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Bess Crawford #6.5
The Maharani’s Pearls
A short novella
47 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2014
347 people are currently reading
1223 people want to read
About the author
Charles Todd
112 books3,507 followersCharles Todd was the pen name used by the mother-and-son writing team, Caroline Todd and Charles Todd. Now, Charles writes the Ian Rutledge and Bess Crawford Series. Charles Todd ha spublished three standalone mystery novels and many short stories.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
March 29, 2021
Harmless but sleight of the hand manipulation story about nothing in particular. It looked like the authors compressed a sparse plot into a purposefully sparser page count to tout it as substantive.
The Maharani's Pearls aren't lost so that Bess Crawford can look for them. But to know what their role is, is up to you if you still want to fork wonga for this short story.
I'm a guy of Indian ancestry, though I live in Mauritius. I think the mutiny of 1857 is seen by Indians as noble and by the British as nightmarish. This discrepancy in ideas has never been addressed. Not that I expected this humble book to do so. Just throwing it out there for some musing. Bye for now.
The Maharani's Pearls aren't lost so that Bess Crawford can look for them. But to know what their role is, is up to you if you still want to fork wonga for this short story.
I'm a guy of Indian ancestry, though I live in Mauritius. I think the mutiny of 1857 is seen by Indians as noble and by the British as nightmarish. This discrepancy in ideas has never been addressed. Not that I expected this humble book to do so. Just throwing it out there for some musing. Bye for now.
March 24, 2018
In the Maharani's Pearls, we got to meet Bess and her parents in India. Bess is told by a fortuneteller that someone she cares for is in danger. I liked this because we got a story about Bess when she was younger and it gave an interesting glimpse into her childhood in India.
August 3, 2014
Originally published at Reading Reality
This story is a very short episode in the life of World War I Nurse Bess Crawford long before she became a nurse or volunteered to serve in the Army’s Nursing Corps.
On the other hand, even as a ten-year-old, it’s still very obvious that Bess has always been very much herself; adventurous, intelligent, headstrong in pursuit of what she believes is the right thing, brave and fairly unflappable.
During the main sequence of the stories that chronicle her wartime career (start with A Duty to the Dead) Bess exhibits the same traits as an adult that show up in this brief story from her childhood.
Bess’ often remembers her childhood in India, both for the relative freedom she enjoyed and for the cosmopolitan outlook that growing up slightly outside the strictures of life back in England. She has more experience of more different types and backgrounds of people than most women her age. She’s also much more independent than usual for the era, because she has that broader experience.
In A Question of Honor we see some of Bess’ memories of life in the Raj, and also discover the fate of some of the children whose parents sent them back home while they continued their service. Bess discovers just how much she has to be grateful for, that her parents, a high-ranking officer and his wife, kept her with them.
But in her childhood, Bess was already an intrepid explorer and someone who only obeyed the rules when it suited her. In the case of the Maharani’s pearls, Bess’ desire to push at the boundaries results in her being in the right place at the right time to save a life, and perhaps help maintain the British presence in India on a relatively peaceful basis.
Escape Rating B+: The Maharani’s Pearls is a very short story. While I certainly enjoyed the glimpse of Bess as a child, the story also introduced a few more mysteries about the people around her.
Her father’s willingness to listen to her story and take action on information that some might have claimed was a child’s imagining explained a lot about the way she was raised and how much she feels she needs to take action when things go wrong.
Child Bess made a ton of references to her father’s batman, Simon Brandon, and his mysterious origins. Simon, his service, his career and his place in her family’s life has been extremely mysterious from the very first book. It was to be hoped that this earlier glimpse of him might clear up some of the mysteries. Instead, it just makes his past even murkier.
Still I can’t wait for the next book in the main series, An Unwilling Accomplice. This entire series does well at both evoking the era and providing a page-turning mystery.
This story is a very short episode in the life of World War I Nurse Bess Crawford long before she became a nurse or volunteered to serve in the Army’s Nursing Corps.
On the other hand, even as a ten-year-old, it’s still very obvious that Bess has always been very much herself; adventurous, intelligent, headstrong in pursuit of what she believes is the right thing, brave and fairly unflappable.
During the main sequence of the stories that chronicle her wartime career (start with A Duty to the Dead) Bess exhibits the same traits as an adult that show up in this brief story from her childhood.
