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Bess Crawford #3
A Bitter Truth
World War One battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is featured for a third time in
A Bitter Truth
. Bess reaches out to help an abused and frightened young woman, only to discover that no good deed ever goes unpunished when the good Samaritan nurse finds herself falsely accused of murder.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published August 30, 2011
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3108 people want to read
About the author
Charles Todd
112 books3,495 followersCharles Todd was the pen name used by the mother-and-son writing team, Caroline Todd and Charles Todd. Now, Charles writes the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Series. Charles Todd ha spublished three standalone mystery novels and many short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 767 reviews
June 12, 2016
Bess Crawford is on leave from the front when she stumbles over a woman outside her house. She takes pity on her and learns that the women has been struck by her husband and has fled to London. She slowly gains the woman's trust and learns that her name is Lydia and that her husband's name is Roger. Bess agrees to travel with her home to her house in the country. But this act of kindness will result in quite a lot of trouble as everyone in the household inclusive Bess will be suspected in a murder case.
Once again has Charles Todd written an engrossing historical novel with where Bess en up having to find out the truth. She must try to figure out why anyone would kill a houseguest, but this time, even she is a suspect. Prior to the man's death has he asked Roger at dinner about a child that looked like Julianna, Rogers little sister that died when she was just 6 years old. But who is the child in question and could that simple question really be the reason for his death?
As much as I enjoyed the book and the mystery was I also a bit puzzled why it all had to be such a hush-hush thing. When the truth finally was revealed about the child was not that overly surprised, I would have liked a more interesting and perhaps surprising mystery than that. I felt that the family mourning of Julianna was frankly a bit over-the-top sometimes that it could affect the present time that much. Yeah, it was tragical, and yeah she was a beautiful child. But sometimes the truth could perhaps save some heartache and time. Still I enjoyed finding out the truth even though it was a little let down that it wasn't that complex.
But the murders is all whole other story, I failed to realize who the murder was. It wasn't until Bess and Simon Brandon realized who it was and then everything made sense.
One thing that really pleased me (and confused me) was that Sergeant Lassiter Larimore has finally made his first entrance in this book series. I am a bit confused about the name of him since I read about him A Pattern of Lies where he was Sergeant Lassiter, but here is he called Sergeant Larimore. Could there really be two different Aussie Sergeants with the same trademark Kookaburra laughter?
I just have to read on to figure it out...
4.5 stars
Once again has Charles Todd written an engrossing historical novel with where Bess en up having to find out the truth. She must try to figure out why anyone would kill a houseguest, but this time, even she is a suspect. Prior to the man's death has he asked Roger at dinner about a child that looked like Julianna, Rogers little sister that died when she was just 6 years old. But who is the child in question and could that simple question really be the reason for his death?
As much as I enjoyed the book and the mystery was I also a bit puzzled why it all had to be such a hush-hush thing. When the truth finally was revealed about the child was not that overly surprised, I would have liked a more interesting and perhaps surprising mystery than that. I felt that the family mourning of Julianna was frankly a bit over-the-top sometimes that it could affect the present time that much. Yeah, it was tragical, and yeah she was a beautiful child. But sometimes the truth could perhaps save some heartache and time. Still I enjoyed finding out the truth even though it was a little let down that it wasn't that complex.
But the murders is all whole other story, I failed to realize who the murder was. It wasn't until Bess and Simon Brandon realized who it was and then everything made sense.
One thing that really pleased me (and confused me) was that Sergeant Lassiter Larimore has finally made his first entrance in this book series. I am a bit confused about the name of him since I read about him A Pattern of Lies where he was Sergeant Lassiter, but here is he called Sergeant Larimore. Could there really be two different Aussie Sergeants with the same trademark Kookaburra laughter?
I just have to read on to figure it out...
4.5 stars
March 4, 2013
So installment 3. Pretty good. A solid 4.
A few things I didn't like: 1) Lydia. Spoiled and making demands of Bess to stay or do things. Jesus woman, just say no. 2) Simon finds a connection between the dead that no one knew of creating motive for another character- how about a wee bit if foreshadowing? Otherwise it looks contrived for a different ending than the illogical mess that came before. 3) Give Bess a love life, a wee bit of romance in her life. Don't make her so flat and only driven by duty. 4) Either give Simon a more prominent role and take that some place, or have her family show up other than the occasional phone call. 5) Someone should hit roger in the face for being a rude asshole. Yeah he hit his wife once, and yes their reactions were appropriate for the era, but still make him at least a bit apologetic, instead of a total angry asshat, so we can believe at least a little bit that he isn't a total wife beating monster.
Like I said... A solid 4. Good but formulaic. Bess needs growth as a person and in her personal life, instead of randomly getting accidentally entwined/ inserted in someone else's mess. I mean, for the most part Bess was irrelevant to the story.
A few things I didn't like: 1) Lydia. Spoiled and making demands of Bess to stay or do things. Jesus woman, just say no. 2) Simon finds a connection between the dead that no one knew of creating motive for another character- how about a wee bit if foreshadowing? Otherwise it looks contrived for a different ending than the illogical mess that came before. 3) Give Bess a love life, a wee bit of romance in her life. Don't make her so flat and only driven by duty. 4) Either give Simon a more prominent role and take that some place, or have her family show up other than the occasional phone call. 5) Someone should hit roger in the face for being a rude asshole. Yeah he hit his wife once, and yes their reactions were appropriate for the era, but still make him at least a bit apologetic, instead of a total angry asshat, so we can believe at least a little bit that he isn't a total wife beating monster.
Like I said... A solid 4. Good but formulaic. Bess needs growth as a person and in her personal life, instead of randomly getting accidentally entwined/ inserted in someone else's mess. I mean, for the most part Bess was irrelevant to the story.
November 11, 2011
At the outset it is necessary to say that I have not read the first two Bess Crawford Mysteries so Bess' background and her relationship to Simon, who seems to appear anytime Bess is in dire straits, is not familiar to me. As a result I found the relationship confusing. But, even it I understood that aspect of the story, I would be hard-pressed to believe the whole basis of the book. That a war-time nursing sister would take in an abused woman in the middle of the night in London was a stretch for me, when the woman was a total stranger. But I put that aside and said to myself -- it is Christmas time, so therefore cold and dark and deserted and Bess is, after all, in the humanitarian business--so maybe. BUT, she then forgoes her visit to her worried parents on a holiday leave to travel with this stranger to the home of the woman's abusive spouse? And the spouse and his mother and grandmother and sister and brother-in-law to say nothing of the town's rector and doctor greet this stranger with open arms and reveal all kinds of family secrets seemingly easily was really stretching my ability to accept.
