Synopses & Reviews
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 Besss 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 womans 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.
Review
“A book rich in atmosphere and dense with plot.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch on An Impartial Witness
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“Readers will enjoy Todds plucky, determined sleuth and a thrilling mystery that proves murders on the home front dont stop just because theres a war.” Library Journal on An Impartial Witness
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“Bess Crawford is a strong and likable character.” Washington Times on An Impartial Witness
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“Highly recommendedwell-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.” Stephanie Laurens, New York Times bestselling author
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“A superb whodunitjust when you think you have it figured out, Todd throws a curveand a moving evocation of a world at war.” Richmond Times-Dispatch on An Impartial Witness
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“A smartly plotted, well-told mystery.” Booklist on An Impartial Witness
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“Todds excellent second mystery featuring British nurse Bess Crawford smoothly blends realistic characters with an intricate plot.” Publishers Weekly (starred review) on An Impartial Witness
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“Few writers surpass Todd in depicting the insanity of war.” < i=""> Kirkus Reviews <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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"Outstanding." < i=""> Publishers Weekly <> (starred review) on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“Bess is a very strong series lead, the historical setting is as well developed here as it is in the Rutledge books, and the mysteries are just as elegantly constructed. Readers who have yet to sample the Crawford series should be strongly encouraged to do so.” < i=""> Booklist <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“Todd brings World War I England and France to life with an intriguing plot and an intrepid sleuth.” < i=""> Library Journal <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“A well-envisaged plot, a deep sense of time and place and characters drawn with care and compassion.” < i=""> Richmond Times-Dispatch <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“A thoughtful mystery with an excellent plot, well-drawn characters and wonderful atmosphere.” < i=""> Indianapolis Star <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“The Todds excel at complex characterizations....For lovers of upper-drawer British whodunnits and Anglophiles in general, A Bitter Truth should prove a sweet treat indeed.” < i=""> Wilmington Star-News <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“Charles Todd has developed believable characters that carry along this story with lightning speed from the first page to the last.” < i=""> New York Journal of Books <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“A lovely picture of a slower world.” < i=""> Charlotte Observer <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“Makes fine work of the brooding atmosphere.” < i=""> New York Times Book Review <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“Combines believable characters, gut-wrenching suspense and a sobering commentary on the ravages of war.” < i=""> Deseret News <> on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
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“Find some cures for the post-Downton Abbey blues ... Charles Todd has been producing a series of highly praised detective novels set in the years immediately after World War I.” Tulsa World Scene
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“Outstanding.” < i=""> Publishers Weekly <> (starred review) on < i=""> A Bitter Truth <>
Synopsis
Highly recommended well-rounded, believable characters, a multi-layered plot solidly based on human nature, all authentically set in the England of 1917 an outstanding and riveting read.
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens
Bess Crawford is a strong and likable character.
Washington Times
Already deservedly lauded for the superb historical crime novels featuring shell-shocked Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge (A Lonely Death, A Pale Horse et al), acclaimed author Charles Todd upped the ante by introducing readers to a wonderful new series protagonist, World War One battlefield nurse Bess Crawford. Featured for a third time in A Bitter Truth, Bess reaches out to help an abused and frightened young woman, only to discover that no good deed ever goes unpunished when the good Samaritan nurse finds herself falsely accused of murder. A terrific follow up to Todd s A Duty to the Dead and An Impartial Witness, A Bitter Truth is another thrilling and evocative mystery from one of the most respected writers in the genre (Denver Post) and a treat for fans of Elizabeth George, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, and Jacqueline Winspear.
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Synopsis
“Highly recommended—well-rounded, believable characters, a multi-layered plot solidly based on human nature, all authentically set in the England of 1917…an outstanding and riveting read.”
—
New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens
“Bess Crawford is a strong and likable character.”
—Washington Times
Already deservedly lauded for the superb historical crime novels featuring shell-shocked Scotland Yard inspector Ian Rutledge (A Lonely Death, A Pale Horse et al), acclaimed author Charles Todd upped the ante by introducing readers to a wonderful new series protagonist, World War One battlefield nurse Bess Crawford. Featured for a third time in A Bitter Truth, Bess reaches out to help an abused and frightened young woman, only to discover that no good deed ever goes unpunished when the good Samaritan nurse finds herself falsely accused of murder. A terrific follow up to Todds A Duty to the Dead and An Impartial Witness, A Bitter Truth is another thrilling and evocative mystery from “one of the most respected writers in the genre” (Denver Post) and a treat for fans of Elizabeth George, Anne Perry, Martha Grimes, and Jacqueline Winspear.
About the Author
Charles Todd is the author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother and son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina.