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There are currently 31 member reviews
for A Bitter Truth
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Carole P. (framingham, ma)
A Bitter Truth
I have read several of Todd's books and always enjoy his writing. He draws his readers into the WWI time period from the first page. Nurse Bess Crawford is warm, realistic and engaging. The sections set in the war zones are chilling. All of this is what I like about his books.
However,there is a critical part of the plot that was unbelievable to me. This is why I could not give it a " good". Still, his writing, characters and setting make for a fun read.
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Ray P. (Selden, NY)
The latest in the saga of WWI British nurse, Bess Crawford.
The mother/son team that writes under the pen name --- Charles Todd --- have already created the terrific Inspector Ian Rutledge series. Now, A BITTER TRUTH marks the third entry in their latest series --- the Bess Crawford mysteries.
Bess is a British battlefield nurse who witnesses first-hand the horrors of WWI. Additionally, she finds herself constantly at the center of various deadly mysteries. A BITTER TRUTH finds Bess befriending a young woman named Lydia who appears to have been battered by her husband, himself a British serviceman. Bess decides to accompany Lydia to her home and is quickly thrust into the middle of a murder that may have been committed to protect a deadly family secret.
The difference with this Bess Crawford mystery is that she herself is unwittingly made a subject in the murder investigation --- a fact that makes her involvement in finding out the truth that much more difficult. Although this is not Charles Todd's finest work, it does feature what they always do best --- create an atmosphere of a bygone era that is so real and gritty you are practically transported there with every line.
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Debbie S. (Paso Robles, CA)
Not Impressed
Set in England during World War 1, Bess Crawford, a nurse stationed in France, returns home to London on leave. Upon reaching her flat she finds a young woman huddled in her doorway. After giving the young woman shelter for the night, Bess accompanies Lydia to her home in Sussex. There Bess becomes involved in a murder. Alternating between the battlefields of France and the scene of the murder, the story seems at times to drag and lack excitement or suspense. Characters are not fully developed and some of the plot line is somewhat confusing.
For those looking for a "cozy" mystery, this might be suitable. For those wanting a more suspenseful mystery this will not be a good read.
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Rebecca J. (Knoxville, TN)
A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd
I was interested to read a book in this Todd series about Bess Crawford as I had enjoyed one of his Ian Rutledge books. A Bitter Truth had good historical detail, a likeable main character in Bess and a fun romance. The mystery part was a bit contrived and I think Todd's mysteries are more for historical fiction buffs and readers who like rather tame mysteries.
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Barbara C. (Riverside, CA)
Loses steam!
This book was as grabber at the beginning, but it fizzled with too many tendrils of plot and an ending that left me scratching my head. However, that said, I love Bess and want her to have a life. The two first books about Bess were better because she was more relevant to the plot and plot line. Too many coincidences here.
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Mary M. (Beverly Hills, FL)
Held my attention
This book has an intricate plot, full of twists and turns and kept me reading, even though some of the plot twists are improbable at best. Several of the characters are three-dimensional, though Bess herself is not so much, and why she, and another character interject themselves so thoroughly into the lives of strangers is a question. The book does convey a good sense of wartime Europe, with all its the tragedies and upheavals.
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Portia A. (Mount Laurel, NJ)
Too coincidental?
Bess Crawford is a British nurse in WW1; Maisie Dobbs is a British nurse in WW1. Bess Crawford has a young man help her; Maisie Dobbs has a young man help her.
Bess Crawford solves mysteries; Maisie Dobbs solves mysteries.
Maisie Dobbs came first and I think Jacqueline Winspear writes better stories.
I found the end of this book to be too contrived, but for a summer read it wasn't too bad.
