Good book on suspense, keeps you wondering about the end of things.
As always, another winner in her Inspector Monk series.
A Thomas Monk and Hester Latterly mystery. Has a great court room scene.
Danielle P. (readingthyme) reviewed Defend and Betray (William Monk, Bk 3) on + 18 more book reviews
I really enjoyed this book. It was a page turner- full of suspense and surprises. I love how Anne Perry describes Victorian London. She puts in little details that just bring the book to life. This is the third William Monk book I have read and I am totally enamored with the main characters. Can't wait to read more!
A strong entry in Anne Perry's William Monk/Hester Latterly series. The solution was plain to me from the beginning but I enjoyed reading how the protagonists reached the conclusion and solved the crime. This is an excellent series with a convincing flavor of the period all throughout. Definitely worth the reading time. I highly recommend it.
Great read
This book should have a 4 1/2* rating. Monk, Hester and Rathbone seek to defend a woman who admits to the murder of her husband. Determining why the general was murdered took a great deal of skill. Excellent book.
#3 in the William Monk series, a chilling and spine tingling novel! Thrilling conclusion where we really see Rathbone's brilliance!! I loved it.
Read the books in this order:
The Face of a Stranger
A Dangerous Mourning
Defend and Betray
A Sudden, Fearful Death
The Sins of the Wolf
Cain His Brother
Weighed in the Balance
The silent Cry
A Breach of Promise
The Twisted root
Slaves of Obsession
Funeral in Blue
Death of a Stranger
The Shifting Tide
The Dark Assassin
Read the books in this order:
The Face of a Stranger
A Dangerous Mourning
Defend and Betray
A Sudden, Fearful Death
The Sins of the Wolf
Cain His Brother
Weighed in the Balance
The silent Cry
A Breach of Promise
The Twisted root
Slaves of Obsession
Funeral in Blue
Death of a Stranger
The Shifting Tide
The Dark Assassin
In Perry's third mystery set in Victorian London, military hero Thaddeus Carlyon falls from the top of a staircase and is impaled on a suit of armor below--an ignoble end to a distinguished career and a definite damper to the dinner party he had been attending. When his death turns out to be a murder, his wife takes sole responsibility and is quickly arrested. But Carlyon's sister believes the widow innocent and enlists the help of her friend Hester Latterly, a nurse, who soon brings in her associates from The Face of a Stranger and A Dangerous Mourning : barrister Oliver Rathbone and troubled former policeman, amnesia victim and dogged investigator Thomas Monk. The quietly feminist Latterly, the gentlemanly Rathbone and the seemingly cold Monk (who discovers hidden aspects of himself as readily as he does clues) advance the narrative in tandem. Unobtrusively creating a richly detailed period atmosphere, Perry leads readers gradually through a case involving Carlyon's traumatized son and vengeful daughter, revealing social and moral nuances in the grand tradition of the Victorian novel.
Classic Anne Perry. Thaddeus Carlyon, a brilliant military general is killed by falling over a stair railing, at a dinner party. His wife readily admits to it, but who did it, and why????? A page-turner to the end, as Rathbone, Monk and Ms. Latterly unveil the secrets in this well bred family.
From back of book:
After a brilliant military career, esteemed General Thaddeus Carlyon finally meet death, not in the frenzy of battle, but at an elegant London dinner party. His demise appears to be the result of a freak accident. But the General's beautiful wife, Alexandra, readily confesses that she killed him -- a story she clings to even under the shadow of the gallows.
Investigator William Monk, nurse Hester Latterly, and brilliant Oliver Rathbone, counsel for the defense, work feverishly to break down the wall of silence raised by the accused and her husband's proud family. With the trial only days away, they inch toward the dark and appalling heart of the mystery. The final act is a courtroom masterpiece, through which we dare not breathe too deeply, lest the precarious balance of a woman's life be lost.
After a brilliant military career, esteemed General Thaddeus Carlyon finally meet death, not in the frenzy of battle, but at an elegant London dinner party. His demise appears to be the result of a freak accident. But the General's beautiful wife, Alexandra, readily confesses that she killed him -- a story she clings to even under the shadow of the gallows.
Investigator William Monk, nurse Hester Latterly, and brilliant Oliver Rathbone, counsel for the defense, work feverishly to break down the wall of silence raised by the accused and her husband's proud family. With the trial only days away, they inch toward the dark and appalling heart of the mystery. The final act is a courtroom masterpiece, through which we dare not breathe too deeply, lest the precarious balance of a woman's life be lost.
In the two series that Anne Perry authored, William Monk and Thomas Pitt, she builds the characters and their lives as she delves into their latest mystery which enhances her stories with an added dimension. If you wish to get the most out of her series, here are the Monk books in the order in which they were written: 1990-Face of a Stranger, 1992-A Dangerous Morning, 1994-A Sudden Fearful Death, 1995-The Sins of the Wolf, 1996-Cain His Brother, 1997-Weighed in the Balance, 1998 The Silent Cry, 1998-A Breach of Promise, 2000-The Twisted Root, 2000-Slaves of Obsession, 2001-Funeral in Blue, 2002-Defend & Betray, 2003-Shifting Tide. For historical (Victorian Age) fiction mystery lovers, she is the greatest for a delightful pageturner.
Inside Flap Copy
"A richly textured and timeless novel of suspense. Her Victorian England pulsates with life and is peopled with wonderfully memorable characters."
Faye Kellerman
Although esteemed General Thaddeus Carlyon meets his death in a freak accident at home, his beautiful wife, Alexandra, confesses that she killed him. Investigator William Monk, nurse Hester Latterly, and the brilliant Oliver Rathbone, counsel for the defense, work feverishly to break down the wall of silence raised by the accused and her husband's proud family. With the trial only days away, they inch toward the dark and appalling heart of the mystery. The final act is a courtroom masterpiece, through which we dare not breathe too deeply, lest the precarious balance of a woman's life be lost.
"A richly textured and timeless novel of suspense. Her Victorian England pulsates with life and is peopled with wonderfully memorable characters."
Faye Kellerman
Although esteemed General Thaddeus Carlyon meets his death in a freak accident at home, his beautiful wife, Alexandra, confesses that she killed him. Investigator William Monk, nurse Hester Latterly, and the brilliant Oliver Rathbone, counsel for the defense, work feverishly to break down the wall of silence raised by the accused and her husband's proud family. With the trial only days away, they inch toward the dark and appalling heart of the mystery. The final act is a courtroom masterpiece, through which we dare not breathe too deeply, lest the precarious balance of a woman's life be lost.
