A Pattern of Lies: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd

By Tracy -


Release Date - August 2015

Charles Todd
William Morrow

Book Review by Bob Walch

On leave and back in England, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford finds that a short visit to the home of a former patient, Mark Ashton, turns into another crime investigation for the amateur sleuth.

The Ashtons owned a gunpowder mill in a village in Kent that mysteriously blew up, killing over 100 workers. Now two years later, the family is having to deal with the threatening behavior of the locals who blame the Ashtons for the disaster. Things get even more critical when the head of the household, Philip, is arrested and charged with causing the explosion.

Bess has stumbled into a hornet’s nest of intrigue but knows that her friend’s parents are not to blame for what happened. Someone has decided to not only turn the locals against the family but also makes sure someone goes to prison for the accidental explosion.

The answer to who is seeking revenge lies back in France and as Bess tries to track down the person who may hold the answer to why this is happening, she places her own live in jeopardy. A couple of murders underscore the fact that Bess is getting too close to uncovering the truth and her hidden adversary has set his sights on silencing Beth too.

Set during the First World War, the atmospheric suspense stories in this series have generated a lot of interest. A growing group of avid readers are finding these well written novels with their engaging characters quite enticing and definitely worth following.

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