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An Unmarked Grave (Bess Crawford #4)
by Charles Todd (Goodreads Author)
by Charles Todd (Goodreads Author)
Michael's review
bookshelves: 110-books-in-2012-and-do-it-again, advanced-copy-review, family-relationships, free-book-for-honest-review, historical, mystery, read-in-2012, reviewed, series, wwi
May 20, 12
bookshelves: 110-books-in-2012-and-do-it-again, advanced-copy-review, family-relationships, free-book-for-honest-review, historical, mystery, read-in-2012, reviewed, series, wwi
Read on May 20, 2012
In a military ward in France in 1918, the Spanish Influenza is killing as many soldiers as are dying in battle. The medical staff tries their best but as some of them also succomb to the disease, it appears to be a losing battle as more and more bodies are carried out to await burial.
Battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is asked by an orderly to look at one of the bodies. She sees Maj. Carson has been murdered and recognizes him as a family friend. Before she can report it, she's a victim to the disease and evacuated to England.
Being a courageous person, when she returns to France, she tries to inquire about the man's death. Back in England she had been told that the major died from shrapnal wounds. She is informed that the orderly who informed her about Maj. Carson became depressed and committed suicide.
Bess won't let this sit because she understands human reactions and the orderly didn't seem like a person who would committ suicide. To get answers, she uses her persuasive ability and visits people in England when she's on leave. She wants to see if what happened in France made sense. Unknowingly, she also becomes a target.
The story is well written and painstakingly plotted with some surprises and keen psychological insights into the characters.
Battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is asked by an orderly to look at one of the bodies. She sees Maj. Carson has been murdered and recognizes him as a family friend. Before she can report it, she's a victim to the disease and evacuated to England.
Being a courageous person, when she returns to France, she tries to inquire about the man's death. Back in England she had been told that the major died from shrapnal wounds. She is informed that the orderly who informed her about Maj. Carson became depressed and committed suicide.
Bess won't let this sit because she understands human reactions and the orderly didn't seem like a person who would committ suicide. To get answers, she uses her persuasive ability and visits people in England when she's on leave. She wants to see if what happened in France made sense. Unknowingly, she also becomes a target.
The story is well written and painstakingly plotted with some surprises and keen psychological insights into the characters.
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Brenda
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May 21, 2012 06:12pm
Mike, this sounds like an interesting read, I will certainly check it out.
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I have never read any of the Bess Crawford Mysteries until I came across An Unmarked Grave and could not put it down.Battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is asked to look at a body that is naked and she immediately recognizes him as a family fried. Unfortunately since the Spanish influenza is killing many people Nurse Crawford comes down with it before she can further investigate it.
When she is recovering she is told the person who showed her the body hard committed suicide and she does not believe that is the truth.
On her own she has decided this investigation must continue to clear this orderlies name and also to find out how and why the officer who had served in her fathers regiment is dead.
She is one of the bravest and most dedicated nurses I have ever read about in a story and will now read all of the Bess Crawford books as I am hooked and thought it was a fantastic read.
