Perfect title. The characters are well developed. Reeve, the main character, helps the reader better understand that it takes time for someone who has been held captive to become "normal". Even with her family, she feels uncomfortable. Thanks to her therapist she begins helping Tilly, a young twelve year old girl who has just escaped. At this point the plot really takes off.

At times the suspense was almost too much, but this is what makes this a good book. When I now read of real life women who have lived through this earthshaking experience, I will think of this book. It is fiction, but the author Carla Norton has researched this topic and has written a very realistic novel.

For fans of the Charles Todd series, this is a must read. Bess Crawford is a military nurse who spends grueling hours in a WWI front line hospital. To make matters more difficult the Spanish influenza pandemic hits both patients and staff. One of the orderlies comes to Bess about a curious body he has found when he was preparing to dig graves for the dead patients. She recognizes immediately this is a case of murder and she knows who the soldier is. Before she can act on this information she collapses with the flu. She recovers back in England but wonders if she is having a nightmare about the death. When more bodies fall, she heads back to the front line to investigate. Several times her life is threatened, but with the help of others, she solves the crime. The Todds, as usual, have several interestingly developed characters who move the story along. For readers who enjoy historical fiction and mysteries, this should be a good book.

This novel has several qualities that I enjoy. First, I like to learn something new either about the place or the people. For a reader who had little knowledge about competitive running, Crombie demonstrated how important it is to those who participate in the sport. So important that murder happens.

Also I like strong characterization and detailed plot including subplots and this novel provides both of these.

While the plot develops, we learn about some interesting officers who work in the Met and in Scotland Yard. Just as in real life, some we enjoy knowing and some we do not. A subplot that involves the search teams and their dogs made for unusual characters.

The characters have grown as the series has developed. Learning about the new Kincaid/James family and their children was one of my favorite parts.

I am already eager for the next book in the series.

Once again the authors of the Charles Todd books have a winner. In this third book of the Bess Crawford series, Bess finds herself helping a woman in need. This, however, leads her into a complicated family situation that becomes worse when murder happens. What makes this series so interesting is the WWI setting and how it affects various characters. From England to the battlefields of France the story unfolds. The variety of strongly developed characters and intricate plot makes this novel one of the best in the series of Todd books. How a mother and son who live in different states can keep coming up with such fascinating books is a "mystery" to me.

Creatively written in letter form to her sister Tess. Even after Tess's body is found, Bee continues as if she is talking with her sister. Therefore,not only do we learn about her search for the murderer, but we learn about both sisters' lives.

Fascinating, suspenseful, and for once in my life, there was a surprise ending that completely shocked and fooled me. I loved it.

To stop a branch of Eastern European mafia from taking control of amphetamines in prisons, Swedish officials decide to use former criminal as covert informers. "You have to be a criminal to play a criminal" gives us Piet Hoffman who is the undercover cop in this situation.Although it is hard from him to keep thoughts of his family out of his mind, he realizes if he is fingered as an infiltrator, he will have "three seconds" to protect himself.

In the contrasting role is Det. Inspector Evert who is investigating a drug related killing, not knowing his suspect is working as an undercover cop. Grens' success record is outstanding, but now forces within the justice system are holding out on him.

Excellent characterization and ingenious plot make this an easy book to recommend to mystery lovers. It has been added to my favorite Scandinavian mystery authors.

Book club members might like to raise the question "Does the end justify the means".

Timely. While reading one day in the life of an embedded North Korean spy in South Korea, the reader not only learns about the society and its people but also how emotional it would be when the spy is called back. Fantastic information on how a spy might be trained and set up in the new country. It has been so long since Ki-yong has heard from Liaison Office 130 he questions if this is a valid message. Most of the day he frantically searches who might have sent it. We meet his family and friends, learning about them, as the time flies. Should he tell everyone? Should he go back up North? Some of the minor characters might have been excluded because for me it took a while to keep them all in order.

I really enjoyed the novel and wondered how closely his training relates to the spies we have just heard about in the media.

Set in the small town of Rose, Kansas, this is the story of Jody, whose father was murdered and her mother disappeared when she was three. It opens when she is 26 and flashes back to the fateful day. Well-developed, interesting characters made me feel involved and the plot included enough twists and turns to keep me involved. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys a mystery that has a main character who struggles with her family tragedy as well as tells a good story.