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William Monk #1-3 omnibus
The William Monk Mysteries: The Face of a Stranger / A Dangerous Mourning / Defend and Betray
Few authors have made Victorian London as engaging and lively as Anne Perry has and her rich descriptions and charismatic characters have long captivated fans around the world. Now in one enticing volume, here are Anne Perry’s first three classic novels featuring private investigator William Monk.
THE FACE OF A STRANGER
His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. His memory vanished after a terrible accident, intent on hiding his condition and starting a new life, Monk tackles a grisly murder case in which each new revelation leads him to the answers he seeks but dreads to find. . . .
A DANGEROUS MOURNING
Called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a blue-blooded young widow, Monk is plagued by his lingering amnesia and an inept supervisor. But nurse Hester Latterly offers her assistance, and together they grope warily through the silence and shadows that obscure the aristocrat’s demise.
DEFEND AND BETRAY
After a brilliant military career, General Thaddeus Carlyon meets his death not on the battlefield but at a London dinner party, and his wife confesses to the murder. But Monk and Hester Latterly suspect deceit, and with the trial only days away, they feverishly work to unravel the dark heart of the mystery.
THE FACE OF A STRANGER
His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. His memory vanished after a terrible accident, intent on hiding his condition and starting a new life, Monk tackles a grisly murder case in which each new revelation leads him to the answers he seeks but dreads to find. . . .
A DANGEROUS MOURNING
Called upon to investigate the brutal murder of a blue-blooded young widow, Monk is plagued by his lingering amnesia and an inept supervisor. But nurse Hester Latterly offers her assistance, and together they grope warily through the silence and shadows that obscure the aristocrat’s demise.
DEFEND AND BETRAY
After a brilliant military career, General Thaddeus Carlyon meets his death not on the battlefield but at a London dinner party, and his wife confesses to the murder. But Monk and Hester Latterly suspect deceit, and with the trial only days away, they feverishly work to unravel the dark heart of the mystery.
1152 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2000
400 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
362 books3,380 followersAnne Perry, born Juliet Hulme in England, lived in Scotland most of her life after serving five years in prison for murder (in New Zealand). A beloved mystery authoress, she is best known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series.
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 13, 2016
I truly enjoyed this book, even more so after having a chance to meet Anne Perry. This is not my normal genre but I was intrigued by the motivations of the characters in a time period I was not familiar with. I especially appreciated so much the detailed-without-being-laborious descriptions of time and place. Excellent read.
October 23, 2018
Updating as I finished the last book:
I have mixed feelings about reading an Anne Perry mystery. I usually do like to read a couple of her Christmas mystery series over the holidays. I have enjoyed them because while they do often point to something deeper, they are not overly sentimental or saccharine sweet the way most holiday literature is. Sometimes she leaves unfinished threads and not every character ends happily ever after.
But authoress Anne Perry herself was a murderer in her youth. I have the moral issues of not wanting her to profit from her crime and of not wanting to encourage her to continue to think along the dark themes of murder and death as she writes. Sometimes even her “good” characters have caused or allowed a death for reasons I do not find justifiable. I realize I might differ with most other people there. While I’m not a complete pacifist, I do think that many more problems in the world can be solved without violence than people attempt or realize. I am nearly a pacifist.
My older teens told me, not about this book, but literature in general, that if the villains don’t feel justified in their own minds for their actions, then it’s more of a two-dimensional caricature of a villain, and not a very good book. They do have a point. But sometimes it is troubling in these books that none of the characters can point out that murder is wrong, or else they think it’s okay under certain circumstances.
In at least one Christmas book, a lady tried to atone for her actions and seemed to think she had, but no amount of goodness or good service or compassion can really replace a life that is lost. As long as the person is still dead, the issue has not been as easily “fixed” as Anne Perry would suggest. Lives lost are valued more than that. They are irreplaceable by anything. Yes, attempting restitution is a good thing, but there is no restitution worth the life of another.
In both having her “good” characters sometimes murder, and in thinking one can atone for such a thing, Anne Perry does not seem to fully understand the value of human life. She is not alone in that in the mystery genre, however.
There is forgiveness, of course, but that is a different issue than atonement. Forgiveness is forgiving a wrong, not trying to fix it. Certainly murder can be forgiven. I remember hearing of an Amish community that forgave a murderer who had shot their children, and the Charleston church had also forgiven its shooter. Anne Perry also tends to have themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, and understanding for the murderer, and those are more interesting to me. Forgiveness can't be "earned," but it can be given.
