If you missed tonight's live broadcast of our discussion with the Charles Todd writing team about their Bess Crawford and Ian Rutledge series, you can listen in to the podcast now! Thanks so much to Caroline and Charles for joining us - it was great to hear about their inspiration and research into the WWI era as well as the mystery writers they love to read.
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Just a reminder that tonight at 7pm ET we'll welcome the mother and son writing team of Charles Todd to Book Club Girl on Air in the culmination of our Book Time with Bess Bess Crawford Read Along! I'm so excited to talk with Caroline and Charles about Bess, WWI, and all the books in the series. We hope you can join us and ask your questions (via the chat session or by calling 347-945-6149 in) as well! Set your reminder here and return to that same link tonight to listen and participate live. Be sure to register on the site before 7 tonight to be sure that you can participate from the beginning of the show. Any questions, please ask!
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I can't believe we've already come to the end - for now - of the Bess Crawford series! Today we discuss the 4th book in Charles Todd's bestselling series, but our read along is not over yet. After today's discussion here, we still have our live online radio podcast with the Charles Todd writing team this Thursday night, during which we will talk about the entire Bess Crawford series!
I think An Unmarked Grave might have been my favorite Bess mystery so far - it certainly kept me guessing until the end and I loved how much action there was. Bess was on the move the entire time.
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.
1) In each of the previous books in the series, we saw Simon Brandon take on a increasingly bigger role in investigating crimes with Bess and in this book, the Colonel and Bess' mother are also actively involved in her search for the killer. What did you make of this?
2) Both Bess and Simon fall ill in this novel - Bess from the Spanish Flu epidemic ravaging both France and England and Simon from his wounds. What did you think of each of them in their more vulnerable states and why do you think the authors chose that for them?
3) There were several suspects put forth throughout the course of the novel. How did you feel when the killer, and his motives for killing, was finally revealed?
4) What did you think of Bess' decision to help Hugh Morton in his desertion?
5) I loved the scene of Bess working alongside the doctor to save Sargeant Mitchell, with her father looking on. As far as we know this is the first time he's seen his daughter in action as a nurse and what she can do. What did you think of that scene?
6) What new word did you learn from this mystery? For me it was "sappers" - which refers to either a military specialist in field fortification work or a military demolitions specialist.
More than anything, this novel drove home for me, even more than the previous three, the toll that the war is taking, as it drags on - on soldiers, nurses and the people of England and France. There was a haunting sense of the loss and devastation and the hopelessness that the end is not in sight. I found this audio recording of Roses of Picardy - the song that Bess hears a soldier playing on a mouth organ when she is working in Ypres: "I thought how homesick he must be, letting the instrument put into words what he couldn't, that the war had last far too long and there was still no end in sight. He had lost heart, and I couldn't fault him for that."
I look forward to seeing your answers to the above questions, and then, our Book Time with Bess Read Along isn't quite over yet! Please join us on Thursday night, June 28th at 7pm ET, as we welcome the writing team of Charles Todd to Book Club Girl on Air to answer all our questions about the entire Bess Crawford series - as well as anything else you'd like to ask them about their Inspector Ian Rutledge series and researching and writing the war in general. Set your reminder for the show here!
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The Book Time with Bess Read Along is rolling along - check out the discussion of A Bitter Truth from last Monday. Next up is the newest and fourth book in the series, An Unmarked Grave, which goes on sale on Tuesday, June 5th. We'll discuss An Unmarked Grave on here the blog on June 25th and we'll discuss it and the entire Bess Crawford series with the Charles Todd writing team live on Book Club Girl on Air on Thursday, June 28th at 7pm ET!
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.
“Readers who can’t get enough of Jacqueline Winspear’s novels, or Hester Latterly, who saw action in the Crimean War in a series of novels by Anne Perry, are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford.”
—New York Times Book Review
Don't worry if you haven't read the first books in the series - you can jump in at any moment - so if you're looking for a cure to your WWI era Downton Abbey-less blues, sign up for this discussion!
Browse inside An Unmarked Grave now. I have 10 copies of the book to give away to the first 10 people who comment that they can participate in the show on June 28th. And set your reminder for the show here.
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Welcome to the third installment of the Bess Crawford Read Along of book 3 in the Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd, A Bitter Truth!
A Bitter Truth
Trying to help a woman in distress, World War I nurse and accidental sleuth Bess Crawford learns that no good deed goes unpunished
When battlefield nurse Bess Crawford returns from France for a well-earned Christmas leave, she finds a bruised and shivering woman huddled in the doorway of her London residence. The woman has nowhere to turn, and propelled by a firm sense of duty, Bess takes her in.
Once inside Bess’s flat, the woman reveals that a quarrel with her husband erupted into violence, yet she wants to return home—if Bess will go with her to Sussex. Realizing that the woman is suffering from a concussion, Bess gives up a few precious days of leave to travel with her. But she soon discovers that this is a good deed with unforeseeable consequences.
