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William Monk #4
A Sudden, Fearful Death
Prudence Barrymore, a talented nurse who had worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, is found strangled to death in a London hospital. Private inquiry agent William Monk is engaged to investigate this horrific crime. Gradually, Monk assembles the portrait of a remarkable woman. Yet he also discerns the shadow of a tragic evil and a frightening glimmer of his own eclipsed past . . .
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 29, 1994
551 people are currently reading
1579 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
362 books3,375 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 378 reviews
October 31, 2018
I conclude my reading of this book with sadness, because I will be forgetting it slowly, but surely as death. The number of books that I've read quickened this process. This reflects in my reviews too, hence their quality.
To resume, this is a book about the death of Prudence Barrymore, a nurse who was dedicated to her cause. She is murdered brutally, and her senior doctor finds himself in the docks.
Justice prevails, but perhaps not as you foresaw it. I enjoy the forceful description of the environs of Victorian London. I really enjoyed the characters in the book. Two knights, not one, shine through and allow for fulfilment.
The story ends on a sudden, dry note. I was hovering between 4 and 5 stars. I won't be changing the current score I've given this book, because I won't be rereading it. There are so many other, similar, books that demand for my time. Similar, but familiar. Make of what you want about that.
To resume, this is a book about the death of Prudence Barrymore, a nurse who was dedicated to her cause. She is murdered brutally, and her senior doctor finds himself in the docks.
Justice prevails, but perhaps not as you foresaw it. I enjoy the forceful description of the environs of Victorian London. I really enjoyed the characters in the book. Two knights, not one, shine through and allow for fulfilment.
The story ends on a sudden, dry note. I was hovering between 4 and 5 stars. I won't be changing the current score I've given this book, because I won't be rereading it. There are so many other, similar, books that demand for my time. Similar, but familiar. Make of what you want about that.
September 10, 2018
4.5 stars. Better and better! I really enjoyed the first books in this series but the first halves were quite slow, gathering the information needed to make the cases come together in the second half. This story did not have those pacing issues at all. I was blindsided by this story: I had worked out one or two possible solutions as to whodunnit, but was totally wrong! I did think also that the premise that Prudence had been in love with the accused was far fetched, but given the times, it simply wouldn’t occur to anyone that her behaviour could be explained in the way it finally is.
June 24, 2010
I still like the characters in this book but the plots keep getting darker and nastier. And either Perry is getting more predictable or I've read too many of her books. I figured out what was going on and got really annoyed with how stupid Monk and Hester were being before they finally figure it out too. The book could have been cut in half and would have been a lot better. It's like Perry felt that she couldn't stop at 200+ pages for some reason so she kept beating around the bush for another 200 before she finally felt ok about ending it.
April 8, 2012
This is by far the worst and most disappointing Anne Perry book I've ever read. The majority of it read like a Margaret Sanger tract and the rest was boring and drawn out. The major characters had no progression, Monk's "brilliance" was referenced one too many times with no action detection to back it up, and the "mystery" of the first 50 pages were just a vehicle to introduce the topic of abortion.
In past books, Perry has inserted political views, but they've always taken a back seat to the story/mystery, meaning that even if I didn't agree with them they didn't lessen the story. Not so in this case. If you like Monk, skip this one.
In past books, Perry has inserted political views, but they've always taken a back seat to the story/mystery, meaning that even if I didn't agree with them they didn't lessen the story. Not so in this case. If you like Monk, skip this one.
January 15, 2018
Anne Perry shows her remarkable skill at crafting a mystery that is spell binding to the end, and at setting that story within a historical context, with rich detail. She also has woven into this story 2 important issues for women, both for those women in 1850 Victorian England, and in varying ways, for women today. Prudence Barrymore wants desperately to be a physician, and is determined to find a way to be accepted into medical school. But like many young women who want to break into fields of study that have previously been open only to men, she is denied any chance of pursuing her dream. The author also very skillfully details much of the ambivalence around the issue of abortion, portraying the desperation of women who face an unwanted pregnancy, and the choices that were then, and are now, more available to women of means.
