Charles Todd Books In Order – Complete List

Charles Todd was the pen name of the author duo Caroline Todd and Charles Todd, mother and son. Caroline Todd died on August 27, 2021, in Delaware.

Here are the Charles Todd books in order for the author team’s two historical mystery series, Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Mysteries. The books are listed in chronological/reading order with the year of publication added in brackets.

Latest Charles Todd Books

The Cliff’s Edge
The Cliff’s Edge (Bess Crawford Mysteries #13), 2023

Inspector Ian Rutledge Books in Publication Order

To read the books in proper chronological order, you might want to start with A Fine Summer’s Day as book #17, which was published in 2015, but takes place before Ian went to war. It was his last case before the war outbreak.

  1. A Test of Wills, 1994
  2. Wings of Fire , 1998
  3. Search the Dark, 1999
  4. Legacy of the Dead, 2000
  5. Watchers of Time, 2001
  6. A Fearsome Doubt, 2002
  7. A Cold Treachery, 2005
  8. A Long Shadow, 2006
  9. A False Mirror, 2007
  10. A Pale Horse, 2007
  11. A Matter of Justice), 2008
  12. The Red Door, 2009
  13. A Lonely Death, 2011
  14. The Confession), 2012
  15. Proof of Guilt, 2013
  16. Hunting Shadows, 2014
  17. A Fine Summer’s Day, 2015
  18. No Shred of Evidence, 2016
  19. Racing the Devil, 2017
  20. The Gate Keeper, 2018
  21. The Black Ascot, 2019
  22. A Divided Loyalty, 2020
  23. A Fatal Lie, 2021
  24. A Game of Fear, 2022

Ian Ruthledge Short Stories in Order of Publication

  1. The Kidnapping (Ian Rutledge 12.5), 2010
  2. Cold Comfort (Ian Rutledge 0.5), 2013
  3. A Guid Soldier (Ian Rutledge 0.6), 2015
  4. The Piper (Ian Rutledge 19.5), 2017

Books About Ian Ruthledge

Bess Crawford Books in Publication Order

  1. A Duty to the Dead, 2009
  2. An Impartial Witness, 2010
  3. A Bitter Truth, 2011
  4. An Unmarked Grave, 2012
  5. A Question of Honor, 2013
  6. An Unwilling Accomplice, 2014
  7. A Pattern of Lies, 2015
  8. The Shattered Tree, 2016
  9. A Casualty of War, 2017
  10. A Forgotten Place, 2018
  11. A Cruel Deception, 2019
  12. An Irish Hostage, 2021
  13. The Cliff’s Edge, 2023

