- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Ballantine Books (Mar 24 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 034546933X
- ISBN-13: 978-0345469335
- Product Dimensions: 16.3 x 2.8 x 24.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 540 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #204,179 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Set in 1864, bestseller Perry's outstanding 16th novel to feature William Monk (after Dark Assassin) finds Monk suffering from a series of hard knocks, including memory loss. Now superintendent of the Thames River Police Force, Monk is on the verge of closing the books on Jericho Phillips, a particularly nasty villain who specializes in child pornography. Monk and his team catch Phillips, but what appears to be an airtight murder case springs leaks and ends with the accused's acquittal. Many in authority view the judgment as a rebuke to the river police, whose existence as a separate force is threatened. Convinced that he got the right man, despite the jury's verdict, Monk devotes himself to setting the record straight. Monk's wife, Hester, who works with London's downtrodden, provides support. Rich in plot development, believable characters and period detail, this entry will only add to the already sizable ranks of Perry's admirers."—Publishers Weekly
Praise for Anne Perry and her William Monk novels
Dark Assassin
“Brilliant . . . a page-turning thriller . . . blending compelling plotting with superbly realized human emotion and exquisite period detail.” —Jeffery Deaver, author of The Broken Window
The Shifting Tide
“An engrossing story that leaves the reader waiting for Monk’s next adventure . . . 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.”—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.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
Slaves of Obsession
“Luxuriant . . . It’s E. M. Forster spliced with Thomas Harris. . . . Perry is a master.”—Baltimore Sun
Praise for Anne Perry and her William Monk novels
Dark Assassin
“Brilliant . . . a page-turning thriller . . . blending compelling plotting with superbly realized human emotion and exquisite period detail.” —Jeffery Deaver, author of The Broken Window
The Shifting Tide
“An engrossing story that leaves the reader waiting for Monk’s next adventure . . . 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.”—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.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer
Slaves of Obsession
“Luxuriant . . . It’s E. M. Forster spliced with Thomas Harris. . . . Perry is a master.”—Baltimore Sun
Product Description
Readers of Anne Perry’s bestselling William Monk novels feel as if they’ve experienced the many shades of Victorian London, from Belgravia to Limehouse, from drawing room to brothel. In Execution Dock, Perry’s first Monk novel in three years, we find ourselves on the bustling docks along the River Thames. Here the empire’s great merchant ships unload the treasures of the world. And here, in dank and sinister alleys, sex merchants ply their lucrative trade.
The dreaded kingpin of this dark realm is Jericho Phillips. On his floating brothel, sex slaves are forced to endure unspeakable acts. Now one such soul, thirteen-year-old Fig, is found with his throat cut, his tortured body tossed into the river.
Commander William Monk of the River Police swears that Phillips will hang for this abomination. But the miscreant is as wily as he is monstrous, and his wealthy clients seem far beyond the reach of the law. Monk’s attempt to bring about justice becomes the first electrifying episode in a nightmare that will test his courage and integrity.
However, reinforcements are on the way. Monk’s wife, Hester, who runs a free clinic for abused women, draws a highly unusual guerrilla force to her husband’s cause–a canny ratcatcher, a retired brothel keeper, a fearless street urchin, and a rebellious society lady. To one as criminally minded as Phillips, these folks are mere mosquitoes, to be sure. But as he will soon discover, some mosquitoes can have a deadly sting.
This gripping, terrifying story hurtles toward to a denouement that will leave the reader breathless but cheering. Execution Dock is Anne Perry at her incomparable, magnificent best.
The dreaded kingpin of this dark realm is Jericho Phillips. On his floating brothel, sex slaves are forced to endure unspeakable acts. Now one such soul, thirteen-year-old Fig, is found with his throat cut, his tortured body tossed into the river.
Commander William Monk of the River Police swears that Phillips will hang for this abomination. But the miscreant is as wily as he is monstrous, and his wealthy clients seem far beyond the reach of the law. Monk’s attempt to bring about justice becomes the first electrifying episode in a nightmare that will test his courage and integrity.