We are speaking upper society here, with a son who has supposedly swatted his wife in the face! A scandal if ever there was one. Nevermind, that Bess seems to have some pedigree of her own--she is a total stranger. This would never happen. Needless to say, having found this all very difficult to accept the multiple murders and the mystery of who dunnit was really secondary. About the only part that rang true for me was Bess' experiences in France, her meeting the Australian and maybe the nuns and the orphans for whom they were caring.
Since Charles Todd was lauded prominently on the dust cover as a New York Times Bestselling Author I stuck it out but won't run out to buy another of this authors' works any time soon. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't gripping either and I found I don't much care what happens to the characters.
We are speaking upper society here, with a son who has supposedly swatted his wife in the face! A scandal if ever there was one. Nevermind, that Bess seems to have some pedigree of her own--she is a total stranger. This would never happen. Needless to say, having found this all very difficult to accept the multiple murders and the mystery of who dunnit was really secondary. About the only part that rang true for me was Bess' experiences in France, her meeting the Australian and maybe the nuns and the orphans for whom they were caring.
Since Charles Todd was lauded prominently on the dust cover as a New York Times Bestselling Author I stuck it out but won't run out to buy another of this authors' works any time soon. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't gripping either and I found I don't much care what happens to the characters.
August 20, 2012
Charles Todd’s A Bitter Truth interweaves the vices of war with the failings of families into a psychologically and historically compelling mystery set in England in 1917. Bess Crawford, an intelligent and fearless nurse working on the front lines in France, comes home on leave to discover a frightened young woman with a bruised face hiding on the doorstep of her London flat. Unable by nature to leave the mysterious stranger out in the cold winter night, Bess convinces her to take shelter inside. Little does Bess know what a great deal of trouble she has brought into her life.
Charles Todd—who is actually a mother-son partnership made up of Caroline and Charles Todd—excels at keeping the war and its manifold repercussions and tragedies front and center even while much of the action takes place in England. Todd also portrays an extended family already traumatized before the war and now disintegrating under the war’s pressures. Bess finds herself unwillingly bound to this family through her initial concern for Lydia, the young woman on her doorstep and the possibility she needs to be protected from a violent marriage. That turns out to be only the first level of secrets and crimes that will be unveiled throughout.
You’re never sure whether those crimes and secrets arise from the war or whether they are connected to the private history of this one family. The interplay shows how, even far from the actual fighting, the war has torn apart even a small country town and its denizens. This is one of the most sophisticated critiques of the effects of war I’ve read—so subtle you won’t notice it while you’re enjoying the mystery, but its resonances will stay with you long after you finish reading.
This is the third of the Bess Crawford mysteries, preceded by A Duty to the Dead and An Impartial Witness. A fourth book in the series, An Unmarked Grave, is now available.
Charles Todd—who is actually a mother-son partnership made up of Caroline and Charles Todd—excels at keeping the war and its manifold repercussions and tragedies front and center even while much of the action takes place in England. Todd also portrays an extended family already traumatized before the war and now disintegrating under the war’s pressures. Bess finds herself unwillingly bound to this family through her initial concern for Lydia, the young woman on her doorstep and the possibility she needs to be protected from a violent marriage. That turns out to be only the first level of secrets and crimes that will be unveiled throughout.
You’re never sure whether those crimes and secrets arise from the war or whether they are connected to the private history of this one family. The interplay shows how, even far from the actual fighting, the war has torn apart even a small country town and its denizens. This is one of the most sophisticated critiques of the effects of war I’ve read—so subtle you won’t notice it while you’re enjoying the mystery, but its resonances will stay with you long after you finish reading.
This is the third of the Bess Crawford mysteries, preceded by A Duty to the Dead and An Impartial Witness. A fourth book in the series, An Unmarked Grave, is now available.
December 6, 2022
This is the third outing for Bess Crawford, the plucky British WWI battlefield nurse who ends up solving mysteries on the home front. Because it's a crowded field: Bess is the one who survived the sinking of the Britannic in the eastern Med, not the one who got caught up in a cult or the one who typed for Winston Churchill. Hope that helps.
Bess as a character is pretty good company; given that she's also the narrator, that helps a great deal. She's generally sensible, not overly squeamish, a capable nurse, and resourceful when called on to be. She belongs to an intact nuclear family and (so far) has no horrible tragedies in her background to bring her recurring trauma at inopportune moments. Her main quirk is an overgenerous heart that gets her into enough trouble to be worth writing about. All this makes her a reasonably normal person, not a bad thing when she's surrounded by villains and nutters.
The story? Bess does a good deed, which leads her to a blighted country house haunted by a large, unhappy family touched by the tragedy and madness of war and lugging an oversupply of secrets. A murder happens, everybody (including Bess) is a suspect, and Bess has to solve the crime to bring order to the universe.
That's a curiously unspecific description, isn't it? I have a reason: that's also the plot of the series opener, A Duty to the Dead . I don't mean that it's like the plot of the earlier book; I mean, it's essentially the same story set in a (marginally) different place with new names. Like the first book, Bess's prime suspect in A Bitter Truth is a handsome, brooding man who may be a brute or may simply be misunderstood. As before, Simon -- Bess's father's retainer from the Raj -- drops by conveniently to unload inside information that Bess would otherwise never have been able to suss out for herself; in other words, a plot cheat. Like the first book, the climax is a nighttime car chase across the moors in pursuit of a multiple murderer, right down to Bess having to illuminate the scene of the ultimate takedown with her car's headlights. And unfortunately, this one also has a perp who comes out of left field. To be fair, this one has a subplot involving the maybe-love child of one of the major characters (no, not Bess), which leads Bess on a tour of the ruins of northern France.
The recycled plot had me feeling around three stars about the proceedings. But then, the writing is smooth and quick to read (I finished the entire thing in an afternoon). The descriptions paint the settings and characters effectively without burning barrels of ink in the doing. The field hospital scenes get the gore and heartbreak across without descending into splatter porn. Had I read A Bitter Truth first, I would've been able to enjoy the story more as it would have been fresh to me. These saving graces bumped me up to 3.5 stars, which after some debate, I rounded up to four. So here we are.
