Dangerous Mourning Puts Me in Mourning

OK. I'm disappointed. If this is an "Inspector Monk" novel, then why is someone else solving the cases?

I was REALLY excited to read the second of the Inspector Monk novels by Anne Perry. The first novel, "The Face of a Stranger," was wonderful. I had anticipated that our intrepid Inspector Monk would continue his journey through his amnesiac episode and that we would learn more and more about him. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

In a plot line too similar to the second of the Inspector Pitt series, a nurse friend of Monk's takes up residence within the aristocratic household to ferret out information and discern who might have murdered one of the daughters of the household. The story begins to revolve completely around nurse Hester Latterly. And, just as in the first book, one of the family members is the guilty party.

All in all, this book was a bitter let down. I'm hoping for better in the third book, but if that one doesn't knock my socks off, I may have to beg off this series.

Until next time, may your reading be both pleasurable and profitable!

Face of a Stranger

I picked up the first book of Anne Perry's other Victorian mystery series entitled "The Face of a Stranger." This book shows a bit more maturity in writing, and it is a bit more introspective in that we get to know the main character William Monk in a more personal and intimate way than we do Inspector Pitt in "Cater Street Hangman."

The story begins with Monk waking in a hospital suffering from a head injury. This sounds trite, but Perry really pulls it off. We get to watch Monk go through the process of recovering his memory while attempting to hide it from his superiors and his other associates. We watch Monk struggle to find out what kind of man he was/is, and not liking what he discerns and learns. We also cheer when his intuition and abilities surface, as he instinctively navigates through the maze of Victorian culture.

This story is replete with plot twists and great characters. I really enjoyed reading it, and I'm looking forward to see what else Monk does in the future. The ending was satisfying, but there are plenty of loose ends to make future developments quite interesting.

All in all, this one is another winner!

Until next time, may your reading be both pleasurable and profitable.