A False Mirror

Hampton Regis, a small harbor town on the southern coast of England, is a most unlikely place for violence. Yet, one spring morning, a man is found on the strand so severely beaten that he slips in and out of consciousness. The prime suspect? His wife’s jilted lover, who served with Rutledge in the recently ended Great War—but who left the Front under a cloud. Badly wounded, yes, but did someone also cover up cowardice?

Rutledge is called on to prove the innocence of a man he dislikes and distrusts. But the deadly triangle also stirs up memories of the woman Rutledge himself loved and lost when he went to France to fight. His doubts about the accused and himself only deepen when the victim of the beating mysteriously disappears, with no body to be found.

As the brilliant yet tormented detective discovers that he’s not the only person seeing a reflection of tumultuous emotions in this case, he must confront the demons that threaten to overwhelm him and search out the truth. For in Hampton Regis hides a vicious killer who intends to let nothing—and no one—stand in the way.

Praise for A False Mirror

“Clues that would do Agatha Christie proud inexorably lead to the denouement….Compelling evidence that inside every warrior who returns from the front, there’s a nightmare waiting to break out.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Deft characterization…Todd…seamlessly melds a fair-play whodunit with psychological suspense in the tradition of P. D. James’s best.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Touches of both Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie in this character-driven mystery, which builds smoothly but not simply to a climax that is likely to be a genuine surprise.”
—Booklist

“The revelation of the culprit comes as a surprise owing to multiple suspects with potential motives, but it is Rutledge’s tortured soul that will intrigue and engage readers most.”
—Library Journal

“A roller-coaster ride of suspense and intrigue.”
—Romantic Times (Top Pick, 4 1/2 stars)

“Todd … keeps the atmospheric A False Mirror full of suspense, surprises and sympathetic characters.”
—Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

“The Inspector Rutledge series is one of the best psychological mystery series in print. It is fast-paced and the plotting and characters are well-developed. The revelantion of the guilty person comes as a complete surprise.”
—Daily American (Somerset, PA)

“A False Mirror is certain not only to thrill fans of British mysteries and such authors as Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes, and Jacqueline Winspear, but will also satisfy anyone looking for a truly engrossing and transporting read.”
—McCormick Messenger (SC)

“A remarkable series… . The sad and shocking resolution only confirms Todd’s theses that war destroys minds and souls as well as bodies, and that the suffering never ends—not even for the so-called winners.”
—New York Times Book Review

“The overall mystery is well done … melancholy, atmospheric.”
—Christian Science Monitor

“This series never disappoints.”
—Charlotte Observer

“A superbly crafted tale…a complex and engrossing study of the nature of seeing and being seen that anyone who enjoys tight plotting and deep characterization will enjoy.”
—armchairinterviews.com

“A solid puzzle….This whole series could prove habit-forming.”
—Wilmington Star News (NC)

“The mother-and-son team have created a remarkable character and placed him in memorable locations and situations.”
—The State (Columbia, SC)

“The novel’s meticulously described settings…prepare us subtly, but not entirely, for a brutal and shocking ending that will keep you ruminating a long time.”
—Raleigh News & Observer

“There is no better depiction of the effects of the war on the people of England than this series.…magnificent.”
—Mystery News

“Todd writes with grace…and assurance. The portrayal of a bleak, sad, postwar England is spot on, and the mystery itself is cleverly and fairly concocted….Affecting.”
—Richmond Times-Dispatch