Bess Crawford Short Stories in Order of Publication

Standalone Novels in Order of Publication

Short Stories in Order of Publication

Anthologies and Short Story Collection in Order of Publication

Bibliomysteries Books – Death Sentences Books in Publication Order

  • The Book of Virtue by Ken Bruen, 2012
  • Pronghorns of the Third Reich by C.J. Box, 2012
  • The Book Thing by Laura Lippman, 2012
  • The Book Case by Nelson DeMille, 2012
  • An Acceptable Sacrifice by Jeffery Deaver, 2012
  • Death Leaves a Bookmark by William Link, 2012
  • The Final Testament by Peter Blauner, 2013
  • Rides a Stranger by David Bell, 2013
  • The Long Sonata of the Dead by Andrew Taylor, 2013
  • The Book of Ghosts by Reed Farrel Coleman, 2013
  • The Compendium of Srem by F. Paul Wilson, 2014
  • What’s in a Name? by Thomas H. Cook, 2014
  • Remaindered by Peter Lovesey, 2014
  • The Sequel by R.L. Stine, 2014
  • The Gospel of Sheba by Lyndsay Faye, 2014
  • The Nature of My Inheritance by Bradford Morrow, 2014
  • It’s in the Book by Mickey Spillane, 2014
  • The Scroll by Anne Perry, 2014
  • The Book of the Lion by Thomas Perry, 2015
  • The Little Men by Megan Abbott, 2015
  • Condor in the Stacks by James Grady, 2015
  • Mystery, Inc. by Joyce Carol Oates, 2015
  • Every Seven Years by Denise Mina, 2015
  • From the Queen by Carolyn Hart, 2015
  • The Travelling Companion by Ian Rankin, 2016
  • Citadel by Stephen Hunter, 2016
  • Reconciliation Day by Christopher Fowler, 2016
  • Dead Dames Don’t Sing by John Harvey, 2016
  • The Haze by James W. Hall, 2016
  • Hoodoo Harry by Joe R. Lansdale, 2017
  • The Pretty Little Box by Charles Todd, 2018
  • Seven Years by Peter Robinson, 2018
  • The Hemingway Valise by Robert Olen Butler, 2018
  • The Last Honest Horse Thief by Michael Koryta, 2018
  • The Caxton Private Lending Library & Book Depository by John Connolly, 2018
  • The Dark Door by Lisa Unger, 2022
  • The Honeymoon Trap by Peter Swanson, 2022

Mysterious Profiles in Order of Publication

Charles Todd Biography

Charles Todd books in order

Caroline and Charles Todd were mother and son who have so far co-authored two historical mystery series, both evolving around WWI and two standalone novels. Caroline Todd passed away on August 27, 2021, in Delaware.

Caroline has an undergraduate degree in History and English Literature, as well as a Masters in International Relations.

Charles has a background in business, communications, and management, with a BA in Communication Studies focusing on Business Management. He also has a degree in culinary arts. Charles has been working as a corporate troubleshooter for several years, and he keeps his day job separate from that of writing books.

Many readers are surprised to learn that Charles and Caroline are American writers since their two series focus on the history of England.

Charles is a Board member, Chairman of the Edgars Committee, as well as Secretary of the Mystery Writers of America.

The author team lived in Delaware and North Carolina.

Their best-known mystery series is Inspector Ian Rutledge, a series which began way back in 1994. Reading the series in order is well worth especially for the fans of historical mysteries.

In 1919 Ian Rutledge has returned from WWI where he served as an officer at the front for five years. Now he is back and suffering from PTSD, which back in the day was called shell-shock. During the war he got a young soldier executed because said soldier didn’t want to fight. This caused him major inner trauma, one which he is still trying to get over.

Now back at home, he has resumed his prior duties as a Scotland Yard inspector working to solve murders.

The series has 24 main books and several short stories. The latest book in the Ian Rutledge series is titled A Game of Fear, published in 2022.

A second series co-authored by the mother and son team is Bess Crawford, featuring a British army nurse in WWI. Currently, this second series includes 13 books with the latest title Cliff’s Edge published in 2023.

Who is Inspector Ian Rutledge?

When reading the Charles Todd books in order by Charles Todd, the first series to pick is the one featuring Ian Rutledge, an inspector with the Scotland Yard. He is a First World War veteran who returned to the police force as a detective in 1919. However, as most war veterans experience, he also had to deal with his PTDS (post-traumatic stress disorder) which for him manifests in the form of an inner voice of a fellow soldier who basically talks to him.

As a product of the 20th Century, where a diagnosis of PTSD comes with a stigma, he has to hide his problems from others in order to be able to live and work in peace.

Ian Rutledge’s past is, indeed, dire. He was a commanding officer for Corporal Hamish Macleod who was court martialed. As a result, he was tasked with the man’s execution. However, after an artillery shell exploded in the camp, he was buried alive with the corporal’s body. The reason why he was eventually saved was because Hamish’s corpse created an air pocket that allowed him to live. As a result, Rutledge had to live with his guilt towards Hamish, whom he unwillingly executed, for the rest of his life.

All this guilt caused him to hear the corporal’s voice in his head, which he had to hide from his superiors who wanted to get him removed from the force.