So, I suppose I have found a middle ground in enjoying Anne Perry books and encouraging her darker thoughts by purchasing them. Her books are not really as dark as much of the mystery genre except that some of it is rooted in her real-life experience. It is not play-pretend. There is something real underneath. I tend to get them out of the library.
I don’t understand, then, why we own this book. I don’t know, but I suspect that we got it before I realized that there was anything real “underneath” these stories. Not that these characters are real, or the Victorian settings she placed them, but the thoughts and motives cannot help but be tied to her experiences. Actually, in this book, “The Face of a Stranger,” the murder was similar to the one the author Anne Perry herself committed in that it was repeated blunt force trauma. That made William Monk envisioning the scene a little more chilling.
If I got this book so long ago before I knew that about her, then, I don’t understand why I never read it before now. Perhaps I got it, but then was so disheartened by Anne Perry’s past that I didn’t read it. I know that I got it because I enjoyed her Christmas series and wanted to see the original series that had spawned the Christmas one.
Book 1:
Now, as for this particular book, ‘The Face of a Stranger:” I enjoyed it completely. I loved the premise. A man had amnesia. At first he thought he was a criminal, but then discovered he was a detective. In order to keep his job, he tried not to let anyone know his difficulty, but investigated his case as well as his own identity, trying to find out who he was, and what sort of person he was and trying to recover his memory. It was well done, both the picture of him trying to solve the cases without the earlier particulars and without giving anything away, and the picture of him trying to understand himself and what sort of person he had been.
I figured out whose the cane was. I had not figured out whodunit.
This detective, William Monk, had nothing to do with the TV series detective Adrian Monk. They were completely different series with different writers. There's not much commonality in the detectives' characters, either.
I usually do not re-read mysteries. Once I know whodunit, they lose their appeal to me and so mysteries are unlikely candidates for five stars from me. But this one I could actually envision re-reading sometime, mostly because of the introspection. How do others perceive us? Is that what we want to be known for?
So, of my 5 star criterion, I enjoyed it, I’d reread it, and I would recommend it, with the caveat about the author.
Book 2:
I got this book, #2 of 3, in a single bound volume of the beginning of the William Monk series. Again, Monk's amnesia about his own life, while trying to solve a crime was interesting. It wasn't as much of a focus as it was in the first book. I still enjoyed the read, although, perhaps I prefer the first book.
I do like that in Anne Perry's books not everything ends neatly, not all "innocent" characters are spared, not all have happy endings. I also liked the calmness of Hester and Monk's quiet evenings spent discussing the issues over hot chocolate. I also liked that there were follow-up stories continuing with the case from the first book, rather than pretending like the older case did not exist.
Hester's experiences as a nurse on the battlefield reminded me of Lynn Austen's "Fire By Night," and those readers interested in that particular aspect might enjoy that read as well.
It seemed too odd for both main characters to be fired from separate positions over their outspoken opinions.
I did not figure out the situations.
One other reviewer commented that records could be retrieved too easily from the War Office.
Another reviewer said that these were not children's books because of the rapes involved (though not graphically described) and because of the inequitable morality of the Victorian times. I'd agree with that assessment - and yes, the morality of the times was unfair.
SPOILER - It seemed too unlikely to me that the medical doctor could have confused the imprints of two such different weapons, although the science probably wasn't as precise in Victorian England.
Favorite quotes:
"With loss very often comes hatred. We need someone to blame when we cannot cope with the pain except through anger, which is so much easier, at least to begin with." It's a reminder to be compassionate even with caustic people.
"I find it [charm] unworthy of trust, a spurious quality, all show and no substance, glitter without warmth."
"Monk respected him for his ability to admit both haste and discourtesy. It was more than he had expected, and something he would have found hard himself."
"And I like their humor. They know how to laugh at themselves and each other -they like to laugh, they don't see any sin in it, or any danger to their dignity."
"I am so sorry. I hope you will be able to help, even if it is only with comfort and good advice. Sometimes that is all we have for each other - don't you think?"
"And how do they forgive us for having expected too much of them, instead of looking to see what they really were, and loving that?"
Book 3:
I have to agree with other reviewers that this 3rd book in the William Monk mysteries was not as engrossing as the prior two. it was about a hundred pages longer, but for much of that, the main characters just kept spinning in circles, asking the same suspects the same questions and getting the same results. That's probably truer to real-life investigations, but it's harder to read. I was about to lose interest ...
... but then the story did pick up speed, the drama escalated, and I finished the book in a dash. I still prefer the first one of this series, "The Face of a Stranger." I think that "Defend and Betray" could have been just as engrossing if it had been more savagely edited.
I figured out the motivations for the characters in "Defend and Betray" much quicker than the main characters did, but perhaps that was because they were staying true to their characterizations within the Victorian Era.
