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A Forgotten Place

(Bess Crawford #10)

Charles Todd (Goodreads Author)

3.79 · Rating details · 2,965 ratings · 435 reviews

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, an ...more

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ebook, epub, 384 pages

Published September 18th 2018 by William Morrow/HarperCollins

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Jun 02, 2018 Heather rated it it was ok

I found this entry in the series very hard to get through. Much of the plot was boring & repetitive - with Bess stuck for days at a time in Rachel's house and her constant refrain of What is going on in this village?. It was realistic, perhaps, but not very exciting to read about. I was glad things got more adventurous once Simon appeared on the scene. But I didn't feel that this installment was nearly as good as the previous novels. ...more

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Oct 15, 2018 Mary (Biblophile) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: library-books, historical, kindle, returned-traded, mystery

Compared to the other Bess Crawford books this one was a big disappointment. Nothing really happens until Simon arrives well over halfway through the book. Bess interferes in a situation that was none of her business, worrying her family, neglecting the clinic, and putting herself in unnecessary danger. Most of the characters were totally unlikable. Big parts of the story were unrealistic and events went on far too long with a very thin plot. I expected better from these authors.

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May 19, 2018 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2018, fresh-fiction

I've read almost all the books in the Bess Crawford series and it's always with nice to get a new book in my hands. In A FORGOTTEN PLACE by Charles Todd, one would think now that the Great War is over that life would be easier for Bess. That her work as a nurse would be less demanding. However, there are still a lot of wounded soldiers, many of whom have lost limbs. In this book, Bess is worried about her Welsh patients. Their spirits seem to be broken. With the loss of limbs, they have no job ...more

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Oct 09, 2018 Literary Redhead rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, historical-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. TODDS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!

Just finished the newest (#10) in a cherished series and A FORGOTTEN PLACE is now one of my faves! The mother-son team of Charles Todd does a splendid job of evoking the raw beauty and utter remoteness of the Gower Peninsula of South Wales.

PLACE AS PROTAGONIST
Here, place is the most important character — even more so than nurse Bess, fresh from French field hospitals, who goes there to check on former patients and finds herself fighting for her life while caught in clann ...more

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Oct 02, 2018 Terri rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery

Well, I really wondered about the time that Bess heard Hugh in the next room humming (they were upstairs), and when she got downstairs, he came in from outside where he'd been doing something with the lambs. Otherwise, the story could have been told in half the pages and been better. ...more

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Sep 30, 2018 LJ rated it liked it

Shelves: historical, ww1_1914-18, mystery, writing_pair, wales

First Sentence: The war had ended, but not the suffering.

The war is officially over, and WWI field nurse Bess Crawford has been reassigned to a clinic in England for amputee soldiers. After the suicide of one of her patients, Bess takes advantage of her 10-day leave, traveling to Wales to check on several of her Welsh patients, one about whom she is particularly concerned. Deserted by her driver in a very small hamlet, Bess finds herself trapped in a place where she's not wanted but has no way First Sentence: The war had ended, but not the suffering.

The war is officially over, and WWI field nurse Bess Crawford has been reassigned to a clinic in England for amputee soldiers. After the suicide of one of her patients, Bess takes advantage of her 10-day leave, traveling to Wales to check on several of her Welsh patients, one about whom she is particularly concerned. Deserted by her driver in a very small hamlet, Bess finds herself trapped in a place where she's not wanted but has no way to leave. What is the secret the inhabitants are hiding? Are they willing to kill to keep that secret?

One realizes how important is an author's voice from the very start. Todd touches one's emotions and gives the sense of reading a very personal letter. There is an intimacy to the tone which immediately creates a bond between the author, the reader, and the character of Bess.

The long-lasting impact of war, particularly for the physically maimed, is effectively conveyed—"No conquering heroes, these men. No victory parades for them. Our patients were the ultimate reality of war." It is nice to realize how far we've come from that. Todd, however, shows that not only did the patients suffer, but so did the families, and the communities from which they came. That has not changed.

Todd perfectly conveys the insular nature of a tiny community. The secretiveness, closemindedness, and suspicion of anyone from somewhere else are well captured. The portrayal of Bess' anger and frustration are extremely well done. Conversely, we see her wisdom and experience when talking about grief—"To stop living in the present, clinging to the past, is part of mourning for a while, but you have to make a future for yourself.'

