Hunting Shadows: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery 16 by Charles Todd

" I've been working my way through this historical mystery series for a few years now and the trip has mostly been enjoyable. But the previous book, Proof of Guilt, which I read last summer, was a big disappointment to me and nearly put me off. I haven't felt the desire to get back to the series since until a few days ago. Looking for my next book to read I came across Charles Todd's name and decided, why not? I'm glad I decided to give him another chance because this one was a winner. It is 1920 and memories of the First World War are still fresh. Many of the veterans of that war bear wounds, both physical and mental, that are yet to heal. Among the sufferers of psychological wounds is Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard. He does his best to keep his PTSD, or shell shock as it was then called, hidden. Rutledge is sent to Cambridgeshire, the Fen Country, to investigate two murders. The first was a former soldier who was shot while attending a society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire. He was shot with a rifle by someone who was well concealed. The shooter was never seen by the wedding guests. Then another man, a country lawyer, is murdered in the same fashion. This time though the apparent shooter was seen by an elderly woman, but her description of what she saw does not seem credible......."

구글을 검색하면 이 작품에 대한 설명으로 미스터리, 역사허구물, 심리 소설, 전쟁 소설, 경찰 이야기, 역사 미스터리, 서스펜스 같은 설명이 나온다. 작품의 시대적 배경이 1915년에서 1920년대이기 때문에 작품에서 묘사되는 장면이나 사회적 배경이 좀 어렵게 다가오는 게 사실이고 영어적 표현도 소위 영국적 표현이 많고 지역적 용어가 가끔씩 등장하기 때문에 읽는데 어려움이 있다. '전화기'조차 구하기 힘든 시대를 다루고 있기 때문에 이야기 전개도 느린 편이기 때문에 지루한 부분도 있다. 하지만 이런 '느린' 이야기가 이 작품에서는 매력적인 요소인 거 같다. 그리고 주연이든 조연이든 매력적인 등장인물들의 출현도 작품을 읽는 즐거움이 배가 되는데 이번 작품에서도 매력적인 여성 인물들 때문에 작품이 더 재밌었다.