I found it hard to believe that the child characters could behave so well in the trial. Not that they completely kept their emotions under control, but that I would've expected more confusion and emotion, maybe more resistance to cooperate than what was portrayed. Of course, that, too, may be due to their Victorian Era characterizations, when more was expected of children in that regard.
Adult themes. Not a book for children, although nothing was graphic. Also not one I'd want to re-read.
Like some of the rest of Anne Perry's series, this book doesn't show as much value for human life as I would like. In particular, one of the main characters, Hester, brain-storms reasons that she might commit murder, and most of them are not justification enough. (Self-defense is, but then that is not murder.) The murderer's true reasoning in this book is also compelling enough within the social structure of the times.
SPOILER - I am not sure that the murderer could have used the halberd with enough force. It takes more force to use such a weapon, even if it's sharp, because it has more surface area to penetrate than, say, a sword or knife point (assuming one is thrusting and isn't just slashing with the whole blade.) But to go entirely through a person and then into the floor ... I have my doubts, but then I'd prefer not to find out how plausible that is.
Favorite Quotes:
"He was delighted to find Hester intelligent, not given to fainting or taking offense where it was not intended, not seeking compliments at every fit and turn, never giggling, and best of all, quite interested in military tactics, a blessing he could still hardly believe."
"The very worst that could happen would be embarrassment. She ought to be able to cope with that." A good reminder that there are far worse things than embarrassment to cope with.
"I mean, he was a terrible bore at times, but most men are. They think all the wrong things are important."
"My dear, it is a mistake to imagine we are all reasonable all of the time.... I think most tragedies happen when people have had too little time to think or weigh one course against another, or perhaps even to assess the real situation."
"A new idea is still the most dangerous thing in the world. A new idea about something close to ourselves, coming quite suddenly and without warning, can make us so disconcerted, so frightened at the idea of all our beliefs about ourselves and those around us crumbling about our ears that we reach to strike at the one who has introduced this explosion into our lives - to deny it, violently if need be."
"Disillusion is one of the most difficult of all emotions to wear gracefully, and with any honor. I am afraid we will not find many who will do it."
"When we are happy to turn from evil because it is ugly, and causes us distress, then we condone it and become party to its continuance. Little by little, we become as guilty of it as those who commit the act - because we have told them by our silence that it is acceptable."
I have mixed feelings about reading an Anne Perry mystery. I usually do like to read a couple of her Christmas mystery series over the holidays. I have enjoyed them because while they do often point to something deeper, they are not overly sentimental or saccharine sweet the way most holiday literature is. Sometimes she leaves unfinished threads and not every character ends happily ever after.
But authoress Anne Perry herself was a murderer in her youth. I have the moral issues of not wanting her to profit from her crime and of not wanting to encourage her to continue to think along the dark themes of murder and death as she writes. Sometimes even her “good” characters have caused or allowed a death for reasons I do not find justifiable. I realize I might differ with most other people there. While I’m not a complete pacifist, I do think that many more problems in the world can be solved without violence than people attempt or realize. I am nearly a pacifist.
My older teens told me, not about this book, but literature in general, that if the villains don’t feel justified in their own minds for their actions, then it’s more of a two-dimensional caricature of a villain, and not a very good book. They do have a point. But sometimes it is troubling in these books that none of the characters can point out that murder is wrong, or else they think it’s okay under certain circumstances.
In at least one Christmas book, a lady tried to atone for her actions and seemed to think she had, but no amount of goodness or good service or compassion can really replace a life that is lost. As long as the person is still dead, the issue has not been as easily “fixed” as Anne Perry would suggest. Lives lost are valued more than that. They are irreplaceable by anything. Yes, attempting restitution is a good thing, but there is no restitution worth the life of another.
In both having her “good” characters sometimes murder, and in thinking one can atone for such a thing, Anne Perry does not seem to fully understand the value of human life. She is not alone in that in the mystery genre, however.
There is forgiveness, of course, but that is a different issue than atonement. Forgiveness is forgiving a wrong, not trying to fix it. Certainly murder can be forgiven. I remember hearing of an Amish community that forgave a murderer who had shot their children, and the Charleston church had also forgiven its shooter. Anne Perry also tends to have themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, and understanding for the murderer, and those are more interesting to me. Forgiveness can't be "earned," but it can be given.
So, I suppose I have found a middle ground in enjoying Anne Perry books and encouraging her darker thoughts by purchasing them. Her books are not really as dark as much of the mystery genre except that some of it is rooted in her real-life experience. It is not play-pretend. There is something real underneath. I tend to get them out of the library.
