What do you think?
Rate this book
Inspector Ian Rutledge #12.5
The Kidnapping
In an original short story by New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd, Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge must put all his detecting skills to use to solve a baffling case.
A man and his young daughter were returning home from a dinner party when three men appeared from out of nowhere and grabbed the girl. Rutledge has to act quickly to find the child and bring the surprising culprits to justice.
The Kidnapping also includes excerpts from three other Ian Rutledge A Lonely Death, The Red Door, and A Pale Horse.
A man and his young daughter were returning home from a dinner party when three men appeared from out of nowhere and grabbed the girl. Rutledge has to act quickly to find the child and bring the surprising culprits to justice.
The Kidnapping also includes excerpts from three other Ian Rutledge A Lonely Death, The Red Door, and A Pale Horse.
57 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 2010
About the author
Charles Todd
92 books3,359 followersCharles Todd is the pen name used by the mother-and-son writing team, Caroline Todd and Charles Todd. Together they write the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Series. They have published two standalone mystery novels and many short stories.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 30, 2020
An Ian Rutledge story could never be really bad, but this one just didn't quite make the cut. I should confess that I don't really like short stories , so it would be difficult to find one I really liked anyway. This one wasn't long enough to develop the storyline, and the writer(s) actually FORGOT Hamish!
March 7, 2015
What can I say but that I wish it were longer.
This story is clever as are all those by the writing team of Charles Todd but it is truly a gem. You spoil us with these occasional bits of light and thank you so very much.
This story is clever as are all those by the writing team of Charles Todd but it is truly a gem. You spoil us with these occasional bits of light and thank you so very much.
September 5, 2022
3.5 stars
In 1920's London, a 12 year old girl is kidnapped as her and her father leave a dinner party. Inspector Rutledge solves the case, as he knows someone is lying.
In 1920's London, a 12 year old girl is kidnapped as her and her father leave a dinner party. Inspector Rutledge solves the case, as he knows someone is lying.
July 30, 2021
An Inspector Rutledge short story, this was cleverly written, an entertaining read, and an easy stand-alone intro to Rutledge requiring no background knowledge of the character who forms the backbone of the series that carries his name. I can attest to those facts - I’ve never read a Rutledge novel and found this story quite diverting. If the other short story in the volume I have is equally as good (“Cold Comfort”), I may read the first book in the series. I’m intrigued.
January 13, 2013
I highly recommend any of the Ian Rutledge mysteries by Charles Todd. All of them are well written and the "who done it" keeps you guessing. The main character Ian Rutledge is a shell shocked soldier that survived world war 1 and returns to his job with Scotland Yard. He is a highly likable character.
July 5, 2015
"The Kidnapping," is a short story from the Ian Rutledge series. It shows Ruthledge at his best solving a crime by his wits and brainpower. He can't have all cases that last for weeks or months. Some are short, lasting only a few hours. There is no mention of Hamish in this story. Takes less that a few hours to read because half of the download is a preview of his next book.
December 9, 2011
It was a short read as it was a short story, but it was still very good. I really love this series. I'm so glad I found it.
January 16, 2013
A good short story, but not really a conflation to the series.
July 7, 2017
Thin and predictable.
March 8, 2022
Extremely Short Story!
This is a 12-page short story. A man comes into Scotland Yard at night insisting to meet with an inspector. He refuses to provide any information to the desk sergeant, and barges into the office where he runs into Inspector Rutledge, who has night duty. He has been mugged, and his daughter has been kidnapped. The perpetrators were the cab driver and two accomplices, who have beaten and kicked the victim before forcing his daughter into the cab and driving away.
He tells Rutledge how he and his daughter had been guests of the Lowery family for dinner, where another guest, Miss Abernathy, regaled everybody with stories of her growing up in Kenya, Africa. After entering the victim's apartment and seeing how it had been ransacked, Rutledge and the victim visit the Lowery home and speak with the hosts. They are told about the other guests and where they are staying. Rutledge decides to visit Miss Abernathy at her hotel room, so he and the victim travel there and solve the case within minutes.
The story is well-written, but short at only twelve pages. It is more a means for an excerpt from the authors' next novel to be presented to readers in the hope of stimulating more sales, apparently. Still, I enjoyed it and award four stars. I was going to read the next novel, anyway.
