Watchers of Time

About the book

In the remote town of Osterley, situated in a marshy Norfolk backwater, a man is on his deathbed on a rainy autumn night. Despite knowing that Herbert Baker's life will soon be claimed by natural causes, his final request leaves his family and friends puzzled. Baker, a devout Protestant, inexplicably asks to see the town's Catholic priest for a last confession. Little did he know that the same priest who granted him solace would meet a tragic end just weeks later, falling victim to a shocking murder.

The local police suspect an interrupted robbery and point fingers at a man named Matthew Walsh. However, the bishop of the deceased priest insists that Scotland Yard take charge of the investigation. Tasked with this duty is Rutledge, a man still recovering and not yet fit for full duty. Drawing on his wealth of experience and intuition honed by war, the Inspector begins to unearth hidden truths that the local authorities would rather keep buried. They are eager to pin the crime on an outsider like Matthew Walsh, rather than confront the unsettling notion that someone within their close-knit community could commit such a heinous act. But Rutledge soon discovers that there were individuals who harbored deep-seated grudges against the priest that transcended religious beliefs.

Unbeknownst to the residents of Osterley, Rutledge grapples with haunting voices in his head, particularly that of a soldier he was compelled to execute during the War. It is through the relentless presence of Hamish MacLeod, offering both criticism and provocation, that Rutledge embarks on a quest to unravel the harsh truth that lies beneath Osterley's façade of deceit. As he pieces together a different narrative, Rutledge stumbles upon a chain of events that lead from the murky marshes to the infamous tragedy of the Titanic sinking. Who is the enigmatic woman who may have been on that ill-fated ship... and who is the mysterious survivor? Rutledge becomes convinced that he alone can prevent another ruthless act from occurring.

Brilliantly capturing the torment of a man haunted by his own past, Watchers of Time delves beyond an array of memorable characters to explore a mystery larger than mere murder: the enigma of morality in a world scarred by the ravages of war.