HUNTING SHADOWS bored me, and I finished reading it only because it was a book group choice and I will be leading the group this month.

If you\\\'ve never read Charles Todd, as I hadn\\\'t, I would not suggest you start with this book, number 16 in a series. My friend started with number 1 and liked it. Perhaps it would have made a difference if I had read the series in order, but number 16 bored me so much that I don\\\'t want to read anymore of Todd\\\'s books.

The setting is various cities in England in 1920, shortly after World War I. Two murders and one attempted murder have occurred, and Scotland Yard\\\'s Inspector Ian Rutledge has been brought into the investigation. So we follow Rutledge (along with Hamish, who is never adequately explained in this 16th book in the series) as he tries to solve the murders, which seem to all be committed by one person.

But Rutledge encounters many suspects and many other characters along the way. It may be a trick for you to remember them all. Also, you will have to pay close attention to seemingly unimportant comments Rutledge makes early in the story; late in the book, he discovers what he wondered way back then.

This may be more interesting if you read the previous 15 books in the series first.