I don’t understand, then, why we own this book. I don’t know, but I suspect that we got it before I realized that there was anything real “underneath” these stories. Not that these characters are real, or the Victorian settings she placed them, but the thoughts and motives cannot help but be tied to her experiences. Actually, in this book, “The Face of a Stranger,” the murder was similar to the one the author Anne Perry herself committed in that it was repeated blunt force trauma. That made William Monk envisioning the scene a little more chilling.
If I got this book so long ago before I knew that about her, then, I don’t understand why I never read it before now. Perhaps I got it, but then was so disheartened by Anne Perry’s past that I didn’t read it. I know that I got it because I enjoyed her Christmas series and wanted to see the original series that had spawned the Christmas one.
Book 1:
Now, as for this particular book, ‘The Face of a Stranger:” I enjoyed it completely. I loved the premise. A man had amnesia. At first he thought he was a criminal, but then discovered he was a detective. In order to keep his job, he tried not to let anyone know his difficulty, but investigated his case as well as his own identity, trying to find out who he was, and what sort of person he was and trying to recover his memory. It was well done, both the picture of him trying to solve the cases without the earlier particulars and without giving anything away, and the picture of him trying to understand himself and what sort of person he had been.
I figured out whose the cane was. I had not figured out whodunit.
This detective, William Monk, had nothing to do with the TV series detective Adrian Monk. They were completely different series with different writers. There's not much commonality in the detectives' characters, either.
I usually do not re-read mysteries. Once I know whodunit, they lose their appeal to me and so mysteries are unlikely candidates for five stars from me. But this one I could actually envision re-reading sometime, mostly because of the introspection. How do others perceive us? Is that what we want to be known for?
So, of my 5 star criterion, I enjoyed it, I’d reread it, and I would recommend it, with the caveat about the author.
Book 2:
I got this book, #2 of 3, in a single bound volume of the beginning of the William Monk series. Again, Monk's amnesia about his own life, while trying to solve a crime was interesting. It wasn't as much of a focus as it was in the first book. I still enjoyed the read, although, perhaps I prefer the first book.
I do like that in Anne Perry's books not everything ends neatly, not all "innocent" characters are spared, not all have happy endings. I also liked the calmness of Hester and Monk's quiet evenings spent discussing the issues over hot chocolate. I also liked that there were follow-up stories continuing with the case from the first book, rather than pretending like the older case did not exist.
Hester's experiences as a nurse on the battlefield reminded me of Lynn Austen's "Fire By Night," and those readers interested in that particular aspect might enjoy that read as well.
It seemed too odd for both main characters to be fired from separate positions over their outspoken opinions.
I did not figure out the situations.
One other reviewer commented that records could be retrieved too easily from the War Office.
Another reviewer said that these were not children's books because of the rapes involved (though not graphically described) and because of the inequitable morality of the Victorian times. I'd agree with that assessment - and yes, the morality of the times was unfair.
SPOILER - It seemed too unlikely to me that the medical doctor could have confused the imprints of two such different weapons, although the science probably wasn't as precise in Victorian England.
Favorite quotes:
"With loss very often comes hatred. We need someone to blame when we cannot cope with the pain except through anger, which is so much easier, at least to begin with." It's a reminder to be compassionate even with caustic people.
"I find it [charm] unworthy of trust, a spurious quality, all show and no substance, glitter without warmth."
"Monk respected him for his ability to admit both haste and discourtesy. It was more than he had expected, and something he would have found hard himself."
"And I like their humor. They know how to laugh at themselves and each other -they like to laugh, they don't see any sin in it, or any danger to their dignity."
"I am so sorry. I hope you will be able to help, even if it is only with comfort and good advice. Sometimes that is all we have for each other - don't you think?"
"And how do they forgive us for having expected too much of them, instead of looking to see what they really were, and loving that?"
Book 3:
I have to agree with other reviewers that this 3rd book in the William Monk mysteries was not as engrossing as the prior two. it was about a hundred pages longer, but for much of that, the main characters just kept spinning in circles, asking the same suspects the same questions and getting the same results. That's probably truer to real-life investigations, but it's harder to read. I was about to lose interest ...
... but then the story did pick up speed, the drama escalated, and I finished the book in a dash. I still prefer the first one of this series, "The Face of a Stranger." I think that "Defend and Betray" could have been just as engrossing if it had been more savagely edited.
I figured out the motivations for the characters in "Defend and Betray" much quicker than the main characters did, but perhaps that was because they were staying true to their characterizations within the Victorian Era.