William Monk is no longer a policeman, but now works as an investigator for hire. He is hired first to find the perpetrator of a rape, and secondly to solve a murder. He is greatly assisted by his friend Hester Latterly, and the banter between them lends touches of humor to this largely serious novel. There are also intense courtroom scenes, as the story reaches it climax. I highly recommend this book, and this series, to those who enjoy historical mysteries.
William Monk is no longer a policeman, but now works as an investigator for hire. He is hired first to find the perpetrator of a rape, and secondly to solve a murder. He is greatly assisted by his friend Hester Latterly, and the banter between them lends touches of humor to this largely serious novel. There are also intense courtroom scenes, as the story reaches it climax. I highly recommend this book, and this series, to those who enjoy historical mysteries.
February 9, 2021
3.5 stars
A Sudden, Fearful Death was a strangely mixed bag.
Perry breaks with her formula here and begins with a (seemingly) short case that ends early on, and William Monk, Hester Latterly, and Lady Callandra Daviot begin work on another case when the body of a nurse — with whom Hester was in the Crimea — is found at the Royal Free Hospital. The nurse, Prudence Barrymore, is strikingly similar to Hester by all accounts: extremely dedicated, utterly capable, and highly intelligent. I thought Perry struck a nice balance here — more so than in the last two novels — of being able to find a way to utilize Hester Latterly while also allowing enough room for actual detective work from William Monk.
One of the amazing things about this installment was that it was simply chock-a-block full of feminist ideals and challenges women face — absolutely stuffed to the gills. It's hard to imagine how this would've read when it was first published in 1994, but it's particularly astounding to try and imagine it being properly set and playing out in Victorian England.
The writing was pretty standard of Perry — at least of what I have read for the Monk novels thus far. Though I was grateful she broke from her dull middle sections for this one — the ending dragged out a good bit. This was mainly due to the fact that Monk was unable to ascertain the true meaning behind some evidence he passed along to the police and for me it was clear from that early point on — around 30% ... and they didn't catch up until around 85-90%. It was exhausting and it took all the punch out of the reveal. Is he really a good detective? Show me.
One thing I have found tiresome is the way in which Perry has fashioned such an odd crutch out of the way she describes people — focusing on their noses mainly and leaning heavily on whether or not the coloring of the clothes matches well with the person's own coloring. It might fit well if the whole of the book series were narrated solely by Monk, as it would fit with his detective's nature to describe everyone so succinctly and down to such detail as if he were providing information for a police sketch. (Although, then you'd end up with a book series about noses.) However, Perry prefers third-person limited with a large handful of narrators, as needed for each book, and while there is a bit of variety in the way she narrates the different characters' chapters, she does not vary in the way in which she chooses to describe the people in her stories. It isn't a major point, but it can become tiresome when someone yet again has a nose that is too long or a strangely pleasing but plain face.
Another thing that isn't a major point, but that I have gotten tired of noticing — how Perry constantly has someone bumping (or nearly bumping) into someone else. Usually it's Monk and I realize it is to demonstrate how busy are the streets of London — but it feels awkwardly thrown in half the time. Oops, he's bumped into someone else! And it is also really rather repetitive.
But I feel as if the main characters themselves are finally starting to open up some, and I look forward to the next in the series.
Audiobook, as narrated by Davina Porter: Porter's voice is just so well-suited to performing. Her audiobook narration here is as fantastic as it ever was — striking all the right notes here again. I still think I prefer this series in print because of the overly feminine names that are irritatingly similar to each other that Perry favors so much, but that is not due to Porter at all. And I have to take what is available from my library.
A Sudden, Fearful Death was a strangely mixed bag.
Perry breaks with her formula here and begins with a (seemingly) short case that ends early on, and William Monk, Hester Latterly, and Lady Callandra Daviot begin work on another case when the body of a nurse — with whom Hester was in the Crimea — is found at the Royal Free Hospital. The nurse, Prudence Barrymore, is strikingly similar to Hester by all accounts: extremely dedicated, utterly capable, and highly intelligent. I thought Perry struck a nice balance here — more so than in the last two novels — of being able to find a way to utilize Hester Latterly while also allowing enough room for actual detective work from William Monk.