Since the story is told from Bess' point of view, much of it is internal narrative, yet the plot does hold one's interest all the way to the end. A slight criticism would be that the end does feel a bit abrupt.

"A Forgotten Place" includes well-done suspense, a palpable sense of danger, and a very good twist. Do be sure to read the author notes.

A FORGOTTEN PLACE (HistMys-Bess Crawford-Wales-1919) – G+
Todd, Charles – 10th in series
William Morrow – Sept 2018
...more

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Sep 21, 2018 ReneE rated it it was ok

Was looking forward to the new Bess Crawford book, but I was really disappointed. It was like watching paint dry, so --dare I say it--boring. There, I said it, and I'm amazed myself as I have loved all the prior books, but they actually had an interesting story, which IMO this one didn't. It picked up at about 60% when Simon arrived, and the ending had some spark to it. But overall this is a big miss for me. ...more

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Sep 29, 2018 Kathy rated it really liked it

I like reading series, and I have read all of the books from this duo over the years. It is similar to visiting old friends though not every visit can be equally rewarding. The Great War has come to a close, but there are amputees to care for in various clinics as Bess continues her work as a Sister. Here she becomes invested in the fate of a group of Welsh soldiers and takes her well deserved leave into the windswept shores of the Gower Peninsula. First stop is a mining village where she discov ...more

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Oct 08, 2018 Monica rated it did not like it

Shelves: giveaway-read, giveaways-won

This was very hard to get through and it drug in so many parts. The war has ended and Bess takes a leave to check on amputees. Along the way, she ends up in a mining village where an avalanche happens and one of the soliders commits suicide. She than ends up in a Gothic like village. She gets stranded here for WAY Too Long. I would skip it, unless you are just really invested in the series.

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Sep 23, 2018 Charlene rated it really liked it

Really enjoyed this; best of the Crawford series so far. One of the things I most appreciate in the Ian Rutledge series is their strong sense of place, they are usually set in a very distinct place in Britain, one with its own landscape, culture and history. This hasn't been true before of the Bess Crawford series but definitely is with this novel . . . the Great War is over and while the first few pages are set in a France hospital, soon Bess finds herself serving as a rehab nurse in Britain. W ...more

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Jul 18, 2019 Teresa “Teri” rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I don’t know why, but unlike some of the other reviewers, I liked this Bess Crawford mystery better than some of her other books. Yes, it does take place in one small area, but that’s really part of the story.
I was guessing until the end and was surprised by the ending. There were times I thought it was a bit slow and repetitive- but I think that was part of the story in this one small area that everything takes place.
If you like Bess Crawford, Simon Brandon, etc, then don’t skip this one.

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Oct 29, 2018 writer... rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: library-reads, travel-the-world-in-books, series, wwi-wwii, 2018-pub-d-list, mystery, travelling, tbr-stacks

Sense of place unfolded gradually as suspense built over the unnatural actions of this seafront village in Wales. Bess Crawford's reactions to the suspicions of the small minded villagers is admirable in her unwillingness to sit by whilst injustices and violence are perpetrated. A lot of interesting historic detail of people and place is subtly included, adding to the interest in reading.
Well written. Well read.
New historical mystery #10 from the mother/son writing team of Charles Todd. ...more

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Nov 12, 2020 Kelly Fugate rated it liked it · review of another edition

Suspense written particularly well this time out.

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Sep 28, 2019 Lauren rated it liked it

Shelves: world-war-i, historical-mystery, small-town, audiobooks, men-in-uniform

A Forgotten Place
3 Stars

In the aftermath of the Great War, Bess Crawford is assigned to a clinic for amputees and finds herself concerned for a group of Welsh soldiers struggling with the knowledge that there is no place for them at home. Following their release, Bess receives a letter from their captain, Hugh Williams, and traces him to an isolated village on the Welsh coast. Stranded amongst strangers with dark and dangerous secrets, Bess must use all her wits to find answers before it is too ...more

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Apr 17, 2019 Vannetta Chapman rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was my first Bess Crawford book.

Pros: I love the general story idea (a nurse in WWII and post WWII), and I like the writing team of Charles Todd (a mother/son team). The prose is good, and the characters are well developed.

Cons: This story line didn't work for me. It just seemed so...improbable, and the main character does spend too much time THINKING about what she's going to do. The minor characters aren't fleshed out at all, imo.

That said, I've heard this series is great, so I'll definit ...more

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Sep 15, 2018 Betty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-books, charles-todd, arc

I have longer fan of the Bess Crawford series and the tenth book did not disappoint. The war was over and Bess is assign to an amputee ward. Where she met Captain Hugh and his men. They all had missing legs or arms as they had been ambushed in the last few days of the war. It wipe out most of the men in platoon. Bess becomes found the men who were from Welch and work in the cold mines.They can no longer work in the mines and there is no other jobs for them. Bess on a ten day furlough travels to ...more

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Sep 23, 2018 Charlene rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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Aug 20, 2018 Jen rated it really liked it

It's so exciting to come back from vacation and find a book in the mail, just waiting for you! Especially a pre release book! I really enjoyed the story, the series has moved beyond WWI now so we'll see how the authors continue to build Bess' life. I liked the descriptions of the small Welsh villages. The mystery was good, it didn't do what I expected. I would love to see more between Bess and Simon. ...more

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Aug 24, 2018 Elspeth rated it liked it

Shelves: arcs

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher for an ARC of this.

I picked up a copy of book 9 in the series last year and tore through the entire run as a result. I absolutely love the character of Bess Crawford (and I am shipping Bess & Simon SO HARD).

I was excited when I saw there would be more to the series after the end of WWI, and I have been curious to see how the authors would manage her character and stories without the framework of the war.

To be perfectly honest, I was a little disappointed by ...more

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Oct 12, 2018 Staci rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2018

WWI has ended, but Bess' role as a nurse has not. I loved the sobering realism created in this novel about what it was like for soldiers with severe injuries and/or amputations. How would their families receive them? How would they support their families?

In A Forgotten Place Bess is particularly attached to a group of Welsch soldiers that come from a mining town. The idea of a soldier returning to a town where mining is the primary occupation with an amputation is especially daunting.

The mystery ...more

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Jul 27, 2018 Maxine rated it really liked it

WWI has ended and Nurse Bess Crawford is back home in England tending to the many wounded vets. Not long after a group of men from a small mining town in Wales are released, she receives a letter from their commanding officer who is from the same town. Captain Williams is worried about them. They were all too injured to return to their former jobs in the mine and they seem to be suffering from severe depression - already some have committed suicide. He asks her to come and check up on them but w WWI has ended and Nurse Bess Crawford is back home in England tending to the many wounded vets. Not long after a group of men from a small mining town in Wales are released, she receives a letter from their commanding officer who is from the same town. Captain Williams is worried about them. They were all too injured to return to their former jobs in the mine and they seem to be suffering from severe depression - already some have committed suicide. He asks her to come and check up on them but when Bess requests leave to do so, she is told that there is nothing the army can do. However, a while later, when her supervisor notices she looks tired and recommends she take a few days off to recover, she heads to Wales without telling anyone.

When she arrives, she learns she is too late to help the men. She also learns that Captain Williams has left for a village on an isolated peninsula to help his widowed sister-in-law. Worried about his mental state, Bess follows him. When she finds him, he warns her that it is not safe and she should leave immediately. But she is tired and decides to stay the night – she had come by taxi and, reluctantly, the driver decides to also stay although at a neighbour’s. However, the next morning, she discovers that he has left and there is no way to contact him. Nor is there anyone in the village who can or will take her the long distance to the nearest town. Worse, since she hadn’t told anyone where she was headed, no one will know where to look for her.

As she reluctantly settles in to wait for any opportunity to leave and despite William’s warnings, she decides to investigate the area. It becomes clear, quickly, that the villagers have a secret, one that they are willing to kill for and, as the body count rises, so does the villagers’ hostility toward her.

A Forgotten Place is the tenth installment in the Bess Crawford Mysteries series by the mother/son team that makes up author Charles Todd. The pacing here is somewhat slow but what it lacks in action, it makes up for in atmosphere. If anything, the slow pacing serves to heighten the suspense and the sense of claustrophobia created by the isolation, the open hostility of the villagers, and the over-arching feel of imminent danger. For anyone who enjoys a well-written and atmospheric historical mystery, this is a definite ‘must read’.