A Bitter Truth is a competently written, traditional-ish murder mystery led by an engaging heroine. Its recycled plot and annoying tics knocked a star and a half off its rating. Then again, reusing plots is a staple of series writing, and plot shortcuts may be the price of getting the story done before the contract deadline, so these cavils may not be deal-breakers for you. If you like this one, there are thirteen more where this came from. For now, I'll move on to other series of the same ilk (why? it's homework) in search of different stories.
Bess as a character is pretty good company; given that she's also the narrator, that helps a great deal. She's generally sensible, not overly squeamish, a capable nurse, and resourceful when called on to be. She belongs to an intact nuclear family and (so far) has no horrible tragedies in her background to bring her recurring trauma at inopportune moments. Her main quirk is an overgenerous heart that gets her into enough trouble to be worth writing about. All this makes her a reasonably normal person, not a bad thing when she's surrounded by villains and nutters.
The story? Bess does a good deed, which leads her to a blighted country house haunted by a large, unhappy family touched by the tragedy and madness of war and lugging an oversupply of secrets. A murder happens, everybody (including Bess) is a suspect, and Bess has to solve the crime to bring order to the universe.
That's a curiously unspecific description, isn't it? I have a reason: that's also the plot of the series opener, A Duty to the Dead . I don't mean that it's like the plot of the earlier book; I mean, it's essentially the same story set in a (marginally) different place with new names. Like the first book, Bess's prime suspect in A Bitter Truth is a handsome, brooding man who may be a brute or may simply be misunderstood. As before, Simon -- Bess's father's retainer from the Raj -- drops by conveniently to unload inside information that Bess would otherwise never have been able to suss out for herself; in other words, a plot cheat. Like the first book, the climax is a nighttime car chase across the moors in pursuit of a multiple murderer, right down to Bess having to illuminate the scene of the ultimate takedown with her car's headlights. And unfortunately, this one also has a perp who comes out of left field. To be fair, this one has a subplot involving the maybe-love child of one of the major characters (no, not Bess), which leads Bess on a tour of the ruins of northern France.
The recycled plot had me feeling around three stars about the proceedings. But then, the writing is smooth and quick to read (I finished the entire thing in an afternoon). The descriptions paint the settings and characters effectively without burning barrels of ink in the doing. The field hospital scenes get the gore and heartbreak across without descending into splatter porn. Had I read A Bitter Truth first, I would've been able to enjoy the story more as it would have been fresh to me. These saving graces bumped me up to 3.5 stars, which after some debate, I rounded up to four. So here we are.
A Bitter Truth is a competently written, traditional-ish murder mystery led by an engaging heroine. Its recycled plot and annoying tics knocked a star and a half off its rating. Then again, reusing plots is a staple of series writing, and plot shortcuts may be the price of getting the story done before the contract deadline, so these cavils may not be deal-breakers for you. If you like this one, there are thirteen more where this came from. For now, I'll move on to other series of the same ilk (why? it's homework) in search of different stories.
November 2, 2011
While I like the character (nurse Bess Crawford) and the time and place (England, WW I), this story was very disappointing. The premise was very weak and the events that followed felt very forced. It lacked an emotional center. This book bore little comparison to the Ian Rutledge mysteries by the same mother/son writing team. Those books are emotional, intelligent and much more engaging.
A more fulfilling series that involves a WW I nurse is the William Monk/Hester Latterly books by Anne Perry.
A more fulfilling series that involves a WW I nurse is the William Monk/Hester Latterly books by Anne Perry.
May 14, 2019
Another excellent Bess Crawford mystery. I got behind in this series - in all my series, really - and finally got around to finishing this one.
I love this time periof and this one is a little claustrophobic. It is an English Country House mystery with extended circumstances. Bess was very patient with Lydia. Much more patient than I would have been! (She didn't even get to spend time with her family while she was on leave from France!)
Good mystery with good characters!
I love this time periof and this one is a little claustrophobic. It is an English Country House mystery with extended circumstances. Bess was very patient with Lydia. Much more patient than I would have been! (She didn't even get to spend time with her family while she was on leave from France!)
Good mystery with good characters!
September 7, 2011
First Sentence: A cold rain had followed me from France to England, and an even colder wind greeted me as we pulled into the railway station in London.
Returning from the battlefields of France to England for Christmas leave, WWI nurse Bess Crawford encounters a desperate woman, rain-drenched and bruised in her building’s entry. Offering her shelter, Bess slowly learns the woman, Lydia Ellis, had been struck by her husband during an argument. Lydia begs Bess to return to the family’s house in Sussex with her and, fearing Lydia may have a concussion. Bess agrees, entering a home filled with tension and, ultimately, murder with Bess being an initial suspect.
The mother and son team of Charles Todd write some of the most evocative descriptions creating a wonderfully strong sense of time and place. The alternating settings of London, and English country house and the stark reality, cruelty and death of war are deftly handled. Even more, they deal with the front and the wounded in a manner which is strongly impactful, yet not overly graphic.
The dialogue is so well done; it is atmospheric…”The forest is—I don’t know—not haunted, but most certainly, it broods.” with a well-placed sense of irony and occasional wry humor. The language doesn’t work hard at reflecting the period, but the sense of it is still there, particularly with the use of the old collective noun “a crocodile of children.”
Bess is a character who has grown on me with each successive book. She is a dedicated nurse, but the authors have restrained her from coming across as prissy. The relationship with Simon, her father’s ex-Sergeant Major and now assistant, is one handled with proper decorum and appropriateness to the period, but one rather hopes to see grow as the series progresses. Lydia, the wife in trouble, is very well constructed as a character who is difficult to like, but one who elicits one’s sympathy.
There were a couple weaknesses to the book. It did become tiresome that some of the characters were continuously referred to by their full names and, although I suppose necessary for the plot, I did have a problem with on significant decision made by Bess to not tell the police about a piece of evidence. Both of these are minor points, however, when weighed against the book’s strengths.
“A Bitter Truth” is the best, so far, of the three books in the Bess Crawford series. How lucky are we readers to have two such good series from Charles Todd.
A BITTER TRUTH (Hist Mys-Bess Crawford-England/France-1917/WWI) – VG
Todd, Charles – 3rd in series
Wm. Morrow, 2011, Unc. Proof – HC ISBN:
Returning from the battlefields of France to England for Christmas leave, WWI nurse Bess Crawford encounters a desperate woman, rain-drenched and bruised in her building’s entry. Offering her shelter, Bess slowly learns the woman, Lydia Ellis, had been struck by her husband during an argument. Lydia begs Bess to return to the family’s house in Sussex with her and, fearing Lydia may have a concussion. Bess agrees, entering a home filled with tension and, ultimately, murder with Bess being an initial suspect.
