World War I battlefield nurse Bess Crawford goes to dangerous lengths to investigate a wounded soldier’s background—and uncover his true loyalties—in this thrilling and atmospheric entry in the bestselling “vivid period mystery series” (New York Times Book Review).At the foot of a tree shattered by shelling and gunfire, stretcher-bearers find an exhausted officer, shivering with cold and a loss … shivering with cold and a loss of blood from several wounds. The soldier is brought to battlefield nurse Bess Crawford’s aid station, where she stabilizes him and treats his injuries before he is sent to a rear hospital. The odd thing is, the officer isn’t British—he’s French. But in a moment of anger and stress, he shouts at Bess in German.
When Bess reports the incident to Matron, her superior offers a ready explanation. The soldier is from Alsace-Lorraine, a province in the west where the tenuous border between France and Germany has continually shifted through history, most recently in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, won by the Germans. But is the wounded man Alsatian? And if he is, on which side of the war do his sympathies really lie?
Of course, Matron could be right, but Bess remains uneasy—and unconvinced. If he was a French soldier, what was he doing so far from his own lines . . . and so close to where the Germans are putting up a fierce, last-ditch fight?
When the French officer disappears in Paris, it’s up to Bess—a soldier’s daughter as well as a nurse—to find out why, even at the risk of her own life.more
I really like the bess Crawford character and the stories of her experiences during ww1. I’ve read all the previous novels and look forward to the next.
Enjoy Bess Crawford character and how she approaches problems. These/This author/s is brilliant at surrounding me with the time, place, smells and feelings of this terrible time in history.
I think the Todds have created a much more interesting character in Ian Rutledge than in Bess Crawford, but I’ll read the Bess Crawford books anyway.
I like historical mysteries. This series is good, based in WW1.
I have not read a bad Charles Todd book yet! They are hard to put down.
Another solid entry in the series. I did however miss her parents and Simon in this one. She was pretty much on her own (except for the American, Captain Barkley) in Paris solving basically two mysteries this time…a spy caper and an 18-year-old multiple murder case. My, that Bess is a very busy girl!
4/5
I love Bess Crawford. She is a compassionate, strong willed woman in an era that challenges a woman’s place in the world. Always well written, wonderful character, and an intriguing plot.
I’ve come to enjoy Bess and her completely impossible dilemmas, and to learn a great deal about what History books didn’t tell me about WW-1, and women’s role(s). Started with Todd’s damaged hero and happened upon Bess. So glad I did.
I especially like the work of the mother-son team that writes under the name Charles Todd both for their psychological insight and complexity as well as the period detail of early twentieth century Britain.
CharlesTodd is the Author
I enjoyed the story, the characters, the setting–end of World War I, the mystery; however, this was an audiobook listen/read for me, and I could not stand the narrator, Rosalyn Landor, because her attempts at reading male voices lacked great ability. Often times, it sounded like mumbling; others, like food was stuck in her mouth while she was trying to talk. As a result, I listened to the story in spurts and had to re-listen to excerpts, because I wasn’t paying attention. Thankfully, my Mom had a paperback version, so I would re-read the parts that were difficult to hear.
Espionage, murder, secret missions, shootings, and stabbings all abound in this tale of intrigue. Sister Bess Crawford seeks to discover more about a ragtag soldier adorned in a tattered French uniform shouting German and that opens a Pandora’s Box of past murders, ancestries, and betrayal. Todd writes another strong story that keeps readers thinking and the plot moving, but I will avoid titles with Landor as the narrator in the future.
I enjoy Todd’s mysteries. Not always a surprise , but I like his characters, and the historical setting
At the foot of a tree shattered by shelling and gunfire, stretcher-bearers find an exhausted officer, shivering with cold and a loss of blood from several wounds. The soldier is brought to battlefield nurse Bess Crawford’s aid station, where she stabilizes him and treats his injuries before he is sent to a rear hospital. The odd thing is, the officer isn’t British—he’s French. But in a moment of anger and stress, he shouts at Bess in German.
Is the officer a German spy? This story will keep you guessing until the end as to who the officer is, and what side he is on.
Love this series.
Charles Todd writes about history and brings the era into life along with characters I have become invested in and wait impatiently for the next book!
I stayed up almost all night reading. Great plot and characters.
Great book from a great autbor, who never disappoints. Loved the plot andf chsracters!
I enjoyed this book–it is jam-packed with twists and turns and great characters.
Another winner from the Charles Todd writing duo.
not nearly as good IMO as others of this series that I’ve read