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dmwhipp's review against another edition
4.0
A WWI mystery with wonderful characters. I was reminded at time of Agatha Christie and thoroughly enjoyed this. Looking forward to reading more by this author.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
Very atmospheric mystery set in WWI England - Elizabeth Crawford is a nurse serving on the Britannic when it is hit by a mine and sinks. She survives with a broken arm and is sent home to recuperate. There, she decides to finally fulfill her deathbed promise to Arthur Graham, a lieutenant she nursed. While at the Graham house, she starts to become involved with the family and realizes that their Deep, Dark Secret (that the oldest, Peregrine, murdered woman when he was 14 and is now in an asylum) might be just that little bit more.
When she returns to London, it appears that Peregrine has escaped and followed her. Together, they set out learn the truth behind the murder and his nightmares (ok, at first she's not all that eager to help but a pistol does go a long way to persuade someone!). What's interesting is not the actual sleuthing but the evocation of that era and of what "shell shock" is (and how it can be manufactured in innocent people).
I particularly liked how Bess' feelings for Arthur change over the course of the book, and yet the expected ending doesn't occur. That little twist lifted the book for me from a 3 to a 4.
When she returns to London, it appears that Peregrine has escaped and followed her. Together, they set out learn the truth behind the murder and his nightmares (ok, at first she's not all that eager to help but a pistol does go a long way to persuade someone!). What's interesting is not the actual sleuthing but the evocation of that era and of what "shell shock" is (and how it can be manufactured in innocent people).
I particularly liked how Bess' feelings for Arthur change over the course of the book, and yet the expected ending doesn't occur. That little twist lifted the book for me from a 3 to a 4.
lgiegerich's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as the Inspector Rutledge novels, but still pretty decent.
jhadler's review against another edition
5.0
Well-paced, with a page-turning plot and likeable main character.
ms_aprilvincent's review against another edition
4.0
People are terrible.
War ruins things.
There's so much to think about written within these pages, but it all boils down to these two themes.
War ruins things.
There's so much to think about written within these pages, but it all boils down to these two themes.
jessicas_library_card's review against another edition
4.0
The mystery was easy to solve, but I quite enjoyed the character Bess and the WW I setting.
janehackney's review against another edition
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
appalonia's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not sure how I felt about this book. I feel like I should have liked it more. It certainly drew me into the story quickly and immersed me completely in the period. But for some reason I never really connected with the main character. Bess came across as a little too perfect for me to relate to. Although the mystery was intriguing I thought it became too complicated and I got tired of Bess traveling from place to place. She interviewed the same people multiple times and learned nothing of value at all, which felt like a waste of time within the story. I don't think I'll be continuing the series.