What Bess finds at Vixen Hill is a house of mourning. The woman’s family has gathered for a memorial service for the elder son, who died of war wounds. Her husband, home on compassionate leave, is tense, tormented by jealousy and his own guilty conscience.
Then, when a troubled houseguest is found dead, Bess herself becomes a prime suspect in the case. This murder will lead her to a dangerous quest in war-torn France, an unexpected ally, and a startling revelation that puts her in jeopardy before a vicious killer can be exposed.
I think this was my favorite Bess Crawford mystery to date - I was definitely guessing until the end and was completely wrapped up in the lives of the Ellis family and with Bess' experiences.
1.) How did A Bitter Truth stack up for you against Bess' previous two adventures?
2.) I really enjoyed the mystery in this novel, and confess I was quite confounded as to who the killer was, until the very end. How about you?
3.) The plight of orphans in the war is brought to the forefront in this novel - what do you think of Lydia's and Bess' feelings and plans for Sophie?
4.) I was struck by the passage in chapter 15, when Todd speaks of the evolution of the war: "The days when men lined up in their dozens to be the first to enlist had long since passed. Now the reality of the trenches had scoured away that bravado, and in its place were these recruits, afraid of shaming themselves in front of their mates but probably wishing themselves anywhere but here." How did you see the war changing people and events in the novel?
5.) Simon Brandon plays an even greater role in this book than the last, though I don't think Bess sees his interest as more than professional or familial. What do you think his intentions are? And do you think Bess recognizes them?
The newest book in the Bess Crawford series, An Unmarked Grave, is on sale on June 5th and we'll be discussing that book here on the blog on June 25th. And we'll discuss the entire Bess Crawford series with writing team Charles Todd on the live online radio show Book Club Girl on Air on June 28th at 7pm ET.
Follow the Bess Crawford read-along on Twitter at the hashtag #besscrawford and be sure to friend Charles Todd on Facebook!
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Book Time with Bess, The Bess Crawford Read-Along continues with our discussion today of the second book in Charles Todd's series about WWI nurse Bess Crawford, An Impartial Witness!
In the early summer of 1917, Bess Crawford is charged with escorting a convoy of severely wounded soldiers from the trenches of France to England. Among them is a young pilot, burned beyond recognition, who carries a photograph of his wife pinned to his tunic. But later, in a crowded railway station, Bess sees the same woman bidding a heart-wrenching farewell to a departing officer, clearly not her husband.
Back on duty in France, Bess is shocked to discover the wife’s photograph in a newspaper accompanying a plea from Scotland Yard for information about her murder, which took place on the very day Bess witnessed that anguished farewell. Granted leave to speak with the authorities, Bess very quickly finds herself entangled in a case of secrets and deadly betrayal in which another life hangs in the balance, and her search for the truth could expose her to far graver dangers than those she faces on the battlefield.
Questions for Discussion
1) As in A Duty to the Dead, long-seated familial animosities and jealousies play a role in the crimes committed. What did you think of the Garrison and Melton families? How do they compare to Bess' family, or to the families of soldiers and nurses created by war?
2) Simon Brandon plays a far greater role in this novel than he did in A Duty to the Dead. What do you make of that and do you think his intentions stem from his duty to Bess' father, or from his affections for Bess herself?
3) Simon strives to curtail the risks that Bess takes throughout the novel. This advice of his struck me particularly: "We have to move on. Put the living first. There are already enough monuments to the dead." Do you think Bess's drive to right the wrongs she sees puts her at odds with this advice, to her detriment?
4) Do you think there is any such thing as an "impartial witness?" Bess admits to adding her own perspective and interpretation to what she sees at the railway station. Later, Mrs. Hennessey is referred to by Bess as an "impartial witness," presumably because she's completely in the dark about what's been happening. But what do you think of the phrase, and what do you think the authors mean us to to think of it?
5) What did you think of the ending of the novel? Were you expecting a confrontation, or confession, that you didn't see? And if so, why do you think it was written that way?
6) Did you learn any new phrases while reading An Impartial Witness? For me it was "Well, it's shank's mare, then," which Sister Benning says to Bess when they have to walk behind the ambulance of wounded soldiers on their way to safer ground. Turns out that "shanks mare" is an Irish phrase referring to having to hoof it on your own two legs.
I'm looking forward to all of your answers - and please link to your own posts about An Impartial Witness in your comments!
Join us next on Tuesday, May 29th when we'll discuss the third book in the Bess Crawford series, A Bitter Truth - which also comes out in paperback tomorrow, May 1st.
Book Time with Bess - The Bess Crawford Read-Aong continues!
