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    An Unwilling Accomplice
    An Unwilling Accomplice
    An Unwilling Accomplice
    Audiobook11 hours

    An Unwilling Accomplice

    Written by Charles Todd

    Narrated by Rosalyn Landor

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    World War I Battlefield nurse Bess Crawford’s career is in jeopardy when a murder is committed on her watch, in this absorbing and atmospheric historical mystery from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.

     Home on leave, Bess Crawford is asked to accompany a wounded soldier confined to a wheelchair to Buckingham Palace, where he’s to be decorated by the King. The next morning when Bess goes to collect Wilkins, he has vanished. Both the Army and the nursing service hold Bess negligent for losing the war hero, and there will be an inquiry.

    Then comes disturbing word from the Shropshire police, complicating the already difficult situation: Wilkins has been spotted, and he’s killed a man. If Bess is to save her own reputation, she must find Wilkins and uncover the truth. But the elusive soldier has disappeared again and even the Shropshire police have lost him. Suddenly, the moral implications of what has happened—that a patient in her charge has committed murder—become more important to Bess than her own future. She’s going to solve this mysterious puzzle, but righting an injustice and saving her honor may just cost Bess her life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateAug 12, 2014
    ISBN9780062332318
    An Unwilling Accomplice
    Author

    Charles Todd

    Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother-and-son writing team, Caroline passed away in August 2021 and Charles lives in Florida.

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    Reviews for An Unwilling Accomplice

