The Piper
by Charles Todd
on Tour February 1-28, 2017
Book Details:
Genre: Mystery
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: January 10th 2017
Number of Pages: 100
ISBN: 0062678094 (ISBN13: 9780062678096)
Series: Inspector Ian Rutledge #19.5
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
Synopsis:
![The Piper by Charles Todd](http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/pict/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/32711202.jpg)
Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge returns shell shocked from the trenches of World War I, tormented by the spirit of Hamish MacLeod, the young soldier he executed on the battlefield. Now, Charles Todd features Hamish himself in this compelling, stand-alone short story.
Before the Great War, Hamish is farmer in the Scottish Highlands, living in a small house on the hillside and caring for a flock of sheep he inherited from his grandmother. When one spring evening he hears a faint cry ringing across the glen, Hamish sets out in the dark to find the source. Near the edge of the loch he spots a young boy laying wounded, a piper’s bag beside him. Hamish brings the piper to his home to stay the night and tends to his head wound, but by the time Hamish wakes the boy has fled. He tracks the footsteps in pursuit of the injured lad and finds him again collapsed in the grasses—now dead.
Who was the mysterious piper, and who was seeking his death? As Hamish scours the countryside for answers, he finds that few of his neighbors are as honest as he, and that until he uncovers a motive, everyone, including Hamish, is a suspect.My Thoughts
My Thoughts
The Piper is a story that in its simplicity, manages to do a multitude of things simultaneously. The first and most important of which being to give the specter of Hamish MacLeod, which has managed to haunt the beloved Ian Rutledge without fail from book to book. A life outside of our tormented leading man's mind.Reader's also get to view Hamish as a smart, resourceful, compassionate, and home-loving man. A man who, had he not died, would have had the stuff to make a great crime stopper in his own right.
Though short, the story is intense and extremely readable. One is very much able to clearly delineate the who's and why's of where character loyalties and such will lie. All with a speed and surety that comes as a most welcome surprise.
Speaking of welcome surprises. The completeness of the story told here is one that definitely merits accolades. The complexity, plot twists, character development, and overall polish of a story that, when measured against the length of a standard novel, would span only a few chapters. Is in and of itself a hallmark of great story craft.
Lastly, and most enticing of all, is the fact that reader's are also given the added treat of a sneak preview of the latest Ian Rutledge Mystery, Racing The Devil. Published on February 14, 2017, by William Morrow.
Reviewer's Note: The Piper is a related standalone short story within an ongoing series. As such, it may be read at any time within the series's course.
![Charles Todd](http://www.partnersincrimetours.net/pict/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/charles-todd.jpg)
Author Bio:
Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother-and-son writing team, they live on the East Coast.Catch Up with the latest Charles Todd news on their Website , Twitter 🔗 & Facebook
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I agree, this novella was no concise but the suspense held my attention from the very first page to the last word.
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