Monk and Hester work together again – it is a love/hate relationship. They admire each other’s strengths, but can barely
stand what they think are each other’s faults. Monk was a Victorian era police
detective who lost his memory in an
accident, and now is rediscovering his foggy past and why everyone feared him even though he is a brilliant detective. His incompetent police supervisor, Runcorn, is delighted by Monks resignation, but now chagrined as Monk solves the case that Runcorn was sure he had sewed up. General Thaddeus Carlyon bravely served crown and country in India, and survived to come home to London. But at a party he dies in a tragic fall, ironically landing on top of a suit of armor with its spear through his heart. It is not, however, the accident it appears to be. To make it even more bizarre, the General’s beautiful wife, Alexandra, insists that she murdered him and clings to her story, even with a horrible death on the gallows looming nearer and nearer. Monk, Hester, and the brilliant counsel for the defense, Oliver Rathbone, race against time trying to get her to rescind her confession, as they try to discover the true identity of the murderer, and why Alexandra so stubbornly will not rescind. Anne Perry’s books are a pleasure to read for any reader who loves the masterful characterization and ingenious puzzle of an excellent detective mystery. Anne Perry ranks up there with the greatest of the mystery writers. You will find her characters fascinating, the plots intriguing, and the conclusions delightful, leaving you hungry for more of the same