    3.5/5

    60 ratings32 reviews

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    • 1/5
      I wish Charles Todd didn't have such an obvious hard on for Bess. I love most of their mysteries but she is a humorless jerk who always refers to her own father as the Colonel Sahib. This entire book was a basically "Simon and Bess are so amazing, single-handedly won the war."I am a ride or die Ian Rutledge lover (also by Charles Todd) but I'm hardly ever annoyed by him for two reasons: 1. It's his job to butt into people's private lives and ask probing questions whereas Bess is just a judgmental busybody with a holier-than-thou attitude, and 2. Ian Rutledge could do with more people telling him how awesome he is since he is constantly facing hostility from everyone he meets - his superiors, the people he interviews - and his love life is so bad it's like he should have the Charlie Brown song as his personal soundtrack. I skimmed the last chapter because Bess and Simon were becoming more and more unbearable. Why is it seemingly impossible to find female characters who actually ARE awesome instead of female characters we're told are awesome (based largely on how they are treated by other characters)? Everyone is uncomfortably deferential to Bess and those who are not are quickly cut down to size (at one point she basically says "no one treats the colonel sahib's daughter like a servant!") or proved to be villainous and/or wrong and even her superiors always end up coming around to her side and admitting she is right. This might have been tolerable if she weren't such a humorless, self-righteous killjoy. Boo!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      2014, Harper Audio, Read by Rosalyn LandorPublisher’s Summary: adapted from Audible.comArriving in London on leave, Bess Crawford receives an unusual summons from the War Office. She's been requested to accompany a wounded soldier to Buckingham Palace, where he's to be decorated for gallantry by King George himself.Though she is certain she's never met or nursed Sergeant Jason Wilkins, she cannot refuse the honor. Heavily bandaged and confined to a wheelchair, the soldier will be in her care for barely a day. But on the morning after the ceremony when Bess goes to collect her charge for his return journey, she finds the room empty. Both the Army and the Nursing Service hold Bess to blame for losing the war hero. There is a humiliating inquiry, and the incident is noted in her record.More disturbing news complicates her already difficult situation: the Army now considers Wilkins a deserter, and Scotland Yard questions her when Wilkins is suspected of killing a man in cold blood. If Bess is to clear her name and return to duty in France, she must prove that she was never his accomplice. But the sergeant has disappeared again and neither the Army nor the police can find him.My Review:Following Wilkins’ desertion, and the tarnish it leaves on Bess’ impeccable service record, she and Simon Brandon (c’mon Simon!) set about following a trail of clues across England. They are drawn into a mystery that grows darker with every discovery. For my part, this goose chase read as convoluted – and I did not appreciate the gross coincidence that appears late in the novel in order to resolve the mystery. Certainly not one of my favourites in this series. But, overall, I am enjoying and intend to continue. Next up is A Pattern of Lies.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      First try for me with this series and I will try again. Convoluted rather than intriguing, good characterization within a meager plot premise. Lots of wandering through the countryside; seeking clues leading to an fairly obvious conclusion followed by a "happy days" accounting of the military characters. The book did a good job of demonstrating, without preaching, both the political blunders and devastating casualties of the Great War.
    • 4/5
      The Unwilling Accomplice ( A Bess Crawford Mystery)By: Charles Todd Crime/MysteryHarper Collins 2014 Pages. 366Copy Courtesy of The Reading Room Advanced CopiesReviewed by: tkBess Crawford is a nurse, in London during WW1 in 1918. She attends, and transports wounded soldiers from France to London. Bess receives a letter from the War Office in regards to a man that had been wounded, and in need of her services during his award ceremony at the Buckingham Palace. Seems easy enough. What Bess doesn’t know is that this wounded hero has a private agenda. Sergeant Jason Wilkins will involve Bess in a immense cat and mouse to keep her name in good standing, and to right the wrongs that have been done. With the help of Simon, her fathers personal servant, and long friend will embark on an extraordinary tale of murder, deceit, false identities, and mayhem. This is the first book I have read by Charles Todd, and I did enjoy the read. His characters are superior, witty, and strong in nature. Bess seems to fall into trouble easily, and really doesn’t have the best of luck. Amazingly though she has a good friend that isn’t intimidated by her struggles, and will see it through until its conclusion. Simon seems to love and understand Bess very well. I really thought there would be more of a romance between them. Again, this is the first book I have read, so maybe that has happened, or will at some future point is unknown to me.The story has a spectacular amount of twist and turns. I love the imaginative ways the author brought in additional details and characters. The one downfall of the book was the amount of back and forth travel of Simon and Beth. I feel the repetitive content took the flow out of the center of the story. I found the urge to skip forward very tempting. Overall an amazing read. 3.5/5
    • 5/5
