Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Review: A Forgotten Place by Charles Todd



There's a new Bess Crawford mystery by Charles Todd and Kerry Hammond is here today to let us know what she thought of it.

A Forgotten Place by Charles Todd is the 10th book in the Bess Crawford mystery series. The book was published September 18, by William Morrow publishers.

Even though the armistice has been signed and the fighting is over, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is finding herself as busy as ever. There are plenty of injured soldiers whose suffering is only beginning. Many have become amputees and the prospect of returning to their families less than whole can feel like a fate worse than death. Bess finds herself dealing with psychological wounds in addition to the physical.

Captain Williams, an amputee himself, tries to help Bess improve the morale of his men, but many who are released from the hospital’s care are unable to face the life they left, choosing instead to end their lives. When Bess receives a letter from the Captain after he and his men have returned to Wales, she feels compelled to travel to a remote area in the dead of winter to check on her patients. What she finds is a small town full of secrets, one that does not welcome outsiders.

Beth is stranded when her driver leaves in the middle of the night without a word. With no way to contact her family or the military hospital, she takes it upon herself to investigate the strange happenings. Ships are crashing at the shore, townspeople are being attacked, and Bess feels that her own life may be in danger.

The atmosphere that the Todds create in A Forgotten Place is the reason I think it is one of the best book in this series. The Todds have captured the eerie setting of the Welsh coast and I felt transported to the cold, harsh locale. The storyline kept me guessing and I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold. As an added bonus (for those who are familiar with the series and the recurring characters) it’s fun to note that Simon makes an appearance.

This book was provided to Mystery Playground by the publisher. The review was fair and completely independent.



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