An Impartial Witness Lp - (Bess Crawford Mysteries) Large Print by Charles Todd (Paperback)

About the Book

Todd s novels are known for compelling plotting with a thoughtful whodunit aspect, rich characterization, evocative prose, and haunting atmosphere. Richmond Times-Dispatch

Readers who can t get enough of [Jacqueline Winspear s] Maisie Dobbs are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford. New York Times Book Review

To great critical acclaim, author Charles Todd introduced protagonist Bess Crawford in A Duty to the Dead. The dedicated World War I nurse returns in An Impartial Witness, and finds herself in grave peril when a moral obligation makes her the inadvertent target of a killer. As hauntingly evocative as Todd s award-winning, New York Times bestselling Ian Rutledge novels, An Impartial Witness transports readers to a dark time of war and involves us in murder, intrigue, and the fascinating affairs of a truly unforgettable cast of characters."

Book Synopsis

"Todd's novels are known for compelling plotting with a thoughtful whodunit aspect, rich characterization, evocative prose, and haunting atmosphere."
--Richmond Times-Dispatch

"Readers who can't get enough of [Jacqueline Winspear's] Maisie Dobbs...are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford."
--New York Times Book Review

To great critical acclaim, author Charles Todd introduced protagonist Bess Crawford in A Duty to the Dead. The dedicated World War I nurse returns in An Impartial Witness, and finds herself in grave peril when a moral obligation makes her the inadvertent target of a killer. As hauntingly evocative as Todd's award-winning, New York Times bestselling Ian Rutledge novels, An Impartial Witness transports readers to a dark time of war and involves us in murder, intrigue, and the fascinating affairs of a truly unforgettable cast of characters.

From the Back Cover

World War I nurse Bess Crawford, introduced in A Duty to the Dead, returns in an exciting new mystery in which a murder draws her inexorably into the sights of a cunning killer

It is the early summer of 1917. Bess Crawford has returned to England from the trenches of France with a convoy of severely wounded men. One of her patients is a young pilot who has been burned beyond recognition, and who clings to life and the photo of his wife that is pinned to his tunic.

While passing through a London train station, Bess notices a woman bidding an emotional farewell to an officer, her grief heart-wrenching. And then Bess realizes that she seems familiar. In fact, she's the woman in the pilot's photo, but the man she is seeing off is not her husband.

Back on duty in France, Bess discovers a newspaper with a drawing of the woman's face on the front page. Accompanying the drawing is a plea from Scotland Yard seeking information from anyone who has seen her. For it appears that the woman was murdered on the very day Bess encountered her at the station.

Granted leave to speak with Scotland Yard, Bess becomes entangled in the case. Though an arrest is made, she must delve into the depths of her very soul to decide if the police will hang an innocent man or a vicious killer. Exposing the truth is dangerous--and will put her own life on the line.

Review Quotes

"A superb whodunit--just when you think you have it figured out, Todd throws a curve--and a moving evocation of a world at war." -- Richmond Times-Dispatch on An Impartial Witness

"Remarkable." -- New York Times Book Review on An Impartial Witness

"A book rich in atmosphere and dense with plot." -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch on An Impartial Witness

"Bess Crawford is a strong and likable character." -- Washington Times on An Impartial Witness

"Entertaining." -- Mystery Scene on An Impartial Witness

"Todd's excellent second mystery featuring British nurse Bess Crawford smoothly blends realistic characters with an intricate plot." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) on An Impartial Witness

"A smartly plotted, well-told mystery." -- Booklist on An Impartial Witness

"Readers will enjoy Todd's plucky, determined sleuth and a thrilling mystery that proves murders on the home front don't stop just because there's a war." -- Library Journal on An Impartial Witness

"Finely plotted and full of meticulous period detail and deft characterizations, An Impartial Witness testifies to the lasting appeal of historical mystery fiction." -- Strand magazine on An Impartial Witness

"This second book in the Bess Crawford series places this mother-son duo at the top of their plotting game, with intricate twists and plenty of viable suspects. The meticulously realized period detailing is an intrinsic part of a story that is much more than a whodunit." -- Romantic Times on An Impartial Witness