
A Test of Wills
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Narrated by:
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Samuel Giles
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By:
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Charles Todd
About this listen
Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after years fighting in the First World War. Unknown to his colleagues he is still suffering from shell shock, and is burdened with the guilt of having had executed a young soldier on the battlefield for refusing to fight. A jealous colleague has learned of his secret and has managed to have Rutledge assigned to a difficult case which could spell disaster for Rutledge whatever the outcome.
A retired officer has been murdered, and Rutledge, fighting the torment of his illness, goes to investigate. As he digs into the lives of the villagers, the witness who disturbs him most is a war-ravaged ex-soldier who chills Rutledge with the realization that he could become like this man.
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River of Darkness
- By: Rennie Airth
- Narrated by: Christopher Kay
- Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In 1921, the bloodied bodies of Colonel Fletcher, his wife and two staff are found in a manor house in Surrey. The police have put the murders down to a violent robbery, but Detective Inspector Madden from Scotland Yard has his own suspicions. In the meantime the killer is plotting his second strike.
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New Mystery Written in 1920's Style-What A Thrill!
- By Nancy J on 06-27-12
By: Rennie Airth
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The Cater Street Hangman
- By: Anne Perry
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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When a maid in the upper class Ellison household is strangled, Inspector Pitt is called in to investigate. He finds a world ruled by strict manners and social customs, where the inhabitants of the Ellison's neighborhood appear to be more outraged by the thought of scandal than they are by murder. Inspector Pitt finds a most unlikely ally in Charlotte, the Ellison's spirited daughter. But as the murders continue, Charlotte and Pitt find themselves drawn together by more than the investigation.
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I really like this book but it's not for everone
- By Ancient Warrior on 03-14-11
By: Anne Perry
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The Richmond Thief
- Lady Althea Mystery Series, Book 1
- By: Lisa Boero
- Narrated by: Henrietta Meire
- Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Someone is snatching priceless jewels right off the necks of British aristocrats. With his intimate access to the parlors and bedrooms of Regency London, the Richmond Thief strikes again and again. The Bow Street Runners, the city's only detectives, seem powerless to stop him. Enter Althea, lady scientist. As the young widow of a country gentleman, Lady Althea Trent is introduced to the upper-class social scene as yet another pretty face. But her own scientific inquiries and an invitation to act as an agent of Bow Street propel her into the hunt for the Richmond Thief.
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Good read
- By Marsha Van Wagoner on 03-02-23
By: Lisa Boero
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The Harry Starke Series: Books 1-3
- The Harry Starke Series Boxed Set
- By: Blair Howard
- Narrated by: Tom Lennon
- Length: 23 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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If you love Harlan Coban, Tami Hoag, Michael Connelly, or Lee Child, you'll also love Harry Starke. Harry is no Reacher or Bosch clone. He's a force unto himself, but the fans love him. If you like realism, fast-paced, nonstop action, you'll love Blair Howard's highly acclaimed series. Grab this box set of the first three stories now. You won't want to stop listening!
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New Detective Classics!
- By BrianK on 02-20-17
By: Blair Howard
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The Woodcutter
- By: Reginald Hill
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 16 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Wolf Hadda's life was a fairytale - successful businessman and adored husband. But a knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, Wolf retreats into silence. Seven years later Wolf begins to talk to the prison psychiatrist and receives parole to return home. But there's a mysterious period in Wolf's past when he was known as the Woodcutter. Now the Woodcutter is back, looking for truth and revenge...
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One of my favorite Reginald Hill books!
- By Diana on 01-20-11
By: Reginald Hill
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Trent's Last Case
- By: E C. Bentley
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Considered by many to be the first modern mystery novel, Trent's Last Case introduces the gentleman sleuth Philip Trent, a freelance reporter and invistigator. Trent becomes involved in the case of the murder of millionaire American financier Sigsbee Manderson, slain while on holiday in England.
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A real find!
- By Roxane on 06-17-10
By: E C. Bentley
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Murder on Black Swan Lane
- By: Andrea Penrose
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. He does not suffer fools gladly. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London's most popular satirical cartoonist, A. J. Quill, skewers them both.
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Tedious
- By Kathi on 10-02-17
By: Andrea Penrose
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Mayhem
- By: Sarah Pinborough
- Narrated by: Steven Crossley
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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A new killer is stalking the streets of London’s East End. Though newspapers have dubbed him 'the Torso Killer’, this murderer’s work is overshadowed by the hysteria surrounding Jack the Ripper’s Whitechapel crimes. The victims are women too, but their dismembered bodies, wrapped in rags and tied up with string, are pulled out of the Thames - and the heads are missing….
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Just Wow.
- By Sylvia on 03-04-14
By: Sarah Pinborough
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Some Danger Involved
- Barker & Llewelyn Series, Book 1
- By: Will Thomas
- Narrated by: Antony Ferguson
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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An atmospheric debut novel set on the gritty streets of Victorian London, Some Danger Involved introduces detective Cyrus Barker and his assistant, Thomas Llewelyn, as they work to solve the gruesome murder of a young scholar in London's Jewish ghetto. When the eccentric and enigmatic Barker takes the case, he must hire an assistant, and out of all who answer an ad for a position with "some danger involved", he chooses downtrodden Llewelyn, a gutsy young man with a murky past.