The mother and son team of Charles Todd write some of the most evocative descriptions creating a wonderfully strong sense of time and place. The alternating settings of London, and English country house and the stark reality, cruelty and death of war are deftly handled. Even more, they deal with the front and the wounded in a manner which is strongly impactful, yet not overly graphic.
The dialogue is so well done; it is atmospheric…”The forest is—I don’t know—not haunted, but most certainly, it broods.” with a well-placed sense of irony and occasional wry humor. The language doesn’t work hard at reflecting the period, but the sense of it is still there, particularly with the use of the old collective noun “a crocodile of children.”
Bess is a character who has grown on me with each successive book. She is a dedicated nurse, but the authors have restrained her from coming across as prissy. The relationship with Simon, her father’s ex-Sergeant Major and now assistant, is one handled with proper decorum and appropriateness to the period, but one rather hopes to see grow as the series progresses. Lydia, the wife in trouble, is very well constructed as a character who is difficult to like, but one who elicits one’s sympathy.
There were a couple weaknesses to the book. It did become tiresome that some of the characters were continuously referred to by their full names and, although I suppose necessary for the plot, I did have a problem with on significant decision made by Bess to not tell the police about a piece of evidence. Both of these are minor points, however, when weighed against the book’s strengths.
“A Bitter Truth” is the best, so far, of the three books in the Bess Crawford series. How lucky are we readers to have two such good series from Charles Todd.
A BITTER TRUTH (Hist Mys-Bess Crawford-England/France-1917/WWI) – VG
Todd, Charles – 3rd in series
Wm. Morrow, 2011, Unc. Proof – HC ISBN:
May 15, 2018
3.5 stars. Good, but wasn’t a compelling read for me - seemed a bit draggy in spots. Protagonist is morally refreshing - enjoyed the author’s characterization of this resolute nurse in an interesting WW 1 timeframe! I believe I did enjoy the 1st one of this series a bit more - “Duty to the Dead” which I recently read.
November 17, 2017
Maybe it was me,but I found the plot on this one highly improbable. Why would Bess Crawford get herself mixed up with these folks?
August 23, 2014
The bitter truth about this book is that you have no chance in hell to solve the mystery, because the rules of fair play whodunnit are completely tossed out of the window. Simon Brandon, the stalwart family friend, shows up in one of the last chapters with a piece of information that explains the motive for the crime, which is completely different from what you've been led to believe up to that point and impossible to guess. I had thought of several crazy theories, like maybe the beggar Willy was actually Malcolm, George's dead brother, who had faked his death and became a deserter, but even that sounds reasonable in comparison to making a random policeman the killer.
The book is nice, if slow-moving, up until the last few chapters in which all manners of crazy things happen. Aside from the identity and motive of the murderer, Bess does a lot of, well, to be frank, she acts like a criminal. She's complicit in the kidnapping of a young child from her caretakers, for example. One could make the case that she was trying to act in the child's best interests and that the war made circumstances different, but to me it looked as if she has no idea what she's doing. She brings the child to Vixen Hall just long enough to say "Hello, this is your husband/son/grandson's lovechild from France, who looks a lot like that other child you loved and who died tragically years ago" and then she changes her mind and decides she should take the child back to France after all. The poor family could not have been more distraught if Bess had actively tried to be callous.
(Also, she steals a motorcar from that poor major, but I'm sure she didn't mean it as a theft because she completely forgets about it and it's not mentioned afterwards.)
Then there's the matter of Roger, who hit his wife hard enough to give her a concussion, but that's also forgotten when he becomes friends with Bess. I don't know about you, Bess, but if I know a man has a history of violence, is always angry, and is a suspect in a murder inquiry, I wouldn't want to follow him if he says he wants to talk in private. But, like everyone is fond of saying at every turn, who cares about a small disagreement between man and wife as long as the sanctity of marriage is saved. I would have accepted it if there had been some kind of commentary from Bess along the lines of "this is how people think in this day and age and it sucks but what can you do" like her interior monologue when she first saw Lydia's bruises. But that was before meeting Roger. After she meets Roger he seems like a nice person so she conveniently neglects to think about Lydia's concussion ever again. Plus, everyone including Lydia agrees that it's her fault for making him mad after all.
So yeah it was a mess of a book and killed all my interest in this series with one fell swoop.
The book is nice, if slow-moving, up until the last few chapters in which all manners of crazy things happen. Aside from the identity and motive of the murderer, Bess does a lot of, well, to be frank, she acts like a criminal. She's complicit in the kidnapping of a young child from her caretakers, for example. One could make the case that she was trying to act in the child's best interests and that the war made circumstances different, but to me it looked as if she has no idea what she's doing. She brings the child to Vixen Hall just long enough to say "Hello, this is your husband/son/grandson's lovechild from France, who looks a lot like that other child you loved and who died tragically years ago" and then she changes her mind and decides she should take the child back to France after all. The poor family could not have been more distraught if Bess had actively tried to be callous.
(Also, she steals a motorcar from that poor major, but I'm sure she didn't mean it as a theft because she completely forgets about it and it's not mentioned afterwards.)
Then there's the matter of Roger, who hit his wife hard enough to give her a concussion, but that's also forgotten when he becomes friends with Bess. I don't know about you, Bess, but if I know a man has a history of violence, is always angry, and is a suspect in a murder inquiry, I wouldn't want to follow him if he says he wants to talk in private. But, like everyone is fond of saying at every turn, who cares about a small disagreement between man and wife as long as the sanctity of marriage is saved. I would have accepted it if there had been some kind of commentary from Bess along the lines of "this is how people think in this day and age and it sucks but what can you do" like her interior monologue when she first saw Lydia's bruises. But that was before meeting Roger. After she meets Roger he seems like a nice person so she conveniently neglects to think about Lydia's concussion ever again. Plus, everyone including Lydia agrees that it's her fault for making him mad after all.
