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Product Description
Review
PRAISE FOR ANNE PERRY AND HER WILLIAM MONK NOVELS
Execution Dock
“[An] engrossing page-turner . . . There’s no one better at using words to paint a scene and then fill it with sounds and smells than Anne Perry.”—The Boston Globe
Dark Assassin
“Brilliant . . . a page-turning thriller . . . blending compelling plotting with superbly realized human emotion and exquisite period detail.”—Jeffery Deaver, author of Edge
The Shifting Tide
“The mysterious and dangerous waterfront world of London’s ‘longest street,’ the Thames, comes to life.”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Death of a Stranger
“[A] tantalizing puzzle . . . At last, in Death of a Stranger, the secrets of Monk’s past are dramatically revealed.”—The New York Times Book Review
Funeral in Blue
“No one writes more elegantly than Perry, nor better conjures up the rich and colorful tapestry of London in the Victorian era. But for all its arcane setting and stylistic eloquence, Funeral in Blue is an old-style private eye novel—and an extremely good one.”—The Plain Dealer
Execution Dock
“[An] engrossing page-turner . . . There’s no one better at using words to paint a scene and then fill it with sounds and smells than Anne Perry.”—The Boston Globe
Dark Assassin
“Brilliant . . . a page-turning thriller . . . blending compelling plotting with superbly realized human emotion and exquisite period detail.”—Jeffery Deaver, author of Edge
The Shifting Tide
“The mysterious and dangerous waterfront world of London’s ‘longest street,’ the Thames, comes to life.”—South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Death of a Stranger
“[A] tantalizing puzzle . . . At last, in Death of a Stranger, the secrets of Monk’s past are dramatically revealed.”—The New York Times Book Review
Funeral in Blue
“No one writes more elegantly than Perry, nor better conjures up the rich and colorful tapestry of London in the Victorian era. But for all its arcane setting and stylistic eloquence, Funeral in Blue is an old-style private eye novel—and an extremely good one.”—The Plain Dealer
Book Description
“Give her a good murder and a shameful social evil,” The New York Times Book Review once declared, “and Anne Perry can write a Victorian mystery that would make Dickens’s eyes pop.” And Perry’s new William and Hester Monk story, a mesmerizing masterpiece of innocence and evil on London’s docks, outshines all her previous novels in this successful and beloved series.
When the body of a small-time crook named Mickey Parfitt washes up on the tide, no one grieves; far from it. But William Monk, commander of the River Police, is puzzled by the expensive silk cravat used to strangle Parfitt. How did this elegant scarf—whose original owner was obviously a man of substance—end up imbedded in the neck of a wharf rat who richly deserved his sordid end?
Dockside informers lead Monk to what may be a partial answer—a floating palace of corruption on the Thames managed by Parfitt, where a captive band of half-starved boys are forced to perform vile acts for men willing to pay a high price for midnight pleasures. Although Monk and his fearless wife, Hester, would prefer to pin a medal on Parfitt’s killer, duty leads them in another direction—to an unresolved crime from the past, to blackmail and more murder, and to a deadly confrontation with some of the empire’s most respected men.
To a superlative degree, Acceptable Loss provides colorful characters, a memorable portrait of waterfront life, and a story that achieves its most thrilling moments in a transfixed London courtroom, where Monk faces his old friend Oliver Rathbone in a trial of nearly unbearable tension—in sum, every delectable drop of the rich pleasure that readers expect from an Anne Perry novel.
When the body of a small-time crook named Mickey Parfitt washes up on the tide, no one grieves; far from it. But William Monk, commander of the River Police, is puzzled by the expensive silk cravat used to strangle Parfitt. How did this elegant scarf—whose original owner was obviously a man of substance—end up imbedded in the neck of a wharf rat who richly deserved his sordid end?
Dockside informers lead Monk to what may be a partial answer—a floating palace of corruption on the Thames managed by Parfitt, where a captive band of half-starved boys are forced to perform vile acts for men willing to pay a high price for midnight pleasures. Although Monk and his fearless wife, Hester, would prefer to pin a medal on Parfitt’s killer, duty leads them in another direction—to an unresolved crime from the past, to blackmail and more murder, and to a deadly confrontation with some of the empire’s most respected men.
To a superlative degree, Acceptable Loss provides colorful characters, a memorable portrait of waterfront life, and a story that achieves its most thrilling moments in a transfixed London courtroom, where Monk faces his old friend Oliver Rathbone in a trial of nearly unbearable tension—in sum, every delectable drop of the rich pleasure that readers expect from an Anne Perry novel.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome,
By
This review is from: Acceptable Loss: A William Monk Novel (Hardcover)
I am a major fan of Anne Perry and, I believe read them all. In "Acceptable Loss", Perry is picking up speed with the action and, especially if you read 'Execution Dock",(which you have to read before reading this one) will appreciate the story line. Monk is as shrewd as ever, accepting help from wherever he can get it, albeit reluctantly from Scruff and Hester. Oliver Rathbone finds himself in a very uncomfortable situation with his in-laws due to the case that has haunted him for quite some time and Perry was able to smoothly turn our like to dislike for Oliver's new wife. Rathbone's hurt and suppressed anger toward his father-in-law has him torn between love and closure for this case so alive. I just couldn't put this down, I loved "Execution Dock" and this keeps up the pace and then some. I dread the day Ms. Perry lays down her pen (or turns off her computer).