One of the amazing things about this installment was that it was simply chock-a-block full of feminist ideals and challenges women face — absolutely stuffed to the gills. It's hard to imagine how this would've read when it was first published in 1994, but it's particularly astounding to try and imagine it being properly set and playing out in Victorian England.
The writing was pretty standard of Perry — at least of what I have read for the Monk novels thus far. Though I was grateful she broke from her dull middle sections for this one — the ending dragged out a good bit. This was mainly due to the fact that Monk was unable to ascertain the true meaning behind some evidence he passed along to the police and for me it was clear from that early point on — around 30% ... and they didn't catch up until around 85-90%. It was exhausting and it took all the punch out of the reveal. Is he really a good detective? Show me.
One thing I have found tiresome is the way in which Perry has fashioned such an odd crutch out of the way she describes people — focusing on their noses mainly and leaning heavily on whether or not the coloring of the clothes matches well with the person's own coloring. It might fit well if the whole of the book series were narrated solely by Monk, as it would fit with his detective's nature to describe everyone so succinctly and down to such detail as if he were providing information for a police sketch. (Although, then you'd end up with a book series about noses.) However, Perry prefers third-person limited with a large handful of narrators, as needed for each book, and while there is a bit of variety in the way she narrates the different characters' chapters, she does not vary in the way in which she chooses to describe the people in her stories. It isn't a major point, but it can become tiresome when someone yet again has a nose that is too long or a strangely pleasing but plain face.
Another thing that isn't a major point, but that I have gotten tired of noticing — how Perry constantly has someone bumping (or nearly bumping) into someone else. Usually it's Monk and I realize it is to demonstrate how busy are the streets of London — but it feels awkwardly thrown in half the time. Oops, he's bumped into someone else! And it is also really rather repetitive.
But I feel as if the main characters themselves are finally starting to open up some, and I look forward to the next in the series.
Audiobook, as narrated by Davina Porter: Porter's voice is just so well-suited to performing. Her audiobook narration here is as fantastic as it ever was — striking all the right notes here again. I still think I prefer this series in print because of the overly feminine names that are irritatingly similar to each other that Perry favors so much, but that is not due to Porter at all. And I have to take what is available from my library.
December 2, 2011
This book is not part of the Monk series as promoted it is Hester Latterly series. That in itself didn't make this book miss its mark it is dragged out beyond a length where my interest was kept.
The basis of evidence against the Stanhope character would never be enough to bring the case to trial. How one jumps from letters of a scorned woman who threatens blackmail being without a doubt evidence for police to arrest to me seems farfetched. There is no direct physical evidence to directly connect the person to the murder.
Maybe i'm being a whiner but this edition of the Monk series and the ever growing role of Latterly's character has me choosing to dump Anne Perry's Monk series of must read
The basis of evidence against the Stanhope character would never be enough to bring the case to trial. How one jumps from letters of a scorned woman who threatens blackmail being without a doubt evidence for police to arrest to me seems farfetched. There is no direct physical evidence to directly connect the person to the murder.
Maybe i'm being a whiner but this edition of the Monk series and the ever growing role of Latterly's character has me choosing to dump Anne Perry's Monk series of must read
February 26, 2023
An excellent mystery! Brings Victorian London to life.
January 11, 2025
As I've said (or thought) before this series, these books, are for those patient and willing to drive in the slow lane.
More than the crime and who did it, the author really just mines what early Victorian society was like. Though her protagonists (Monk, Hester, and Oliver Rathbone) are what we now would call progressive they remain, gratifyingly so, rooted in their society.
I'm glad that I'm doing these via audio lest I give in to the temptation to skim. I would regret that.
More than the crime and who did it, the author really just mines what early Victorian society was like. Though her protagonists (Monk, Hester, and Oliver Rathbone) are what we now would call progressive they remain, gratifyingly so, rooted in their society.
I'm glad that I'm doing these via audio lest I give in to the temptation to skim. I would regret that.