So yeah it was a mess of a book and killed all my interest in this series with one fell swoop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2012
This book does little to answer The Question of Simon. When introduced in the first book, I assumed he must be gay. Why else would a nice guy, still young enough to fight (I'd guess in his 40s), still be single and opt to live in a small cottage by himself? I mean, it's war time, an eligible man who doesn't have to go fight would have women following him around. Then, as I read the books, I thought possibly he was in love with Bess (he goes wherever she goes in England). Or maybe it's her mother since it's her mother that always sends him out to protect/chauffeur Bess. Or maybe it's her father. Someone in the family. This book does nothing to answer this. And her family is odd, she gets sent back to England to deal with a police inquiry and they don't bother to go visit her? They just send Simon? Doesn't that seem odd? Maybe her father is busy with war office stuff, but surely her mother would want to see her since she works in a war zone. Ah well. One thing that I thought would help The Question (small spoiler)
August 2, 2022
Much like A DUTY TO THE DEAD, this Bess Crawford mystery is long on intriguing characters but short on mystery and suspense. Bess' involvement with Lydia and her family starts out plausibly enough but there are so many eccentric family members and so many dangling plot threads that the whole story becomes unintentionally funny by the end of the book. I wanted more, more, more of sexy Lydia and her headstrong reckless ways, and less, less, less, of creepy old ladies pining over graveyard memorials to angelic little dead girls. Oh, and a little more about the war might have been nice, too, as in, "I know it's terribly sad that your little girl died twenty years ago . . . but we lost a million men last week on the Somme!"
June 24, 2021
I like the series, but this installment annoyed me to bits.
First, Lydia’s family. Super irritating characters!
The whole entanglement of Bess in the situation made less sense than in the previous books. But most of all, there’s all the concealing/lying to the police during a murder investigation because it “wasn’t her place” and “was family business” and “she respected her patient’s secrets”. Gah!
It’s not like I won’t continue the series, but this book unfortunately illustrated why I’m not such a big fan of amateur sleuths.
First, Lydia’s family. Super irritating characters!
The whole entanglement of Bess in the situation made less sense than in the previous books. But most of all, there’s all the concealing/lying to the police during a murder investigation because it “wasn’t her place” and “was family business” and “she respected her patient’s secrets”. Gah!
It’s not like I won’t continue the series, but this book unfortunately illustrated why I’m not such a big fan of amateur sleuths.
January 15, 2012
So so. Bess is an inconsistent character, the family that she is drawn in to help is full of stereotypes - and their obsession with a dead perfect child is a bit over the top. The plot is full of red herrings, and bogs down as a result. The war time scenes are good, and the character of the Aussie sergeant Larimore is a welcome bright spot in the midst of all the starchy and angst ridden types.
February 20, 2018
3,5, varbūt 4 zvaigznes. Spriedzes gabals, bet kaut kā vietām nepārliecināja notikumi un pierādījumu pavedieni. Sajūta par klavierēm no krūmiem, lai gan aiz deguna izvazāja smalki.
August 26, 2011
This is a
Reading Good Books
review.
* In compliance with FTC guidelines, it should be noted that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I have a love-hate relationship with the mystery/thriller genre so I’m constantly on the hunt for new titles to see how an author will twist the well-known and loved genre into something new. I haven’t read anything by Charles Todd before so I was quite looking forward to reading this one.
A Bitter Truth is third in the series of mystery novels featuring battlefield nurse – and accidental sleuth – Elizabeth “Bess” Crawford. Upon her return to England from war-torn France, she encounters a bruised and beaten woman named Lydia Ellis. Ever the good heart, Bess takes her in. Lydia tells a tale of violence and betrayal and tells Bess that the only way she would come back to her Sussex home is if Bess would accompany her. They find Lydia’s home of Vixen Hill in mourning over a lost brother. As Bess prepares to return to London, a house guest is murdered and Bess becomes a suspect.
Okay, the GOOD:
I like the overall mood and setting of the story. Very gothic, noir-like. The scenes in France had a totally different feel from those set in England. It really transports you to WWII era. The story progression, albeit slow, was steady; no flashbacks and almost re-telling of events within the text. It almost had the feel of a dinner theatre mystery. I liked the character of Bess. She was solid and consistent and strong. Simon Brandon and Sergeant Larimore were very likable as well.
Although I did not like most of the Ellises, they had good character development. However, I am not sure if readers are supposed to hate them as much as I did. They, especially Gran, were cold and self-centered. Lydia was insensitive and impractical (although I did like her the most out of her family). At first, I thought it made sense for the author to antagonize the Ellis family for the sake of the story but towards the end, I’m not quite sure if that was necessary… or even relevant overall.
And, the stuff I did not like:
Okay, I liked the premise of the story and the direction it was going as I read on. But the execution was lacking. Everything was long-drawn-out and it slowed the story down. There were parts where I was reading a passage again and again until my eyes glazed over. I had a hard time getting into it because the beginning was slow and boring. (And as it turns out, the whole first part had absolutely NOTHING to do with the bigger picture. Filler!) And the overall writing was choppy. It was like it was trying to sound like something it’s not. I can’t quite figure it out. Maybe it’s because “Charles Todd” is a pseudonym for a mother-son writing team? Two people with different writing styles. The words did not flow smoothly. The switching between calling the Ellis family members by their first name and full name got confusing fast. “Mrs. Roger, Mrs. Lydia, Lydia Ellis”, all one person. Can’t we just call her “Lydia”? “Mama Ellis, Mrs. Ellis, Roger’s mother”? I gave up after a while and just went with it.
There were also some questionable decisions that I don’t want to get into. (That’s for a reader guide or a book club to discuss.) I have to say that I was impressed that I wasn’t able to crack the case before the book told me who did it. But that was short-lived because more irrelevant things happen towards the end of the book.
With that said, this was enough to spark my interest in seeking out other Charles Todd books. Bess is a great character and I would like to see her in the author’s other work.
Rating: 3/5.
Recommendation: This can be a good book club selection. There is a good amount of mystery and intrigue and lots to talk about.
* In compliance with FTC guidelines, it should be noted that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I have a love-hate relationship with the mystery/thriller genre so I’m constantly on the hunt for new titles to see how an author will twist the well-known and loved genre into something new. I haven’t read anything by Charles Todd before so I was quite looking forward to reading this one.
A Bitter Truth is third in the series of mystery novels featuring battlefield nurse – and accidental sleuth – Elizabeth “Bess” Crawford. Upon her return to England from war-torn France, she encounters a bruised and beaten woman named Lydia Ellis. Ever the good heart, Bess takes her in. Lydia tells a tale of violence and betrayal and tells Bess that the only way she would come back to her Sussex home is if Bess would accompany her. They find Lydia’s home of Vixen Hill in mourning over a lost brother. As Bess prepares to return to London, a house guest is murdered and Bess becomes a suspect.