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Clever writing!
- By Kathi on 01-13-17
By: Will Thomas
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The Uniform
- Detective Helen Carter, Book 1
- By: Jodie Lawrance
- Narrated by: Angela Ness
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Helen Carter has just landed her first case as a detective: a murder in an abandoned cinema. A mysterious clock-like symbol is drawn on the wall...in blood. Stranger still is what the killer left behind: the business card of an ex-cop. Since being promoted from WPC, Helen is having trouble making her mark in the male-dominated Edinburgh CID, working under Inspector Jack Craven. He’s not happy about having a woman on his team. Witnesses won’t talk to her; her colleagues don’t take her seriously.
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Storyline totally five stars
- By Amazon Customer on 03-25-25
By: Jodie Lawrance
What listeners say about A Test of Wills
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- Carol
- 01-02-13
Difficult to follow the narrator
Inspector Rutledge returns to his position at Scotland Yard after long and horrendous combat service as an officer in World War I. He has been damaged in soul and psyche, and in ways that make him one of the most fascinating detectives in the genre. This first book in the series is truly special, well written, compelling, and different.
Unfortunately, I cannot recommend listening to this narration. Even though I've read the book (albeit a number of years ago), I found myself totally confused almost from the beginning as to which character was speaking. We become so used to narrators who handle multiple-character dialog well (even if they don't always sound like we think a beloved character should) that it's a shock to listen to someone with this little skill at voice differentiation. In scenes where Rutledge is conducting interviews, it's almost impossible to follow the flow of questions and answers and the vital information (the plot is fairly complicated) that emerges from these interviews.
There's nothing "wrong" with Giles's voice, he just doesn't use it well. Read the book, skip this audio.
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71 people found this helpful
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- Wayne
- 01-10-16
Charles Todd at his best!
A Teat of Wills is Ian Rutledge Book 1. I've just written a 3 star review for Book 10 in the series. Charles Todd is an outstanding author of police thrillers and teamed with narrator Simon Prebble his novels are usually outstanding.
This book is really special. Rutledge has just returned from fighting in WWI where he had to execute a man for refusing to fight. He is assigned a case that is likely to turn out bad for him.
I listened to this book 2 years ago.
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13 people found this helpful
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- TAJ
- 01-12-15
Great Mystery
Charles Todd is a superlative writer. I'm already on my next Ian Rutledge novel. Terrific plots and character studies. Buy it.
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- Debbie
- 09-01-20
Shell Shock and Murder
The first in the Inspector Ian Rutledge series gives us the background of the Scotland Yard detective, who has returned to his post at the yard, following service in WWI on the battlefields of France. He is constantly accompanied by Corporal Hamish MacLeod, long dead, whom Rutledge had ordered shot by firing squad in France, because of his desertion. Following the war, Rutledge was hospitalized for wounds sustained in the War to End all Wars, and also treated for shell shock. Learning to deal with the voice in his head (Hamish), who it seems had come to be part of his conscience as well as a guide in his work as a Scotland Yard detective, was a battle that Rutledge fought daily. Trying to quell his urge to speak out loud to Hamish when in the company of others was difficult. Yet the wounds left by the war made Ian Rutledge a much better detective in many ways, much to the dismay of his superiors at the Yard . . . who were expecting him to fail. His insight into the case of murder of the retired officer and the accused shell-shocked ex-soldier and his manner of conducting the investigation wasn’t what many expected . . . but it made for a most excellent story. . . and conclusion. Bravo! Great first in the series!
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- Smith
- 05-06-21
ok
ok but some unnecessay dialogue. A little confusing at times. Names were confusing and relationships odd until the end.
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- Teresa
- 07-31-15
Great listening
Wonderful all around! Enjoyed it from beginning to end. Will listen to the others in the series.
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- barbaramartin
- 12-02-18
A good start to a series
I had read this book several years ago, and wanted to read more in the series, so I listened to this one to get reintroduced to the main character. I found the narrator to not be great at differentiating multiple characters' voices,and sometime I just couldn't tell who the speaker was, unless the name of the speaker was revealed. I found the solution to the mystery to be a complete surprise; there is nothing in the book that even hinted at the identity of the murderer. I'm not sure what I thought about that technique; I'll see if that continues in later books
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- BarnRat
- 10-03-20
Good Start to this Mystery Series
A good tale that was too drawn out. About two thirds of the way through, and having gone over the same clues for the 3rd or 4th time, I was ready for the resolution. I listened through to the end, though, and it was an interesting and unexpected twist that could have been woven in more effectively earlier. Felt contrived. I'm backfilling this series after listening to #22 first. Really enjoyed that, and this is good background. Good narration.
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- Ignatz
- 03-14-20
So much talking
Narration great, but the detective talks & talks & talks. Good enough to want to read more.
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- george
- 04-22-17
Murder Mystery with a Ghostly twist!!
Todd has added a 'dead' army colleague as his Detective's conscience and part time narrator. It was odd at first but as this book progressed the idea grew in its integrity.
Ian Rutledge brought his conscience 'Hamish' back with him from WW1 and he is essential to the problem solving of Scotland Yard's least respected and psychologically fragile crime fighter.
First in the series, it will make you want to hear more.
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