February 15, 2017
First of all, as always, this was well written and gripping. Hester and Monk are coming together and it's beautiful.
However, the plot is dark and heartbreaking. Rape, abortion, and murder are all prominent in the novel and with it a reminder that justice from the courts of law is cold and can never truly fix what has been done.
Recommended 14+ for talk of rape, abortion, and murder.
However, the plot is dark and heartbreaking. Rape, abortion, and murder are all prominent in the novel and with it a reminder that justice from the courts of law is cold and can never truly fix what has been done.
Recommended 14+ for talk of rape, abortion, and murder.
August 17, 2011
It is a shame when a great mystery writer lets political and social adgenda fog a novel.
April 28, 2019
Monk didn’t make any headway on discovering his past. He remains his irascible self, and works with Hester on a case though their bickering continues. Much of the book is in the courtroom, and the subject matter would be relevant today. I won’t say more to avoid spoilers. Perry never disappoints.
February 23, 2025
4 stars for this entry in a long-running series.
I first read this when it came out in 1992 and never reread it until recently. This reread showed that I remembered not one thing from my first read. Thus it was like reading it again for the first time.
Very tricky mystery involving the murder of a nurse in London's Royal Infirmary hospital. Good use of the mystery to examine the place of women in the medical profession. Oh my, the prejudices of the day set this modern reader's eyes to rolling non-stop. The smug male attitude of natural superiority was almost overwhelming.
I really enjoyed the interactions of Monk and Hester Latterly. They certainly know how to push each other's buttons. At this point in the series Monk is still trying to regain his memories. He has these flashbacks, but very little context for them. His relationship with his former associates on the police force remains uneasy, especially that with his former supervisor, Runcorn.
The author certainly knows how to write dramatic courtroom scenes; this book's is a doozy!
Coming up next: The Sins of the Wolf
I first read this when it came out in 1992 and never reread it until recently. This reread showed that I remembered not one thing from my first read. Thus it was like reading it again for the first time.
Very tricky mystery involving the murder of a nurse in London's Royal Infirmary hospital. Good use of the mystery to examine the place of women in the medical profession. Oh my, the prejudices of the day set this modern reader's eyes to rolling non-stop. The smug male attitude of natural superiority was almost overwhelming.
I really enjoyed the interactions of Monk and Hester Latterly. They certainly know how to push each other's buttons. At this point in the series Monk is still trying to regain his memories. He has these flashbacks, but very little context for them. His relationship with his former associates on the police force remains uneasy, especially that with his former supervisor, Runcorn.
The author certainly knows how to write dramatic courtroom scenes; this book's is a doozy!
Coming up next: The Sins of the Wolf
February 20, 2025
I’d just like to point out some of these bad reviews are from anti-choice people complaining about this book being political, it’s absolutely not at all
if simply depicting the challenges women have had to go through makes you uncomfortable, that says more about your own political views than the book
if simply depicting the challenges women have had to go through makes you uncomfortable, that says more about your own political views than the book
February 1, 2024
Good plot! I enjoy the atmosphere of the setting in Victorian London! The characters are well written and multilayered!
October 9, 2012
1.5 - 2 stars
Narrated by Davina Porter
My feelings for the William Monk mysteries have always been lukewarm at best, but this book made me seriously reconsider continuing with the series despite my interest in Monk's history.
The mystery was convoluted, and Monk seemed as inept as usual. There were questions unanswered such as how Callandra recognized Marian, and inconsistencies such as Monk being jubilant about the content of the letters he had received and acting all smug in front of Runcorn but telling Rathbone that he didn't believe the perpetrator was the person on trial. I got so tired of being told that Monk was brilliant instead of being shown it. There was a character whose name was rather similar to another (Robert Oliver and Oliver Rathbone) which I thought was poorly chosen. Since Book 1, it was clear that the author had an agenda. While I managed to somewhat brush it aside in the previous books, in this one, it felt too intrusive for me to ignore.