Bess’ often remembers her childhood in India, both for the relative freedom she enjoyed and for the cosmopolitan outlook that growing up slightly outside the strictures of life back in England. She has more experience of more different types and backgrounds of people than most women her age. She’s also much more independent than usual for the era, because she has that broader experience.
In A Question of Honor we see some of Bess’ memories of life in the Raj, and also discover the fate of some of the children whose parents sent them back home while they continued their service. Bess discovers just how much she has to be grateful for, that her parents, a high-ranking officer and his wife, kept her with them.
But in her childhood, Bess was already an intrepid explorer and someone who only obeyed the rules when it suited her. In the case of the Maharani’s pearls, Bess’ desire to push at the boundaries results in her being in the right place at the right time to save a life, and perhaps help maintain the British presence in India on a relatively peaceful basis.
Escape Rating B+: The Maharani’s Pearls is a very short story. While I certainly enjoyed the glimpse of Bess as a child, the story also introduced a few more mysteries about the people around her.
Her father’s willingness to listen to her story and take action on information that some might have claimed was a child’s imagining explained a lot about the way she was raised and how much she feels she needs to take action when things go wrong.
Child Bess made a ton of references to her father’s batman, Simon Brandon, and his mysterious origins. Simon, his service, his career and his place in her family’s life has been extremely mysterious from the very first book. It was to be hoped that this earlier glimpse of him might clear up some of the mysteries. Instead, it just makes his past even murkier.
Still I can’t wait for the next book in the main series, An Unwilling Accomplice. This entire series does well at both evoking the era and providing a page-turning mystery.
August 6, 2017
A very short story about future nurse Bess Crawford. This is a tale set in India when she was about 10 years old and showcases the deductive reasoning that comes to the forefront in the mysteries that she takes on when she returns to England after serving as a nurse in the world war.
Bess goes to see an Indian fortune teller who tells her to return to her home 'before its too late.' She returns to meet with the Maharani, normally a visit that she enjoys a lot but this time as the Maharani leaves, she notices new people in her personal guard and someone who had been watching as Bess had visited the fortune teller. Quickly, she much figure out the clues and take action. And, of course, she does.
Bess goes to see an Indian fortune teller who tells her to return to her home 'before its too late.' She returns to meet with the Maharani, normally a visit that she enjoys a lot but this time as the Maharani leaves, she notices new people in her personal guard and someone who had been watching as Bess had visited the fortune teller. Quickly, she much figure out the clues and take action. And, of course, she does.
January 26, 2024
A fun short story with a lot of action about Bess and her family during their time in India.
I took two stars off, because they colonialism isn't really challenged or reflected, which would have been maybe okay because Bess in this story is 10 and it's told from her 1st Person perspective. But the narratives voice doesn't sound like a 10 year old girl in the slightest. Which lead me to thinking that it's an older Bess telling the story (which would also account how little Bess says some things).
And also it's really weird that there are a Lot of grown men and soldiers that take orders from her or ask her things, when in reality children at that point in time should be seen but not heard and were often enough tugged away by their governess.
But there are also lots and lots of small cool details and the story is very readable.
I enjoyed it, but breaking everything down would take more time writing this Review than reading the story. And if you are questioning if you should read it - you should, but I wouldn't pay 2,50 Euro again to do so but instead try to find a copy of the short story collection by the author where this story is included.
I took two stars off, because they colonialism isn't really challenged or reflected, which would have been maybe okay because Bess in this story is 10 and it's told from her 1st Person perspective. But the narratives voice doesn't sound like a 10 year old girl in the slightest. Which lead me to thinking that it's an older Bess telling the story (which would also account how little Bess says some things).
And also it's really weird that there are a Lot of grown men and soldiers that take orders from her or ask her things, when in reality children at that point in time should be seen but not heard and were often enough tugged away by their governess.
But there are also lots and lots of small cool details and the story is very readable.
I enjoyed it, but breaking everything down would take more time writing this Review than reading the story. And if you are questioning if you should read it - you should, but I wouldn't pay 2,50 Euro again to do so but instead try to find a copy of the short story collection by the author where this story is included.
