About A Pattern of Lies
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (August 18, 2015)
Bess Crawford must keep a deadly pattern of lies from destroying an innocent family in this compelling and atmospheric mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of A Question of Honor and An Unwilling Accomplice
In 1916, at the height of the war, an explosion and fire at an armament factory in Kent killed more than a hundred men. With Ashton Powder Mill situated so close to the coast—within reach of German saboteurs—the Army investigated, eventually ruling the event an appalling tragedy. Now, two years later, suspicion, gossip, and rumor have raised the specter of murder—and fingers point to the owner, Philip Ashton, whose son is battlefield nurse Bess Crawford's friend and former patient.
While visiting the Ashtons, Bess finds herself caught up in a venomous show of hostility that doesn't stop with Philip Ashton's arrest. Indeed, someone is out for blood, and the household is all but under siege. The police are hostile—the Inspector's brother died in the mill explosion—and refuse to consult either the Army or Scotland Yard. Why, after two years, has the village turned against Ashton?
In France, Bess searches for the only known witness to the explosion, now serving at the Front, and tries to convince him to give evidence about that terrible Sunday morning, only to find herself and the witness hunted by someone intent on preventing anyone from discovering what—or who—is behind this web of vicious lies. Uncertain whom to trust, she can rely only on her own wits and courage, but how can she stop a killer whose face she has never seen?
Philip Ashton is urged to throw himself on the mercy of the court—where he will surely find none. Time is running out. And Bess, at the point of a gun, has only one choice left: to risk her life to save the Ashtons.
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Review: I read An Unwilling Accomplice a few weeks ago for another tour and I really enjoyed it. I was really glad to take up with Bess and co. again.
Once again I'm transported to England circa, WWI, which is really my favorite time period in modern history.
I wish I were one that could really write a longer review, but the best I can say about the Bess Crawford series, is that they are like the Maise Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear only a little lighter. From the first page I start comparing the two series, both of which I love, and each have a lot of similarities, starting with the time period and the heroine's occupation. The only differences I find are with the relationships the main character has. Bess doesn't seem to have relationships with the opposite sex, at least not passionate ones or really "loving" ones. There's Simon, yes, but no real romance there.
This story features a munitions factory that explodes and how they go about finding out what happened. This was a different sort of mystery, but that's really how all these WWI mysteries are. Its always more than who killed who.
I love this series and have to read the rest of the prior books!
Rating: 5 flowers
About Charles Todd
Charles Todd is the author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother and son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina.
Visit their website at Charlestodd.com and like CharlesToddNovels on Facebook.
1 comments:
I'm glad that you're enjoying this series and planning to go back and read more! I'm definitely a fan of Bess.
Thanks for being a part of the tour.
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