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3.87 AVERAGE
3.87 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
In my opinion, this was a good story in need of an editor. The beginning and end were strong, but the middle was ponderous, mostly because we had to witness every single character learning about the plague. And I'm still on the fence about the plot twist. It was a bit on the melodramatic side.
Otherwise, there were some very good, fresh things about this story. I liked how each major character had some piece of the puzzle to solve. Rathbone had to deal with Gould; Margaret, with the finances; Monk, with tracing the disease; and Hester, with the illness itself. I also liked the new cast of characters: Sutton, Durban, Scuff, Claudine, etc. They were all engaging, and I hope we see more of them.
Otherwise, there were some very good, fresh things about this story. I liked how each major character had some piece of the puzzle to solve. Rathbone had to deal with Gould; Margaret, with the finances; Monk, with tracing the disease; and Hester, with the illness itself. I also liked the new cast of characters: Sutton, Durban, Scuff, Claudine, etc. They were all engaging, and I hope we see more of them.
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
A solid William Monk novel, if a bit off on the vibe for a pandemic reaction... got to meet Scuff!
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I love Anne Perry's books. They're comfort reads. I was a little less impressed with the plot after the arrival of Bubonic Plague... but I'll read another of her books down the road nonetheless.
I just completed listening to this novel. I had a really hard time turning it off when I am not driving or cooking, which is when I listen to audiobooks.
I am always so excited when I decide to "read" or listen to one of the William Monk / Hester novels by Anne Perry.
I read many of her Thomas Pitt novels in order. However, I grew weary of that series. It felt as if Thomas was completely inept, unable to really do his job without the help of Charlotte and her friends and family.
In contrast, both Monk and Hester feel totally capable of doing their own work and only come together to compliment one another, as opposed to being absolutely essential to the other's continued professional success.
I was bothered, a bit, at the way people were portrayed as being closed minded and less than generous just because they did not want to assist unwell prostitutes. I don't feel that anyone should be condemned for not spending or donating their time, money or attention in the way that is acceptable for them. As a reader, I don't want to feel manipulated to feel any certain way. I want to read for enjoyment and to be challenged but not forced or to be left feeling that if I don't happen to agree with Hester's idea as to how one should feel about the people she chooses to assist. However, I also can see that perhaps Perry was so heavy handed in her treatment of this subject in this book so that we could really have a good understanding of the social mores of the times. I don't know...
I did enjoy seeing the introduction of the young boy character, Scruff, on the docks. I love the way this child interacts with Monk. He really made me laugh out loud more than once. That was also true for me when I read another novel with him in it. He is a perfect foil to the severe Mr. Monk.
This book got really depressing, for me, by the end. Maybe I would not have felt so overwhelmed by it if I was reading it, as opposed to listening to the novel. There is a scene that was really disgusting to listen to, ugh. I will continue to read this series. I do really enjoy Monk and I like Hester. However, I am not enamoured with the heavy handed way we, the reader, seems to be manipulated into how we should feel prostitution, it's causes, and whether or not one is narrow minded or unfeeling if they feel they could use thier funds better by donating to other causes. I don't care for being preached to, regardless of the form it comes in.
I am always so excited when I decide to "read" or listen to one of the William Monk / Hester novels by Anne Perry.
I read many of her Thomas Pitt novels in order. However, I grew weary of that series. It felt as if Thomas was completely inept, unable to really do his job without the help of Charlotte and her friends and family.
In contrast, both Monk and Hester feel totally capable of doing their own work and only come together to compliment one another, as opposed to being absolutely essential to the other's continued professional success.
I was bothered, a bit, at the way people were portrayed as being closed minded and less than generous just because they did not want to assist unwell prostitutes. I don't feel that anyone should be condemned for not spending or donating their time, money or attention in the way that is acceptable for them. As a reader, I don't want to feel manipulated to feel any certain way. I want to read for enjoyment and to be challenged but not forced or to be left feeling that if I don't happen to agree with Hester's idea as to how one should feel about the people she chooses to assist. However, I also can see that perhaps Perry was so heavy handed in her treatment of this subject in this book so that we could really have a good understanding of the social mores of the times. I don't know...
I did enjoy seeing the introduction of the young boy character, Scruff, on the docks. I love the way this child interacts with Monk. He really made me laugh out loud more than once. That was also true for me when I read another novel with him in it. He is a perfect foil to the severe Mr. Monk.
This book got really depressing, for me, by the end. Maybe I would not have felt so overwhelmed by it if I was reading it, as opposed to listening to the novel. There is a scene that was really disgusting to listen to, ugh. I will continue to read this series. I do really enjoy Monk and I like Hester. However, I am not enamoured with the heavy handed way we, the reader, seems to be manipulated into how we should feel prostitution, it's causes, and whether or not one is narrow minded or unfeeling if they feel they could use thier funds better by donating to other causes. I don't care for being preached to, regardless of the form it comes in.
I'm sure I've read something else in this series, but it's so long ago that it doesn't count--so believe me when I tell you that you don't have to read any other William Monk books to enjoy this one immensely. The characters and the relationships are sketched in without unnecessary explanation. The setting is a wash of different senses, to the point of stomach-turning on occasion, but real. The mysteries are ingenious, and the solutions are unexpected.
Most of all, in this plague year of 2020, reading this book reminded me of how human beings can rise to their highest virtues in a time of disaster.
Most of all, in this plague year of 2020, reading this book reminded me of how human beings can rise to their highest virtues in a time of disaster.
This was a really good one. In addition to the main case that Monk is working on, there’s a subplot (that is, of course, connected) that involves a spreading illness (so appropriate to read in these times!) which added a lot of suspense to the plot. As much as I like Monk, I’m really here for Hester! Now that she is running a charity hospital for prostitutes, she is extremely busy and getting funding is an uphill battle, since everyone prefers to give to charities that they find less morally questionable. What I love most about these books (aside from the historical details and character focus) is the empathy and compassionate that Hester and Monk (and many other characters) consistently exercise. Although the books in this series are Victorian and rather bleak, I find them incredibly heartening and they never fail to lift my spirits.
Another great mystery from Anne Perry! This was especially scary because of the recent coronavirus outbreak. This definitely put an interesting perspective on what the public should be aware of and when. I enjoyed the way Hester's and Monk's stories intertwined. Some of her stories have been just okay for me, but this story really grabbed me.