This is a 12-page short story. A man comes into Scotland Yard at night insisting to meet with an inspector. He refuses to provide any information to the desk sergeant, and barges into the office where he runs into Inspector Rutledge, who has night duty. He has been mugged, and his daughter has been kidnapped. The perpetrators were the cab driver and two accomplices, who have beaten and kicked the victim before forcing his daughter into the cab and driving away.
He tells Rutledge how he and his daughter had been guests of the Lowery family for dinner, where another guest, Miss Abernathy, regaled everybody with stories of her growing up in Kenya, Africa. After entering the victim's apartment and seeing how it had been ransacked, Rutledge and the victim visit the Lowery home and speak with the hosts. They are told about the other guests and where they are staying. Rutledge decides to visit Miss Abernathy at her hotel room, so he and the victim travel there and solve the case within minutes.
The story is well-written, but short at only twelve pages. It is more a means for an excerpt from the authors' next novel to be presented to readers in the hope of stimulating more sales, apparently. Still, I enjoyed it and award four stars. I was going to read the next novel, anyway.
March 20, 2020
I think the cardinal rule of a "proper" mystery is that the story line contains all the clues needed to solve the mystery or you follow along as the detective / protagonist discovers the guilty person / persons. I knew that the dinner party story about the springbok and Kenya had to be significant, but I don't know enough African geography or locations of animals to know how. Rutledge asks the order of people leaving the party. He is told, but we are not. Not fair. Though I am a big fan of Ian Rutledge, I did not like this episode. Kristi & Abby Tabby
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2017
I've read several of the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd and have wanted to read teh Inspector Rutledge, so I chose this book, which is really more of a short story. It did not impress me at all, thin plot, not much character development, and an easily solvable mystery. Hope the rest of the series is better.
May 24, 2020
A Rutledge Novella. Father and daughter are victims of a well-planned targeted crime. Upon hailing a London Cab the daughter is kidnapped by two accomplices when they arrive home and spirited away in the stolen cab.
December 21, 2020
Pleased to find Rutledge
It is always a pleasure to find a well-written story. A story that entertains as well as teaches. An excellent diversion from the tension, anxiety and grief of 2020.
It is always a pleasure to find a well-written story. A story that entertains as well as teaches. An excellent diversion from the tension, anxiety and grief of 2020.
March 6, 2022
It's the character of Ian Rutledge that keeps me coming back to read another story. Although this was a short read, it kept me captivated. It's fascinating the schooling that Ian retains that helped him solve the kidnapping.
May 27, 2024
Quick, satisfying read
How much can you say about short story? There’s a crime, and Rutledge deduces that the clues lend themselves to one probability. Perhaps the reader can make the same deductions, but satisfying all the same.
How much can you say about short story? There’s a crime, and Rutledge deduces that the clues lend themselves to one probability. Perhaps the reader can make the same deductions, but satisfying all the same.
May 6, 2017
a very short story
March 18, 2018
Short story. I enjoyed it.
June 18, 2018
Short Story
July 19, 2018
An exciting short story with Inspector Rutledge investigating a bizarre kidnapping. No sign of Rutledge's ghost colleague, Hamish, to help him. Entertaining reading.
November 12, 2018
It's a rather quick to solve mystery that is just like Inspector Ian Rutledge. I'm glad there was no melancholy.
December 29, 2018
A Good Rutledge Short
This is a good Ian Rutledge short story. It is so fast paced that Hamish doesn’t make an appearance in Ian’s mind. But I prefer the novels.
This is a good Ian Rutledge short story. It is so fast paced that Hamish doesn’t make an appearance in Ian’s mind. But I prefer the novels.
April 16, 2019
A short story of Todd's and while it was great it didn't have the character and plot development of his other books.
May 2, 2019
As an introduction to Inspector Ian Rutledge, this novella served very well.
June 9, 2019
Pretty short, with no real red herrings, but nice to see the inspector at work in an easy case.
August 5, 2019
Good novella
April 15, 2020
A bizarre little interlude. A little slapdash too all things considered but it is a short story (very short!) Anyway it's fun, I can't complain and it took no time at all to read it.
October 6, 2020
Just one little short story, then promotional first chapters of other books.
Beware the ".5 book"
Beware the ".5 book"
November 29, 2020
Okay story.
February 28, 2021
Short but satisfying!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews