An Unmarked Grave audiobook

Several things have changed since the third tome, A Bitter Truth, of the series. The language is less winsome, flowing, less formidable. I've gone on record saying that I embrace low brow potboilers and dime novels. It's still sad to witness this book and consequently its authors finding it necessary to up the stakes, to add exponential action and to provide parody-like happenstances. Charles Todd was a name I've come to associate with quality and bravery. One can only repel the lure of ease for only so long. The number of times people survive gun wounds in this story seems greater than the great unwashed's fatal brush with the Spanish Flu. The myriad times of such situations bordered on the farcical. I also didn't like the insinuations that great men by default survived war and that grades in the military was solely based on meritocracy. Charisma cannot substitute for luck and connections in the real world. I wondered if the authors wanted its audience to believe what should be called a deception. The authors did well to shroud the chilling multi murderer in darkness. Ralph Mitchell was nothing short of a terminator. The mysterious man brought about a smoother climax than any of the previous books. Danger had dogged the heels of the heroine so often that the ending didn't seem forced. While I couldn't keep much concentration in the early chapters, I could keep a hawk like focus on the ever increasing cast of new names that kept adding. I'm a bit hazy about why the killer had embarked on a rampage and the motive escapes me for now. I'm glad I didn't waste my time reading this book - you know what I mean. It was a very good book, and I'm glad I'll remember parts of it forever.

I ate this book up right until the climax when Bess uncovers the devilish fiend trying to kill her. The plot tie-in came right out of left field. I'm sorry, but I think it's poor sport to not include ANY clues (that I could find, I realize) to who might be the killer and why they were killing. The obscure references to a 3rd party doing something that might be 'connected' were way to veiled and way-to obscure. Perhaps I should have said: Wait1 this doesn't belong and aha I now know why. But even if I had said and done those things, I still could never have guessed.The mother-son team of Charles Todd paints an incredibly rich and realistic portrait of France and England at the end of WWI. The affections, character flaws and dimensionality of the people who walk across the pages are superb. The story is compelling, but like Bess, we are in the dark until the end. That bothered me. Of course, I stayed up way to late to finish it, which will tell you how much I really enjoyed watching Bess and Simon and a Yank ferret out a cold-blooded murder and possible German spy. (not a spoiler).

An Unmarked Grave starts out with a dramatic scene in which Private Wilson, an orderly in the nursing station where Sister Crawford is working, asks her to come to the shed in which dead bodies are kept before burial. He wants to show her a man whose body that is improperly wrapped and who appears to Wilson to have been murdered. His neck has been broken and his body is with those of victims of the Spanish Influenza, not with those who died from war wounds. Bess recognizes him as a family friend, Captain Carson, and promises to tell the Matron about it as soon as the woman wakes from her nap. . . .To see the rest of my review go to my blog at:http://maryslibrary.typepad.com/my_we...

An Unmarked Grave, although fourth in the Bess Crawford Mystery series, was my introduction to the mother-son writing team that is Charles Todd. Upon learning of this duo, I was intrigued by the pairing. How interesting that mother and son choose to write as one. I have two grown sons but they do not share my love of books. I have a hard time imagining writing anything with either. Caroline and Charles Todd have combined their love of history, literature, and mysteries and created two very successful series, the first being the Inspector Rutledge series, published in 1996, titled A Test of Wills. Both series are centered around the Great War, WWI. Inspector Rutledge is a Scotland Yard detective. In the second series, Bess Crawford is a highly trained British army nurse and, like the Todds, loves a good mystery. So, why am I, a very OCD reader, starting with the fourth book in a well developed series? *Thankfully, I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and was provided with the opportunity to get started with a series I've been longing to read. Gotta start somewhere, right? As a newbie to the world of Bess Crawford I really don't have a lot of knowledge about her story as a whole. Jumping in at the middle is not usually my thing and I should probably mention, based on what I've read here, it's best to start at the bestselling-beginning. I wouldn't consider this a standalone because there are well developed characters and I'm not certain of everyone's intentions. For example, there is a fella named Simon Brandon who is very protective of Bess. While I can ascertain Simon and Bess are close, how close are they? Crawford's father is a high ranking officer, which is essential to the character of Bess. It's easier to move around and gather intelligence when one's father has certain privileges but, again, I know very little about his service to country. There is quite a bit of referencing to India. I'm assuming the Crawfords once lived there, which would probably be the reason Bess refers to her father as 'the Colonel Sahib'. Now, does any of this detract from the storyline? No. I'm simply telling you this, dear reader, just in case you were wondering if this was indeed a standalone. Oft times, a particular book in a series can be read as a standalone. Just start with the first volume. I've heard phenomenal things about THAT book. I very much enjoyed THIS book though. Todd gives a wonderful description of the English countryside, from Cheddar Gorge to Fowey, and I've now discovered new places to visit. It was just as easy to place myself in Rouen, following closely behind Bess as she tracked down the killer(s). The Todds have extensive knowledge of WWI and their love for England can be felt in every page. This story portrays Bess as an independent force to be reckoned with. She's a great heroine with a brilliant mind. Readers that seek a strong female character will admire Ms. Crawford. However, I felt she was all business here and I'd like to see a softer side of Bess. I look forward to continuing this series and getting to know Bess Crawford. She lives in an age that I want to explore. I've read many books that use WWII as a backdrop. It's time to familiarize myself with the Great War. I'm ready. I purchased a signed copy (Both Todds signed it as Charles Todd) of A Duty to the Dead and the reviews for this first book are glowing. I think I've found an author I'm really going to love. "I couldn't turn down my orders. They had been cut, and even the Colonel Sahib, as my mother and I called him, would find it difficult to cancel them now. I should have to make the best of it, go to France and do what I did so well: help save lives."Bess Crawford, nurse extraordinaire, is knee-deep in wounded soldiers, just outside the trenches of the battlefield. The Spanish Influenza epidemic in the spring of 1918 is cutting down soldiers and entire families. Caring for the battered, bloody soldiers is taking its toll on the doctors and nurses. The epidemic is deadlier than a battlefield and does not discriminate. Bess does her best to comfort the dying and diseased. She's one of the best nurses in her field but even Bess is not immune. Shortly before falling ill, Bess believes she is witness to a cover up. Bess is alerted to an officer lying amongst the dead waiting for burial. The officer's death has been reported as killed in action but his body indicates murder. Fighting for her life in more ways than one, Bess is surrounded by mayhem and death. Having looked into the cold, calculating eyes of a killer, Bess resolves to uncover the truth and give the dead their due. " I looked down at the little pistol. Nurses were not permitted to carry weapons, but this time, remembering my feeling of helplessness when that arm had come around my throat and how lucky I was that I'd been able to kick the water pail, then scream, I touched it with my fingertips and then settled it carefully in the pocket of my uniform."For more information about this author: www.charlestodd.com*I won an ARC through the Goodreads giveaway and sincerely wish to thank Harper Collins Publishers.

While working as a nurse at a field hospital in France, a startling discovery is brought to Bess's attention: an orderly has found a suspicious body amongst the dead. He's certain that it doesn't belong and a second check of his counts confirms. What's more, the body is unmarked with the exception of an obviously broken neck, leaving both Bess and the orderly concerned. It would seem the dead man was slipped in amongst the other bodies in the hopes that someone could cover it up. What makes it more shocking is that Bess recognizes the dead man as a member of her father's old unit. Before she can inquire or raise any alarms, Bess becomes the latest victim of Spanish Influenza. When she recovers, she fears it was all a dream. That is until the soldier's wife receives notification of his death. But the letter claims the man died on the front, which means his body would never have been at the field hospital at all. Furthermore, it claims he was hit by shrapnel with no mention of a broken neck. Unfortunately, while Bess was ill the orderly died under suspicious circumstances. Now Bess is the only one with any knowledge of the misplaced body. Though this was my first Bess Crawford (and my first Charles Todd), I had no trouble at all diving in mid-series. The story seems to fare well on its own and I didn't feel as though I was missing any information pertinent to this particular installment. I was aware that I was missing a lot of backstory but if I didn't know this was the fourth in the series, I doubt I would have noticed in the least.Bess is a truly engaging character. In my opinion she comes across both as a believable heroine of her time but also, considering her sensibilities, appealing to a modern reader. She's clever and determined as well as being a formidable young lady. In spite of being knocked over by the flu and the apparent danger of her knowledge of a murder, she's unwilling to forgo her responsibilities as a nurse and wait for danger to pass. Instead, she returns to France as soon as she has the opportunity -- thereby giving herself the opportunity to investigate in spite of the knowledge that she's put herself right in the crosshairs of a dangerous and ruthless killer.Charles Todd is the pseudonym for mother and son writing team, Charles and Caroline Todd. This is one of two series the team writes together and, based on this particular installment, it seems they're the perfect union of skills. The story is seamless in both style and pacing. Their research and knowledge of the setting also comes across fantastically. Obviously I have no first hand knowledge of the period, but I found all of the details to be completely convincing.

