AUGUST 2014 - AudioFile
Rosalyn Landor's male voices are impressive and much in demand in nurse Bess Crawford's sixth outing. WWI is nearing its end, and Bess is asked to assist badly wounded Sergeant Wilkins to collect his medal from Buckingham Palace. Wilkins absconds from his hotel room after the ceremony, and Bess finds herself accused of aiding a deserter. Determined to clear her name, she sets out to track the missing man. Landor captures the tone of the period accurately but subtly, and in dialogue she juggles British regional variations and class distinctions with ease. Although it’s part of a well-established series, this title can be enjoyed by those new to it. C.A.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
06/16/2014
Why would a decorated WWI veteran desert just after being honored by the king? That’s the question posed by Agatha-winner Todd’s absorbing sixth Bess Crawford whodunit (after 2013’s A Question of Honor). In the autumn of 1918, Bess, an experienced battlefield nurse, accompanies wounded Sgt. Jason Wilkins to Buckingham Palace, where he receives a medal from George V. After the ceremony, Bess agrees to let Wilkins have some time to himself to entertain friends, a choice she regrets after finding that he has bolted the London hotel where they were both staying. Given two week’s official leave for her perceived negligence, Bess is determined to track Wilkins down and ascertain why he used her in his scheme. The murder of a man in the north of England, with Wilkins the prime suspect, complicates her efforts. As usual, Todd (the mother-son writing team of Caroline and Charles Todd) effectively depicts the psychological effects of war, though the resolution doesn’t do justice to the opening puzzle. Agent: Jane Chelius, Jane Chelius Literary Agency. (Aug.)
From the Publisher
Praise for the Ian Rutledge series: “I love series that follow particular characters over time and through their experiences, so I automatically read the latest installments from ... Charles Todd.” — Hillary Rodham Clinton, New York Times Book Review
“Highly recommended for fans of wartime mysteries, plucky women sleuths like Maisie Dobbs, and the Downton Abbey television series.” — Library Journal
“Todd’s novels are known for compelling plotting with a thoughtful whodunit aspect, rich characterization, evocative prose, and haunting atmosphere.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch
Praise for An Unmarked Grave: “Vivid period mystery series.” — New York Times Book Review on AN UNMARKED GRAVE
‘Todd has a sharp eye for scene and character, and he surrounds his leading lady with a lively cast.” — Washington Times
“A masterpiece of imagination.” — New York Times bestselling author Lee Child on the Ian Rutledge series
“A smartly plotted, well-told mystery.” — Booklist on An Impartial Witness
“An Unmarked Grave gives the reader everything they could wish for in a book.” — Bestsellersworld.com
“With every installment, Bess’ stature as a heroine to cherish soars.” — Tampa Tribune
“Well-rounded, believable characters, a mutilayered plot solidly based on human nature, all authentically set in the England of 1917, make A Bitter Truth an outstanding and riveting read.” — Stephanie Laurens, New York Times bestselling author
“An intricate plot populated by superbly drawn characters, not least of whom is the captivating and courageous Bess. With seamless prose, “An Unwilling Accomplice” — like all of Todd’s work — offers a moving portrait of war’s physical and emotional devastation.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch on AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE
“[AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE] truly surprises and takes the series to a whole new level of complexity.” — Bookreporter.com
“With careful attention to such details and a gift for story telling, the Todd team has mastered the art of the historical mystery in the series set in the tragic days of the First World War.” — Iron Mountain Daily News on AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE
“Bess is a character with depth and complexity, an army nurse during that awful war, so, like that series, not only intricate mysteries but engrossing historical fiction.’ — SCDemocrat.com on AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE
New York Times bestselling author Lee Child on the Ian Rutledge series
A masterpiece of imagination.
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Praise for the Ian Rutledge series: “I love series that follow particular characters over time and through their experiences, so I automatically read the latest installments from ... Charles Todd.
Washington Times
‘Todd has a sharp eye for scene and character, and he surrounds his leading lady with a lively cast.
Bestsellersworld.com
An Unmarked Grave gives the reader everything they could wish for in a book.
Booklist on An Impartial Witness
A smartly plotted, well-told mystery.
Tampa Tribune
With every installment, Bess’ stature as a heroine to cherish soars.
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Todd’s novels are known for compelling plotting with a thoughtful whodunit aspect, rich characterization, evocative prose, and haunting atmosphere.
New York Times Book Review on AN UNMARKED GRAVE
Praise for An Unmarked Grave: “Vivid period mystery series.
Stephanie Laurens
Well-rounded, believable characters, a mutilayered plot solidly based on human nature, all authentically set in the England of 1917, make A Bitter Truth an outstanding and riveting read.
SCDemocrat.com on AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE
Bess is a character with depth and complexity, an army nurse during that awful war, so, like that series, not only intricate mysteries but engrossing historical fiction.’
Bookreporter.com
[AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE] truly surprises and takes the series to a whole new level of complexity.
Iron Mountain Daily News on AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE
With careful attention to such details and a gift for story telling, the Todd team has mastered the art of the historical mystery in the series set in the tragic days of the First World War.
Richmond Times-Dispatch on AN UNWILLING ACCOMPLICE
An intricate plot populated by superbly drawn characters, not least of whom is the captivating and courageous Bess. With seamless prose, “An Unwilling Accomplice” — like all of Todd’s work — offers a moving portrait of war’s physical and emotional devastation.
AUGUST 2014 - AudioFile
Rosalyn Landor's male voices are impressive and much in demand in nurse Bess Crawford's sixth outing. WWI is nearing its end, and Bess is asked to assist badly wounded Sergeant Wilkins to collect his medal from Buckingham Palace. Wilkins absconds from his hotel room after the ceremony, and Bess finds herself accused of aiding a deserter. Determined to clear her name, she sets out to track the missing man. Landor captures the tone of the period accurately but subtly, and in dialogue she juggles British regional variations and class distinctions with ease. Although it’s part of a well-established series, this title can be enjoyed by those new to it. C.A.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-07-31
A runaway soldier forces nursing sister Bess Crawford to find a killer and clear her name during World War I.Home from the battlefront on a three-day leave, Bess gets a puzzling assignment. Sgt. Jason Wilkins, a wounded soldier she doesn't know, asks her to push his wheelchair when he receives a medal from King George at Buckingham Palace. Nor can she figure out why Wilkins wants her, instead of an orderly, to attend him afterward. The reasons become clearer when he goes missing: An orderly would have stayed the night in his room, whereas Bess, for delicacy's sake, left him in privacy. Because of her accidental dereliction of duty to Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Services, Bess is given two weeks' leave, which she uses to search for Wilkins. While on his trail, she learns that he's now on the run because he's been accused of murdering a man. Sgt. Maj. Simon Brandon, former personal servant to Bess' father, insists on accompanying her in her quest to learn whether Wilkins is masquerading as a wounded major who tends to wander and shoot at people because he thinks he's escaping from the Germans. Bess isn't sure whether the major is Wilkins, who also had a head wound and was so heavily bandaged—more bandaged than he needed to be—that Bess never got a good look at his face. A third veteran on the loose and the human dramas she encounters along the way add to Bess' challenges in finding Wilkins and absolving herself of unwitting complicity in the murder. Bess' sixth case recycles two motifs from her fifth (A Question of Honor, 2013): confused identity and blighted honor. Despite all the convenient happenstance and all the wounded veterans roaming the English countryside, Bess' courage and determination triumph over all.
