An Unmarked Grave, by Charles Todd {Review and Giveaway}

I was feeling in the mood to read a good mystery and so I was delighted when an opportunity presented itself to read and review An Unmarked Grave which is the third in a series of Bess Crawford mysteries by Charles Todd. I was initially attracted to this character and mysteries because they are set in WWI, based in England. Bess Crawford is a nurse and in this particular title - An Unmarked Grave - she is serving on the front lines in France as well as in England.

This is the first Bess Crawford mystery I have read. (In fact, it's the first time I've ever heard of these books!) When I started reading, it dawned on me that this was not the first book in the series as certain events in Bess's life were being referenced throughout the story. However, none of the prior events seemed to have any bearing on the current story and I didn't feel lost as I read along. It was easy enough to pick up right here in the series and move along.

I am delighted to report that this was a squeaky clean mystery, minus the blood, war wounds and a few murders. There was not any language nor were there any sex scenes. I was so happy to discover this as it seems to be harder and harder for authors and publishers these days to focus solely on telling a good story without trying to be sensational in these two areas. A big and hearty THANK YOU to Charles Todd and the publisher, William Morrow, for allowing me to relax into a story for a fun time without being jarred out of it by foul mouths and unnecessary descriptions. (Seriously. Thank you!) Obviously I cannot attest to whether or not this is true for all the Bess Crawford books, but I'd be happy enough finding out for myself!

Being that this is a murder mystery, I'm going to avoid talking about the plot of this book so as to avoid spoilers. Personally, I enjoyed the history in this book as much as I enjoyed the mystery. Todd doesn't spend a whole lot of time regaling us with war stories, but he does talk about the situation in France, how patients were treated for wounds, etc. He weaves the history of World War I deftly through the pages. For example, when he begins to describe how wounded men were transported and what road conditions were like, you get a feel for what it must have been like removing men from the front lines. He describes the wounds of a victim of a gas attack and how people protected themselves from such things in a way that really brings the difficulties to life for the reader. I thought he did a tasteful and wonderful job setting the backdrop for his mystery which helped to bring the whole thing to life. (And, in fact, I enjoyed his manner of story telling so much that I consumed the book in a single day.)

I must confess that part of the reason I wanted to read this book was because the television show Downtown Abbey takes place, partially, during World War I. Lo and behold, when my copy of the book arrived, I discovered it is labeled as being a cure "for the post-Downton Abbey blues." Of course, we in the USA are now relishing Season 3 at this time but that just made reading this book all the more fun!

If you are in the mood for a good, clean, fun mystery - I feel I can safely and highly recommend An Unmarked Grave. I'm curious to hear from anyone else who might have read the other Bess Crawford mysteries to hear if they are all as well done or if there are things to be on the alert for. Any one?

How this for extra incentive?: Would you like to WIN a copy to read? Simply leave a comment below (including a valid e-mail address!). This contest is open to US and Canadian residents and will be open through January 30th. 

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER, (as selected by random.org) IS #5 - PETITE. CONGRATS!

Thanks to TLC Book Tours who invited me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion and for participation in this book tour. I enjoyed it very much!