Ever since I read Charles Todd's A Duty to the Dead, I've been following the career of Nurse Bess Crawford. Watching Testament of Youth a long time ago turned me on to the entire subject of World War I and in particular the women who volunteered to nurse the wounded at the front lines, so I was predisposed to like Bess.
Now that the war has ended, this series has entered a new phase, and I've had a keen interest in the directions it's taking. The thirteenth book in the series has Bess going to one of my favorite parts of the world-- Yorkshire-- so I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on it.
Let me share what I know!
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Available February 14, 2023!
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Synopsis:
"Restless and uncertain of her future in the wake of World War
I, former battlefield nurse Bess Crawford agrees to travel to Yorkshire
to help a friend of her cousin Melinda through surgery. But
circumstances change suddenly when news of a terrible accident reaches
them. Bess agrees to go to isolated Scarfdale and the Neville family,
where one man has been killed and another gravely injured. The police
are asking questions, and Bess is quickly drawn into the fray as two
once close families take sides, even as they are forced to remain in the
same house until the inquest is completed. When
another tragedy strikes, the police are ready to make an arrest. Bess
struggles to keep order as tensions rise and shots are fired. What dark
truth is behind these deaths? And what about the tale of an older
murder—one that doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the Nevilles?
Bess is unaware that when she passes the story on to Cousin Melinda, she
will set in motion a revelation with the potential to change the lives
of those she loves most—her parents, and her dearest friend, Simon
Brandon…"
Sounds like another good one that will keep me turning those pages! How many of you are Bess Crawford fans already? How many of you are Ian Rutledge fans? How many of you enjoy both series? I have to admit that I'm a Bess fan. I tried reading Todd's Ian Rutledge series, and although the stories were every bit as good as the writing, the character of Hamish drove me around the twist, and I had to stop. You could consider that a mark of how good the writing is, though, couldn't you? ...the character trying Rutledge's sanity almost made me lose mine?
I will say that, if you like historical mysteries and you haven't read Charles Todd yet, you should really give one (or both) of the series a try. As for me, I'm waiting patiently for The Cliff's Edge!
I like the Bess Crawford Character, Cathy. And this series does have a strong sense of time and place, I think. Good to know there's a new one on the way!
ReplyDeleteI really like seeing where the series goes now that the war is over.
DeleteI'm a Bess Crawford fan! (Though I'm a little behind in reading these books, too.) This new one does sound like a good one. :)
ReplyDeleteYay-- a fellow fan! :-)
DeleteBoth of these series are on my TBR, but I have to admit I was planning to start with the Bess Crawford series. Her character seems to appeal to me more. Glad to hear you like this series!
ReplyDeleteI really do like it and the subjects that "Charles Todd" addresses in the books.
DeleteSadly, it is just down to Charles Todd now. His mother and writing partner has passed away.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see if the series change at all. (And his name isn't Charles Todd either.)
DeleteIs it not? Hmm. They should be more honest in those cover bios. I was wondering how the series would change. When Dick Francis died, his son picked up writing his 'series', but he had already been working with his dad to write them, so he's done a pretty good job of carrying on the style, if not the 'voice'. I have the feeling Francis' wife was responsible for the voice anyway, since she was his long-time writing partner before her death. Anyway, as many books as they had written together, I imagine the Charles Todd books will stay fairly close in style, although I did notice a few changes in the choices made by the author in the most recent Ian Rutledge. I'm suspecting that the almost claustrophobic feel of them will lessen, anyway.
DeleteTheir real names used to be on one of their social media sites. I can't remember what it is-- Wedgen or summat-- and I don't have the time to track it down. I got to talk to him at Left Coast Crime one year.
DeleteMe! I love the Bess Crawford books. Even enjoy the Ian Rutledge books, but mostly because Hamish seems to have mellowed a bit.
ReplyDeleteFinally! LOL
DeleteI'm a couple of books behind on the Bess Crawford series, so I have catching up to look forward to. I slightly favor the Rutledge novels, because I enjoy his character, and the attention to all the details and impacts involved with keeping his (far-from-understood) PTSD hidden.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't doing that be exhausting? Rutledge is one strong-willed man.
DeleteYes, I think that's why he gets headaches so often too.
DeleteI agree.
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