      I can never get enough of historical fiction, especially mysteries. I guess this was born from reading a bit of Agatha Christie, although hers are only “historical” because of how much time has passed since initial publication. Nowadays, whenever I want a reliable read, I don’t look much further than Charles Todd and his Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford mysteries. Although it must be noted, Charles Todd is actually a mother and son writing team who work so well together, that determining who contributed what in any of their books is impossible.An Unwilling Accomplice is one of the latest installments of the Bess Crawford mystery series. Set toward the end of World War I, this particular story finds Bess on a short leave looking forward to some much needed rest. However, she’s been requested to accompany a wounded soldier to Buckingham Palace where the man is to receive a medal.The mystery begins subtly as she doesn't recognize the name and with her memory of wounds, she’s sure she would have remembered him. Regardless, she does her duty only to be repaid by the man up and disappearing. The next time she hears about him, he is suspected of committing murder and is on the run.Bess is yet again caught up with intrigue during a tumultuous time in England which quickly mirrors itself in Bess’ life as she strives to right a wrong. This time the situation nearly causes her to lose her place in the nursing service, as well as the respect of her superiors she’s worked so hard to earn on her own, not as her father’s daughter.The story is engaging and keeps your attention through every chapter. In the past, she’s received some help from her family, but this particular adventure is primarily her and Simon Brandon working to find the truth before their suspect kills again. Another difference is that most of the book is set in England while Bess is on leave, giving those familiar with the series a break from the war just like their heroine Bess.At 352 pages, you won’t feel the need to skip along, because the story never drags. There is little predictability and the plot is complex enough but not over the top. Highly, highly recommended!Fans of Maisie Dobbs and Maggie Hope will love Bess and once Todd has you hooked, you have to check out the Ian Rutledge mysteries. The first book in that series is called A Test of Wills.
    • 3/5
      Bess is asked to escort a wounded soldier to Buckingham Palace so he can received his medal of honor. He later goes AWOL and Bess is accused of helping him. She sets out to clear her name with help of the family friend, Sgt Major Simon.
    • 5/5
      I was delighted to receive a copy of An Unwilling Accomplice from Library Thing's Early Reviewers program. I have read all the Bess Crawford books and have liked them all. Much like Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs books, the authors let you become immersed in the time period. This book in particular emphasized the importance of one's reputation and integrity. It also gave the reader insight into life in small villages during the war. For me, the depiction of life during WWI was more compelling than the mystery in this book. I would highly recommend this book to others who like this genre.
    • 3/5
      I got through this book somehow. I won't read another in the series. It was so slow moving, like molasses in January.
    • 3/5
      This was my first Bess Crawford Mystery, in fact, the first book I've read by Charles Todd. I love the premise of these books. Bess is a nurse working for England during WWI. In this story, Bess is home from France on leave when she is asked to accompany a wounded soldier to the Palace to be honored by the King. When the soldier is found missing the next morning, Bess is suspected of being an accomplice and sets out to clear her name. I loved the historical setting of this book, the depiction of the war and the English countryside during this time. An enjoyable book!
    • 3/5
      While on leave in England from her position as a nursing sister on the battlefields of France in World War I, Bess Crawford has “lost” a soldier in her care. In an effort to clear her name Bess searches for the deserter, Sergeant Wilkins, who is then additionally under suspicion of murder. Joined by her platonic counterpart, Simon (a Sergeant-Major), the search is on for the missing soldier. This leads them to a cluster of three villages. Travelling repeatedly through these towns they follow numerous leads in an effort to find a murderer and save Sister Crawford’s professional integrity. As in any murder mystery there are multiple suspects and red herrings - just a few too many of each which end up muddling the plot.Bess is an enjoyable character, professional and calm even in the most difficult situations. The book reflects the difficulties of wartime and the more formal hierarchies of social status in this time period. It was a cozy historical mystery to read on an autumn day.
    • 3/5
      This is my first book by Charles Todd. Bess Crawford and Simon Brandon are likable characters and are working diligently to find Sargent Wilkins who went missing while under Bess's nursing care. If you take the actual story away from the book it is quite enjoyable, however there is a lot of plot line that is tedious and redundant. I often had to put the book down just to clear my head of the confusion between Major Findly and Sargent Wilkins.
    • 3/5
      While I really like the setting and the plot ideas, I'm getting discouraged with Charles Todd. So much time is spent rushing around England and so little time on character development. In this one Bess and Simon track down a deserter whose dissapearance causes Bess to be accused of being an accomplice.
    • 2/5
