The Piper: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Story by Charles Todd

Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge returns shell shocked from the trenches of World War I, tormented by the memory of Hamish MacLeod, the young Scots soldier he executed on the battlefield. Now, Charles Todd features Hamish himself in this compelling, stand-alone short story.

Before the Great War, Hamish farms in the Highlands, living in a small croft on the hillside and caring for a flock of sheep he inherited from his grandmother. When at the height of a spring gale, he hears a faint cry echoing across the glen, Hamish sets out into the stormy night to find the source. Near the edge of the loch he spots a young boy lying 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 vanished.  Worried, he goes in pursuit of the injured piper and finds him again collapsed in the heather--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.                                                                                    from Amazon

Inspector Ian Rutledge 시리즈의 단편작품이다. 다만 주인공이 등장하지는 않는다. 주인공의 전우이자 유령처럼 따라다니는 존재인 'Hamish MacLeod'의 이야기다. 스코틀랜드의 황량함에 대한 묘사나 살인 사건을 둘러싼 긴장감 있는 묘사등이 작품의 재미를 더한다. 단어나 표현등이 반복되기 때문에 지역적 언어의 특징들이 있어도 읽는데 큰 부담이 없었다.