An Unmarked Grave

A Bess Crawford Mystery, Book 4

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's 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 best-selling 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.

©2012 Charles Todd (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

More adventures for Bess Crawford

What made the experience of listening to An Unmarked Grave the most enjoyable?

I have read or listened to all of Charles Todd's books and I especially like the character of plucky WWI nurse Bess Crawford. The reader put me right in the front lines of caring for the wounded.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I douldn't put it down and wore my MP3 player all day till I finished it! Charles Todd always has lots of plot twists and turns which are not predictable.One minute Bess is fighting for her life with the Spanish influenza the next,she is nearly killed at the front.

Which character – as performed by Rosalyn Landor – was your favorite?

Bess

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Thank goodness it wasn't a 3 parter. I had to know what happened next and despite having read or listened to all of Todd's books, I couldn't guess what was going to happen next.

Any additional comments?

For fans of period murder mysteries and strong female characters, I highly recomment it

Great narrator

What did you love best about An Unmarked Grave?

Charles Todd creates the physical & emotional aspects of his characters so well. His stories transport me to another time & place,

Stay in Character, Bess

What disappointed you about An Unmarked Grave?

Bess is a pain in the neck, constantly going off into danger, lying to Matron, father and others, helping a deserter. The author constantly puts her in danger with no consequences for the perpetrator who tries to run her down, throw her off a boat, choke her, etc.etc. Hey there are policemen!!!!

Has An Unmarked Grave turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

struggled to finish

struggled to finish...not sure why but Beth seemed infantile, helpless and stupid...stating the obvious all the time etc

Bess Crawford Fan

I'm a fan of Bess Crawford. She's a strong woman and always strives for justice and right.

This is the 4th Bess Crawford mystery from Charles Todd and it did not disappoint.

I listened to the audio book narrated by the excellent Rosalyn Landor. Her voice is subtle with very good accents. Her strength is in her ability to do men's voices so well that I almost forget there is not a man reading those parts. The American man in this book was voiced extremely well.

I do have a few quibbles, including a weak ending, but they are spoilerish so I won't share them here.

I had forgotten how disappointed I was with this series

I so love the Ian Rutledge series by the same authors but I have yet to embrace any of these characters. I will stop with this one and wait for the other. As I stopped to write this a similar review written 10 years ago was on my screen. It was an exact expression of my disappointment.

Infuriating

**Spoiler below**

As usual, the narration was quite good but I cannot stand a mystery that cannot be solved by the reader before the murderer has been unmasked. This murderer is not even hinted at as a character until the very last minute. Upon hearing his name, my only reaction was, “Who???” I had enjoyed the series until now but doubt I will continue on.

I give up on this series

If you've never read a list mystery about a nurse (or similar) amateur sleuth solving crimes in the midst of WW1 carnage, this could be interesting. But the author team of Charles Todd wastes a good series premise and potentially interesting characters in that rich backdrop by producing a pedestrian rehash of other novels. Particularly wasted is the Spanish Flu epidemic material. I've listened to a couple of the Ian Rutledge novels - It's hard to believe the same team writes the Bess Crawford series. Number 1 in the series was better, and each subsequent novel seemed to be more loosely constructed -- just the opposite of what usually happens in a historical mystery series as the characters get a chance to develop. Here Bess still improbably hops around Britain and the French trenches, poking her nose in a minor mystery (compared to the hell all around) before eventually tripping over her villain in a too convenient formula.