The narration was not that great either. The echoes were back again and present for most of the audiobook. There seemed to be less effort to make the characters sound distinct from one another, and too often I was confused about who was speaking, whether the character was male or female. There was hardly any life to this narration. While I realize that Davina Porter is practically revered for an excellent narration of the Outlander series, I find myself wholly unimpressed by her narration in the William Monk series. She does not have a wide range of voices, and her voice acting is barely there. Everything felt...bland.
In short, I was heartily bored, irritated and unimpressed by both book and narration.
Narrated by Davina Porter
My feelings for the William Monk mysteries have always been lukewarm at best, but this book made me seriously reconsider continuing with the series despite my interest in Monk's history.
The mystery was convoluted, and Monk seemed as inept as usual. There were questions unanswered such as how Callandra recognized Marian, and inconsistencies such as Monk being jubilant about the content of the letters he had received and acting all smug in front of Runcorn but telling Rathbone that he didn't believe the perpetrator was the person on trial. I got so tired of being told that Monk was brilliant instead of being shown it. There was a character whose name was rather similar to another (Robert Oliver and Oliver Rathbone) which I thought was poorly chosen. Since Book 1, it was clear that the author had an agenda. While I managed to somewhat brush it aside in the previous books, in this one, it felt too intrusive for me to ignore.
The narration was not that great either. The echoes were back again and present for most of the audiobook. There seemed to be less effort to make the characters sound distinct from one another, and too often I was confused about who was speaking, whether the character was male or female. There was hardly any life to this narration. While I realize that Davina Porter is practically revered for an excellent narration of the Outlander series, I find myself wholly unimpressed by her narration in the William Monk series. She does not have a wide range of voices, and her voice acting is barely there. Everything felt...bland.
In short, I was heartily bored, irritated and unimpressed by both book and narration.
July 29, 2014
Narrated by Davina PorterDescription: Prudence Barrymore, a talented nurse who had worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, is found strangled to death in a London hospital. Private inquiry agent William Monk is engaged to investigate this horrific crime. Gradually, Monk assembles the portrait of a remarkable woman. Yet he also discerns the shadow of a tragic evil and a frightening glimmer of his own eclipsed past . . .
Whoah! this was a bloated, soap box of an episode. Really not a favourite.3* The Face of a Stranger (William Monk, #1)
2* A Sudden, Fearful Death (William Monk, #4)
3* The Shifting Tide (William Monk, #14)
4* Dark Assassin (William Monk, #15)
4* Execution Dock (William Monk, #16)
3* Death in the Devil's Acre (Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, #7)
2* The Sheen on the Silk
3* A Christmas Guest (Christmas Stories, #3)
3* A Christmas Beginning (Christmas Stories, #5)
March 19, 2012
So far, this was not my favorite of the series. It was still good, but it wasn't as compelling as the previous books. Also, I felt a little manipulated on the abortion issue. It seemed to me that the doctor who performed abortions for free was held up as a good person helping desperate women, but the doctor who accepted pay was vilified. Really? That is what's wrong with the issue? This one was a little too message-driven for me, but hopefully these won't turn in to preachy diatribes instead of mysteries.
Also, I had the main plot twist (not the murderer) figured out way before any of the characters. So I felt like i had to drag along until they figured it out.
Also, I had the main plot twist (not the murderer) figured out way before any of the characters. So I felt like i had to drag along until they figured it out.
September 15, 2015
Interesting and engaging plot line albeit a bit contrived in parts; Exciting twist at the end however. A great sideline to the compelling murder mystery was the thought-provoking look at hospital politics in the Victorian age and the ethical issues of abortion and women's rights.
August 27, 2020
The trend that I've noticed with books in this series - somewhat less than exciting first half, much, much better past that point - does not hold true for this one. It was more consistent by a lot, and I did not get bored even once. So now I might be dedicated to reading all 20-however-many.
That being said I solved this mystery way sooner than old Monk did, or a part of it anyway, which is weird as Monk is forever being described (mostly by himself, in his own head) as a brilliant detective.
