When reclusive war poet Olivia Marlowe and her half brother Nicholas Cheney die together in their ancestral home on the Cornish coast, it looks like suicide. The grieving relatives gather together to discuss the fate of Barcombe Hall, when another shocking death occurs. Inspector Rutledge, who is still shell-shocked from his experiences in the Great War, is sent from Scotland Yard to investigate. Rutledge is soon convinced that the answers to this baffling case lie within the family's secret history.
About the Author :
Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. Originally a mother-and-son writing team, Caroline passed away in August 2021. Their novel Proof of Guilt was a New York Times bestseller, and A Test of Wills was named one of the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association's 100 favorite mysteries of the twentieth century and was named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Their novels have won the Agatha Award, the Barry Award, and the Anthony Award, as well as being finalists for several other awards. Charles is continuing the series.
Sam Gillies is an experienced audiobook narrator whose titles include A Fearsome Doubt, Legacy of the Dead, Let It Bleed, Wings of Fire, and others.
Review :
"[Rutledge] makes a welcome return in the haunting Wings of Fire...Thoughtful and evocative, Todd's tale offers intereting, three-dimentional characters."
-- "Orlando Sentinel"
"[Todd wraps] his challenging plot, complex characters, and subtle psychological insights in thick layers of atmosphere."
-- "New York Times Book Review"
"A strong mystery, filled with fine characterizations [and] a superb eye for Cornwall...Wise and wily."
-- "Boston Globe"
"England's Cornish coast proves the perfect setting for Todd's second Ian Rutledge novel...The atmosphere alone is enough to hold both history buffs and mystery fans. That, plus the finely drawn characters and a captivating plot, result in a book that is hard to put down."
-- "School Library Journal"
"Fine writing. A spectacular conclusion that rejuvenates the cliche 'It was a dark and stormy night.'"
-- "Washington Post Book Review"
"In a brilliant return after his introduction in A Test of Wills, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge is dispatched to Cornwall to investigate three deaths...Todd's cast is sometimes hard to keep straight, but readers will find it hard to resist following Rutledge on this emotionally intense quest. Memorable characters, subtle plot twists, the evocative seaside setting, and descriptions of architecture, the moors, and the sea fully reward the attention this novel commands."
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
"Novelist Charles Todd now joine that growing little circle of American authors like Elizabeth George and Martha Grimes who have made themselves at home in the exclusive field of the British literary mystery."
-- "Buffalo News"
"Rutledge, undeterred by protests from the local doctor, police chief, family members, and retainers, tirelessly sorts through fact and legend to reach the truth...augmented by the terser, Scots-accented dialogue between Rutledge and his inner voice."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Splendid imagery, in-depth characterization, and glimpses of more than one wounded psyche: an excellent historical mystery for all collections."
-- "Library Journal"
"Thoughtful and evocative, Todd's tale offers interesting, three-dimensional characters, even though two of them are dead -- the soldier Hamish, whose voice still sounds in Rutledge's head, and the poet Olivia, whose searing verses may hold the clues Rutledge seeks."
-- "Barnes&Noble.com, editorial review"
"Todd writes exceptionally about a a time when people found not just meaning but healing in poetry, when intuition was viewed as kind of 'second sight, ' and when everyone was stamped by war--not just the legless men but also the women who lost their loves and so their futures."
-- "San Jose Mercury News"
"Todd's writing is graceful and evocative of a bygone time and place."
-- "Miami Herald"
"Truly captivating."
-- "Drood Review of Mystery"
"With the help of his 'sidekick.' Hamish, Rutledge tries to sort out the twisted relationships between the members of the family and thus determine which of them might have killed the others. Not for all tastes--the mixture of fantasy and realistic detecting may put off some--this is still a well-crafted mystery that will please those who give it a chance."
-- "Booklist"