I found it hard to believe that the child characters could behave so well in the trial. Not that they completely kept their emotions under control, but that I would've expected more confusion and emotion, maybe more resistance to cooperate than what was portrayed. Of course, that, too, may be due to their Victorian Era characterizations, when more was expected of children in that regard.
Adult themes. Not a book for children, although nothing was graphic. Also not one I'd want to re-read.
Like some of the rest of Anne Perry's series, this book doesn't show as much value for human life as I would like. In particular, one of the main characters, Hester, brain-storms reasons that she might commit murder, and most of them are not justification enough. (Self-defense is, but then that is not murder.) The murderer's true reasoning in this book is also compelling enough within the social structure of the times.
SPOILER - I am not sure that the murderer could have used the halberd with enough force. It takes more force to use such a weapon, even if it's sharp, because it has more surface area to penetrate than, say, a sword or knife point (assuming one is thrusting and isn't just slashing with the whole blade.) But to go entirely through a person and then into the floor ... I have my doubts, but then I'd prefer not to find out how plausible that is.
Favorite Quotes:
"He was delighted to find Hester intelligent, not given to fainting or taking offense where it was not intended, not seeking compliments at every fit and turn, never giggling, and best of all, quite interested in military tactics, a blessing he could still hardly believe."
"The very worst that could happen would be embarrassment. She ought to be able to cope with that." A good reminder that there are far worse things than embarrassment to cope with.
"I mean, he was a terrible bore at times, but most men are. They think all the wrong things are important."
"My dear, it is a mistake to imagine we are all reasonable all of the time.... I think most tragedies happen when people have had too little time to think or weigh one course against another, or perhaps even to assess the real situation."
"A new idea is still the most dangerous thing in the world. A new idea about something close to ourselves, coming quite suddenly and without warning, can make us so disconcerted, so frightened at the idea of all our beliefs about ourselves and those around us crumbling about our ears that we reach to strike at the one who has introduced this explosion into our lives - to deny it, violently if need be."
"Disillusion is one of the most difficult of all emotions to wear gracefully, and with any honor. I am afraid we will not find many who will do it."
"When we are happy to turn from evil because it is ugly, and causes us distress, then we condone it and become party to its continuance. Little by little, we become as guilty of it as those who commit the act - because we have told them by our silence that it is acceptable."
March 12, 2018
Surprise endings are memorable but more fills books. Re-reading these was a pleasure. I look forward to re-reading more of the series, despite the gruesome crimes not limited to rigid Victorian class society.
1 The Face of a Stranger - Favorite for idea of amnesiac Monk waking to discover and dislike former self, plus his role in murder. He has a chance to change himself and (some) others' expectations. Flash of memory to solve killer identity is hard to swallow.
2 A Dangerous Mourning - Hester's patient Major Tiplady and her friend Edith are fascinating minor roles. The trio of heroic defenders are mature, unlike YA trite romance.
3 Defend and Betray - Motive is evil yet perpetrators are shown as flawed humans with positive traits. I'd (deservedly) forgotten the girl behind Monk's yearning flashbacks.
1 The Face of a Stranger - Favorite for idea of amnesiac Monk waking to discover and dislike former self, plus his role in murder. He has a chance to change himself and (some) others' expectations. Flash of memory to solve killer identity is hard to swallow.
2 A Dangerous Mourning - Hester's patient Major Tiplady and her friend Edith are fascinating minor roles. The trio of heroic defenders are mature, unlike YA trite romance.
3 Defend and Betray - Motive is evil yet perpetrators are shown as flawed humans with positive traits. I'd (deservedly) forgotten the girl behind Monk's yearning flashbacks.
May 20, 2021
This large book contains the first three books about Perry's William Monk. I had read random books in this series ... but it really enhanced my pleasure in this series to go back and read the first three novels in order. William Monk is a Victorian London police detective whose memory vanishes after a terrible accident. Intent on hiding his condition, not jeopardizing his job, and moving on with his life ... Monk moves on, trying to reassemble his past as he does.... Perry creates this time period beautifully with rich, in-depth characters bound in the class restrictions of the time period. It is never an easy task to uncover the mysteries - and often murders - Monk has to deal with ... and I'm always fascinated following the story and often stunned when the mystery is finally unraveled and resolved. ... If you like a good, in-depth mystery series ... look for this book.
July 16, 2018
Excellent series
William Monk is a British detective who suffers from a amnesia due to a carriage accident. He recalls bits and pieces of his former life as he trys to fulfill his obligations to the law. This journey of self-discovery which occurs simultaneously with his pursuit of truth and justice makes for fascinating storytelling. Enter Lawyer Oliver Rathbone and nurse Hester Lafferty and you have an interesting ensemble of characters for equally mystifying cases. Well worth the time.