However, reinforcements are on the way. Monk’s wife, Hester, who runs a free clinic for abused women, draws a highly unusual guerrilla force to her husband’s cause–a canny ratcatcher, a retired brothel keeper, a fearless street urchin, and a rebellious society lady. To one as criminally minded as Phillips, these folks are mere mosquitoes, to be sure. But as he will soon discover, some mosquitoes can have a deadly sting.
This gripping, terrifying story hurtles toward to a denouement that will leave the reader breathless but cheering. Execution Dock is Anne Perry at her incomparable, magnificent best.
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Daring Captures, Courtroom Drama, Undercover Suspense, and Ethical Questions,
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: Execution Dock: A William Monk Novel (Paperback)
"If there is a dispute between men, and they come to court, that the judges may judge them, and they justify the righteous and condemn the wicked," -- Deuteronomy 25:1Execution Dock isn't for those with sensitive reactions to inhumane activities, focusing as it does on Jericho Phillips's illegal activities that exploit children. If this subject matter is upsetting to you, skip this book. If you can get past that point, the book's opening features an exceptional river chase led by the redoubtable Commander William Monk of the River Police, following up on the case developed by his predecessor, the highly regarded Commander Durban. A legal conflict ensues with some unexpected opposition for Monk and his wife, Hester. With the stakes as high as anyone can imagine, it becomes critical to shut down the unspeakable. All the stops are pulled out as each character displays unusual courage and steadfastness to see that justice is done. Before the story is over you'll get a glimpse of a side of Victorian society that you probably haven't read about before. After the excitement of the opening chase, the legal conflict that followed seemed slow and frustrating by comparison. Keep going if you have that reaction. The book's second half picks up steam again and is much more satisfying as a detection story than the first half is. The story places the ongoing characters in the series in new lights and puts new strains on their relationships. If you aren't familiar with the earlier books in the series, you may not enjoy this book as much as I did. It might be more like a 3 or 3 1/2 star novel for you. The book also describes some moral dilemmas, the sort that will cause you to think about what you would have done in similar circumstances. A book club with members who enjoy this series would do well to use this book for a discussion. At the end of this book, you'll be asking yourself what justice requires. That's a fine way to end a novel that ostensibly is only about crime and punishment.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
AN AWARD WINNING NARRATION,
By
This review is from: Execution Dock (Audio CD)
Whatever he is reading actor/director David Colacci totally engages himself in the story. He is there, whether it be as a salami vendor in Italy, a New York cop or, this listener is happy to say, the voice of Victorian London. Many will remember his sterling performance of Anne Perry's Dark Assassin - hard as it is to believe he's even better in the latest in the William Monk series, Execution Dock.With this, her first Monk series in three years, Perry takes us to the docks along the River Thames. Not a berth for a pleasure ship but a dark place where Jericho Phillips, a child pornographer, plies his trade, forcing young boys to commit unspeakable acts for the pleasure of pedophiles. Perry opens her story with a chase worthy of the big screen as Monk tries to catch Phillips. The veteran detective doesn't shoot because he wants him alive "so he could see him tried and hanged." And so the pursuit continues from police boat to schooner, from barge to barge with Monk closing in until "...Phillips's face was so close, Monk could smell his skin, his hair, the exhale of his breath. His eyes were glittering, and he smiled as he brought the knife up in his hand." Pure Perry - pure pleasure! Just try to stop listening. Of course, at this point we're only beginning of this compelling, assiduously plotted story. As the tale continues we learn more about Monk's past, witness the growing relationship between Monk and Hester, and are intrigued by the ways of 1864 London. Highly recommended. - Gail Cooke
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best of the Monk series,
By ada (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Execution Dock: A William Monk Novel (Paperback)
It starts with a chase and keeps going. The case is about young boys being used for pornography which is illegal (it seems that young girls would be not illegal at the time).On the personal side, the friendship between Monk/Hester and Oliver Rathborne is on the line, also we find the people at the clinic who want to help... you see a nice development of the characters introduced in previous books. Lots of human emotions, the need to be accepted, pride, regret, love ... I highly recommend it !
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