Thanks to Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ...more

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Aug 23, 2018 Debbie Maskus rated it really liked it

The Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd transports me to wild, vibrant Wales and to a time after WWI when the world attempts to recover from the horrors of war. The Welsh men that have survived the trenches, but have lost a limb, must attempt to return to a job and family. A Forgotten Place depicts the suffering and despair of these returning veterans. The description of the men elicits a grim picture of the war’s aftermath, with most of the men committing suicide rather than becoming a burden ...more

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Aug 23, 2018 Bethany rated it it was amazing

I always await the next Bess Crawford book with breathless anticipation, wondering if perhaps this book will finally be the one that has some kind of change in relationship between Bess and Simon but alas this book saw no new development and was sadly light on Simon which I never like. Despite that I really liked the book and give it a solid 5 which is high praise indeed especially for it being light on Simon.:)

The 10th installment in the Bess Crawford series takes us to the very dark aftermath ...more

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Oct 04, 2018 Nancy rated it really liked it

A Forgotten Place (HarperCollins, digital galley) is a truly memorable installment of Charles Todd's series about spirited British nursing sister Bess Crawford. World War I may be over, but many soldiers are still reliving the horrors of the trenches, including the Welsh vets Bess first meets at a hospital in France. Once hardworking miners, the amputees face such a bleak peacetime future that they prefer death. Hoping to help avert more suicides, Bess uses leave to check up on Capt. Hugh Willia ...more

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Sep 28, 2018 Joyce rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 stars

I read the paperback edition.

It’s December 1918 and the war is finally over. In France after the war Nurse Bess Crawford is assigned to a hospital looking after men too ill to move back to England. They are all Welshmen, the only survivors of a battle eleven days before the war ended. All are enlisted except for their Captain, Captain Hugh Williams. All worked in the mines, except Williams who was an accountant for the mining company. To a man, they know they can’t work in the mines any l 4 stars

I read the paperback edition.

It’s December 1918 and the war is finally over. In France after the war Nurse Bess Crawford is assigned to a hospital looking after men too ill to move back to England. They are all Welshmen, the only survivors of a battle eleven days before the war ended. All are enlisted except for their Captain, Captain Hugh Williams. All worked in the mines, except Williams who was an accountant for the mining company. To a man, they know they can’t work in the mines any longer and with little education, they are unfit for other types of work. They are all depressed and a few take their own lives.

The men are shipped back to England. Bess is reassigned to a hospital in Britain. She is pleased to discover that it is the same place as to which the Welsh men were sent. After another two suicides, the men are sent home. She receives a depressing letter from Captain Williams and immediately sends him a reply. When she receives an unexpected leave she heads to Wales to look for Captain Williams. He is no longer at his sister-in-law’s home as she is curtly and angrily told. She heads to the seaside as she continues her search. There she receives an unfriendly welcome, but locates him at another sister-in-law’s. It seems they are in the midst of a disagreement with the neighbors. The villagers don’t like strangers.

Rachel and Hugh are welcoming. In a surprise move, Mr. Morgan, Bess’ driver disappears in the middle of the night. She is now stranded. Two deaths occur, one of which Hugh is blamed for. The people thought it was Tom, Ruth’s husband, but he was taller and it is of course not him. The villagers don’t like Hugh. He is beaten and later that same day, another man is also beaten. What is going on? The two dead men were buried without ceremony in unmarked graves – and in the middle of the night. Why are the people in this village so secretive and so quick to form their own opinions without having sufficient knowledge to make a judgement? Why is there no constable or other police presence?

As more people are attacked, and some of them killed, the mystery surrounding the village and its people deepens. Bess is prevented from leaving the village. New suspicions come to light about a woman who lives in a nearby cottage.

This book has a huge surprise for the reader in store at the end. The murderer/attacker is found.

This novel is not quite as good as the previous Bess Crawford books I’ve read. It seemed to drag in places. I sometimes wished the author(s) would just get on with it. It was most certainly well written and plotted, but the plotting slowed dramatically at times. I like the Ian Rutledge series of books more than the Bess Crawford novels, but the Bess books are nearly as good. I appreciate the talent and perseverance it takes to write such a book and I truly enjoy reading them. I am looking forward to the next book in either series. There were moments of brilliance in this book. I loved the atmospheric descriptions about the Welsh sea and countryside. The desolation and desperation in the little village was also clearly illustrated. The discussions about the people and their (odd) motives for their actions were well thought out and written.