I also cannot seem to get past the ever-weirder physical descriptions of characters. Like:
"He had never known exactly what to make of Evan. He looked so mild and inoffensive with his long nose and hazel eyes, but seemed always to be on the brink of amusement..."
I'm sorry, he looked inoffensive because of the color of his eyes and his long nose??
Or - "Sir Herbert’s eyes narrowed and he concentrated intensely, weighing the face he saw with its broad forehead, curious very dark eyes for a man otherwise fair, long sensitive nose and beautiful mouth."
What is a long sensitive nose?
Finally, I cannot help but question moments like this:
"A mixture of emotions filled his face— discomfort, defensiveness, irritation, and tenderness."
I just truly do not believe a person can detect all these alleged emotions in one fleeting moment.
But, whatever, 4 stars because I enjoyed it all the same.
That being said I solved this mystery way sooner than old Monk did, or a part of it anyway, which is weird as Monk is forever being described (mostly by himself, in his own head) as a brilliant detective.
I also cannot seem to get past the ever-weirder physical descriptions of characters. Like:
"He had never known exactly what to make of Evan. He looked so mild and inoffensive with his long nose and hazel eyes, but seemed always to be on the brink of amusement..."
I'm sorry, he looked inoffensive because of the color of his eyes and his long nose??
Or - "Sir Herbert’s eyes narrowed and he concentrated intensely, weighing the face he saw with its broad forehead, curious very dark eyes for a man otherwise fair, long sensitive nose and beautiful mouth."
What is a long sensitive nose?
Finally, I cannot help but question moments like this:
"A mixture of emotions filled his face— discomfort, defensiveness, irritation, and tenderness."
I just truly do not believe a person can detect all these alleged emotions in one fleeting moment.
But, whatever, 4 stars because I enjoyed it all the same.
June 24, 2017
I can't believe it Sir Herbert Stanhope will hang, he was guilty! My first shot at fiction and I'm impressed, Anne Perry has absorbed her readers into mid 19th century London. I could feel the essence of the times, the occasional elaborate description of events sufficient enough to cast the exact image like a projector behind your brain and rare enough not to bore the reader. Who wasn't caught in suspense from not knowing what Monk was going to do next, to thinking Dora parsons was going to throw Hester Latterly down the stairs, or swearing Miss cuthbertson had been the murderer. The book is finished but there are so many unanswered questions, like who was monk before all this, why had he forgotten his past, and many more questions, so Dear reader is left with his imagination still running on a book that should have ended. If every work of fiction is like this, then I must switch genres.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
In which Hester goes undercover in a hospital and we meet Dr Kristian Beck, who will be a secondary character for some time to come.
March 24, 2023
A Sudden, Fearful Death is the fourth book in a historical detective series. There are mystery readers who like that sub-genre, just as there those who delight in books where the detective is an elderly person or an intergalactic traveler or a cat. I am not among them, and Anne Perry’s book illustrates why: these settings seem like gimmicks allowing the writer to appear more analytical, more prescient than s/he is by putting ordinary utterances in the mouths of extraordinary characters who could not have conceived them - a lemur, for example, or a 15th century shepherd, or a Martian. Perry’s detective is investigating a rape case (a woman’s discussing such a matter with a stranger would have been extremely unusual in Victorian England), and he muses:
“Society’s judgment of a woman who had been sexually assaulted, to whatever degree, was anything from prurient curiosity to the conviction that in some way she must have warranted such a fate. Even the woman herself, regardless of the circumstances, frequently felt that in some unknown way she was to blame, and that such things did not happen to the innocent. Perhaps it was people’s way of coping with the horror it engendered, the fear that they might become similar victims. If it were in some way the woman’s own fault, then it could be avoided by the just and the careful.”
While agreeing with the sentiment, I disagree with the author who attributes it to a British gentleman of that era and, reminded of why I dislike historical novels in general, I quit reading about 15% of the way into the book. Perry is a very good writer, and readers who enjoy her chosen genre will surely like the book.