      This book represents a milestone for me. It signifies the conclusion of my reading challenge for 2014. It mirrors the first book that I read on my kindle, which was by the same authors as this one. The similarities between the two books end here. It's not a good thing. The language used in An Unwilling Accomplice is not the best of what the authors are capable of. The way the story has been conceived and organized leaves a lot to be desired. The repetition of a troubled and tragic scapegoat can be shrugged off. After all nothing is new under the sun. However the way that person, Sergeant Wilkins, disappears so early in the story makes it difficult to bond with him. Along with that, from experience, us readers know, for sure that he is innocent. So the readers aren't on the tenterhooks of suspense that the authors were counting on. Adding to the way the scapegoat made his appearance, is the uninspired locale of the amateur investigation by Bess and Simon. It's literally a hamlet. More like three of them. Oh the horror, the boredom! Nothing of note happened for most of the book. Any information of importance was difficult to grasp. The Cartwright character slipped in and out of the book like a ghost. He was not wanted or needed. He was totally surplus to requirement. I am very unsatisfied with this book. I can kind of see how a different reader might come to love this book. But loving An Unwilling Accomplice is not possible for me in this lifetime.
    • 3/5
      This was my second Bess Crawford book by Charles Todd and I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as my first. It started well and then all of a sudden it was just a visit to this inn, that inn and nothing was happening. I know they had to try and sort it all out to clear Bess' name but it was a touch drawn out. i do, though appreciate the attention paid to historical detail in both aspects of war and life.
    • 4/5
      I always love to spend time in nurse Bess Crawford's world. Even though these mysteries are set in the dark years of World War I, you come away from the books inspired by the character, sense of duty, and desire to set the world right of Bess and Simon. (Am I the only one who hopes for a romance in their future?)
    • 5/5
      If you have somehow never read one of Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series, you are missing out on a real treat. Bess is one of those heroines that I just immediately loved and rooted for even though occasionally wanting to scold her for taking risks.She is a British nurse in World War I and she spends much of her time in France near the front lines. This is a military service in which the women are held to a higher standard of conduct than civilian women. They have a uniform and are subject to orders just like soldiers. Since it is early in the 20th century, women still lead restricted lives anyway, but the nurses represent England and as such need to remain above reproach. How Bess manages to solve murders in that sort of climate is largely due to her father's assistant Simon Brandon. Her father is apparently in military intelligence.In this story Bess is assigned to accompany a wounded officer to Buckingham Palace where he is presented a medal by the king. She is responsible for him until an orderly picks him up at the hotel the next morning to return him to the rehabilitation hospital. She can't remain in his room overnight of course, but when she checks on him in the morning he has disappeared. Then she hears of a sighting of him at a bridge where a man is murdered. She is in big trouble; in fact she's in danger of being thrown out of the nursing service. Obviously this calls for an investigation and when Simon gets wind of it, he comes to help.The story becomes more and more mysterious until it seems like they are following several soldiers on the run. I loved trying to work out the plot and wasn't disappointed at the end. Meanwhile, I learned about the care of wounded men in France and England, and how ordinary people lived in the countryside during that war.One character in this book stands out. A man called Maddie cares for all the people in several villages in England. He seems a competent doctor but doesn't claim to be one and Bess is mystified by him. He lives alone very simply. What is his story? I haven't read all the books in this series but I hope to eventually. Highly recommended.Source: HarperCollins
    • 4/5
      This time Bess is asked to accompany a wounded soldier to receive his medal from the king for a brave act that almost got him killed. The man seemed to be pleasant enough, but even though he claimed Bess was one of the nurses who helped save him, she couldn’t place his face or his wound in her memory.She does her duty, escorts the man and is with him in the presence of the king and brings him back to the hotel. After settling him in and promising not to bother him much because some of his friends were going to stop and visit she has a nice evening meal with Simon in the hotel restaurant. Against her better judgement she only checks on him twice before bed, under the impression the soldier was still close to an invalid and thus would be safe enough with minimal checks.Her nice turn comes back to bite her. In the morning, she discovers her patient must have left in the night and hasn’t come back yet. She hopes his friends just got him a little too toasted and are late getting him back. It soon becomes apparent that he’s not coming back, nor has he been checked into any of the area hospitals. This leaves Bess in hot water. She lost a patient who a couple days later is wanted in connection to a murder, making Bess’s situation even worse.Bess and Simon eventually team up and drive all over the English countryside looking for clues to her missing patient. A few clues lead them to a small village which might also have been mostly wishful thinking. However, there does seem to be some strange happenings and a couple strange men that have recently shown up and the community is tight lipped about them, muddying the waters for our duo.
    • 3/5
