Charles Todd is the pen name for the mother-son writing duo of Caroline and Charles Todd. Sadly, Caroline passed away in August 2021, but Charles is helping to keep the memory of his mother alive by continuing their Inspector Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford mystery series. THE CLIFF’S EDGE features the latter protagonist.

World War I has ended, and former battlefield nurse Bess Crawford has some free time on her hands. She intends to travel and see an old friend. However, her mother asks that she visit a friend of her cousin Melinda instead. Lady Beatrice is recovering from surgery, and she could use someone with Bess’ expertise and bedside manner to assist her.

"The formula for THE CLIFF’S EDGE fits right into the well-plotted stories that readers have come to expect from a Charles Todd mystery. I am glad this is not the last we will hear from the resilient Bess Crawford."

Bess has just returned from an excursion to Ireland, which has taxed her both mentally and physically. Now, she is off to Yorkshire to see Lady Beatrice, who had her gallbladder removed. It isn’t long before another serious situation arises. Lady Beatrice receives word that her godson, Gordon Neville, has been badly injured in an accident. Even though a physician is tending to him, Lady Beatrice requests that Bess go in her stead to check on him as she is still unable to travel.

When Bess arrives at the Nevilles’ house in Scarfdale, she finds Gordon with a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm and a large lump on his head. He then shocks her by stating that there is a dead man in one of the upstairs bedrooms and that he killed him. Gordon is referring to his friend, Frederick Caldwell. Frederick died in the same cliffside tumble that injured Gordon, and he feels responsible for his death. They were in search of some sheep that had gotten away during a storm when the tragic mishap occurred. Bess is quick to recognize that all may not be as it seems with the residents in Gordon’s village, and she begins to question what actually happened.

It isn’t long before another body, that of a young woman, is found off the same cliff’s edge. Gordon is not a suspect this time around as he was at home nursing his injuries. When Bess becomes the victim of a near-fatal fall, it appears that someone is seeking to cover up something and does not need anyone snooping around for the truth. The Great War may be over, but Bess still finds herself in deadly peril, and she may be in much more danger than she realizes.

The formula for THE CLIFF’S EDGE fits right into the well-plotted stories that readers have come to expect from a Charles Todd mystery. I am glad this is not the last we will hear from the resilient Bess Crawford.