Cold Comfort

In 1915, Lieutenant Ian Rutledge is temporarily attached to sappers tunnelling beneath the German lines. After a charge fails to explode, Rutledge and a private return underground and narrowly escape when the tunnel detonates. The private then claims that two experienced Welsh miners deliberately set the fuse to kill him, placing Rutledge in the difficult position of investigating attempted murder during an active battle.

The novella uses the specialized and terrifying work of military tunnellers, where technical error and enemy action were constant possibilities. Proving criminal intent is almost impossible when every man is already exposed to death and discipline must be maintained. The case shows Rutledge applying police instincts before the later trauma that will define his return to Scotland Yard.