Charles Todd -- Duty to the Dead

Charles Todd is the joint pseudonym for the mother-and-son writing team of Charles Todd and Caroline Todd, pseudonyms of David Todd Watjen and Caroline L.T. Watjen. The two share a fondness for English authors, and Charles grew up listening to bedtime stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Shakespeare, which his mother read to him. There is a history of storytelling in their family; both authors enjoyed hearing their fathers and grandfathers tell stories of their own childhoods. One grandmother shared ghost stories, while a great-uncle recounted his experiences as a flyer in World War II. They each cite the influence of childhood reading for their interest in writing, and especially their interest in mysteries. In an interview on the January Web site, Charles Todd remarked: "I can't remember not having a library card. Or my parents not reading to me. Or not finding stacks of books on every imaginable subject all over the house. And I liked the puzzle of a mystery--I liked figuring out why it worked."

WITH CAROLINE TODD, UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM CHARLES TODD; "BESS CRAWFORD" MYSTERY SERIES

• A Duty to the Dead, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2009.
• An Impartial Witness, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2010.
• A Bitter Truth, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2011.
• An Unmarked Grave, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2012.

WRITINGS:

WITH MOTHER, CAROLINE TODD, UNDER JOINT PSEUDONYM CHARLES TODD; "IAN RUTLEDGE" MYSTERY SERIES, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED

• A Test of Wills, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1996.
• Wings of Fire, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1998.
• Search the Dark, Thomas Dunne Books (New York, NY), 1999.
• Legacy of the Dead, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2000.
• Watchers of Time, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2001.
• A Fearsome Doubt, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2002.
• The Murder Stone (stand-alone novel), Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2003.
• A Cold Treachery, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2005.
• A Long Shadow, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2006.
• A False Mirror, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2007.
• A Pale Horse, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2008.
• A Matter of Justice, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2009.
• The Red Door, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2010.
• The Kidnapping (includes excerpts from A Lonely Death, The Red Door, and A Pale Horse), William Morrow (New York, NY), 2010.
• A Lonely Death, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2011.
• The Confession, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2012.
• Proof of Guilt, William Morrow (New York, NY), 2012.

Bess Crawford mysteries

By: Todd, Charles

(First book in series) Independent-minded Bess Crawford's upbringing is far different from that of the usual upper-middle-class British gentlewoman. At the outbreak of WWI, she volunteers for the nursing corps, serving from the battlefields of France to the doomed hospital ship Britannic. On one voyage, she promises to a deliver a message from a dying officer to his brother. Once she's able to do so, she's disturbed at the brother's indifferent reception of the message, and when an unexpected turn of events provides her with an opportunity to stay with the family for a short time, she takes it.

Read-alikes from NoveList

Maisie Dobbs novels

Winspear, Jacqueline, 1955-

Reason:  Bess Crawford and Maisie Dobbs both served as nurses in World War I. Maisie established her own detective agency after the war, and Bess finds herself solving mysteries during the war. Both series vividly portray Great Britain during and after the war, and feature strong and interesting characters, well-plotted, gradually unfolding mysteries, and self-sufficient women. -- Katherine Johnson

Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries

Reason:  The Lord Peter Wimsey and Bess Crawford mysteries are private detective stories set in Britain between the wars. Harriet Vane is a prominent female character in the Lord Peter books, and both series feature intellectual, intricate plots and interesting secondary characters. -- Katherine Johnson

Phryne Fisher mysteries

Greenwood, Kerry

Reason:  Phryne Fisher is a wealthy flapper in Australia, while Bess Crawford is a nurse in England, but the interesting characters, well drawn past World War I settings, clever plots, and sense of adventure are very similar. Phryne is more adventurous, especially in romantic relationships. -- Katherine Johnson

William Monk and Hester Latterly mysteries

Perry, Anne

Reason:  These series are Character-driven, and they share: the genres 'Historical mystery stories' and 'Mystery stories' and the subjects 'Nurses' and 'Murder investigation'