Okay, the GOOD:
I like the overall mood and setting of the story. Very gothic, noir-like. The scenes in France had a totally different feel from those set in England. It really transports you to WWII era. The story progression, albeit slow, was steady; no flashbacks and almost re-telling of events within the text. It almost had the feel of a dinner theatre mystery. I liked the character of Bess. She was solid and consistent and strong. Simon Brandon and Sergeant Larimore were very likable as well.
Although I did not like most of the Ellises, they had good character development. However, I am not sure if readers are supposed to hate them as much as I did. They, especially Gran, were cold and self-centered. Lydia was insensitive and impractical (although I did like her the most out of her family). At first, I thought it made sense for the author to antagonize the Ellis family for the sake of the story but towards the end, I’m not quite sure if that was necessary… or even relevant overall.
And, the stuff I did not like:
Okay, I liked the premise of the story and the direction it was going as I read on. But the execution was lacking. Everything was long-drawn-out and it slowed the story down. There were parts where I was reading a passage again and again until my eyes glazed over. I had a hard time getting into it because the beginning was slow and boring. (And as it turns out, the whole first part had absolutely NOTHING to do with the bigger picture. Filler!) And the overall writing was choppy. It was like it was trying to sound like something it’s not. I can’t quite figure it out. Maybe it’s because “Charles Todd” is a pseudonym for a mother-son writing team? Two people with different writing styles. The words did not flow smoothly. The switching between calling the Ellis family members by their first name and full name got confusing fast. “Mrs. Roger, Mrs. Lydia, Lydia Ellis”, all one person. Can’t we just call her “Lydia”? “Mama Ellis, Mrs. Ellis, Roger’s mother”? I gave up after a while and just went with it.
There were also some questionable decisions that I don’t want to get into. (That’s for a reader guide or a book club to discuss.) I have to say that I was impressed that I wasn’t able to crack the case before the book told me who did it. But that was short-lived because more irrelevant things happen towards the end of the book.
With that said, this was enough to spark my interest in seeking out other Charles Todd books. Bess is a great character and I would like to see her in the author’s other work.
Rating: 3/5.
Recommendation: This can be a good book club selection. There is a good amount of mystery and intrigue and lots to talk about.
December 10, 2017
I have read the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd mother and son writers, so I was expecting a great read and I was not disappointed with A Bitter Truth. The main character is Bess Crawford who is a nurse in France during the war. On her way up the stairs to her apartment in London, she sees a woman huddled under the stairs. The weather is bitter cold and Bess can see the woman has on a thin coat and is shivering uncontrollably. She invites the woman in and gives her hot tea and offers her a bed for the night. The woman reveals that a quarrel with her husband had erupted into violence, yet she wants to go home--if Bess will come with her to Sussex. What Bess finds at Vixen Hill is a house filled with mourning. The family had gathered for a memorial service for the eldest son who has died of war wounds. The husband of the woman he had quarreled with is tormented by jealousy and his own guilty conscience. When a houseguest is found dead. Bess herself becomes suspect in the case. This is the inciting factor that leads her to a dangerous quest in war-torn France. Lydia, the wife who had been assaulted by her husband has longed for a child and when Bess discovers the child in an orphanage in France, the plot thickens. Did her husband have an affair with a woman in France? The novel is well written and has the reader turning pages until the mysteries are solved.
September 18, 2011
This third book in the series was not as good as the first two books. The story moved at a very slow pace and I found myself waiting for the mystery to be solved and for the book to be finished. Part of the problem was this: Bess never engaged my emotions. She seems too detached from her own feelings, if she has any strong ones, other than for her parents, particularly her father. She is far too stoic for my taste, giving a bland narrative of events. *Spoiler* The only real bright spots in this story came from a new character--Sergeant Larimore. I hope he returns in the next book, which I will read, hoping it is better than this one. Also, I wish that it was more clear as to how Simon feels about Bess. Does he see her only as a his ex-commander's daughter? Or does he have other feelings for her? Maybe it is just my wishful thinking. And I still cannot figure out how old Simon is. Does anyone know? Anyway, all the characters could use more developing, even if we can only see them through Bess' eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2016
It took me a long time to decide to read A Bitter Truth. Truth be told, I still have a bone to pick with the so called climax of the last chapters. It bordered on the nonsensical. I still am not sure of the motive of the murderer, which is a big issue, but I can only shrug this off. I also don't know how I would have rated A Bitter Truth in the past...probably less than I just did. This book forced me to read carefully. The first chapter was the best, with every word being a silent and flashy cog in the grand scheme of things. The best thing about this book is the unforced, natural and plain telling of Sophie. A Bitter Truth is one of those historical fiction settings that, due to the maturity of the authors, doesn't feel like a thriller in disguise. A most welcome distraction from the ordinary quick fixes I've alas chosen for myself.
January 24, 2022
When Bess Crawford returns home for Christmas, she arrives at her London apartment and finds a woman huddled on her doorstep, bruised, battered and shivering. The women tells her that a quarrel with her husband has turned violent. Bess' nursing instincts kicks in and she takes the woman, Lydia, into her apartment. As her story unfolds, Lydia begs Bess to go home with her to Sussex to act as a buffer between she and her husband and his family. Bess agrees and it subsequently takes her on a journey back to France in search of a child who might have been fathered by Lydia's husband. This was a good story, with lots of twists and turns.
Read
May 6, 2020Not my favorite of the series... it seemed pretty unbelievable, and I'm someone who will believe a heck of a lot in fiction.
It also struck me during this book (probably because I was busy being annoyed at the plot) that there hasn't been any humor in these books--other than the odd moment with a wounded patient. Maybe I'll go back to Charles Lenox for a while.
It also struck me during this book (probably because I was busy being annoyed at the plot) that there hasn't been any humor in these books--other than the odd moment with a wounded patient. Maybe I'll go back to Charles Lenox for a while.
December 19, 2016
I liked this book but I also found it really slow.
May 22, 2022
I really enjoy the mix of mystery along with WWI history and Bess being a nurse makes it even more interesting. Amazing the way the author can weave it all together to make a captivating read. This is the third book in the series and I really love the heroine. Bess has so much depth. She's compassionate and intelligent and always willing to reach out to help when those close to her would prefer she turn away. But that just isn't Bess and they know it and love her for it anyway.
In A Bitter Truth, there are really two mysteries that intertwine. A murder (with Bess as one of the possible suspects!) and missing person who Bess inexplicably finds herself on the hunt for. Love the light the author shines on issues of the day involving women. So many layers to this not-quite-cozy mystery.