In a military ward in France in 1918, the Spanish Influenza is killing as many soldiers as are dying in battle. The medical staff tries their best but as some of them also succomb to the disease, it appears to be a losing battle as more and more bodies are carried out to await burial.Battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is asked by an orderly to look at one of the bodies. She sees Maj. Carson has been murdered and recognizes him as a family friend. Before she can report it, she's a victim to the disease and evacuated to England.Being a courageous person, when she returns to France, she tries to inquire about the man's death. Back in England she had been told that the major died from shrapnal wounds. She is informed that the orderly who informed her about Maj. Carson became depressed and committed suicide.Bess won't let this sit because she understands human reactions and the orderly didn't seem like a person who would committ suicide. To get answers, she uses her persuasive ability and visits people in England when she's on leave. She wants to see if what happened in France made sense. Unknowingly, she also becomes a target.The story is well written and painstakingly plotted with some surprises and keen psychological insights into the characters.

An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd Thank you Goodreads for the great book you sent me. This mystery took place during WWI. Three people were found dead. A Nurse,a Major and a Private all because one person wanted revenge, was jealouse and was always blaming someome else for his mistakes. He never took responsibility for his actions. He was caught.

Set in England and France during the first half of 1918, Bess is about to get involved in a new mystery when she is stricken with The Spanish Influenza. By the time she recovers the mystery is more complex and a couple other people have been murdered and her life is in danger. Of course, this does not slow down Bess’ desire to get to the bottom of who is killing who and why. This is the fourth of the series, though any one of them could be read as a stand alone mystery. Todd is also the author of the Ian Rutledge mystery series and I am a fan of both series.

Behind the lines in World War I France, British nurse Bess Crawford and her co-workers are working hard trying to keep up with the Spanish influenza. The victims are kept in a shed before burying them. But when Bess counts them, there is an extra body. Major Carson, a friend of her father's, has a broken neck. A murder? Before she can check out her suspicions, Bess catches the flu.

Loved it. I knew there had to be a book coming where Bess is the target, and Bess really steps up. The book spends more time in the battle fields than usual. I really loved this.

I enjoyed this book

Fourth in the Bess Crawford mystery series set in World War I and revolving around Bess Crawford, one of the nursing sisters helping on the front in the spring of 1918. My TakeDang, it's just not safe anywhere with Bess Crawford around! Fortunately, she's not one to sit back. Between rescuing and protecting and investigating on both sides of the Channel, all the influence that Bess' father and Simon have comes in very handy.I do enjoy Todd's characters and the homeyness he creates, yes, even on a battlefield! Todd brings the time period to life in its manners, expectations, and dialog. There are some aspects to the time that I can appreciate. There are others that are simply too bizarre!There are some loose bits in this particular story. Just how is the order that puts Bess in danger set up? Dr. Hicks claims he checked it out, but with all the paperwork that the army requires, I can't believe this move was set up this easily. Wait just a minute...Captain Carson? I thought he was a major? And how does the Prince of Wales fit in with the worry about German spies. I do wish Todd hadn't put so many Julias in this story. What was the point of bringing in Mrs. Campbell's divorce? Yes, divorce is, omigod, the kiss of death socially, but for the little dribs that Todd drops I just don't see the point.The StoryAs if the horror of war isn't enough. As if these men aren't suffering enough, the Spanish influenza hits Europe and the battlefront. Doctors, nurses, soldiers, all are dying from this plague. But this flu is still not as insidious as the man who murders so many for his own purposes. Her father has warned her of German spies and Bess is well aware that men will also murder for revenge. When those around Bess are murdered, even she begins to exercise a caution.The CharactersBess Crawford is a young woman who understands the responsibility of duty. Her father, Colonel Sahib, and her mother have raised Bess with the regiment and she is fully aware of the men who have passed through it. Her own honor demands that she aid the wounded, her nursing skill requires that she do so on the front lines. Sergeant-Major Simon Brandon was her father's batman and retired, technically, from the regiment when her father did. Technically.Private Wilson is holding up under all of it. The influenza. The sorrow of having to bury all these promising young men. Yet, never did Bess believe he was depressed. Nor does his wife, Joyce Wilson, believe he would commit suicide.Dr. Gaines is the doctor in charge of the convalescent clinic in Somerset. Captain Thomas Barclay is recovering there and is too eager to return to battle. Or play the role of bodyguard. Trelawney is one of the Colonel's men, assigned to drive Bess on her undercover mission. Lucky for Bess that Captain Grayson knows her so well.Major Vincent Carson was a promising soldier. A man whom Colonel Sahib thought would one day lead the regiment. Colonel Prescott wrote the letter to his widow, Julia, informing her of his death. Sabrina Carson, the major's sister, married to please herself and not her family. It's quite possible that her husband's family took revenge for the slight. William Morton, her husband, has six other brothers in the war, some of whom could have done it. Hugh, David, Llewellyn, young Ross, and the twins with Ross Morton their father trying to run the farm on his own. With the tremendous numbers of men dying in this misled war, it's not that surprising that those idiots in charge finally realized that they shouldn't take every son in a family. It's too bad they didn't figure this out in this war!The Cover and TitleThe cover is Bess in her nursing uniform of a dark dress and the white apron, its straps criss-crossing in the back. Bess is standing in front of a window, her back to us, holding a paper, lost in thought.The title is too accurate as Bess falls ill within hours of finding Major Carson who will find his final resting place in An Unmarked Grave.

