An Unmarked Grave

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

A Nurse Bess Crawford mystery

This mystery is set against the background of WW I 1918. The war has dragged on for several years, losses have been huge for both sides, men are being gassed, and then the pandemic of the 1918 flu is killing people globally. Bess and the other nurses are hard pressed to handle the wounded and now the sick. Soldiers are dying so quickly in France that they are being buried in pits. But one day Bess is called into the room where the bodies are held because an orderly has found a body that did not belong to that unit, with no identifying clothes, and who hadn’t died of the flu. In fact, his neck was broken and he was murdered. Bess knew the man, a family friend who served with her father. She arranged for the orderly to hold back the trucks which took the bodies away, and Bess went off to find the matron to decide what to do. But Bess fell ill with the flu, and was delirious for several days. The nightmare of seeing the murdered man came back to her in a dream. When she finally recovered, she didn’t know if it was a dream or had happened. But then, she learned that the orderly who had also seen the body had, seemingly committed suicide. She instantly believed he was murdered. Bess enlisted the aid of Simon and her father and others to track down this murderer, and her own life was almost taken several times. This was an exciting book, each one in the series has gotten better and better. Landor is a particularly good narrator, especially for no-nonsense nurse Bess Crawford.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

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.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Interesting perspective on WWI

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this audiobook to a friend especially if that friend likes mysteries and has an interest in World War I. The characters and the plot were interesting as well as the details about the time and the people living through WWI.

What other book might you compare An Unmarked Grave to and why?

Any of the other Charles Todd books that deal with the same time period. The other series that comes to mind is the Inspector Foyle programs on PBS. They deal with a changing society during the two World Wars and the changing role for women in that society.

What about Rosalyn Landor’s performance did you like?

She portrayed the characters very well and was extremely easy to listen to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

I loved the end of the book when Bess Crawford was able to give the murdered soldier's family the comfort in knowing that he had not committed suicide and restored his honour.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

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

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Fascinating, Dramatic and Spellbinding.

A wonderful story of wartime hardship with a Downton Abbey feel. A nurse discovers an inner strength that she would never have known apart from the stark ruthlessness of her own illness and the First World War. From a privileged military family in Britain, the heroin determines to return to France to serve the wounded after having, herself, survived the Spanish Flu pandemic that rivaled the war in numbers of fatalities. There is intrigue coupled with valor. This is a tribute to the strength and determination of women. It was hard to put down. Well narrated, I highly recommend this easy listen.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

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,

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Entertaining performance, Addictive story lines.

Though both are written well, I've enjoyed Todd's Bess Crawford mystery series more than the Inspector Ian Rutledge series. Both take place during or just after WWI, which is an absolutely fascinating time period. It's obvious that Todd has done quite a bit of historical research on the war, which certainly adds to each stories' atmosphere.

The plots might sometimes be a bit of a stretch, but they have enough truth and "believability" so that I've always really enjoyed them.

The characters are the best part. They are so well developed, they're the reason I've gone through the whole Crawford series. After I'd used my Audible credit on the first book and finished it, I instantly purchased the second book so that I wouldn't have to wait a whole month to see how each character's subplots progressed.

The narrator's voice sounds a bit too cold for me at times, but again, each character's personality is very strongly written so that towards the end I wasn't bothered by it.

I thoroughly recommend this book. If you want your characters a bit darker, I suggest the Rutledge series as well.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

The Perfect Crime

Where does An Unmarked Grave rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's an overall GOOD story.

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

Not exactly on the edge of my seat, but it kept me interested enough to want to continue listening, even when I needed to stop.

What does Rosalyn Landor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

She's very good at changing voices, from women to men, and from British to American.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Hide a murder among the dead.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed hearing about the difficulties of WWI. What horror for those who fought and who tried to save the wounded. Kudos to the Nurses in France on the front lines.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Highly recommend

Charles Todd does not disapoint in the 4th book of the "Bess Crawford" series. Rosalyn Landor has done a fantastic job in reading ALL the books in the series. I hope they continue to use her as the series progresses. She really brings the characters to life!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Charles Todd hasn't disappointed me yet!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I first 'discovered' him with the Ian Rutledge series and I keep hoping some more of
the earlier books will be on audible.com. He has mayhem, of course, and the voice in his head, but Todd has a wonderful way with the English language

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

Now I see what an awful critic I am since I have listened to other audible books
since "An Marked Grave'!!

Have you listened to any of Rosalyn Landor???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Only in the Bess Crawford series. She is very, very good..

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Sorry.... I'm old... sniff...

2 of 2 people found this review helpful