William Monk is a British detective who suffers from a amnesia due to a carriage accident. He recalls bits and pieces of his former life as he trys to fulfill his obligations to the law. This journey of self-discovery which occurs simultaneously with his pursuit of truth and justice makes for fascinating storytelling. Enter Lawyer Oliver Rathbone and nurse Hester Lafferty and you have an interesting ensemble of characters for equally mystifying cases. Well worth the time.
April 16, 2021
William Monk
I have just started reading this series from the beginning. I have learned a lot about William Monk in these first three books which helps me make sense of some of the other books in the series I have read in the past. The first 2 books detail cases Monk is working on as a policeman. The third book details his work on a case for Oliver Rathbone as a private detective. It was very interesting to see what Monk uncovered about himself throughout the three books and how he became a different man than he was before he lost his memory.
I have just started reading this series from the beginning. I have learned a lot about William Monk in these first three books which helps me make sense of some of the other books in the series I have read in the past. The first 2 books detail cases Monk is working on as a policeman. The third book details his work on a case for Oliver Rathbone as a private detective. It was very interesting to see what Monk uncovered about himself throughout the three books and how he became a different man than he was before he lost his memory.
February 28, 2020
I simply am hooked on Anne Perry's novels. I've come to love her characters. She offers so much history into the social aspects of the lives of those who lived a century or more ago. Their lives would be similar to that of my grandparents. Thank you Anne Perry for all the research you have put into your books.
July 28, 2020
I enjoyed all three mysteries, but find them a long, slow read. They are filled with deep description, lots of dancing around topics (a very victorian thing!), and a slow climb to solving the mysteries that seems somewhat tedious at times. However, I do intend to read more of her work, because I do like the mysteries.
May 6, 2019
William monk
At I thought the first stories should be about Hester Latterly because she seems to keep solving the murders. It just doesn't seem that Monk has really anything to do with the stories.
At I thought the first stories should be about Hester Latterly because she seems to keep solving the murders. It just doesn't seem that Monk has really anything to do with the stories.
November 20, 2019
I really enjoyed these books. It would be very difficult to wake up and not know who you are. William Monk has to learn who is by the attitudes of others. He finds that he's not sure what sort of person he is/was. Great read.
August 28, 2017
A great introduction to the William Monk Series.
September 27, 2018
Excellently written
Anne Perry knows exactly how to write in order to hold the reader's interest. It took me only 3 weeks to read.
Anne Perry knows exactly how to write in order to hold the reader's interest. It took me only 3 weeks to read.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
December 26, 2020
The lack of morality of the ton of 18th century England came out in the second book of this series.
July 15, 2023
Such excellent writing and plotting. Victorian London is rough though
November 17, 2023
Plan to reread. Worth it!
July 22, 2024
This series of 3 was really good, the kind you can't put down. I love mysteries where you can't guess the ending.
June 26, 2017
William Monks begimmimgs
The first few Monk novels estAblish the outlines of the series. We learn of the hospital location and accident that cuffliNks Anne sis. A e meet sHelter Latterly, John Evan and Oliver Rothbone who we will meet again and again in the later novels of the series. The plot and details of Victorian England are detailed in Perry's Penn excellent manner. Her layering on of street, domestic sartorial and political details is always a felig?it and contributes to the pleasure other books
The first few Monk novels estAblish the outlines of the series. We learn of the hospital location and accident that cuffliNks Anne sis. A e meet sHelter Latterly, John Evan and Oliver Rothbone who we will meet again and again in the later novels of the series. The plot and details of Victorian England are detailed in Perry's Penn excellent manner. Her layering on of street, domestic sartorial and political details is always a felig?it and contributes to the pleasure other books
May 1, 2022
I'm sure I've read other Anne Perry books that I enjoyed more. I finished these first three, but I'm not in a rush to read the rest.
May 19, 2011
I'm of two minds about this book (or rather books, since this is actually a compilation of three). In general, I liked them--mystery is my favorite genre. The first book was gripping and drew me in quickly: a Victorian-era police officer with amnesia after a life-threatening accident feels compelled to keep his memory loss a secret while he attempts to solve a difficult murder case. The author draws her characters distinctly and with depth. She is skilled at setting each scene with painstaking detail. At one point, she even listed the various types of cleaning agents the servants used in the laundry. She obviously put in a lot of time and effort researching Victorian England and the practices and beliefs of the different classes.
