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ebonisan's review
4.0
A very suspenseful read. From the first page I was hooked. A great blend of historical fiction - with great insight into life on the Front - and murder mystery, two of my favourite genres. Only difficulty for me was sometimes following the names of characters, people we met in the beginning of the story and are not mentioned again till much later had me slightly confused.
This has a great plot and is well delivered by Todd. Highly recommend!
This has a great plot and is well delivered by Todd. Highly recommend!
sophronisba's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
This is my least favorite of the Bess Crawford books so far -- for a short book it seemed to meander, and as always there are far too many characters to keep track of. Fair's fair, though, I did enjoy seeing the prim-and-proper Bess locked up on a ship on suspicion of wanton behavior.
elysahenegar's review
3.0
I very much enjoy the Charles Todd's Bess Crawford mysteries. I find the characters and settings very engaging and the often suspenseful plot fun! The resolution in this one felt less compelling this time, but I still found the book very entertaining and do recommend it!
snikelfritz's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
An Unmarked Grave
3.5 Stars
At the height of the Influenza epidemic of 1918, combat nurse Bess Crawford must contend not only with the wounded and the sick, but with the sudden appearance of an unidentified body among those slated for burial. In the aftermath of her own bout with illness, Bess works with her father's connections to collect evidence and unmask a lethal killer who will stop at nothing to fulfill his mission.
The Bess Crawford mysteries is well-written and entertaining. The historical descriptions of the Spanish 'flu and the wartime conditions both at home and at the front are detailed and interesting. Nevertheless, the book does require a healthy suspension of disbelief to accept that the heroine can go traipsing all over France during WWI.
The mystery has two possible explanations. While the first option makes more sense based on the details presented throughout the story, the ultimate resolution lacks foundation and foreshadowing, and ends up being convoluted, contrived and lacking in believability.
In terms of the characters, Bess is a likable heroine, but she can be somewhat haughty and imperious. Moreover, the possibility of a romance with Simon Brandon remains frustratingly underdeveloped even though there are some intriguing insights into his past service in India.
In sum, this is not the best book in the series mainly due to the weak mystery. That said, the atmospheric setting and potential for character and relationship development will keep me reading.
3.5 Stars
At the height of the Influenza epidemic of 1918, combat nurse Bess Crawford must contend not only with the wounded and the sick, but with the sudden appearance of an unidentified body among those slated for burial. In the aftermath of her own bout with illness, Bess works with her father's connections to collect evidence and unmask a lethal killer who will stop at nothing to fulfill his mission.
The Bess Crawford mysteries is well-written and entertaining. The historical descriptions of the Spanish 'flu and the wartime conditions both at home and at the front are detailed and interesting. Nevertheless, the book does require a healthy suspension of disbelief to accept that the heroine can go traipsing all over France during WWI.
The mystery has two possible explanations. While the first option makes more sense based on the details presented throughout the story, the ultimate resolution lacks foundation and foreshadowing, and ends up being convoluted, contrived and lacking in believability.
In terms of the characters, Bess is a likable heroine, but she can be somewhat haughty and imperious. Moreover, the possibility of a romance with Simon Brandon remains frustratingly underdeveloped even though there are some intriguing insights into his past service in India.
In sum, this is not the best book in the series mainly due to the weak mystery. That said, the atmospheric setting and potential for character and relationship development will keep me reading.
bookishnicole's review
4.0
You know how when you watch a movie trailer, you know the entire plot of the movie from those three minutes? And you know how sometimes that can happen with book synopses? It didn't happen with this book. Honestly, the synopses covers the first 3 chapters at best, and I kinda loved that because I had no idea what to expect from this book.
As far as historical time periods go, I do love the Tudors, but the World War One/World War Two era is also a favorite of mine. I also liked that it combined my a lot of my favorites: accurate historical fiction, plagues, mystery and action. I liked that Bess was on practically on the battlefield during several scenes, including one where she saw the gas coming for them, and she rushed to put on her mask and cover her skin.
If you noticed at the top, this book is part of a series and is in fact the fourth book in her adventures. I was a little confused at some points because certain people or facts weren't explained, probably because they were explained in earlier installments. Nothing really hindered the understanding of the story, it was mostly little things that were pre-established that I already missed.
The plot was pretty intense with lots of action and some romance which I liked. I feel like most books will contain some kind of romantic undercurrent, and while this one did, it was a lot more subtle than other books are about it. Bess wasn't asking for any kind of romantic come ons, and there hardly were any. I did like that the men in this book were gentlemen - men need to go back to this chivalry and being a gentleman.
Even though this book wasn't really about the Spanish Influenza, I didn't feel cheated at all. I still loved the plot of this book because it followed a headstrong woman who ordinarily would have been shoved out of the equation, but she didn't let herself be bullied and I loved it. I think even though I've read book 4, I'll go back and read them from the beginning again.
As far as historical time periods go, I do love the Tudors, but the World War One/World War Two era is also a favorite of mine. I also liked that it combined my a lot of my favorites: accurate historical fiction, plagues, mystery and action. I liked that Bess was on practically on the battlefield during several scenes, including one where she saw the gas coming for them, and she rushed to put on her mask and cover her skin.
If you noticed at the top, this book is part of a series and is in fact the fourth book in her adventures. I was a little confused at some points because certain people or facts weren't explained, probably because they were explained in earlier installments. Nothing really hindered the understanding of the story, it was mostly little things that were pre-established that I already missed.
The plot was pretty intense with lots of action and some romance which I liked. I feel like most books will contain some kind of romantic undercurrent, and while this one did, it was a lot more subtle than other books are about it. Bess wasn't asking for any kind of romantic come ons, and there hardly were any. I did like that the men in this book were gentlemen - men need to go back to this chivalry and being a gentleman.
Even though this book wasn't really about the Spanish Influenza, I didn't feel cheated at all. I still loved the plot of this book because it followed a headstrong woman who ordinarily would have been shoved out of the equation, but she didn't let herself be bullied and I loved it. I think even though I've read book 4, I'll go back and read them from the beginning again.
margardenlady's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Delightful mystery and adventure story set in WWI France and England. Bess Crawford is a capable, strong protagonist, who has lived a life of privilege, but still seeks to do good in her community. She is a military nurse of some skills and ends up being an amateur sleuth to boot. This story starts with her seeing a corpse among the flu dead that has no sign of flu symptoms. Then she gets sick and by the time she recovers, every else who saw the body is dead. Something nefarious is going on, but she can't be certain that it's not just a fever dream. Intricately plotted and with carefully developed characters, this was a pleasure to read.