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sophronisba's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I will grant you that aspects of this book are somewhat farfetched but it's still well-written and I could not put it down. I also really liked Bess, who was smart and interesting without being too much of a Mary Sue. The pacing was a little off here -- in particular, the first two or three chapters could have been cut down severely without losing much -- but I enjoyed it enough that I'm looking forward to the next volume in the series.
knottyrambler's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing all the way through.
compass_rose's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the time period, setting, characters and writing style. I was less happy with the plot--the detective work of the protagonist seemed too far fetched and based on guesses. I'd still read another Bess Crawford novel if another is written.
yorugua1891's review against another edition
4.0
"I thought nursing would keep you safe. How wrong I was."
I found this to be a mystery pretty different from everything else out there, and the main reason for saying this is that the authors take their time in presenting us what the mystery is about, and only then we start getting closer to a solution. It feels like we are peeling an onion layer by layer, first we are just reading about a WW I nurse that was asked to deliver a message by one of his patients with who she had a special relationship. But then, odd things connected to that event start popping up and we are thrown into a mesmerizing mystery.
The writing is one of the characteristics I enjoyed the most about this novel. The authors keep us entertained even when going over mundane events, and the depiction of life in England in the early twentieth century is really enjoyable. We almost feel as if we are there with the characters. On top of that, they have created a fantastic main character in Bess Crawford. I know the concept of a nurse in WW I is not novel, see for example Maisie Dobbs, but I think they did such a great job in crafting her and giving her depth, that whatever lack of originality there is, can be forgiven.
This is a solid start to this new series, and once again the writers show that writing in a WW I setting is their niche. I will be reading other books in this series hoping the quality remains high.
I found this to be a mystery pretty different from everything else out there, and the main reason for saying this is that the authors take their time in presenting us what the mystery is about, and only then we start getting closer to a solution. It feels like we are peeling an onion layer by layer, first we are just reading about a WW I nurse that was asked to deliver a message by one of his patients with who she had a special relationship. But then, odd things connected to that event start popping up and we are thrown into a mesmerizing mystery.
The writing is one of the characteristics I enjoyed the most about this novel. The authors keep us entertained even when going over mundane events, and the depiction of life in England in the early twentieth century is really enjoyable. We almost feel as if we are there with the characters. On top of that, they have created a fantastic main character in Bess Crawford. I know the concept of a nurse in WW I is not novel, see for example Maisie Dobbs, but I think they did such a great job in crafting her and giving her depth, that whatever lack of originality there is, can be forgiven.
This is a solid start to this new series, and once again the writers show that writing in a WW I setting is their niche. I will be reading other books in this series hoping the quality remains high.
jeep8read's review against another edition
4.0
This solid mystery introduces a character new to me and one I will follow through succeeding books. Bess Crawford is a nurse during war time and is a brave and relentless truth seeker. The dying private wish of a soldier she is caring for brings her to visit his family after his death and to discover that things are not all she had assumed them to be. It's a wily web and Bess is up to it. I really enjoyed this book.
nursenell's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first book in the Bess Crawford series, which I was introduced to when I read the 7th one in the series by chance. Bess is an only child who grew up in India where her father was a career military officer. Bess becomes a nurse in the British nursing corps and serves in France during WWI. She is injured when the hospital ship she serves on, the Brittanic, is torpedoed. She is sent back to England to recuperate. She takes advantage of being back home to deliver a message from a dying soldier she had cared for. She delivers the message to the soldier's brother and suddenly she finds herself involved in secrets from the past, and people who want those secrets kept secret. Good read.
cook_memorial_public_library's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended by Jane
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judyward's review against another edition
3.0
This book is the first in a new series by mother-son writing team, Charles Todd. Bess Crawford is a nurse in the British Army during World War I. In 1916, Bess made a promise to a dying soldier that she would take a message to his brother and while home in England recuperating from an injury suffered when the hospital ship she was stationed on was sunk off the coast of Greece, she visits his family and is immediately drawn into their drama and secrets. Much of the action in the book centers around how World War I affected England domestically as well as militarily. An interesting beginning for the series. I'm looking forward to the publication of the next Bess Crawford adventure.