On the other hand, the novels were a bit slowly paced. I found myself skimming over chunks of text--I think she could have cut each book by 20 to 30 pages without losing anything important. Also, the books suffered slightly from too many stereotypical depictions of Victorian attitudes. Other than when it directly affects the plot, what is the point of dwelling on how restrictive Victorian society was? Seems like beating a long dead horse.
But on the whole, I did enjoy the stories. I especially appreciated the delicacy with which she approached the nature of the crimes committed. She was able to relate the emotional horror of each situation without being too graphic. The only other caution I would offer is to not buy these books on Kindle. They were poorly edited with dozens of punctuation and spelling errors, including one instance where "feces" was used in place of "faces."
On the other hand, the novels were a bit slowly paced. I found myself skimming over chunks of text--I think she could have cut each book by 20 to 30 pages without losing anything important. Also, the books suffered slightly from too many stereotypical depictions of Victorian attitudes. Other than when it directly affects the plot, what is the point of dwelling on how restrictive Victorian society was? Seems like beating a long dead horse.
But on the whole, I did enjoy the stories. I especially appreciated the delicacy with which she approached the nature of the crimes committed. She was able to relate the emotional horror of each situation without being too graphic. The only other caution I would offer is to not buy these books on Kindle. They were poorly edited with dozens of punctuation and spelling errors, including one instance where "feces" was used in place of "faces."
May 26, 2012
I bought this omnibus e-book and read all three novels one after the other, so will review together. These are the first three of Perry’s William Monk series - The Face of a Stranger, A Dangerous Mourning, and Defend and Betray. I know I’ve read the last one before, but it must have been quite some time ago. I more or less remembered how it went, but there was much still to enjoy. I very much like Perry’s work in general, and these were all good. Following the larger arc of Monk’s story, and that of Hester Latterley and Oliver Rathbone, beyond the subject of each individual tale, is intriguing. The first book, in particular, which sets up the story of Monk as he struggles to find his way without betraying his near-total loss of memory, is most compelling. The individual stories are also well told, although I did find the third a little choppy in its refocusing back and forth; still, the courtroom scene in that one is very well drawn. I will say that these do show some signs of being early works, although I don’t believe this series was her first. There are places where the period detail becomes a bit of a recitation, something that doesn’t show so much in later stories. But since I’m a sucker for period detail anyhow....I didn’t mind.
January 30, 2020
I've read all 24 books in the William Monk series. Enjoyed all, loved many. What I enjoy most are the characters and period, the contrasts between the classes of society, the evolution of the characters from Book 1 to 24. I've begun reading the Thomas Pitt and his well-born wife Charlotte series and so far am enjoying those as well.
March 28, 2016
Outstanding series
I have just read the first three William Monk books in a row. The mysteries are awesome but never "Cozy". They are designed to make us think and feel and develop,our empathy and compassion. Whilst I love the Pitt series, it is not as dark. Monk is complex, seeking himself as much as a solution to the mystery. Harriet Latterly is a misfit of a woman in her time, and Perry does an amazing job of showing us the frustrations of women of a social class in that era, if,they had wit, intelligence or courage. Rathbone, the solicitor, is given more room in the third novel. A brilliant, compassionate man he make up the third member of this trinity devoted to truth and justice. At this stage, there is barely a hint of romance tho' unfortunately, there is a spoiler re future developments in the interview with the author at the end. It is a remarkable depiction of three dimensional characters with their sharp edges, vulnerabilities and challenges. I am so glad there are many more such delights ahead of me.
I have just read the first three William Monk books in a row. The mysteries are awesome but never "Cozy". They are designed to make us think and feel and develop,our empathy and compassion. Whilst I love the Pitt series, it is not as dark. Monk is complex, seeking himself as much as a solution to the mystery. Harriet Latterly is a misfit of a woman in her time, and Perry does an amazing job of showing us the frustrations of women of a social class in that era, if,they had wit, intelligence or courage. Rathbone, the solicitor, is given more room in the third novel. A brilliant, compassionate man he make up the third member of this trinity devoted to truth and justice. At this stage, there is barely a hint of romance tho' unfortunately, there is a spoiler re future developments in the interview with the author at the end. It is a remarkable depiction of three dimensional characters with their sharp edges, vulnerabilities and challenges. I am so glad there are many more such delights ahead of me.
February 25, 2021
Per il compleanno mi sono regalata i primi tre romanzi della serie di William Monk. Il primo, in italiano, era quasi introvabile e costoso.
Ho deciso così di dare una rinfrescata al mio inglese. ma che sorpresa!: non solo la lingua della Perry è ricercatissima (come del resto avrei dovuto aspettarmi data l'epoca in cui pensano e agiscono i suoi personaggi) ma parecchi personaggi minori parlano in cockney o usano espressioni gergali della mala introvabili sul dizionario. Dopo un po' ti abitui, ma all'inizio è abbastanza scioccante.