“Society’s judgment of a woman who had been sexually assaulted, to whatever degree, was anything from prurient curiosity to the conviction that in some way she must have warranted such a fate. Even the woman herself, regardless of the circumstances, frequently felt that in some unknown way she was to blame, and that such things did not happen to the innocent. Perhaps it was people’s way of coping with the horror it engendered, the fear that they might become similar victims. If it were in some way the woman’s own fault, then it could be avoided by the just and the careful.”
While agreeing with the sentiment, I disagree with the author who attributes it to a British gentleman of that era and, reminded of why I dislike historical novels in general, I quit reading about 15% of the way into the book. Perry is a very good writer, and readers who enjoy her chosen genre will surely like the book.
April 15, 2020
I finished the Pitt series and now am reading the Monk series . I started reading it in 2015, so I am a little hazy on the first 3, but these are a little darker than the Pitt 's, but end just as abruptly. The history of the Crimean war and Florence Nightengale is laced through the books because the heroine, Hester was a nurse there, which brings us to this book. Prudence Barrymore was also a Crimean nurse, now working in a hospital, who is murdered there. Most women considered nurses at the time were not trained and not looked upon nicely. However, Hester and Prudence were trained and had ideals and ideas Doctors did not accept. Monk is hired to find the murderer. Monk is a tortured soul who has lost his memory of the past in an accident. He is a brilliant detective but his lack of knowledge of himself weighs on him. It makes him a fascinating character indeed. On to the next one!
March 22, 2022
This was a hard book to rate and hard review to write. Anne Perry's books are an odd combination of slow-paced and gripping. There's something about these books that makes me want to just sit back and listen while I'm doing puzzles. And actually, I was enthralled enough with this book that last night I ignored everything else I had to do and just sat up much later than I should have to finish it. I was totally shocked by who the murderer was.
There were two clues that were dropped towards the beginning of the investigation that were missed by all the characters. One of them turned out to be nothing. Up until the time the murderer was revealed, that's where I thought she was going. It was brought up later, but just as a side note. The other clue was so obvious I wanted to jump into the book and shake Monk. That would have taken the book to four stars, rather than three. However, this book dealt with rape and abortion and it disturbed me. Not as much as the last book (which says something about the last book), but it was still disturbing. Anne Perry delves into the seedier side of life in the 1850s, and it kind of makes me sick to my stomach. Always when I read her books I'm very grateful I was not born before the 20th century.
The books are compelling, and I will continue to read the series, but I need to go into them prepared.
There were two clues that were dropped towards the beginning of the investigation that were missed by all the characters. One of them turned out to be nothing. Up until the time the murderer was revealed, that's where I thought she was going. It was brought up later, but just as a side note. The other clue was so obvious I wanted to jump into the book and shake Monk. That would have taken the book to four stars, rather than three. However, this book dealt with rape and abortion and it disturbed me. Not as much as the last book (which says something about the last book), but it was still disturbing. Anne Perry delves into the seedier side of life in the 1850s, and it kind of makes me sick to my stomach. Always when I read her books I'm very grateful I was not born before the 20th century.
The books are compelling, and I will continue to read the series, but I need to go into them prepared.
June 6, 2024
he terminadoooo, se me ha hecho un poco largo porque no estoy acostumbrada a leer libros ambientados en esa época y tampoco suelen ser mis favoritos, pero ha sido entretenido. al principio no entendía muy bien qué relación tenían los primeros capítulos con la trama pero luego se ha ido hilando todo, y la verdad es que el plot twist me ha sorprendido, y eso está bien. aunque no pensaba que al final se fueran a centrar tanto en el juicio, creía que sería más de investigación. el libro está bien, diferente a lo que suelo leer.
October 16, 2023
Plus je lis l'oeuvre d'Anne Perry, plus je réalise à quel point ses livres sont bien plus que des romans policiers. La dimension féministe est présente partout. Celui-ci en particulier est un plaidoyer pour l'avortement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2018
So compelling at the end I stayed up till midnight to finish it, knowing I would have to wake up at 5:30.
October 18, 2022
This was another tough one with the subjects of women's rights and abortion at the forefront. Thank God for strong women who are willing to fight for their rights and for all who are willing to fight for justice and what is morally right.
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