5.0 out of 5 stars
A question of loyalty - excellent!,
By
This review is from: Acceptable Loss: A William Monk Novel (Hardcover)
First Sentence: Hester was half-asleep when she heard the slight sound, as if someone were taking in a sharp breath and ten letting out a soft, desperate gasp.Inspector William Monk and his wife, Hester, are still trying to help young orphan Scuff overcome his horrific experience of being kidnapped for use on a ship owned by Jericho Phillips used to 'entertain' wealthy, corrupt men. No one much cares that Mickey Parfitt has been murdered, until the means of his death is discovered to be an expensive custom silk cravat belonging to a wealthy young man. In the investigation, they track Parfitt back to another such ship where 14 young boys are found held captive. Before his suicide, Lord Justice Sullivan, also involved in the previous case, had claimed wealthy barrister Arthur Ballinger, was the power and money behind the boat. A further complication is that the Monks' friend, barrister Oliver Rathbone, is married to Ballinger's daughter. To say Anne Perry is a superb writer is anything but hyperbole. There is no one who better captures the Victorian period. From the homes of the wealthy, to the lowest, meanest parts of London, she creates a fully-realized world and time. Her detail is exacting; answering any question a reader might have as to its veracity. She doesn't paint the pretty picture, but the rough-edged, realistic view of the time. Perry clearly illustrates the misconceptions and bias formed by people based only on social and economic differences. The subject of pedophilia and pornography is timeless and terrible. She raises strong moral and ethical issues, but never in a manner that is preachy or strident. Perry clearly conveys the internal struggles which can arise and asks very important questions about loyalty and power; the greed for power even when used for good'but at which price. The mystery itself is very strong; partly focused on the investigation and partly on the courtroom scenes. Learning about legal and court procedures of the time were fascinating. Nothing about her writing is dry; but rather strongly emotional yet never maudlin. We are left, at the end, with an open question but not one that is detrimental to the story. Although it can stand alone, 'Acceptable Loss' reads best as a continuation of the previous book 'Execution Dock.' Either way, I strongly recommend 'Acceptable Loss.' ACCEPTABLE LOSS (Hist Mys-Insp. William Monk/Hester-London-Victorian) ' VG+ Perry, Anne ' 17th in series Ballantine Books, 2011
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sustaining the Presumption of Innocence Requires Courage and Persistence,
By Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 112,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER) (#1 HALL OF FAME)
This review is from: Acceptable Loss (Audio CD)
"The way of a guilty man is perverse;But as for the pure, his work is right." -- Proverbs 21:8 (NKJV) This is my favorite of the William Monk novels in its brilliant portrayal of ethical dilemmas in Victorian England. If you have not read Execution Dock, be sure to read or listen to that book before Acceptable Loss, which continues the story in that prior William Monk novel. Such knowledge is necessary to gain the full benefit of reading Acceptable Loss. I am reviewing the unabridged audio CD, which I listened to, rather than the printed (or Kindle) version. I apologize in advance if I misspell any character names since I haven't seen most of them. Acceptable Loss addresses some very fundamental issues that may make you feel uncomfortable. But the best novels do that. Let me mention them in case they are reasons for you to avoid the story. The most obvious source of discomfort is the investigation of a criminal scheme involving blackmailing men who abuse imprisoned boys for thrills and sexual gratification. A second source of discomfort relates to the personal cost of the obligation to seek justice . . . something that may cause a reader or listener unease in examining herself or himself in her or his own personal matters. A third dimension of discomfort comes from the issue of personal loyalty versus public responsibility when long-term personal happiness is at stake. A fourth type of discomfort can follow realizing how corrupt one is forced to become when serving those who lack morality. A fifth source of discomfort comes in the issue of how far someone should go in using immoral means to achieve "good" purposes. The story opens as a police procedural with William Monk investigating the death of a floater on the Thames who is soon identified as sleazy character, Mickey Parfitt. While some investigators might have taken the easy way out and simply not looked into the "loss" of another criminal, Monk does his duty. Monk soon finds a pathway of clues that leads close to his own career and home. If he continues to seek justice, it's quickly obvious that his very career in the police and reputation as a reputable investigator will be part of the personal stake he must risk. The plot is exceptionally well designed to raise lots of ethical, legal, and practical issues that will make many readers feel placed in the middle of such difficult questions. Be patient as you read. It takes awhile for the dilemmas to emerge. The story is stretched out in places, I believe, to bring the dilemmas closer to the reader's or listener's heart. One of my favorite elements of the story comes in its careful demonstration of the limits to justice being done through the criminal trial process.
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