Thomas F. (hardtack) -
This book is 377 pages long. Even before I got past page 100 I knew what the motive was for the attempted killings. If you're read as many British mysteries as I have, and understand British upper-class culture even into the early part of the 20th century, you would also know the motive. I was feeling so proud of myself. Then it turned out I was wrong. The motive was even simpler than the one I had thought.
It wasn't until I understood the real motive, toward the end of the book, that I also understood why the book was 377 pages long. It took "Charles Todd" that long to lay the groundwork.
At least World War I is over and Bess will soon be home. I wonder what she will be doing in the upcoming books. She did receive two proposals of marriage in this one, but side-stepped both. I wonder if we have yet met the man she might marry.
It was a fascinating read and I zoomed through the book. I'd re-post it for those who have it on their WL, but the book has a binding issue. So it goes to a thrift store I volunteer at.
It wasn't until I understood the real motive, toward the end of the book, that I also understood why the book was 377 pages long. It took "Charles Todd" that long to lay the groundwork.
At least World War I is over and Bess will soon be home. I wonder what she will be doing in the upcoming books. She did receive two proposals of marriage in this one, but side-stepped both. I wonder if we have yet met the man she might marry.
It was a fascinating read and I zoomed through the book. I'd re-post it for those who have it on their WL, but the book has a binding issue. So it goes to a thrift store I volunteer at.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I have a longheld fascination for all things World War I, and after reading Lyn MacDonald's excellent The Roses of No Man's Land, I've found myself reading both fiction and nonfiction about the women who went to France and Belgium to nurse the wounded. Charles Todd's mysteries about Bess Crawford are very good, and A Casualty of War is no exception, although I would imagine that Bess's parents are sick of her solving mysteries instead of spending time with them on her infrequent leaves home in England.
The chaos of trench warfare is a fertile ground for mysteries, and the mystery in A Casualty of War is intriguing indeed. How and why would Captain Travis's cousin want to kill him... if indeed it was him in the first place? Why are the people of the village of Sinclair so hostile to Bess? There are many questions to answer, and it's fun to attempt to find answers for them all before Bess does.
Another reason why this series is so strong is that the writing team of Charles Todd does an excellent job of giving readers a real feel for the time, the attitudes of people from all walks of life, and what it was like to be a nurse at the front lines. When the end of the war is announced, Bess, the other nurses, the doctors, the soldiers all experience a feeling of relief, but also a sort of disbelief. They've been fighting for so long, and when Bess goes to England, it's plain to see that everyone will have many adjustments to make. Things aren't going to go back to normal. At least, no time soon.
I like the character of Bess. I like seeing how she feels about people and the lengths to which she'll go to do what's right for them. There's also the added fillip of possible romance when Bess and Brandon spend a great deal of time in each other's company.
If you like reading books with a strong female main character who solves intriguing mysteries set in a well-researched time period, I recommend Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series. They. Are. Good.
The chaos of trench warfare is a fertile ground for mysteries, and the mystery in A Casualty of War is intriguing indeed. How and why would Captain Travis's cousin want to kill him... if indeed it was him in the first place? Why are the people of the village of Sinclair so hostile to Bess? There are many questions to answer, and it's fun to attempt to find answers for them all before Bess does.
Another reason why this series is so strong is that the writing team of Charles Todd does an excellent job of giving readers a real feel for the time, the attitudes of people from all walks of life, and what it was like to be a nurse at the front lines. When the end of the war is announced, Bess, the other nurses, the doctors, the soldiers all experience a feeling of relief, but also a sort of disbelief. They've been fighting for so long, and when Bess goes to England, it's plain to see that everyone will have many adjustments to make. Things aren't going to go back to normal. At least, no time soon.
I like the character of Bess. I like seeing how she feels about people and the lengths to which she'll go to do what's right for them. There's also the added fillip of possible romance when Bess and Brandon spend a great deal of time in each other's company.
If you like reading books with a strong female main character who solves intriguing mysteries set in a well-researched time period, I recommend Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series. They. Are. Good.
