A DAY OF JUDGMENT (Inspector Ian Rutledge #25) by Charles Todd will be released on March 10, 2026, by The Mysterious Press.
Inspector Rutledge is sent to the coast of Northumberland to investigate why a body washed ashore near the “Holy Island” of Lindisfarne. Rutledge’s mission is to not only find the killer but prove that the Church is in no way involved in the death. The victim was not well liked in the area and was thought of as a German sympathizer. The war may be over, but animosity still runs high.
Charles Todd was a mother-son duo of authors. This is the first book published since the mother passed away, and the change in writing style is obvious. After twenty-four books, Rutledge is suddenly acting out of character. And Hamish, while always quarrelsome, is now borderline hostile. The series has always been tedious but enjoyable. A DAY OF JUDGMENT was bogged down with unnecessary details about every meal Rutledge consumed and his interactions with the less-than-helpful locals. The book started out strong but petered out towards the end. I hope, now that Rutledge has been promoted to Chief Inspector and his love life seems about to bloom, that the plot picks up.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.