May 29th – A Bitter Truth discussion
June 5th - An Unmarked Grave – the new hardcover goes on sale
June 25th – An Unmarked Grave discussion
June 28th – Book Club Girl on Air Show with Charles Todd to Discuss the Entire Series
Follow the read-along on Twitter at the hashtag #besscrawford and be sure to friend Charles Todd on Facebook!
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Just a reminder that our Book Club Girl on Air show with Ashley Ream to discuss her debut novel Losing Clementine is tomorrow, Tuesday, April 10th at 8 pm ET!
Set your reminder for the show here and return to that same link live tomorrow evening to participate. During the show you'll be able to ask questions of Ashley by sending in questions via the chat session (you can also chat with other listeners in the chat session). Or you can call in and ask Ashley questions directly by dialing 347-945-6149.
Be sure to register on the site (select "free account" under the first 3 options you see) before 8 o'clock tomorrow to be sure you can participate in the chat from the beginning of the show.
Check out the reading group guide before the show. Can't wait to talk to all of you tomorrow night!
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Our Book Time with Bess Bess Crawford Read Along begins! Today we'll discuss the first book in Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series, A Duty to the Dead. Answer the questions below in the comments section and link to your posts with your own thoughts about A Duty to the Dead there as well. For those who are also posting their thoughts to Twitter, please use the hashtag #besscrawford.
A Duty to the Dead
Dedicated to helping the many wounded during the Great War, Bess Crawford receives a desperate request from a dying lieutenant while serving as a nurse aboard a hospital ship. "Tell my brother Jonathan that I lied," the young man says. "I did it for Mother's sake. But it has to be set right."
Back home in England, Bess receives an unexpected response from the dead soldier's family, for neither Jonathan Graham‚ his mother‚ nor his younger brother admit to understanding what the message means.
But the Grahams are harboring a grim secret, and Bess must, somehow, get to the bottom of it. It is her sacred duty to the dead, no matter how painful, or dangerous, that obligation might be.
Questions for Discussion:
1) Was this the first book that you read by Charles Todd, or, the first book set in this time period? I first encountered WWI-era-England with Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series, and then, of course with the tv sensation Downton Abbey. If you have read more in this time period, what other books do you recommend?
2) What was your first impression of Bess Crawford? Were you surprised by the independence she enjoyed as a woman in this time, and that her parents afforded her so much freedom? Did your opinion of Bess change throughout the novel?
3) Bess has an interesting back story, growing up as she did in India. How did the authors use that part of her life to help define her character, and that of her parents and their relationship?
4) Did you know that large ocean liners, such as the Brittanic, which was a sister ship to both the Titanic and the Olympic, were called into service as hospital ships during the war? Brittanic was indeed sunk as well, just as the Todds write it in the book. Did you know that so many of the men who died on the hospital ships were buried at sea? Of course it makes sense, but I hadn't realized the number and that those men's families were left with no grave at home to visit, as Bess reflects, "In the sea there were no markers for the dead. No place in the deep to mourn, no place to leave flowers."
4) What did you think of Arthur's message? Do you think it was fair of him to ask Bess to deliver it? Why do you think she was so committed to not only delivering it, but to making sure it was followed by the Graham family?
5) What did you think of Mrs. Graham and her sons? I was struck by how much Bess was at their mercy and whim while staying in their house. Do you think they abused her kind nature in asking her to care for Peregrine?
6) Did you guess who the real killer was before he was revealed? I confess I went back and forth a few times, wondering.
7) What new word did you learn in A Duty to the Dead? For me it was "ratings," which refers to "a classification according to grade; specifically: a military or naval specialist classification, or more precisely: "chiefly British: a naval enlisted man." (Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition).
I can't wait to hear what everyone else thought. I loved meeting Bess and learning more about this time and the mystery kept me turning pages rapidly until the wee hours of the night.
Join us next month as we discuss the next book in the series, An Impartial Witness, which we'll talk about on Monday, April 30th. And, the first 5 people to comment here with answers to the discussion will win a copy of An Impartial Witness!
The Book Time with Bess Read Along runs through the publication of the newest book in the series, An Unmarked Grave in June 2012. See the complete schedule for discussing the 4 books in the series below. Feel free to join at any time!
April 30th - An Impartial Witness discussion
May 1st – A Bitter Truth paperback goes on sale
May 29th – A Bitter Truth discussion (May 28th is Memorial Day)
June 5th - An Unmarked Grave – the new hardcover goes on sale
June 25th – An Unmarked Grave discussion
June 28th – Book Club Girl on Air Show with Charles Todd to Discuss the Entire Series
Look for updates along the way here, on Twitter (#besscrawford), and on the Book Club Girl and Charles Todd Facebook pages.
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If you, like me, are feeling a Downton Abbey let-down after the airing of the last episode in the second season, I might just have the cure that ails you (it might even cure the Spanish flu).
