book review: A Question of Honor by Charles Todd

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The backstory: A Question of Honor is the fifth historical mystery in mother and son writing team Charles Todd's Bess Crawford, a British World War I nurse, series. My reviews of the first four: A Duty to the Dead, An Impartial Witness, A Bitter Truth, and An Unmarked Grave.

 The basics: A Question of Honor begins in India in 1908, when Bess was living there while her father's regiment was stationed there. The regiment faces a challenge when one of their own killed five people. He's assumed dead, but as the novel shifts back to its present tense in the fall of 1918, Bess begins to seek the truth, about his possible presence in France and about what happened ten years ago.

 My thoughts: I adore Bess as a character, and it was a delight to spend a little time in her childhood at the beginning of this book. I tend to shy away from mysteries in which the sleuth is not actually in law enforcement or a private investigator, but Charles Todd has done quite well giving Bess realistic curiosities to investigate. As this book takes place in the fall of 1918, I'm quite curious where the series is going, as we know the war is ending quite soon.

 Favorite passage: "I thought she seemed as tired as she believed I must be. It was the toll of war for those fighting and those at home waiting. Sometimes I wasn't sure which was the more difficult."

 The verdict: A Question of Honor is a thoroughly intriguing historical mystery and doesn't shy away from asking hard questions about history. I particularly enjoyed seeing Bess interact with so many different characters, and seeing her spend so much time with her mother was a delight.

 Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: August 27, 2013
Source: publisher

 Convinced? Treat yourself! Buy A Question of Honor from an independent bookstore, the Book Depository or Amazon (Kindle edition.) Want more? Visit Charles Todd's website and like them on Facebook.

As an affiliate, I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through any of the above links. Thank you for helping to support my book habits that bring more content to this blog!

Comments

  1. AnnaSeptember 10, 2013 at 6:06 PM

    Bess sounds like a great character. The more I hear about this series, the more I think I need to give it a try!

    ReplyDelete

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