In A Bitter Truth, there are really two mysteries that intertwine. A murder (with Bess as one of the possible suspects!) and missing person who Bess inexplicably finds herself on the hunt for. Love the light the author shines on issues of the day involving women. So many layers to this not-quite-cozy mystery.
January 31, 2018
Life is about to change for battlefield nurse, Bess Crawford on a dark and blustery night in London. When the police are searching for a deserter, Bess heads home to her flat alone. Yet on the stoop of her doorway is a woman, hiding and wearing a thin coat, trying to find temporary shelter from the storm. When Bess offers her a cup of tea and a respite from the weather for a few minutes, she sees that the woman's face bears a battered and bruise hand print along with endless tears down her face.
Fearing the worst but don't wanting to frighten the poor woman, she learns that she is running from her husband, Roger Ellis. Not prone to violence against his wife, Bess learns that the woman's name is Lydia and offers her a place to stay. Lydia fears the worst could happen the longer she stays away and asks Bess to accompany her home to Vixen Hill.
There Bess will meet the Ellis family of three generations of widows and meet the spirit of Julianna, who died a young girl and one whom the family can't seem to forget. Bess is talked into staying a few days to help care for Lydia and help her deal with issues involving her husband's jealousy. During her stay, the family is planning a memorial service to lay the headstone of one of the sons that was killed in the war. Only on the eve of the memorial service, one of the house guests George Hughes confides a deep family secret to Bess when neither of them can sleep. When the house awakens in the morning, George is soon discovered murdered and someone in the house is the prime suspect.
I received the novel A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd compliments of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. It feels like a historical version of the game, Clue, as Bess Crawford attempts to solve the mystery surrounding the Ellis family secret and the murder of George Hughes. Set in London during the middle of World War 1, the mystery continues to grow as more and more people turn up missing or murdered as well. I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and is perfect for you crime solving sleuth fans!
Fearing the worst but don't wanting to frighten the poor woman, she learns that she is running from her husband, Roger Ellis. Not prone to violence against his wife, Bess learns that the woman's name is Lydia and offers her a place to stay. Lydia fears the worst could happen the longer she stays away and asks Bess to accompany her home to Vixen Hill.
There Bess will meet the Ellis family of three generations of widows and meet the spirit of Julianna, who died a young girl and one whom the family can't seem to forget. Bess is talked into staying a few days to help care for Lydia and help her deal with issues involving her husband's jealousy. During her stay, the family is planning a memorial service to lay the headstone of one of the sons that was killed in the war. Only on the eve of the memorial service, one of the house guests George Hughes confides a deep family secret to Bess when neither of them can sleep. When the house awakens in the morning, George is soon discovered murdered and someone in the house is the prime suspect.
I received the novel A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd compliments of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. It feels like a historical version of the game, Clue, as Bess Crawford attempts to solve the mystery surrounding the Ellis family secret and the murder of George Hughes. Set in London during the middle of World War 1, the mystery continues to grow as more and more people turn up missing or murdered as well. I rate this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and is perfect for you crime solving sleuth fans!
October 17, 2011
Bess Crawford is an English army nurse traveling home to spend Christmas with her family in a brief respite from 1917 war-torn Europe. At least that was the plan before she encountered Lydia Ellis, a woman with a badly bruised face fleeing her husband.
This is the third novel featuring WWI British army nurse Bess Crawford and in it, the author weaves a complex tapestry of murder and betrayal out of an almost dizzying assortment of disparate threads. “A Bitter Truth” features a large cast of characters, locations ranging from London and the English countryside to the war’s front lines, port cities in England and France and enough murderous motives to daunt the most dedicated detective.
In Bess Crawford, the author has created a believable and satisfying heroine. She’s plucky and resourceful as one would expect, but she is also a product of her time and sensibilities. Part of the enjoyment of reading this novel is watching as Bess navigates her way as an independent woman in a male-run world.
Most of the story takes place in and around Vixen Hall, a bleak ancestral home in a dank and dismal part of Sussex. There, Bess finds herself a reluctant and mostly unwelcome guest of the Ellis family, an old and aristocratic family burdened by too many tragic deaths and unresolved secrets.
When a guest is found murdered Bess is caught up in the investigation. It is almost a welcome relief when she is finally free of the house and its family and back working amidst the horrors of trench warfare in a front line medical aid station in France.
But Bess has made a promise and feels duty-bound to keep it and scours the war-torn towns of France for a child who may or may not be real. Meanwhile, back in England, the murder investigation continues with deadly consequences.
Reviewed by Andrew MacRae for Suspense Magazine
This is the third novel featuring WWI British army nurse Bess Crawford and in it, the author weaves a complex tapestry of murder and betrayal out of an almost dizzying assortment of disparate threads. “A Bitter Truth” features a large cast of characters, locations ranging from London and the English countryside to the war’s front lines, port cities in England and France and enough murderous motives to daunt the most dedicated detective.
In Bess Crawford, the author has created a believable and satisfying heroine. She’s plucky and resourceful as one would expect, but she is also a product of her time and sensibilities. Part of the enjoyment of reading this novel is watching as Bess navigates her way as an independent woman in a male-run world.
Most of the story takes place in and around Vixen Hall, a bleak ancestral home in a dank and dismal part of Sussex. There, Bess finds herself a reluctant and mostly unwelcome guest of the Ellis family, an old and aristocratic family burdened by too many tragic deaths and unresolved secrets.
When a guest is found murdered Bess is caught up in the investigation. It is almost a welcome relief when she is finally free of the house and its family and back working amidst the horrors of trench warfare in a front line medical aid station in France.
But Bess has made a promise and feels duty-bound to keep it and scours the war-torn towns of France for a child who may or may not be real. Meanwhile, back in England, the murder investigation continues with deadly consequences.
Reviewed by Andrew MacRae for Suspense Magazine
August 19, 2011
"A Bitter Truth" is an engrossing depiction of the life of a battlefield nurse in WWI and an upper class family in rural England. We observe the interactions of this family as they attempt to deal with a particularly embarrassing situation.
Bess Crawford is a nurse who returns to England on leave from her duties in the battlefields of France. She is surprised to find a well dressed woman huddled in her doorway. When Bess sees that the woman, Lucy Ellis, has a bruise on her face, Bess's compassionate nature takes over. She invites Lucy to her flat and learns that it was Lucy's husband, Roger, who struck her. Lucy is aftaid of returning home and Bess offers to accompany her.