January 30, 2015
This little short story is an excellent addition to Charles Todd's Bess Crawford series. We get to see Bess as a curious, brave and smart little girl-- a ten-year-old miniature of the woman she will become-- and we can also appreciate the younger versions of her parents. Simon, once again, remains pretty well hidden in the shadows so I'm hoping that one day soon the spotlight will turn on him.
There's one thing that may strain many readers' credulity: at a moment of extreme danger, soldiers believe everything that Bess tells them and then allow her to put herself in the line of fire. I have to admit that this did strain my own suspension of disbelief a bit, but I handled it. These soldiers under the command of her father are well acquainted with Bess and would know that she's a level-headed, intelligent child. I can see them paying attention to what she has to say. As for them letting her put herself in danger... I really don't think they could've stopped her short of hog-tying her and locking her in a windowless shed. All readers of the Bess Crawford series know that she's unstoppable when she's doing something she passionately believes is right.
This short story is only available for digital download, and the length is given as 96 pages. Be warned. The story is only half that. The remainder is a preview of Charles Todd's upcoming book. I know these "digital shorts" aren't everyone's cup of tea-- especially if you don't have an eReader-- but I enjoy them. The ideas may not be long enough for a traditional novel, but they provide additional insight into characters that I've come to love.
There's one thing that may strain many readers' credulity: at a moment of extreme danger, soldiers believe everything that Bess tells them and then allow her to put herself in the line of fire. I have to admit that this did strain my own suspension of disbelief a bit, but I handled it. These soldiers under the command of her father are well acquainted with Bess and would know that she's a level-headed, intelligent child. I can see them paying attention to what she has to say. As for them letting her put herself in danger... I really don't think they could've stopped her short of hog-tying her and locking her in a windowless shed. All readers of the Bess Crawford series know that she's unstoppable when she's doing something she passionately believes is right.
This short story is only available for digital download, and the length is given as 96 pages. Be warned. The story is only half that. The remainder is a preview of Charles Todd's upcoming book. I know these "digital shorts" aren't everyone's cup of tea-- especially if you don't have an eReader-- but I enjoy them. The ideas may not be long enough for a traditional novel, but they provide additional insight into characters that I've come to love.
July 27, 2014
I didn't realize that this was a short story. One of the drawbacks of downloading e-books is that it's really easy to think you're borrowing a novel rather than a short story. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable episode from Bess Crawford's childhood in India. Thanks to her curiosity and her unwillingness to follow the rules, Bess is instrumental in protecting someone's life. The fast pace of the story should have clued me in to the fact that this wasn't the first chapter of a novel!
August 5, 2014
This is a very short story about Bess Crawford as a young girl in India. It isn't really a mystery so much as a tale of adventure. Young Elizabeth suspects that a family friend may be in danger and takes steps to help. In the process her family is put into a dangerous situation and she is called on to assist.
I've never read any of the Bess Crawford stories so this was a strange place to begin, but now I will definitely look in to the series. It was a nice little read.
I've never read any of the Bess Crawford stories so this was a strange place to begin, but now I will definitely look in to the series. It was a nice little read.
October 8, 2014
A little back story on Bess Crawford and her life in India as a child. It goes into why she wasn't sent home for schooling when most other kids her age were. It captures life in India under the Raj and how carefully people had to notice things.
April 20, 2018
Shouldn't this story be numbered 0.5 not 6.5? It occurs years before the first book 🤔
November 16, 2014
A delightful little glimpse into young Bess' early life in India. Precocious little thing, she was.
Needs more Simon.
Needs more Simon.
November 14, 2020
Young Bess plays a pivotal role in saving lives in this prequel. There will be a gift from the Maharani, the pearls. Well earned.
March 10, 2022
Very Short Story!
This is not a novel. It is a short story (very short) about a ten-year-old Bess living in India with her parents. Bess has slipped off to the bazaar to visit a fortune teller so that she can write about it to her friends who have returned to England. Her father's batman (the enlisted personal servant of a British military officer), Simon Brandon, finds her and tries to hurry her home to meet the Maharani (wife of a Maharajah), who is coming to visit Bess's mother. Just as she is leaving, she receives a dire warning from the seer: "The life of someone you care for is in grave danger. My child, you must go now. Before it is too late."
