Tales

This collection gathers four short stories by Charles Todd, the writing team behind the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford series. Its tales are set across the First World War, beginning on the British home front as the conflict is about to take hold. The stories then move to the trenches of France, where Lieutenant Rutledge faces danger while trying to protect the men under his command.

The final story goes back to India, where Bess Crawford spent part of her youth. Her earlier years there give readers a different view of a character who later works as a battlefield nurse. Together the pieces offer a closer look at the backgrounds of two of the most popular figures in Todd's mystery fiction.

The four stories are "The Kidnapping," "The Girl on the Beach," "Cold Comfort" and "The Maharani's Pearls." They are collected here for the first time.