This book drew me in from the first page. The story is told from the perspectives of different characters ( a popular trend, and used to advantage here) and encompasses five months in 1958 with one Chinese family's struggles in the aftermath of the Communist Party's rise to power. I'm no student of Chinese history or politics, but Gail Tsukiyama seamlessly introduced the necessary backstory into her tightly woven, wonderful plot. A momentous misunderstanding of a person's name, father-son relationships, Chinese lore and stories, and much more make for a fascinating read, with a satisfying - yet totally realistic - conclusion. As a language lover I couldn't resist underlining many beautiful and illuminating phrases and I thoroughly enjoyed the occasional Chinese words intermingled in the text. This would be an excellent read for book clubs. My only criticism is I wished for a map - and could not tear myself away from the book to look up locations.

Instantly gripping! Initially set in a World War I battlefield hospital, the reader is immediately plunged into the Spanish Influenza and war wounds as seen through a nurse's (Sister Bess Crawford) eyes, then quickly led into murder.

As I was unfamiliar with this series, I was a bit confused at first that Colonel Sahib and Colonel Crawford were one and the same. I also wished for more descriptions of physical appearances of main characters. No doubt all that was well established in earlier books.

An Unmarked Grave has a fast moving plot. The final resolution is unexpected but satisfying. The book is well researched and really lets you feel the frustrations with communication and transportation that were a part of World War I. I intend to read the first four in the series...and future Bess Crawford mysteries, too.