I want to thank William Morrow a Harper Collins Publishers Imprint and especially GoodReads for forwarding to me a paperback copy of this good book for me to read, enjoy and review. ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 Lisa Johnson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Title: A Forgotten Place (A Bess Crawford Mystery #10)
Author: Charles Todd
Pages: 357 (ARC)
Year: 2018
Publisher: William Morrow
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Bess Crawford is still working in service to the Queen’s military forces as a nurse. The war is over, but the wounded still need care. They didn’t just miraculously heal once the war ended. She is tasked with caring for a Welsh unit that all had amputations. Most came from the mines in Wales, and with their injuries were not sure how they were Title: A Forgotten Place (A Bess Crawford Mystery #10)
Author: Charles Todd
Pages: 357 (ARC)
Year: 2018
Publisher: William Morrow
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Bess Crawford is still working in service to the Queen’s military forces as a nurse. The war is over, but the wounded still need care. They didn’t just miraculously heal once the war ended. She is tasked with caring for a Welsh unit that all had amputations. Most came from the mines in Wales, and with their injuries were not sure how they were going to support their families. They felt they would have been better off dying in the war and not returning half a man. Bess encourages them as best she can. They are all released together for the return home journey. A couple of months later Bess receives a letter from their commanding officer, himself an amputee, asking for her help. Several of the troop have died from illness, accident or their own hand. Bess has some time off due her, so she heads to Wales. She plans to spend a day or two there and then return to finish out her leave visiting her parents in England.
After tracking down Captain Williams, Bess finds herself on a beautiful but desolate space of land at the furthermost region of Wales. There are no telephones, mail service, grocery stores or police force. The small village is not tolerant of strangers. Once Bess is dropped off by her driver, she plans to leave the next day as a storm approaches. However, during the night her driver takes off, leaving her stranded. Bess has no way to contact anyone, and she soon discovers the villagers have a secret they don’t want known. Bess is now constantly watched wherever she goes. A couple of men are beaten badly, but don’t know the culprit’s identity. There are dead men washing ashore and secretly buried. The village’s wealthy widow seems to visit rarely, but when she does her home is slowly being dismantled from the inside. What is going on? Bess has a sense of justice and curiosity that is going to get her in trouble. Will she end up a permanent resident in the churchyard?
I enjoy the mysteries of Charles Todd because they are so much more than just a “whodunnit” for me. The deeper thoughts and psychological aspects of the characters are intriguing. How will a certain character act in a certain situation? How will Bess react? I like watching the characters interact and develop along the path of the story, reaching a conclusion with a twist. Each story can stand alone but does progress in time, so it would be best to start with book one of the series. Enjoy this wonderful British mystery series set during WWI and immediately thereafter!
...more

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Sep 23, 2018 Stephanie Pieck rated it it was ok

Shelves: braille-fiction

I loved being able to read this book when it was first released. Anyone who has had to wait for Braille or audio versions of books will certainly know what I mean. The disappointment one feels when it appears that no Braille or audio version is forthcoming is especially keen for authors who write series. I'm just as eager to read the next installment as anyone else.
Bess Crawford is as determined to uncover the truth and see justice done as she was in past books. Concerned for a Welsh Captain and ...more

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Oct 25, 2018 Larraine rated it really liked it

Another stellar book by the mother/son team known as Charles Todd was the perfect choice after a really crazy one by Dennis Lehane. World War I is over, but the casualties remain. Bess is working at a hospital and is moved to another one that specializes in amputees. She is pleased to meet a Welsh captain who is recovering from a leg amputation. He was part of a group of young men from Wales. The men who have lost limbs had worked in the mines, something to which they cannot return. One man has ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Kate Baxter rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Tania Rentz

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, mystery-suspense-thriller, librarything-early-reviewers

It's December, 1918. The war has ended. The soldiers who lived through the war are heading home. Many are broken men, having lost limbs to mortars or eyes and lungs to gas. Nurse, Sister Bess Crawford, is concerned for the men of the Welsh unit that had recently left her care. While on leave, she seeks them out only to find that many could not endure their brokenness. She finds amputee, Captain Hugh Williams, recovering on the far remote end of the Gower Peninsula in the care of his brother's wi ...more

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Nov 16, 2018 Julia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: britain, mystery, world-war-i, first-read-in-2018

In some ways this seemed more like a thriller than a mystery: Bess Crawford has traveled to a remote area of Wales to visit a former patient. Once there, her driver decamps in the middle of the night, leaving Bess abandoned with n0 way to contact her family or anyone else.

(view spoiler) ...more

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About Charles Todd

Charles Todd

2,689 followers

Charles Todd is the pen name used by the mother-and-son writing team, Caroline Todd and Charles Todd. Together they write the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Series. They have published two standalone mystery novels and many short stories.