A Dangerous Mourning

I think this series is just going to keep getting better. In this book Monk is forced out of his Police Inspector position by Runcorn because he refuses to arrest the young servant who he knows he is not guilty of the crime. It then falls to Hester Latterly to join the Moidore household staff as Lady Moidore's nurse so she can help find the clue to catch the killer and try to exonorate the servant. This book also introduces Oliver Rathbone, the attorney, another great character. Along with Callandra Daviot, Hester's friend and mentor, they will probably continue as characters in the series. I really like this series!

It's interesting to compare this newer series of period murder mysteries to Perry's longer-running "Pitt" series. Both are set in Victorian London, but this series, about William Monk, take place roughly a generation before those featuring Thomas Pitt. But there are quite a few points in common: Pitt and Monk are both strict followers of justice and the truth, let the chips fall where they may -- though Monk has a rather darker personality and considerably more arrogance than Pitt. Both have a good deal of trouble dealing with weak or incompetent superiors (Monk) or dangerously strong superiors (Pitt). Where Pitt has his wife, Charlotte, and his sister-in-law, Emily, to act (often without his approval) as undercover investigators in the homes of Society, Monk has the assistance of Hester Latterly, a nurse trained under fire in the Crimea, and Oliver Rathbone, defense attorney. And Pitt's sometime ally, Aunt Vespasia, is balanced by Hester's friend, Callandra Daviot, both ladies being well ensconced within the upper ranks of Society and neither being willing to bend to convention when it doesn't suit them. Perry also makes a point of including a social theme in each of her novels. In this case, it's the military incompetence and sheer waste of men indulged in by Britain in the Crimean War. The specific plot involves the apparent murder of the widowed daughter of a very powerful man and the realization that the culprit has to be someone within the house -- either a member of the family or one of the servants. Monk and Sgt. Evan spend a great deal of time eliminating suspects and motives, and uncovering dirty little secrets, until they're left with almost nothing -- and therein lies the solution. And in the course of the investigation, Monk has it out with his boss and is dismissed from the force, after which he sets up as a private inquiry agent. In the quality of its writing and the development of the characters, especially those below-stairs, this is one of Perry's more successful efforts.

Anne Perry is one of my favorite author and this book just made me wanna read more.

This novel was thrilling from start to finish and it left me guessing until the very end. I do agree that the book had too much information in it that really had nothing to do with the story, but all in all this was a thrilling and entertaining read!

The second book in Perry's "Inspector Monk" series, "A Dangerous Mourning" is my favorite of her books yet. It's the story of a widowed daughter of a well-to-do family who is found dead on her bed, having been stabbed with a knife. As Monk investigates, he knows he will uncover a multitude of secrets the family has worked so hard at keeping concealed. This is the fifth book of Anne Perry's I have read, and it is my favorite so far. I have found in reading some of her other books there are long passages that seem to lose me and clutter up the process of solving the mystery. This book was quite different, though, and held my interest from beginning to end. Perry had me guessing until the end.This is a great read, and I would suggest reading the first book "Face of a Stranger." It will give you background into Monk's and Hester Latterly's lives so that the characters will make more sense. Also "Dangerous Mourning" concludes the previous book and lets you know what happened to the murderer in that story.