Thomas F. (hardtack) -
I've enjoyed the "Bess Crawford" mysteries, mostly due to its background of World War I. The mysteries were also good. However, this book seemed to drag on, and the ending seemed to be overly complicated. And in the final chapter, I had to read several paragraphs more than once to try and understand what was happening.
The reason may be that "Charles Todd" is a pen name used by American authors Charles and Caroline Todd. This book was published in 2023, but Caroline Todd died in 2021. Perhaps Charles Todd wrote this one by himself, and it suffered without Caroline Todd's input.
The Fantastic Fiction site does not list any forthcoming books in this series. While the book does end in a possible cliffhanger, I suspect this series may be at an end. And for those readers who followed Bess' adventures, we may never know who she might have married.
The reason may be that "Charles Todd" is a pen name used by American authors Charles and Caroline Todd. This book was published in 2023, but Caroline Todd died in 2021. Perhaps Charles Todd wrote this one by himself, and it suffered without Caroline Todd's input.
The Fantastic Fiction site does not list any forthcoming books in this series. While the book does end in a possible cliffhanger, I suspect this series may be at an end. And for those readers who followed Bess' adventures, we may never know who she might have married.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
The Cliff's Edge is another good outing for Bess Crawford, who's finding it difficult to decide what to do now that the war is over. She fears she's made an irreparable mistake with lifelong friend, Simon Brandon, and this is the major reason why she agrees to go to Yorkshire to nurse an older woman through surgery.
This thirteenth book in the series shows readers how people are (or are not) adjusting to life after World War I. The men who returned are experiencing survivor's guilt, and the injured man Bess is sent to care for has found that his village isn't happy to see him. "When my brother enlisted, half the village went with him. Most of them didn't come home. There's some hard feeling about that."
Bess finds herself in a house filled with people who'd come to celebrate a birthday. Every single one of them seems to have some sort of secret. Every single one of them is economical with the truth. Trying to keep track of them all is like trying to herd cats, but if anyone is up to the task, it's Bess.
I enjoy this series for its "slice of life" feel, its strong mysteries, and the interactions among all the characters. Everything is taken care of by the end of The Cliff's Edge except for the question hanging over the heads of Bess and Simon-- a question that many faithful followers of the series have been wondering about for quite some time. I am very much looking forward to seeing how that progresses in the next book. Bring it on!
This thirteenth book in the series shows readers how people are (or are not) adjusting to life after World War I. The men who returned are experiencing survivor's guilt, and the injured man Bess is sent to care for has found that his village isn't happy to see him. "When my brother enlisted, half the village went with him. Most of them didn't come home. There's some hard feeling about that."
Bess finds herself in a house filled with people who'd come to celebrate a birthday. Every single one of them seems to have some sort of secret. Every single one of them is economical with the truth. Trying to keep track of them all is like trying to herd cats, but if anyone is up to the task, it's Bess.
I enjoy this series for its "slice of life" feel, its strong mysteries, and the interactions among all the characters. Everything is taken care of by the end of The Cliff's Edge except for the question hanging over the heads of Bess and Simon-- a question that many faithful followers of the series have been wondering about for quite some time. I am very much looking forward to seeing how that progresses in the next book. Bring it on!