Letto finora il primo: piaciutissimo.
Aggiornamento di febbraio 2021: li ho finiti, purtroppo.
E' stata un'esperienza insolita e che mi ha arricchita leggere questi romanzi in lingua originale. Il primo e il terzo sono particolarmente belli. Tutti e tre, in definitiva, oltre a dare un ruolo di primissimo piano ai personaggi femminili, sia protagonisti che non, ruotano intorno al tormento di un uomo senza passato che deve combattere contro i suoi demoni e contro un mondo spietato.
Ho deciso così di dare una rinfrescata al mio inglese. ma che sorpresa!: non solo la lingua della Perry è ricercatissima (come del resto avrei dovuto aspettarmi data l'epoca in cui pensano e agiscono i suoi personaggi) ma parecchi personaggi minori parlano in cockney o usano espressioni gergali della mala introvabili sul dizionario. Dopo un po' ti abitui, ma all'inizio è abbastanza scioccante.
Letto finora il primo: piaciutissimo.
Aggiornamento di febbraio 2021: li ho finiti, purtroppo.
E' stata un'esperienza insolita e che mi ha arricchita leggere questi romanzi in lingua originale. Il primo e il terzo sono particolarmente belli. Tutti e tre, in definitiva, oltre a dare un ruolo di primissimo piano ai personaggi femminili, sia protagonisti che non, ruotano intorno al tormento di un uomo senza passato che deve combattere contro i suoi demoni e contro un mondo spietato.
January 27, 2013
Although I'd read these three William Monk mysteries a few years ago, my mother recommended this compilation; said she enjoyed it. Mother knows best.
If you'd asked me years ago, if I'd enjoy mysteries set in Victorian times, I'd say 'no' and in fact, avoided them. My mistake. There's something very wonderful about Anne Perry's historical mysteries, read today. I look forward to entering that world, so descriptively written, with full characters and mysteriously dark surroundings. Of course there are the brightly lit homes and luxuriously dressed wealthy to contrast with the drab and dreary, but there is a richness to the stories and the lives. Anne Perry writes the mystery parts with twists and turns and the reader applauds Monk's determination even when he's exasperated with possible suspects.
Abandon technology - jump in - lose yourself in a brilliantly crafted series - the Anne Perry mystery novels.
If you'd asked me years ago, if I'd enjoy mysteries set in Victorian times, I'd say 'no' and in fact, avoided them. My mistake. There's something very wonderful about Anne Perry's historical mysteries, read today. I look forward to entering that world, so descriptively written, with full characters and mysteriously dark surroundings. Of course there are the brightly lit homes and luxuriously dressed wealthy to contrast with the drab and dreary, but there is a richness to the stories and the lives. Anne Perry writes the mystery parts with twists and turns and the reader applauds Monk's determination even when he's exasperated with possible suspects.
Abandon technology - jump in - lose yourself in a brilliantly crafted series - the Anne Perry mystery novels.
February 28, 2013
I wish there was a 3 and half stars. I found these books to be boring at times but I couldn't stop reading them either. I really enjoy the courtroom aspect of the books but there isn't a lot of action.
I did have a problem with the third book as I felt there was a huge clue and a character to interview which they neglected to do for a long long time. I felt like screaming at Monk to go talk to this person. It was annoying. I think I will read more Monk but I need a break and something less tedious before I can continue on.
I did have a problem with the third book as I felt there was a huge clue and a character to interview which they neglected to do for a long long time. I felt like screaming at Monk to go talk to this person. It was annoying. I think I will read more Monk but I need a break and something less tedious before I can continue on.
March 14, 2011
The three books give you much to digest and consider in the laws of the old world England. I am so grateful after finishing the third book "Defend and Betray" that we as a society can watch and recognize the nuances not seen by the family in this book. Hopefully those who care will protect their children from this heart-wrenching abuse. Well written and packed with emotion.
April 1, 2013
Greatly enjoying Anne Perry's work. The William Monk series set in Victorian London is entertaining and educational...a lovely blend of Downton Abbey and Murdoch Mysteries, without the science (alas).
May 23, 2013
This was a 3 book omnibus. I thought the first book was great, the second book was good and the third book was a bit of a grind to get through. I'm not sure why these are called the William Monk Mysteries, as he's pretty much a minor character after the first book.
December 22, 2014
Mysteries with a few twists and turns and a few surprises, compelling characters, and rather pointed social commentary. I look forward to more encounters with Monk, Hester, Rathbone, and many of the other secondary characters.
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