"Bess is among the most compassionate and intelligent characters." –The Sun-Sentinel
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Bess Crawford mystery series, a short story that unravels dark secrets from her close friend Simon Brandon's past
Years before the Great War summoned Bess Crawford to serve as a battlefield nurse, the indomitable heroine spent her childhood in India under the watchful eye of her friend and confidant, the young soldier Simon Brandon. The two formed an inseparable bond on the dangerous Northwest Frontier where her father's Regiment held the Khyber Pass against all intruders. It was Simon who taught Bess to ride and shoot, escorted her to the bazaars and the Maharani's Palace, and did his best to keep her out of trouble, after the Crawford family took an interest in the tall, angry boy with a mysterious past.
But the Crawfords have long guarded secrets for Simon and he owes them a debt...

A prequel to explain Simon Brandon’s past. ( )

A nice quick read to give us some background on Simon one of the central characters in the Bess Crawford mysteries. This is a novella, not a full novel. As such I missed hearing what Bess thought happened and what the real reason was behind her father's early retirement. The ambiguous ending allows me to fill in the blanks. I look forward to the next full novel in this series. ( )

Excellent! A really good "prequel" about Simon Brandon who plays roles in the Bess Crawford series. That multiple narrators told the story was interesting. ( )

Title: A Hanging at Dawn (A Bess Crawford Short Story)
Author: Charles Todd
Pages: 176
Year: 2020
Publisher: Witness Impulse
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
This short story is set in India several years before WWI. Simon Brandon is a quiet, young teen, who is assigned to look over young Bess Crawford while her father is on active duty. This assignment is to help Simon and Bess’s parents keep his secret, as well as give Simon experience at a batman. Bess and Simon form a close friendship with Simon teaching Bess how to ride and shoot. He takes her to the market and accompanies her and her mother on various outings. He does his best to keep an energetic girl occupied and out of trouble.
An incident occurs while a young Indian princess is on her way to visit her mother. Simon is among the military retinue escorting the princess. The princess notices an expensive missing object of her young daughter, and upon searching everyone’s possessions, Simon has said object. One of the wagon drivers is discovered with his throat slit. Simon is arrested for the murder and the theft. A representative of the local Indian government wants Simon punished immediately, with the punishment being death by hanging.
With this short story added to the Bess Crawford Collection, readers are given a glimpse of Bess as a little girl, as well as Simon Brandon as a young teen. The story is told from the different perspectives of four characters. A tantalizing bit of information about Simon’s life before joining the army left this reader intrigued and wanting more! Readers also see the familial relationship develop between Bess, her parents and Simon, as well as those in the army that add to the making of this young man’s character. Look for the next full-length Bess Crawford mystery due to be released in July of this year titled, An Irish Hostage.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )