Though the Great War has ended, Bess Crawford finds herself caught in deadly circumstances on a remote Welsh headland in this tenth entry from the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author.
The fighting has ended, the Armistice signed, but the war has left wounds that are still agonizingly raw. Battlefield Nurse Bess Crawford has been assigned to a clinic for amputees, and the Welsh patients … for amputees, and the Welsh patients worry her. She does her best to help them, but it’s clear that they have nothing to go home to, in a valley where only the fit can work in the coal pits. When they are released, she fears that peace will do what war couldn’t—take their lives.
Their officer, Captain Williams, writes to describe their despair, and his own at trying to save his men. Bess feels compelled to look into their situation, but the Army and the clinic can do nothing. Requesting leave, she quietly travels to Wales, and that bleak coal mining village, but she is too late.
Captain Williams’ sister tells Bess he has left the valley. Bess is afraid he intends to kill himself. She follows him to an isolated, storm-battered peninsula—a harsh and forgotten place where secrets and death go hand in hand. Deserted by her frightened driver, Bess is stranded among strangers suspicious of outsiders. She quickly discovers these villagers are hiding something, and she’s learned too much to be allowed to leave. What’s more, no one in England knows where she is.
Why is there no Constable out here? And who is the mysterious Ellen? Captain Williams and his brother’s widow are her only allies, and Bess must take care not to put them at risk as she tries to find answers. But there is a murderer here who is driven to kill again and again. And the next person in his sights is Simon Brandon, searching for Bess and unaware of his danger. . . .
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A Bess Crawford mystery set in an insular area where weather and terrain limit contact with the rest of England. Remembering that this took place a hundred years ago makes it easier to understand how attitudes and mistrust develop and legends become facts. A steady read with distinctive characters. I like the time period, immediately after WWI.
4.5/5
It was so great to get back into this series that I’ve fallen a little behind on! I had forgotten how much I had missed Bess and her adventures. And while this one did not boast a lot of “action”, there was a “creepy”, dark edge to it that I thoroughly loved. I found myself hating to put it down.
The war has recently ended, but Bess is still nursing soldiers and takes a leave to a remote location to check up on some Welsh former patients she feared were giving up hope as they were returning home in their minds as “broken” men.
There’s isolation, buried treasure, greed, a menacing and eccentric group of villagers and more than one mystery to solve here. And while I didn’t miss the lack of “action”, I did think it could have been a bit less lengthy with a little more time spent with the wrap-up. Still loved it!
Kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering if Bess Crawford was going to be able to extricate herself from her predicament. One of the better reads.
WW1 overshadows everything this author write, has become to dark.
This is a favorite of mine.
CharlesTodd is the Author
I am a fan of all Todd books. While Ian Rutledge is my #1, I have come to be a fan of Bess Crawford as well. This story does have a tragic element in dealing with the terrible aftermath of WWI in England, but it is realistic and worth getting to know this heroine. One impression: the writing isn’t quite as sharp as usual.
Dragged. The first few books of this series were better. The latter go more slowly and Bess seems more dependent on the opinions of men.
Anything Charles Todd writes is excellent. Great mystery with twists and turns. I’ve read all his books.
This series is one of my favorites, Bess and her family feel like friends.
The usual masterful and wonderful talent of the “Todds.” Easily the best of the genre writing today.
I’ve read and enjoyed a number of Charles Todd’s books and I have enjoyed each one. I would recommend this entire series.
Excellent portrayal of what happened to WW1 soldiers who were injured and not able to return to their lives and professions they had prior to the war. Good mystery intertwined with historical context
This series is set during and after World War I. I enjoy historical fiction and this series is very interesting because it immerses the reader in war times. The characters are interesting and we’ll developed.
The latest chapter in the Bess Crawford series. WWI is over. Bess goes to check on some former patients and is stranded in an isolated Welsh village – with a secret it wishes to keep.
Anything this author writes, I will read. Always good plots and characters and I love the time period. Always learn a lot. Keep them coming!
Though a little slower than the Inspector Rutledge series, this series nonetheless gives wonderful insights into WWI and small English towns. And you hardly ever know who did it!
This book follows the continuing story of the heroine. It paints a realistic portrait of the end of the Great War and the continuing consequences in the lives of people and families. It also reveals the attitudes held toward those who were conscientious objectors. The plot contains unexpected twists and turns that maintain the suspense until the end of a well-written book.
WWI might be over, but its legacy remains with the injured men who try to make sense of their new lives, their families who have to take care of them, and a country that isn’t prepared to deal with them all.
Into this we have Bess Crawford, a very conscientious nurse, trying to help some of the men in her charge adjust.
It isn’t easy for anyone, and the option of suicide is always lucking in the wings.
This is a powerful series with well developed characters, both the ongoing ones and the new ones. We care about them and understand some, at least, of Bess’ motivation.
It is a marvelous and heartrending story.
I collect Charles Todd books (among other authors) and have never been disappointed with any of them. Charles Todd is actually a mother and son team who collaboratively write the books.