Who is Bess Crawford?

Bess Crawford is Charles Todd’s second series, featuring Bess, a resourceful and courageous British battlefield nurse during the Great War of WWI, who is also an amateur investigator.

She grew up in India, where she learned the importance of responsibility, honor, and duty from her officer (colonel major) father. As soon as Great War started, Bess volunteered to serve as a British nurse in the war.

In A Duty to the Dead, she starts her journey as a nurse onboard the hospital ship Britannic, where she promises a dying lieutenant to deliver a letter, which puts her in danger back in England.

Next, in An Impartial Witness, in the summer of 1917, she becomes the target of a killer due to her moral obligation.

The same year, in winter, we find her in A Bitter Truth, where she is falsely accused of murder during her Christmas leave.

In spring 1918, in An Unmarked Grave, we have the Spanish Flu pandemic, which is when Beth has to deal with a murderer and an injured soldier.

Just a few months later, in the summer of 1918, in A Question of Honor, she meets her self past in India, when she investigates the murder of someone back in India, which also involves a high-ranking person in England.

The Maharani’s Pearls takes us back to Bess’ childhood in India.

Charles Todd Awards, Nominations, and Recognitions

The mother-son author duo received or were nominated for the following awards for their books:

A Test of Wills

  • the John Creasey Award in the United Kingdom (nomination
  • the Edgar Award (nomination)
  • the Anthony Award (nomination)
  • the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Dilys Award (nomination)
  • Barry Award (won)

It was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. It received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. It was named one of the 100 favorite mysteries of the 20th Century by The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association.

Wings of Fire

  • nominated for the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Dilys Award
  • was shortlisted for the first Ellis Peters Mystery Award in the United Kingdom

Legacy of the Dead

Anthony Award (nomination)

An Unmarked Grave

  • Agatha Award in the Best Historical Novel category (nomination)

A Question of Honor

  • Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel (won)

Authors Similar to Charles Todd

9 Comments

  1. I love reading. Took it up as a hobby back in 1972 during the Agnes flood in Harrisburg Pa. This past May I was searching for a new author(to me) and found your works. I actually started reading the Ian Rutledge series from the beginning and am just now getting ready to read A Divided Loyalty. I have A Fatal Lie on order. I simply cannot put the books down. Sometimes I will sit for hours on end reading. I really enjoy your works. I truly do not want the Rutledge series to end but I’m sure it must but keep it going as long as possible.
    Thank you for your words.
    Ron Gruver

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  2. When I read A Divided Royalty Book 22, I was very happy for Ian who finally received a much and long overdue promotion to Chief Inspector. But why wasn’t this new position reflected in the next book, A Fatal Lie book 23??

    Please publish more books … I can dying to know when Ian will marry, when he will finally be the Superintendent? When Hamish will finally leave him in permanent peace…when? When?!

    Thank you for keeping me in such undying persistent suspense, I love your style … you kept me the reader guessing to no-end!!1. Loved every title read and hungering for more!!!

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  3. Ian and Bess need to have personal relationship going forward. Simon obviously cares for Bess, but is she stupid? I like that the books are clean and without sexual explicity. Just darn good reads.

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  4. I thought A Fine Summer’s Day foreshadowed A Test of Wills. It’s the Rutledge intro, I believe.

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  5. I would like to start your series on Inspector Ian Rutledge. Where should I start?

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  6. Thank you for Inspector Rutledge!!
    A grateful fan of your books. Especially now in this pandemic. My neighborhood library has many on audiobooks.
    Simon Prebble, amazing!!

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  8. These books are great!! I have been reading them over the years, and just this past year read them in order. My library got in touch with me for the Newest one in Feb. I am now on the Bess Crawford series in order. I have read them previously and they are great also. Thank you!!!!! I live in Delaware also, in Sussex county. (I was born in DE.)

    Reply

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