An Impartial Witness

A Bess Crawford Mystery

By: Charles Todd

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

Tending to the soldiers in the trenches of France during the First World War, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford can't help but notice the photo of a young pilot's wife every time she tends to him. But then at the railway station, in a mob of troops leaving for the front, Bess glimpses a familiar face--the pilot's wife, with another man. Later, back in France, Bess sees a newspaper with a drawing of the woman's face on the front page. She'd been murdered--the very day Bess saw her. Bess is soon on the search for a devious and very dangerous killer - a search that will put her own life in jeopardy.

©2010 Charles Todd (P)2010 BBC Audiobooks America

Intriguing

Loved the narrator.
The storyline kept me interested, in the what next would happen. Didn’t know this author until now, but will be reading/listening to more!

This style of writing is so annoying

I need to check out the author’s background before getting their books.

I try not to generalize, but British female authors tend to spend 80% of a book over-describing and filling in content - have a character say something, and then describe the room, what they’re wearing, have them remember something meaningless from their childhood, etc., then rinse and repeat this formula throughout the book, so that when the reader finishes, they realize the story could have been told in 1/8 of the time that it took the author.

Charles seems to have inherited this trait from his mother.

2.5 stars

Bess Crawford is quite the busybody. This is a Jessica fletcher type mystery, an easy stress free read. Clean.

English mysteries that completely hook you in.

Each novel is engaging and keeps you guessing. I love the innocence of the time and the engaging storyline surrounded by the well described settings. I feel I’ve just been there.
If you love a good mystery, you will love this series!

coolio

This mystery didn't fail. Am happy to find a new series that i enjoy.

Captivating I blew through this in days

I listened to this day noon and night. I like the look into family Dynamics and the weight of war.

Wonderfully narrated and very interesting

This is a great book, and the story is realistic and touching. Great insights into the stresses of war time, and the motivations of people.
I really admire the protagonist Bess!

WWI Battlefield Nurse and Amateur Sleuth

This is the second in the Bess Crawford Mysteries and an excellent addition to the series. I admire Bess, a woman ahead of her time, intuitive, kind, yet gutsy and bold enough to stand up for what she believes in . . . even seeking justice for a married woman whom she's certain is guilty of adultery. After nursing the wounds of pilot badly burned who kept his wife's photograph beside him at all times, she was on her way home on leave, when she unwittingly witnessed this same woman at the train station with another man. Soon afterward, she was found murdered, and Bess could not get the woman . . . nor the man at the train station out of her mind. Nor the heartbroken husband she had nursed. Tragedy followed again, with the husband committing suicide in the hospital. Bess contacted Scotland Yard with what little information she had. But it wasn't long until the Yard was trying to hush up the deaths. The deeper Bess dug into the lives of those who had died, both husband and wife, the murkier things got. But like a dog digging for a bone, Bess kept pursuing the murderer of the young wife . . . and a long sad story it was indeed. The atmospheric details and the wartime hardships of all concerned add much dimension to the tale. Excellent book and a conclusion well worth the wait.

it's slow to start, but picks up

Love the older scene of the early 1900's era it is in, When the author writes about the events and the evidence you think about how much advanced technology there is now. Great performance by the narrator, I actually thought there was more then 1 with all the characters. Starts off kinda slow at first, but the storyline picks up. Makes you wish she was a detective rather then what she was, but back then, it was unheard of. Great read, stick with it till the end.

Excellent

Great characters and plot development and history. Hope to read the rest of the series.