Further immerse yourself in WWI-era England with the Bess Crawford mysteries by Charles Todd by joining our “Book Time with Bess” Read Along!
The “Book Time with Bess Read Along” kicks off now and runs through the publication of the newest book in the series, An Unmarked Grave in June 2012.
About Bess Crawford, and A Duty to the Dead, the first book in the series:
So who is Bess Crawford? The creation of the mother and son writing team of Charles Todd – the team that brought us the acclaimed and bestselling Ian Rutledge series – Bess Crawford is a singular woman living in a time of great change in England. Independent-minded Bess Crawford’s upbringing was far different from that of the usual upper-middle-class British gentlewoman. Growing up in India, she learned the importance of responsibility, honor, and duty from her officer father. At the outbreak of World War I, she followed in his footsteps and volunteered for the nursing corps, serving from the battlefields of France to the doomed hospital ship Britannic.
On one voyage, Bess grows fond of the young, gravely wounded Lieutenant Arthur Graham. Something rests heavily on his conscience, and to give him a little peace as he dies, she promises to deliver a message to his brother. It is some months before she can carry out this duty, and when she’s next in England, she herself is recovering from a wound. When Bess arrives at the Graham house in Kent, Jonathan Graham listens to his brother’s last wishes with surprising indifference. Neither his mother nor his brother Timothy seems to think it has any significance. Unsettled by this, Bess is about to take her leave when sudden tragedy envelops her. She quickly discovers that fulfilling this duty to the dead has thrust her into a maelstrom of intrigue and murder that will endanger her own life and test her courage as not even war has.
As an added bonus to get you started, the e-book of A Duty to the Dead is just $1.99 for a limited time, so order up today and get reading!
The read-along officially kicks off today (but don’t worry, our first discussion won’t take place until March 26th) and it runs through the publication of the paperback of the most recent Bess Crawford novel, A Bitter Truth (on sale 5/1), as well as the new Bess Crawford hardcover, An Unmarked Grave (on sale 6/5). We'll end the read-along in June with a Book Club Girl on Air Show with the Charles Todd writing team to discuss all the books in the series.
Here's the schedule of when I'll post questions about each book for us to discuss:
March 26th - A Duty to the Dead discussion
April 30th - An Impartial Witness discussion
May 1st – A Bitter Truth paperback goes on sale
May 29th – A Bitter Truth discussion (May 28th is Memorial Day)
June 5th - An Unmarked Grave – the new hardcover goes on sale
June 25th – An Unmarked Grave discussion
June 28th – Book Club Girl on Air Show with Charles Todd to Discuss the Entire Series
Look for updates along the way here, on Twitter (#besscrawford), and on the Book Club Girl and Charles Todd Facebook pages.
The first 10 people to sign up will receive a free copy of the paperback of A Duty to the Dead (if you're taking advantage of the $1.99 ebook instead, let me know that and we can send you An Impartial Witness).
Write a post saying you're signing up and link back here, grab the tile ad above and then link to your post using the Mr. Linky below. (If you don't have a blog, announce it on your Facebook and link to your status update). Then tweet about your reading using the hashtag #besscrawford.
(email me if you are having trouble with the tile ad at bookclubgirl AT gmail DOT com).
Happy Reading!
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So, we've read all the Jacqueline Winspear there is to be had (so far), but if you're like me, you might be yearning to know more about the world of WWI England and perhaps meet another nurse who solves murder mysteries--this time during the war, and in between dodging air raids. To fill this need, I'm turning to the Bess Crawford novels by Charles Todd. According to my colleague Tavia, "Bess is a talented nurse, treating wounded soldiers with swiftness and compassion. But when she gets leave from the front, she inevitably comes across some shady occurrences that her sense of duty cannot let her leave unresolved. Todd brings WWI London to life, and his supporting characters are fully-imagined and highly likable (except for the villains, of course. We don’t like them)."
The first book in the Bess Crawford series is A Duty to the Dead which was followed by An Impartial Witness. The newest Bess Crawford, A Bitter Truth, comes out at the end of this summer and I have 10 copies of the advance reading copy of it to give away!
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens says, “Highly recommended—well-rounded, believable characters, a multi-layered plot solidly based on human nature, all authentically set in the England of 1917, make A Bitter Truth an outstanding and riveting read.”
and Publishers Weekly called A Duty to the Dead, “Winning....Fans of independent women sleuths like Maisie Dobbs will welcome this new addition to their ranks.”
To enter to win an advance copy of A Bitter Truth, comment below that you've liked Charles Todd on Facebook. I'll choose 10 random comments from all those received by midnight Thursday June 16th to receive the advance reading copy. And if you want to meet Bess before you enter, read excerpts from A Duty to the Dead and An Impartial Witness.
In addition to Facebook, you can learn more about Charles Todd and his other mystery novels at his his website.
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