of American vocabulary.
such as "dove" instead of dived. "drapes" instead of curtains.

Excellent as always ...

I adore these detective stories set just after WW l with the charming though damaged Inspector Rutledge.
If I could only get a message to the American writers that never in England in that era nor this is a lady’s handbag referred to as a ‘purse’!
Very good narration and am always left longing for the next one.

A powerful Novel

This book must rank as one of the best in the Inspector Rutledge series. The twists and turns keep the listner guessing