      I've long been a fan of Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series, and this book has a truly intriguing mystery. First of all, how did a man confined to a wheelchair manage to vanish without a trace? Secondly, how could he have committed murder? And why? This plot really had my deductive juices flowing.Unfortunately An Unwilling Accomplice is probably the weakest book in the series, and it has everything to do with its too-large cast and its very uneven pacing. The story is good for showing readers just how determined (or stubborn) Bess Crawford is and how seriously she takes her profession. She becomes obsessed with finding out what happened and risks getting into even more trouble with the Army and the nursing service.But the pacing of this book is almost its undoing. For much of the time the story drags out interminably, adding many secondary characters who are easy to confuse. Just when I would wonder if anything significant were ever going to happen-- BAM!-- the pace would click into breakneck speed for a bit before slowing back down to a crawl. It's a shame because-- as I've already said-- the mystery is a good one.I'm still far from tiring of Bess Crawford, and it's the autumn of 1918. What is she going to do once World War I is at an end? I look forward to what Charles Todd may have in store for us.
    • 3/5
      I had never read any books in the Bess Crawford series before I read this one, but as a fan of the Maggie Hope WWII series, I was looking forward to this, as it seemed like a similar kind of story. It started out really well, the plot drawing me in right away as Bess is unwillingly dragged into a British soldier's plan to desert his post after being honored by the King for his service. The first 50 pages flew by. But then, as Bess (and later, Simon) arrive in the English countryside to track down the missing soldier, the plot dragged to a halt. Back and forth from inn to inn in a series of small towns, running down false leads - it became so tedious! I wanted more interaction between Bess and Simon on the relationship front! The various twists, turns, and dead-ends of the plot became hard to follow, and I found myself skimming through some sections, because I just wanted to get on with it and finish the book. I'm still not sure I totally grasp the ending and how everything was wrapped up, but to be honest, I'm not sure I even care.As other reviewers have stated, I wish there had been more time spent on character development. I wanted to get to know Simon better - here, he just seemed like a glorified chauffeur for Bess as she traipsed around the countryside. Some plot points required some suspension of reality - I find it hard to believe that a nurse like Bess would have been so involved in this - and the reasoning behind her wanting to locate this soldier seemed tenuous. And would she REALLY have had that much leave? Overall, while I didn't feel lost coming into the series at this point (a good thing), and the author didn't feel the need to reexplain everything that happened in past books (another good thing), I don't think I'm going to seek out other books in this series.
    • 2/5
      I've never read a Bess Crawford mystery nor anything by Charles Todd. An Unwilling Accomplice (number 6) was very disappointing. I do hate starting a series in the middle, but even so, this was just a mess -- the story was boring while the writing and the repeated filler paragraphs (Lower to Upper - somewhere...) were unbearable. Perhaps I'll try the first book in the series in hopes that these authors have done a better job and An Unwilling Accomplice was the "one off".
    • 4/5
      Bess Crawford is a nurse during WWI. She has been assigned to help a patient be presented to the king for a decoration due to heroism, but her reputation as a competent nurse is in danger when he disappears from her care. Now Bess wants to get to the bottom of the mystery and clear her name.I enjoyed the setting for this story and found the details of wartime in England during WWI interesting. As for the mystery, I wasn't even sure what the mystery was until the end of the book, let alone who did it. That is good in one way, but in another, it made the middle of the story seem like a lot of wheels spinning and going nowhere in particular. There were some things which required quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, but I can't name them without spoilers. It was still a pleasant read and I will pursue this series.
    • 3/5
      Bess Crawford is indeed an unwilling accomplice. She’s a nurse, a Sister as the British would say, in the Nursing Service, who has just returned to London after serving in France. It’s Autumn 1918 and Bess has escorted a group of wounded soldiers back to Britain, and she is looking forward to a few days leave, especially as a respite from the horrors of the battlefields. Unexpectedly, she is requested by the War Office to accompany a wheelchair bound soldier suffering head and leg wounds to an awards ceremony at Buckingham Palace where the soldier, Sergeant Wilkins, is to receive a medal for his heroism in France from the King. All goes well at the ceremony and Bess accompanies the sergeant back to the hotel where they both have rooms and her responsibility for him will end the next morning when someone from the hospital where he is resident will come by to escort him back to the hospital. Until then, he is in Beth’s charge as her patient.Unfortunately when morning rolls around, Beth discovers that Sergeant Wilkins is not to be found in his room or anywhere else for that matter. Having “lost” her patient who was in her charge, Beth is now regarded unfavorably by both the Nursing Service and the Army. Matters take a further turn for the worse when the missing sergeant becomes a suspect in a murder. It’s not difficult to see that the Army and the Nursing Service, as well as Scotland Yard, officials would suspect that Beth may have been an accomplice to the sergeant’s plans. Beth is disgraced, but determined to try to restore her reputation by finding the wayward sergeant and and showing that she played neither a knowing nor negligent role in his plans.Fortunately, Beth is not without loyal friends and family. Her father is a retired Colonel and there is Simon Brandon, the Colonel’s former batman, and now one of “the youngest Sergeant Majors in the British Army.” In the course of tracking down the elusive Sergeant Wilkins, Beth and Simon work together and in the course of following leads and clues in a remote and rural part of England, they come across many characters and uncover hidden secrets and romances. It’s a good mystery story, involving dark nights, stolen horses, missing goats, close calls, and only at the end will most readers be sure of the identity of the murderer