At the Ellis home, Bess meets Roger and understands about the argument. Roger is about to return to his unit and go to the front. Lucy wants to attempt to concieve a child so that if anything happened to Roger, she would have part of him to remember and love.
Bess is a steady character who is a delight. As a nurse, she deals with the wounded and faces the horrors of war so she doesn't put up with petty bureaucrats at home. She is also a problem solver and has the ability to analyze a situation and provide logical alternatives.
Charles Todd describes the relationship between family members and the responsibility toward maintaining the family reputation at all costs. There are a number of murders and we enjoy Bess analyzing the situation to attempt to find the killer.
There is a well placed plot twist that adds to the reader's interest and places the novel in the top realm of creative story telling.
This is a story where the plot and the character were made for each other and combine for a wonderful reading experience.
Bess Crawford is a nurse who returns to England on leave from her duties in the battlefields of France. She is surprised to find a well dressed woman huddled in her doorway. When Bess sees that the woman, Lucy Ellis, has a bruise on her face, Bess's compassionate nature takes over. She invites Lucy to her flat and learns that it was Lucy's husband, Roger, who struck her. Lucy is aftaid of returning home and Bess offers to accompany her.
At the Ellis home, Bess meets Roger and understands about the argument. Roger is about to return to his unit and go to the front. Lucy wants to attempt to concieve a child so that if anything happened to Roger, she would have part of him to remember and love.
Bess is a steady character who is a delight. As a nurse, she deals with the wounded and faces the horrors of war so she doesn't put up with petty bureaucrats at home. She is also a problem solver and has the ability to analyze a situation and provide logical alternatives.
Charles Todd describes the relationship between family members and the responsibility toward maintaining the family reputation at all costs. There are a number of murders and we enjoy Bess analyzing the situation to attempt to find the killer.
There is a well placed plot twist that adds to the reader's interest and places the novel in the top realm of creative story telling.
This is a story where the plot and the character were made for each other and combine for a wonderful reading experience.
March 18, 2017
A Bitter Truth
3.5 Stars
On leave from the front, WWI nurse Bess Crawford, encounters a woman alone on a rainy night in London. After taking the young woman in, Bess quickly learns that not everything is as it seems and soon finds herself embroiled in a nasty case involving a missing child and a murder.
Slow to start and the mystery doesn't make a great deal of sense. Nevertheless, Bess is a likable heroine and the historical detail is fascinating.
The mystery is the weakest aspect of the book as the victim does not seem the type that anyone would want to kill. Moreover, the solution ultimately comes out of left field with absolutely no foundation or foreshadowing that would allow the reader to figure out the rather complicated motive.
There is also very little character development and Bess gets herself into some exceedingly far-fetched situations. It would be lovely if she and Simon finally got their romance going - the hints at something between them need to start paying off soon.
Aside from Bess, Simon and the sexy Australian, none of the characters are particularly appealing and it is difficult to feel any real sympathy for the supposedly abused wife nor anger at her allegedly abusive spouse. It is also irritating that the most unlikable character did not turn out to be the killer!
The historical detail on life in France during the war is excellent and the Todd's research is superb. One hears so much about the soldiers in the Trenches and very little about the suffering of the civilians, especially the orphaned children. The descriptions are both harsh and heartbreaking yet there is also a glimmer of hope at times.
All in all, an enjoyable listen despite my issues with the plot and Roslyn Landor's narration is wonderful.
3.5 Stars
On leave from the front, WWI nurse Bess Crawford, encounters a woman alone on a rainy night in London. After taking the young woman in, Bess quickly learns that not everything is as it seems and soon finds herself embroiled in a nasty case involving a missing child and a murder.
Slow to start and the mystery doesn't make a great deal of sense. Nevertheless, Bess is a likable heroine and the historical detail is fascinating.
The mystery is the weakest aspect of the book as the victim does not seem the type that anyone would want to kill. Moreover, the solution ultimately comes out of left field with absolutely no foundation or foreshadowing that would allow the reader to figure out the rather complicated motive.
There is also very little character development and Bess gets herself into some exceedingly far-fetched situations. It would be lovely if she and Simon finally got their romance going - the hints at something between them need to start paying off soon.
Aside from Bess, Simon and the sexy Australian, none of the characters are particularly appealing and it is difficult to feel any real sympathy for the supposedly abused wife nor anger at her allegedly abusive spouse. It is also irritating that the most unlikable character did not turn out to be the killer!
The historical detail on life in France during the war is excellent and the Todd's research is superb. One hears so much about the soldiers in the Trenches and very little about the suffering of the civilians, especially the orphaned children. The descriptions are both harsh and heartbreaking yet there is also a glimmer of hope at times.
All in all, an enjoyable listen despite my issues with the plot and Roslyn Landor's narration is wonderful.
September 29, 2011
This mystery, one of the many I've read by Charles Todd, is part of his new series which "stars" Bess Crawford, a nursing sister in the first World War. This is the second book in which Todd and his mother are listed as collaborators even though her name does not appear on the book cover. I found the pace of the story very uneven-- fascinating at the beginning with descriptions of Lydia's home where the moor and forest are bleak in winter and at the end where the discovery of the actual murderer brings on chase scenes down unpaved roads in cars with no heat, There is utter surprise at who is the murderer. In the middle of the story, there is much speculating over and over by everyone -- the police, the Ellis family at Vixon Hill, the nursing sister, and the gossipy townfolk of Hartsfield. That got tiresome to me. But maybe that's how a murder is solved, in fits and starts, with lots of intuitive guessing on all sides. Todd's character development and descriptive passages of the countryside and the War at the front are excellent, as usual. I will read the author's next book, but I'm kind of missing his earlier detective, Ian Rutledge, and his internal sidekick, Hamish.
July 11, 2019
The book is written based on the experience of a nurse in WW1. I get that the time period is different. That's something I love about historical fiction. So the uproar about an illegitimate child is believable. What is a little unforgivable for me is Bess Crawford's judgy attitude with the laudenum. 1. Her loved ones were terminal 2. Did she give a lethal dose? Undetermined. 3. Did it hasten death? Maybe, but they were going to die within hours, if the laudenum slowed their breathing so they died peacefully 15 minutes sooner and more comfortably that is not murder that's mercy. I know hospice wasn't a thing, but trust me on this, medications that bring comfort to the dying sometimes don't even hasten death but just allow those loved ones to die in peace and as a nurse she should not have judged and guilted her, she should have told her she absolutely did the right thing and faced with similar circumstances do it again. I may be done with this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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