When battlefield nurse Bess Crawford returns from France for a well-earned Christmas leave, she finds a bruised and shivering woman huddled in the doorway of her London flat. Realizing that the woman has nowhere to turn, Bess offers her shelter. When she feels safer, the woman reveals her name and that she has fled from her husband, an officer on leave, who struck her during a terrible quarrel. Still frightened, she will not return to her small village in Sussex, unless Bess accompanies her.
Every day of leave is precious, for Bess plans to visit her family. But concern and a firm sense of duty compel the independent and compassionate nurse to be certain the woman is safe. But once she arrives at the woman's house, Bess is unsettled by the tense atmosphere, which seems to permeate the very walls. Before she can understand what is going on, matters take a deadly turn when another of the houseguests, a wounded soldier, is murdered. Not only is Bess caught in the center of the hunt for a killer—she becomes a prime suspect herself.
Industry Reviews
"A thoughtful mystery with an excellent plot, well-drawn characters and wonderful atmosphere."--Associated Press on A Bitter Truth
"A thoughtful mystery with an excellent plot, well-drawn characters and wonderful atmosphere."--Indianapolis Star on A Bitter Truth
"A lovely picture of a slower world."--Charlotte Observer on A Bitter Truth
"A well-envisaged plot, a deep sense of time and place and characters drawn with care and compassion."--Richmond Times-Dispatch on A Bitter Truth
"Bess is a very strong series lead, the historical setting is as well developed here as it is in the Rutledge books, and the mysteries are just as elegantly constructed. Readers who have yet to sample the Crawford series should be strongly encouraged to do so."--Booklist on A Bitter Truth
"Charles Todd has developed believable characters that carry along this story with lightning speed from the first page to the last."--New York Journal of Books on A Bitter Truth
"Combines believable characters, gut-wrenching suspense and a sobering commentary on the ravages of war."--Deseret News on A Bitter Truth
"Few writers surpass Todd in depicting the insanity of war."--Kirkus Reviews on A Bitter Truth
"Makes fine work of the brooding atmosphere."--New York Times Book Review on A Bitter Truth
"Outstanding."--Publishers Weekly (starred review) on A Bitter Truth
"The Todds excel at complex characterizations....For lovers of upper-drawer British whodunnits and Anglophiles in general, A Bitter Truth should prove a sweet treat indeed."--Wilmington Star-News on A Bitter Truth
"Todd brings World War I England and France to life with an intriguing plot and an intrepid sleuth."--Library Journal on A Bitter Truth