    • 3/5
      The novel opens with battlefield nurse Bess Crawford summoned to the war department in London. She is ordered to escort a wounded soldier to Buckingham Palace to be decorated by King George.A day after the ceremony, the soldier, Sgt. Jason Wilkins disappears. Bess is questioned about his disappearance and accused of dereliction of duty in permitting him to go AWOL.What follows is Bess's efforts along with her friend, Simon Brandon, to search the English countryside and locate the missing soldier and thus, to clear Bess's name.Through the eyes of Bess, we view the English landscape and observe many of the victims of WWI, both military and civilian.One of Bess's friends sums up the true cost of the war. "I think the greatest cost of the war is in lost friends...All the young men I've danced with...played tennis with and dallied with, are gone."In the midst of the story Bess and Simon come upon a town where a wealthy woman is caring for a wounded officer. Thinking that it might turn out to be Sgt. Wilkins, they question the woman. In this case there is a head wound. It isn't Wilkins but we observe another casualty. The soldier has a head wound that causes moments of irrational behavior.This was an easy read where I could imagine the countryside and what Bess and Simon were going through. I was a bit confused with the conclusion but overall enjoyed the story.
    • 4/5
      I received this book from the Early Reviewers program. I have read all the Bess Crawford mysteries by Charles Todd, and thought that this was another excellent entry in the series. I particularly enjoyed that we got to see a lot more of Simon in this book and he joins Bess to track down a soldier who disappeared while under Bess's care. Lots of fun and definitely recommended.
    • 3/5
      This was my second Bess Crawford book by Charles Todd and I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as my first. It started well and then all of a sudden it was just a visit to this inn, that inn and nothing was happening. I know they had to try and sort it all out to clear Bess' name but it was a touch drawn out. i do, though appreciate the attention paid to historical detail in both aspects of war and life.
    • 3/5
      Quite a good story..original...yet maybe not for the time of war. I don't know much of the World War I period which is why I read this along with the massie Dobbs series. I was kept in suspense as I learned about lives in some of the smaller towns...this will be a great book for. Book clubs to digest. Good characters. Good writing. I will definitely recommend it.
    • 3/5
      Good period piece, very complicated
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the book, but I felt, as I often do with mysteries, that it lagged in the middle, as if the publisher has said, "Look, can't you add a few more chapters so we can get beyond that 300 page mark?" In this case, I became dizzy as they drove back and forth (and back and forth) between 3 villages with nearly the same name (Lower-, Middle-, and Upper-something). At one point I made a note that surely petrol was rationed and how is it they never needed to fill their tank in this trio of villages (that had neither a telephone nor a constable). I had to smile 3 pages later when Simon SPOILER ALERT went to fill his tank.On the other hand, the plot was rather new and so fun to read. The characters are probably well-know to readers of the series. So, is there a romantic frisson crackling between Bess and Simon? I am intrigued by the mother and son team that comprise "Charles Todd." Geographic distance makes no barrier in this day; does gender? relationship? age? I would be great to have LT interview them.
    • 2/5
      I have read books in this series before and enjoyed them, and if I look just at the historical aspects it is very well done. But this story was very convoluted and didn’t seem plausible at all. The motives for Bess pursuing the search personally were weak, and there were just far too many coincidental discoveries and mysterious strangers involved. Bess repeatedly puts herself in danger despite warnings because she “knows” it will be safe—I guess she’s supposed to seem brave, but instead she just seems reckless. It has been clear since the beginning of the series that there could be a different relationship between Simon and Bess, but here he filled a strictly utilitarian role so there was no growth in that direction. I’m disappointed.
    • 3/5
      The Bess Crawford series provides interesting glimpses into England during WWI, but of course, I prefer the Ian Rutledge series. Bess is a nursing Sister who is stationed primarily in France, but she returns home to England for leave and to solve a mystery, along with Simon Brandon. Simon and Bess act like siblings, and the reader wonders if this relationship will ever develop further. The characters are well developed, but the setting reigns supreme in these novels. The reader can almost smell and fell the English countryside. The plot follows the same pattern in every novel, and Simon's car plays a huge role in the novel, as well as all the inns in which Simon and Bess spend a night. Sometimes the actions seem a little unrealistic, but still an intriguing story.