Synopses & Reviews
The daughter of a distinguished soldier' Bess Crawford follows in his footsteps and signs up to go overseas as a nurse during the Great War' helping to deal with the many wounded. There' serving on a hospital ship' she makes a promise to a dying young lieutenant to take a message to his brother' Jonathan Graham: Tell Jonathan that I lied. I did it for Mother′s sake. But it has to be set right. Later' when her ship is sunk by a mine and she′s sidelined by a broken arm' Bess returns home to England' determined to fulfill her promise.
It′s not so easy' however. She travels to the village in Kent where the Grahams live and passes on to Jonathan his brother′s plea. Oddly' neither Jonathan' his mother' nor his younger brother admit to knowing what the message means. Then Bess learns that there′s another brother' incarcerated in a lunatic asylum since the age of 14 when he was accused of brutally murdering a housemaid.
Bess rightly guesses that the dying soldier′s last words had something to do with the fourth brother. Because the family seems unwilling to do anything' she decides that she will investigate. It′s her own duty to the dead.
Review
“Another winner....Todd again excels at vivid atmosphere and the effects of war in this specific time and place.
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“Here is a brave, smart and likable young heroine who will please Todd fans.” Evansville Courier & Press on A Duty to the Dead
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“A compelling story, a complex mystery and a revealing look deep into human nature.” Winston-Salem Journal (NC)
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“Full of rich historical details, this novel contrasts the beauty of the English countryside with the horrors of a war that devastated families....Absorbing.” Romantic Times
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“Anyone who cares to loll in early-20th century English villages and mores and follow a plucky heroine as she confronts the stupidity of war will find solace in this old-fashioned mystery.” Kirkus Reviews
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“The superb start of a new historical series....A welcome old-fashioned mystery and a brilliant start to a character with plenty more to discover in future books.” New Mystery Reader
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“Todds novels are known for compelling plotting with a thoughtful whodunit aspect, rich characterization, evocative prose and haunting atmosphere, and A Duty to the Dead excels at each. Another moving entry in a growing and distinguished body of work, it is neither easily put down nor easily forgotten.” Richmond Times-Dispatch
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“The Todd books offer an insight into and a grim reminder of the avalanche of broken bodies and minds that came back from France in 1918 as well as a reminder of how little was done to restore them.” Washington Times on A Duty to the Dead
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“Readers who cant get enough of Maisie Dobbs, the intrepid World War I battlefield nurse in Jacqueline Winspears 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
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“An absorbing story that will not disappoint Todds fans.” Contra Costa Times on A Duty to the Dead
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“A tense psychological drama, steeped in the tragedy of the Great War.” Iron Mountain Daily (Michigan)
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“Todd employs all the elements of a satisfying cozy mystery, with an absorbing plot and a charismatic heroine that will leave the reader wanting more.” Library Journal
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“Winning....Fans of independent women sleuths like Maisie Dobbs will welcome this new addition to their ranks.” Publishers Weekly
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“A Duty to the Dead has all the elements of a good mysteryaction, suspense, murder, love, a damsel in distress.” Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City)
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“This is a wonderful new mystery series that will let us see the horrors of World War I through the eyes of Bess Crawford, a battlefield nurse. A Duty to the Dead is a richly realistic depiction of both the era and people who lived through it. Margaret Maron, Edgar Award & #150;Winning author of Death & #8217;s Half Acre
Review
"Laurence Bartram is a young widower grappling not only with the loss of his young wife and infant son but also with a return to normalcy after his service in World War I when he receives a letter from Mary Emmett, the sister of a boyhood friend, asking him to look into her brothers supposed suicide. He is as intrigued by Mary herself as he is by her letter, and his investigations uncover a series of crimes and help Laurence confront his own horrendous memories of the war. An absorbing mystery set in postwar London, Spellers literary debut is brimming with historical details of the period and doesnt shy away from wars atrocities. There are many references to British writers and poets that the average American reader may not be familiar with, and the myriad names of officers and soldiers may be confusing. VERDICT World War I history buffs will enjoy this mystery, as will fans of period pieces set in London. Readers who like Jacqueline Winspears Maisie Dobbs series will enjoy this as well." [Previewed in M.M. Adjarians genre spotlight, "Dispatches from the Edge," Library Journal "Elegant, engrossing read."-- Publishers Weekly "Elegantly written anti-war saga."-- Kirkus
Synopsis
"Another winner....Todd again excels at vivid atmosphere and the effects of war in this specific time and place. Grade: A."
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Cleveland Plain Dealer
"Readers who can't get enough of Maisie Dobbs, the intrepid World War I battlefield nurse in Jacqueline Winspear's novels...are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford."
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New York Times Book Review
Charles Todd, author of the resoundingly acclaimed Ian Rutledge crime novels ("One of the best historical series being written today" --
Washington Post Book World) debuts an exceptional new protagonist, World War I nurse Bess Crawford, in
A Duty to the Dead. A gripping tale of perilous obligations and dark family secrets in the shadows of a nightmarish time of global conflict,
A Duty to the Dead is rich in suspense, surprise, and the impeccable period atmosphere that has become a Charles Todd trademark.
Synopsis
The First Bess Crawford Mystery
"Readers who can't get enough of Maisie Dobbs, the intrepid World War I battlefield nurse in Jacqueline Winspear's novels...are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford."
--New York Times Book Review
Charles Todd, author of the resoundingly acclaimed Ian Rutledge crime novels ("One of the best historical series being written today" --Washington Post Book World) debuts an exceptional new protagonist, World War I nurse Bess Crawford, in A Duty to the Dead. A gripping tale of perilous obligations and dark family secrets in the shadows of a nightmarish time of global conflict, A Duty to the Dead is rich in suspense, surprise, and the impeccable period atmosphere that has become a Charles Todd trademark.
"Another winner....Todd again excels at vivid atmosphere and the effects of war in this specific time and place. Grade: A."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer
--Romantic Times
Synopsis
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.
Synopsis
Damaged but not broken by his service in the Great War, and living a solitary widower's life in a London attic, accidental detective Laurence Bartram looks into the suspicious death of an old friend and discovers much more than he wishes to.
Synopsis
“Intriguing . . . a captivating wartime whodunit.” –
Boston Globe London, 1920. In the aftermath of the Great War and a devastating family tragedy, Laurence Bartram has turned his back on the world. But with a well-timed letter, an old flame manages to draw him back in. Mary Emmett’s brother John—like Laurence, an officer during the war—has apparently killed himself while in the care of a remote veterans’ hospital, and Mary needs to know why.
Aided by his friend Charles—a dauntless gentleman with detective skills cadged from mystery novels—Laurence begins asking difficult questions. What connects a group of war poets, a bitter feud within Emmett’s regiment, and a hidden love affair? Was Emmett’s death really a suicide, or the missing piece in a puzzling series of murders? As veterans tied to Emmett continue to turn up dead, and Laurence is forced to face the darkest corners of his war experiences, his own survival may depend on uncovering the truth.
“An elegant, moving read.” –Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
About the Author
ELIZABETH SPELLER studied Classics at Cambridge. She has written for various publications, and has taught at the universities of Cambridge, Birmingham, and Bristol. She divides her life between Gloucestershire and Greece.
Exclusive Essay
Read an exclusive essay by Charles Todd