The Bess Crawford Read-A-Long

I haven't participated in a read-a-long in a while, and this series does appeal to me because of its setting (England, baby) and the fact that it's a mystery series. Right now, I've already read the newest releases of some of my favorite mystery authors (Louise Penny, Val McDermid and Linda Castillo) and I'm waiting in the library reserve queue for Elizabeth George's latest. This read-a-long will help fill the waiting time and I get to discover a new author and series. What else can a reader hope for?




The Bess Crawford Read-A-Long is hosted by Book Club Girl, and all of the details can be found there, but here is the discussion schedule:

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 entire series)

Look for updates along the way here, on Twitter (#besscrawford), and on the Book Club Girl and Charles Todd Facebook pages.

First In The Series (From GoodReads)
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.


Happy Reading!