A Guid Soldier

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Graham Halstead

Set during Inspector Rutledge's time in the Great War, Charles Todd's short story introduces a born killer.

It's World War I, and young Glaswegian Dougal Kerr is a new recruit in the British army. Dougal has no family and no past, but his easygoing demeanor belies his cheerless upbringing. There's only one thing that gives Ian Rutledge pause: Dougal is very good at killing, and he doesn't seem to mind it at all -- in fact, he seems to relish it. In wartime, how does one tell the difference between a remorseless killer and "a guid soldier"?

"A Guid Soldier" by Charles Todd is one of 20 short stories within Mulholland Books's Strand Originals series, featuring thrilling stories by the biggest names in mystery from the Strand Magazine archives. View the full series list at mulhollandbooks.com and listen to them all!

The worst book I’ve ever read

This is a shockingly bad book. Horrible should be ashamed to try to publish it.

Short but with a punch

Charles Todd has a gift for showing how different wartime decisions are from our everyday choices. His is a hard punching story about what you do with a sociopath in war. It's chilling. But it's a good read.

Shocking disappointment!

I think I could arguably count myself as one of Charles Todd's MAJOR fans. I have read and listened to, and loved, every book this mother/son team has written. So without even wondering what this was about (though I did question its short length) I began listening and felt astonished to hear a brutal, cruel, psychological portrait of a sociopathic soldier.

It's certainly not that such a person has never been at the front, but it is so far from having had any of the usual redeeming value that the Todds have always put into their work, I could scarcely believe it was the same author.

I have their newest novel, the Ian Rutledge work, Racing the Devil, look forward to listening to it, and fully expect it to be the usual excellent work that is part history, part psychology, and always good character and plot development. I can't even fathom what made them write this 30 minute short work. If it had come from a different author, and had I been looking to read something of this ilk, then I would say it was well-written.

However, that is not the sort of book I look for, and feel shocked to have had my favorite authors put it out. There is certainly a case to be made that authors should branch out and try different things. But this short story was not worthy of the Todds. I assume they had their reasons for doing it, but I am really disappointed. It was a horrifying listen.

I hope they don’t use this narrator again

Aside from the length of this story not being worth a credit and something I could have written myself, the narrator was horrible. There should be someone involved with making sure there is correct pronunciation!!!!