Upon returning home, Bess meets the Maharani and, once again, admires the beautiful ropes of flawless pearls that adorn her neck. But when the Maharani departs, Bess notices something strange about a member of the Queen's escort, and she hurries to tell Simon, and then her mother. Her quick thinking averts a kidnapping, or even an assassination, She is rewarded by the Maharani with a gift of a rope of pearls, which her parents put away for safekeeping until she gets older.
The story is well-told, and fast-paced. I liked it.
This is not a novel. It is a short story (very short) about a ten-year-old Bess living in India with her parents. Bess has slipped off to the bazaar to visit a fortune teller so that she can write about it to her friends who have returned to England. Her father's batman (the enlisted personal servant of a British military officer), Simon Brandon, finds her and tries to hurry her home to meet the Maharani (wife of a Maharajah), who is coming to visit Bess's mother. Just as she is leaving, she receives a dire warning from the seer: "The life of someone you care for is in grave danger. My child, you must go now. Before it is too late."
Upon returning home, Bess meets the Maharani and, once again, admires the beautiful ropes of flawless pearls that adorn her neck. But when the Maharani departs, Bess notices something strange about a member of the Queen's escort, and she hurries to tell Simon, and then her mother. Her quick thinking averts a kidnapping, or even an assassination, She is rewarded by the Maharani with a gift of a rope of pearls, which her parents put away for safekeeping until she gets older.
The story is well-told, and fast-paced. I liked it.
March 15, 2023
This is the story of Bess and her family when she was a young girl living in India and it gives you Bess's background of who is was and who she has become. Follow her life in India and why she has the attitude she does as she is a grown up and why she became a nurse, they called them Sisters back during WWI. This is where she meets Simon, her father's friend and who is under his command. I usually read the books but if I can, love listening to the audio versions, the story becomes real, the people do, and I think you learn to love Bess just that much more! The narration is excellent, and it does have different voices for the different characters that I so much love! If you can read the series in the order that they come then do so, if not I think they can stand alone, it does remind you of certain things that have happened to Bess but in the order that they were written is so much better! I try to keep up with reviews as I read or listen to the books, but I saw I had not written this one, so I am doing so now, what dates, I have no clue!
March 4, 2024
A real short read. Always like to know more of the character’s lives. Typical story in Bess’s life.
Living with her family in India, young Bess Crawford's curiosity about this exotic country sometimes leads her into trouble.
One day she slips away from the cantonment to visit the famous seer in a nearby village. Before this woman can finish telling her fortune, Bess is summoned back for an afternoon tea with the Maharani, a close friend of her parents'. The seer's last words are a warning about forthcoming danger that Bess takes as the usual patter. But this visit by the Maharani has ominous overtones that mark it as more than a social call. Her husband has political enemies, and she has come to ask Bess's father, Major Crawford, for help.
As the Maharani is leaving, Bess notices that there is something amiss with the royal entourage. Major Crawford must set out after them—but will he be in time?
And what will happen to Bess, and the household left behind, when a vicious assassin circles back to take hostages?
Living with her family in India, young Bess Crawford's curiosity about this exotic country sometimes leads her into trouble.
One day she slips away from the cantonment to visit the famous seer in a nearby village. Before this woman can finish telling her fortune, Bess is summoned back for an afternoon tea with the Maharani, a close friend of her parents'. The seer's last words are a warning about forthcoming danger that Bess takes as the usual patter. But this visit by the Maharani has ominous overtones that mark it as more than a social call. Her husband has political enemies, and she has come to ask Bess's father, Major Crawford, for help.
As the Maharani is leaving, Bess notices that there is something amiss with the royal entourage. Major Crawford must set out after them—but will he be in time?
And what will happen to Bess, and the household left behind, when a vicious assassin circles back to take hostages?
August 25, 2019
This was a quick short story/novella read in the Bess Crawford series. It is set during the time that Bess and her family lived in India, and could easily be read as a standalone entry since it pre-dates the World War I setting of the series. I always enjoy getting glimpses into Bess's time in India, and this was no exception. In this story, Bess's family is visited by the Maharani, a close friend of her parents, for afternoon tea. However, a quiet afternoon tea quickly turns into anything but. This is no ordinary social call, as the Maharani is seeking Major Crawford's help with her husband's political enemies. When the entourage leaves, it is clear that something is amiss, so Major Crawford sets out after them. After he leaves, an assassin circles back to the house to take hostages. The tension and danger are high in this compelling story, which should be a fun read for fans of the Bess Crawford series and those readers who have yet to discover it.
