Watchers Of Time

“If anyone can turn a simple village mystery into a brooding Greek tragedy, it’s Charles Todd. . . . Todd handles grave issues with great compassion”—The New York Times Book Review In a marshy Norfolk backwater, a priest is brutally murdered after giving a dying man last rites. For Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge, an ex-officer still recovering from the trauma of war, it looks to be a simple case. Yet the Inspector finds himself uncovering secrets that the local authorities would prefer not to see explored. Rutledge pares away layers of deception to piece together a chain of events that stretches from the brooding marshes to one of the greatest sea disasters in history—the sinking of the Titanic. Who is the mysterious woman who may have boarded that ship—and who is the secretive woman who survived it? Only Rutledge can answer those questions . . . and prevent a killer who’ll stop at nothing from striking again. Praise for Watchers of Time “One of the best historical series being written today . . . In the grand tradition of English murder mysteries.”—The Washington Post Book World “With his tortured detective Ian Rutledge and the ghost who inhabits his mind . . . Charles Todd has swiftly become one of the most respected writers in the mystery genre. . . . The pair is unique among sleuths.”—The Denver Post “Outstanding. Todd’s portrait of Rutledge and postwar England remains powerful.”—Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

A dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge in Hunting Shadows, a gripping and atmospheric historical mystery set in 1920s England, from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd. A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description of the killer is so strange its unbelievable. Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge has few answers of his own. The victims are so different that there is no rhyme or reason to their deaths. Nothing logically seems to connect them—except the killer. As the investigation widens, a clear suspect emerges. But for Rutledge, the facts still don’t add up, leaving him to question his own judgment. In going over the details of the case, Rutledge is reminded of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. While the memory could lead him to the truth, it also raises a prickly dilemma. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective choose to follow the letter—or the spirit—of the law?

“Todd has written a first novel that speaks out, urgently and compassionately, for a long-dead generation….A meticulously wrought puzzle.” —New York Times Book Review “An intricately plotted mystery. With this remarkable debut, Charles Todd breaks new ground in the historical crime novel.” —Peter Lovesey, author of The Circle “You’re going to love Todd.” —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly The first novel to feature war-damaged Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge, A Test of Wills is the book that brought author Charles Todd into the spotlight. This Edgar® and Anthony Award-nominated, New York Times Notable mystery brilliantly evokes post-World War I Great Britain and introduces readers to one of crime fiction’s most compelling series protagonists. Here the shell-shocked Rutledge struggles to retain his fragile grip on sanity while investigating the death of a popular army colonel, murdered, it appears, by a decorated war hero with ties to the Royal Family. A phenomenal writer, a twisting puzzle, a character-rich re-creation of an extraordinary time and place…it all adds up to one exceptional read that will delight fans of Elizabeth George, Martha Grimes, Jacqueline Winspear, Ruth Rendell, and other masters of the British procedural.

“If anyone can turn a simple village mystery into a brooding Greek tragedy, it’s Charles Todd. . . . Todd handles grave issues with great compassion”—The New York Times Book Review In a marshy Norfolk backwater, a priest is brutally murdered after giving a dying man last rites. For Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge, an ex-officer still recovering from the trauma of war, it looks to be a simple case. Yet the Inspector finds himself uncovering secrets that the local authorities would prefer not to see explored. Rutledge pares away layers of deception to piece together a chain of events that stretches from the brooding marshes to one of the greatest sea disasters in history—the sinking of the Titanic. Who is the mysterious woman who may have boarded that ship—and who is the secretive woman who survived it? Only Rutledge can answer those questions . . . and prevent a killer who’ll stop at nothing from striking again. Praise for Watchers of Time “One of the best historical series being written today . . . In the grand tradition of English murder mysteries.”—The Washington Post Book World “With his tortured detective Ian Rutledge and the ghost who inhabits his mind . . . Charles Todd has swiftly become one of the most respected writers in the mystery genre. . . . The pair is unique among sleuths.”—The Denver Post “Outstanding. Todd’s portrait of Rutledge and postwar England remains powerful.”—Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