Intrepid Bess Crawford is just behind the trenches in wartorn France, tending to the wounded, when the Spanish Influenza strikes in the spring of 1918. In the mdist of the chaos, an orderly notices something wrong with one of the many bodies. He didn't die of war wounds or the flu. His neck was broken.The orderly informs Bess as someone he trusts. She promises to alert the proper people. She promises not only because she trusts the kindly older man who is the orderly and sees for herself that the dead man was murdered, but also because the victim was a family friend who served in her father's regiment.But before she can get anywhere, the flu strikes her as well. In the near-fairytale atmosphere in which Bess Crawford exists, she is spirited out of France and convalesces back home as strings are pulled. For Bess Crawford has connections, most importantly her father, the Colonel Sahib.This imposing figure and dearest family friend Simon are full-fledged confidants as she pieces together bits of information and visits various figures connected to the victim. These figures are representative of various strata in Britain's WWI class system, and as such provide a fascinating picture of people carrying on while the Great War goes on and on and on. Although Bess initially isn't quite believed, it's soon evident that the orderly, who died soon after she was taken ill, showed her something important.Before long, more people connected with the investigation die. Bess knows the killer will target her, but her sense of duty demands that she continue. And if that means she has to take along with her a brash American officer recovering from his war wounds, that's what she will do. Even if he and Simon don't exactly take to each other. The killer gets closer and closer to Bess and her inner circle before the end, which is a classic case of the sleuth figuring it all out in the nick of time.The world for Bess that the Todds have created is a genuine homage to the World War I era. The violence is off-screen, the characters do not directly express their feelings for each other (really, how thick are Bess and Simon to not have figured that out?) and duty reigns supreme, the plot unfolds in true tricky Agatha Christie style. The series also has other aspects of the historical era it depicts. There is no irony or nod to modern sensibility in Bess calling her father the Colonel Sahib. Women and lower class folk are expected to know their place. In one of the poignant stories told during the unveiling of the plot, a widower father who has lost several sons to the war doesn't understand why the widow of one of them won't come work the farm. Her son would grow up in fresh air but the workload would obviously kill her.Downton Abbey fans would be well served by reading the Bess Crawford novels while waiting for a new season. Fans of Inspector Rutledge, the first series character brought to life by the Todds, will find a lighter version of the tone in that post-war series.

I recently had a patron ask if I knew of a good historical mystery series for her. She was older, and said she liked stories set in the war years such as Charles Todd's Bess Crawford books. (which she highly recommended) Well, I did indeed have a series for her, but although I was familiar with Charles Todd's Inspector Rutledge series, I had never read one of the Bess Crawford books. Her recommendation resulted in me picking up the latest installment of this series - An Unmarked Grave. Bess Crawford is a World War I nurse. 1918 finds her at the front lines in France, with war casualties and the Spanish influenza contributing equally to the dead waiting to be buried. But when an orderly points out a body to Bess that isn't wrapped right, she is shocked to find she recognizes the man from her father's regiment. It wasn't the flu or war that killed him - she suspects foul play. But exhausted and physically worn down, she falls prey to the flu herself before she can report what she thinks might be murder. Back in England she does advise her father of her suspicions. But the body is long buried. Did she imagine what she saw? Or is there a murderer in the ranks? Bess is determined to find the answer and wants to return to France. Todd's writing brought this time period to life. The dialogue, social mores and expectations of the time were wonderfully depicted, creating a strong sense of atmosphere. Bess is such a great character - kind, dutiful, compassionate, strong, determined and intelligent. All of the characters were equally well drawn and just as engaging. I liked the idea of a woman being the sleuth in this time period, when men were the traditional 'leaders'. Bess is more than up to the task. The plotting is good, slowly unravelling over time. This is a gentler mystery, meant to be savoured and enjoyed. I choose to listen to A Unmarked Grave. The reader was Audie award winner Rosalyn Landor. She has a wonderfully rich, crisp British accent that perfectly suited the mental image I had of Bess. She portrayed all of the characters just as well. Most of the other characters were male and Landor came up with believable voices for them. Bess's father had a nice, gruff, regimental tone. The 'yank' soldier's voice was spot on as well. Her voice added much to the overall feel of the book, conveying emotion and setting easily. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up another in this series. Fans of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs character would enjoy this series. (This was my recommendation to my patron)