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| Caroline Todd | |
Caroline Todd, who wrote several bestselling series with her son Charles under the pen name Charles Todd, died on August 28.
One series starred a detective--Inspector Ian Rutledge--who had to make his own decisions and live with his own conscience, and the other featured a battlefield nurse--Bess Crawford--who would be considered brave and independent in any era.
Todd and her son published the first book in the Ian Rutledge series, A Test of Wills, in 1996. The book won the Barry Award from Deadly Pleasures mystery magazine and was nominated for the John Creasey Award in the U.K., the Edgar Award, and the Anthony Award. The Independent Mystery Booksellers Association named A Test of Wills one of the 100 favorite mysteries of the 20th Century, and it was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
The team published more than 30 titles, including two stand-alone novels, an anthology of short stories and more than 20 short stories. Their works have received the Mary Higgins Clark, Agatha, and Barry awards along with nominations for the Anthony, Edgar, and Dagger awards. The next Ian Rutledge novel, A Game of Fear, and the next Bess Crawford novel were completed before Todd's death and will be published by Morrow next year.
Emily Krump, Todd's editor at William Morrow, said, "It was a privilege and honor to work with Caroline Todd. Her knowledge of World War I Britain was encyclopedic. Her understanding of story and tension was masterful. But it was her deep empathy for her characters that brought Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford to life over so many books. Caroline was classy, funny, and kind, and I will miss her as much as her readers will."
She traveled extensively in Britain exploring the history of the small villages, visiting battlefields, clambering over period tanks and even flew in a World War I type aircraft. When she wasn't writing, she was traveling the world, gardening or painting in oils. She also had a deep love of animals and supported pet adoptions and dogs for veterans.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. The family has designated Faithful Friends for memorial contributions.