I selected this as my pick for the 2019 POPSUGAR Ultimate Reading Challenge prompt "a book with an article of clothing or an accessory on the cover" (for the pearl necklace).
I selected this as my pick for the 2019 POPSUGAR Ultimate Reading Challenge prompt "a book with an article of clothing or an accessory on the cover" (for the pearl necklace).
September 29, 2022
A very short story about ten year old Bess and her family in India. Bess is rebellious often escaping from her governess and Simon to go into the nearby village. This time it pays off as she stumbles upon a plot. When she again sneaks out to warn her father she sees her governess taken hostage and is able to save the day. This was very quick but still quite enjoyable to see young Bess really hasn't changed much since her youth.
July 24, 2018
This is a prequel to the Bess Crawford stories. Bess is a young girl with her parents in India and becomes involved in an attempted kidnapping. It is thwarted partly by her actions. Its an exciting short story and shows the rising rebellion within the British Raj. Good historical background reading too.
October 18, 2020
A short little tale, sort of reminded me of something Samatha Parkington would get up to if she a.) lived in India, b.) was in the habit of solving crimes and/or insurrections, and c.) was English. Anyway, I liked it would've liked a bit more detail about India during that time period but then again I guess it would no longer be in the "short story" category if I had actually got my wish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2020
Ten-year-old Bess Crawford, living in India when her father was in the military, is a precocious child, not always obeying the rules of her parents or her governess. On one of her forbidden forays into the market, Bess gains information which she passes along to her father’s batman Simon, saving the life of her friend the maharani.
May 17, 2018
I enjoy Bess's capability in her longer books, but in this one it comes across as a bit much that she is the one to warn of an attack on her parents' estate in India and mastermind the defense, as a child. Ehhhh.
June 5, 2018
This slight novella is just that, slight. I don't really learn much about the young Bess Crawford: she's just a small version of her adult self. Not really a kid at all. I do wonder if she ever learns that Simon has loved her since she was THIS tall....
January 8, 2020
Short but good.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book though it was too short. The plot and story telling kept my attention thoroughly and the character of the young girl endearing and frustrating at the same time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book though it was too short. The plot and story telling kept my attention thoroughly and the character of the young girl endearing and frustrating at the same time.
April 11, 2021
a short story, set in India, with a young Bess Crawford and her father, the Colonel Sahib, and Simon caught up in Indian politics. Bess saves the day, and course of history, with her keen eye and bravery.
August 31, 2021
This was a very good short story. If you’ve never read a Bess Crawford story this will give you a taste of how well written they are and also how much excitement there is. I mean, if the author can pack this much into a short story, imagine what he can do in a novel.
February 23, 2023
A brief snipet
This is a very short story that tells of an incident in Bess Crawford's life when she was a child in India. It is just a very quick look at how inquisitive and observant she was even at a young age.
This is a very short story that tells of an incident in Bess Crawford's life when she was a child in India. It is just a very quick look at how inquisitive and observant she was even at a young age.
June 13, 2023
I wasn't going to read the Bess Crawford books but I was caught up with the Ian Rutledge books, so I thought I would try these. I am really glad I did. The stories keeps you wanting more, to see how they turn out
July 31, 2023
The only value to this short novella is the insight into Bess Crawford's precocious youth.
Otherwise, don't bother--and I'm not sure you want to bother learning about how precocious Bess is, anyway.
Otherwise, don't bother--and I'm not sure you want to bother learning about how precocious Bess is, anyway.
July 29, 2024
An entertaining excellent novella
An excellent entertaining novella well written with non-stop action and a very satisfying ending. I would recommend this novella too anyone looking for a quick entertaining read. 2014
An excellent entertaining novella well written with non-stop action and a very satisfying ending. I would recommend this novella too anyone looking for a quick entertaining read. 2014
December 6, 2025
Bess Crawford as a ten year old
This is a short story set in India when Bess was a child and her father was serving in the British military. It's quick but exciting, and shows she was brave, even as a child.
This is a short story set in India when Bess was a child and her father was serving in the British military. It's quick but exciting, and shows she was brave, even as a child.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews