A Day of Judgment by Charles Todd ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Inspector Ian Rutledge of Scotland Yard travels to England’s windswept coastline to investigate a murder in a place where, several years after the end of WWI, the memory of the war still runs strong.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

March 2026; The Mysterious Press/Highbridge Audio
audio (8h 48m), ebook, print (368 pages); historical mystery

Since reviewing A Christmas Witness, I've been wanting to read more Inspector Rutledge books. Fortunately, there are a lot of them. A Day of Judgment is book 25 in the series. Sadly, my library's digital library only has about 8 of them.

I was so excited to read this book that I put in a request for both the print and audiobook to increase my odds. I was granted both. So I did something that I've heard some people in one of my book groups do - I listened to and read the book at the same time. And wow! It made for a great reading experience.

There is a lot of description of the setting, whether it be the seaside village or the roadside inn's dining facilities. It is great and adds a richness to the story. If I had just been listening to the book, I wouldn't have paid as much attention to these details. But listening to the audiobook helped with the strong dialect/accent of the characters. The "inner voice/ghost" of Hammish has a strong Scottish accent, and I can never get it right in my head. Also, I have trouble reading it, so the audiobook also helped with comprehension. 

Simon Vance did a terrific job with all the accents. They were thick and distinct, but it was also easy to understand what the character was saying. Seriously, he is one of the best narrators I've listened to on this score. I was to listen to more books that he reads.

If you are able to read and listen to this book simultaneously, I highly recommend the experience.

As for the plot and characters, it is great! I really like Inspector Rutledge. He reminds me a little of Thomas Llewelyn from Will Thomas's Barker & Llewelyn series. I also loved all the secondary characters, which is a little sad because from the first chapter, the reader knows that at least some of them are involved in the murder.

If you are interested in World War I history or the military history of the Northumberland Fusiliers, then there are some really great details provided. I really liked the conversation that Rutledge had when he was trying to figure out the tattoos and crests for the various military groups. While it was in essence an info dump, Todd does it in an entertaining manner, so it doesn't feel like an info dump.

I really enjoyed the story, and my reading experience was definitely enhanced by having the book in both formats. I can't say if I prefer reading the book or listening to the book. I think if I had the option in the future, I would continue to pair them so I can enjoy the best of both mediums.

Buy A Day of Judgment at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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