"Fascinating Historical Mystery Gives a Glimpse Into the Lives of Quiet Heroes"
Reviewed by Diana Troldahl
Posted June 29, 2012
Mystery Historical
Nurse Bess Crawford is posted in a wartime clinic enmeshed
in the nightmare of treating the wounded and the ever
increasing numbers of the people dying from the Spanish
influenza when Private Wilson asks her to examine a body he
found amidst the victims awaiting burial. The man is one she knew, a Major Carson who had served in
her father's regiment. Unlike his companions, Major Carson
was murdered and hidden there to be lost in an unmarked
grave. Before she can take steps to trigger a murder
investigation,
Bess' exhausted body succumbs to influenza. By the time she
comes to her senses, weeks later in an English seaside
hotel, the murder of Major Carson seems nothing more than a
fever-wrought dream. When news comes of the suicide of Private Wilson however,
her memories of the night before she took ill sharpen and
become undeniable. There was indeed a murdered man among
the
war and influenza victims. It is beyond coincidence that a
man of Private Wilson's steady temperament should commit
suicide the evening after Bess succumbed to influenza. Who
had he gone to with his tale of an extra body? Who had
silenced him? How can Bess investigate when she is across
the channel and all the people involved are caught up in a
bloody war and fighting night and day to save the influenza
victims? Charles Todd (the mother and son writing team of Cornelia
and Charles Todd) have added another wonderful book to
their
Bess Crawford series. AN UNMARKED GRAVE is book
four. It
continues the high standards set by the previous three as
well as the quality found in their Inspector Ian Rutledge
books, giving a glimpse through the eyes of the main
characters of war-torn Europe and the quiet heroes who had
a
monumental impact on the world. If you are new to the
Charles Todd mysteries my best advice is to grab one as
soon
as possible. You won't regret it.
SUMMARY
World War I nurse and amateur sleuth Bess Crawford matches
wits with a devious killer in this exciting and suspenseful
adventure from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd In the spring of 1918, the Spanish flu epidemic spreads,
killing millions of soldiers and civilians across the globe.
Overwhelmed by the constant flow of wounded soldiers coming
from the French front, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford must
now contend with hundreds of influenza patients as well. However, war and disease are not the only killers to strike.
Bess discovers, concealed among the dead waiting for burial,
the body of an officer who has been murdered. Though she is
devoted to all her patients, this soldier's death touches
her deeply. Not only did the man serve in her father's
former regiment, he was also a family friend. Before she can report the terrible news, Bess falls ill, the
latest victim of the flu. By the time she recovers, the
murdered officer has been buried, and the only other person
who saw the body has hanged himself. Or did he? Working her father's connections in the military, Bess
begins to piece together what little evidence she can find
to unmask the elusive killer and see justice served. But she
must be as vigilant as she is tenacious. With a determined
killer on her heels, each move Bess makes could be her last.
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