Venture at your own risk into a realm where the sun sinks into oblivion–and all that is unholy, unearthly, and unspeakable rises. These rare, hard-to-find collaborations of cosmic terror are back in print, including • Wentworth’s Day A fellow figures his debt to a dead man is null and void, until he discovers just how terrifying interest rates can be. • The Shuttered Room A sophisticated gentleman must settle his grandfather’s estate, only to find that the house shelters dark secrets. • The Dark Brotherhood A beautiful woman and her companion meet the likes of Edgar Allan Poe, in a tale as terrifying as anything Poe himself ever created. • Innsmouth Clay A sculptor returns from Paris to create a statue not entirely of this world–and not at all under his control. • Witches’ Hollow A new schoolteacher puts his soul in peril while trying to save one of his students from a ravenous creature.

About the Book What if the fate of humanity depended on the relationship that developed between an obscure martial arts instructor and an insecure teenage girl? And what if they never met? Imagine you had never met your mentor, who guided you through your young years, or your friend who stood by you through difficult times. Your life may have turned out quite different if people had not been there to offer advice and support. These things seem trivial in the grand scheme of the world, but let us put the philosophy on a historical level. The Time Watchers shows us all these events would have had a dramatic change in the world’s history had the outcome been different. Yet all of them were dependent on decisions made by people who could have chosen another way. About the Author F. Henry Peters is on the Board of Directors for his Homeowners Association.

After the banishment from Eden, Satan works to deceive the sons of Seth, the Sons of Heaven, also called the Watchers, into desiring the beautiful women among the descendants of Cain. The 200 male Watchers, led by Smazz covet the daughters of Cain, descending into debauchery and taking the women as their wives, producing giants, monsters of all kinds and human abominations called the Nephilim. When God covers the earth with floodwaters, the Sons of Heaven are taken in by Lucifer and become the fallen angels. Meanwhile, the remaining Watchers on Mt. Hermon, have also been changed following the great flood, their body structure and DNA permanently altered by God. Led by angel princes, these new Watchers are divided into twenty clans and instructed to worship and serve Adonai but forbidden to have contact with humans for the first twenty millennia. After that period, they venture into the world populated by millions of people to find and rid the earth of the Nephilim, doing battle and risking their lives in the process. In this fantasy novel, a group of beings blessed by God must make their way through the world and rid it of the creatures known as Nephilim in order to keep Gods creation safe.

In a world where shadows hold secrets and the ordinary hides the extraordinary, Ethan's life is irrevocably changed when he is visited by a strange being, awakening within him a mysterious power. With a single touch, Ethan can see the world through the eyes of others, revealing their deepest fears, insecurities, and the hidden truths that shape their lives. But this newfound ability comes with a heavy burden. As Ethan navigates the challenges of his awakening powers, he discovers that he is not alone. There exists a secretive underground network of people with supernatural abilities—people who have been watching over the world from the shadows, protecting it from unseen threats. Yet, not all who wield these powers do so with good intentions. Ethan finds himself caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse, pursued by a rogue Watcher determined to stop him from uncovering the truth. As Ethan delves deeper into the mysteries of his abilities, he uncovers a chilling secret: the world is on the brink of a catastrophic event known as the Phoenix Event, a cosmic reset that occurs every 138 years. With time running out, Ethan must learn to master his powers, form unlikely alliances, and confront the dark forces that seek to control the Phoenix Event for their own gain. But as he battles enemies both seen and unseen, Ethan realizes that the greatest danger may lie within the very people he has come to trust. "The Watchers" is a gripping tale of mystery, power, and the thin line between light and darkness. As Ethan's journey unfolds, he must confront not only the external threats that seek to destroy the world but also the internal demons that threaten to consume him. In a race against time, Ethan will discover that true strength lies not in his abilities, but in the bonds he forms with others—and that the fate of the world may rest in his hands. Join Ethan and the Watchers as they face impossible odds, uncover ancient secrets, and fight to protect a world teetering on the edge of destruction. Will they succeed, or will the shadows finally consume the light?