William Monk Series by Anne Perry, David Colacci

"Richly textured with the sights and sounds of London and its countryside...Solidly absorbing and Perry's best to date."THE KIRKUS REVIEWSHis name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detecive. But the accident that felled him has left him with only half a life; his memory and his entire past have vanished. As he tries to hide the truth, Monk returns to work and is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a Crimean War hero and man about town... more"Richly textured with the sights and sounds of London and its countryside...Solidly absorbing and Perry's best to date."THE KIRKUS REVIEWSHis name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detecive. But the accident that felled him has left him with only half a life; his memory and his entire past have vanished. As he tries to hide the truth, Monk returns to work and is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a Crimean War hero and man about town. Which makes Monk's efforts doubly difficult, since he's forgotten his professional skills along with everything else....A Dual Main Selection of the Mystery GuildFrom the Paperback edition. less

From the beloved creator of Inspector Pitt and his wife, the second in the Victorian mystery series started by The Face of a Stranger. No breath of scandal had ever touched the aristocratic Moidore family--until Sir Basil's daughter was stabbed to death. "A richly textured, masterfully plotted, thoroughly enjoyable story".--Kirkus Reviews.

After a brilliant military career in India, General Thaddeus Carlyon finally meets death not in the frenzy of battle, but at a London dinner party, in what appears to be a freak accident. But the General's beautiful wife readily confesses that she killed him - a story she clings to even under the shadow of the gallows... moreAfter a brilliant military career in India, General Thaddeus Carlyon finally meets death not in the frenzy of battle, but at a London dinner party, in what appears to be a freak accident. But the General's beautiful wife readily confesses that she killed him - a story she clings to even under the shadow of the gallows. Investigator William Monk, nurse Hestor Latterly and Oliver Rathbone, counsel for the defence, work feverishly to break down the silence of the accused and her husband's proud family; and with the trial only days away they inch towards the appalling heart of the mystery. less

With each new novel, Anne Perry adds striking dimensions to the architecture of her fiction, building with inspired imagination a many-layered world of rich and poor, nobility and degradation. "She lifts the lace curtain from Victorian society, " Sharyn McCrumb has said, "to reveal its shocking secrets." Like her last William Monk novel, this one brilliantly evokes England's nineteenth-century legal justice system and builds to a heart-stopping courtroom drama... moreWith each new novel, Anne Perry adds striking dimensions to the architecture of her fiction, building with inspired imagination a many-layered world of rich and poor, nobility and degradation. "She lifts the lace curtain from Victorian society, " Sharyn McCrumb has said, "to reveal its shocking secrets." Like her last William Monk novel, this one brilliantly evokes England's nineteenth-century legal justice system and builds to a heart-stopping courtroom drama. In a sunny garden, in a pleasant London suburb, a young woman is brutally raped. In a London hospital, another young woman, a talented nurse who had been one of Florence Nightingale's angels of mercy in the Crimean War, meets a sudden, fearful death by strangulation. William Monk, no longer a policeman but a private inquiry agent, is engaged to investigate these horrific crimes. The first is readily, if tragically, resolved. The murder of Nurse Prudence Barrymore, however, presents greater difficulties. Even the victim's mother agrees that a rebellious young woman who flouts the traditional roles of marriage and motherhood to work in a filthy hospital must expect a bad end. In the brutal squalor of a Victorian hospital, death in any shape, even murder, can be no surprise. But Monk's intuition tells him that Prudence Barrymore's murder is no random stroke of violence by a madman. Greatly helped by Hester Latterly, a nurse who knew Prudence on the battlefield, Monk assembles the portrait of a remarkable woman. He also discerns the shadow of a tragic evil that darkens every level of society, and a frightening glimmer of his own eclipsed past. It all leads Monk, and the reader, to a denouement that ranks with Anne Perry's best, as apacked audience waits breathlessly in the Old Bailey for the outcome of a sensational trial. less

Nurse Hester Latterly's simple job as a companion for elderly Mrs. Mary Farraline takes a grave turn when the woman dies during the night of an overdose. The notorious case presents detective William Monk with a daunting task--find a calculating killer amongst the prominent and coolly unassailable Farraline clan, before Hester is sent to the gallows. HC: Fawcett.

2 cassettes / 3 hoursVictoria's London was the queen of the universe, a dazzling city from whose magnificent mansions and discreetly luxurious clubs flowed the strategies that built the greatest empire ever known. Meanwhile, the city's poor suffered and died in hopeless obscurity. Inspector William Monk believes he knows his city's best and worst-- until the day Genevieve Stonefield comes to plead with him to find her missing husband... more2 cassettes / 3 hoursVictoria's London was the queen of the universe, a dazzling city from whose magnificent mansions and discreetly luxurious clubs flowed the strategies that built the greatest empire ever known. Meanwhile, the city's poor suffered and died in hopeless obscurity. Inspector William Monk believes he knows his city's best and worst-- until the day Genevieve Stonefield comes to plead with him to find her missing husband. Angus Stonefield had been gentle and loving in his family life; in his relationship with is twin brother, Caleb, a virtual saint. Now he is missing and it appears more than possible that Caleb has murdered him. As Monk inches toward the truth, he also moves unwittingly towards the destruction of his good name and livelihood. less

Few mystery writers this side of Arthur Conan Doyle can evoke Victorian London with such relish for detail and mood, proclaimed the San Francisco Chronicle of Anne Perry. With a stroke of her pen, Perry restores the lost splendor of Victorian England to such three-dimensional brilliance that it becomes as real as the world we live in. Now, in Weighed in the Balance, she takes us into the exotic lives of royal exiles in London, Venice, and a picture- book German principality... moreFew mystery writers this side of Arthur Conan Doyle can evoke Victorian London with such relish for detail and mood, proclaimed the San Francisco Chronicle of Anne Perry. With a stroke of her pen, Perry restores the lost splendor of Victorian England to such three-dimensional brilliance that it becomes as real as the world we live in. Now, in Weighed in the Balance, she takes us into the exotic lives of royal exiles in London, Venice, and a picture- book German principality.When Countess Zorah Rostova sweeps into the office of London barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone and asks him to defend her against a serious charge of slander, he is astonished to find himself accepting. For, from what he learns of the case, a defense of the countess can only earn him notoriety.Twenty years earlier, Countess Zorah'scountryman, Prince Friedrich, had abdicated his throne to marry a woman who was unacceptable as queen. Since then the prince and his beloved Princess Gisela have lived in romantic exile as the world's most famous lovers. Now the prince is dead and Countess Zorah claims that Princess Gisela has murdered him. Unfortunately she can produce not a shred of evidence to support her shocking assertion. Nor can that formidable private investigator, William Monk. However, Monk and his friend nurse Hester Latterly do establish that the prince was murdered. And as events unfold, the likeliest suspect seems to be Countess Zorah herself.In this suspenseful and darkly rich novel, Anne Perry draws us into a drama that reaches its mesmerizing climax in the Old Bailey, where two remarkable women--one boldly confident, the other wrapped in grief--await the chill exposure of naked truth, the inexorable unfolding of their destinies.From the Hardcover edition. less

Deep in London's filthy, dangerous slums, Victorians transacted their most secret and shameful business. For a price, a man could procure whatever he wanted, but it happened now and then that the price he paid was his life. Now, in sunless Water Lane, respected solicitor Leighton Duff lies dead, kicked and beaten to death. Beside him lies the barely living body of his son, Rhys... moreDeep in London's filthy, dangerous slums, Victorians transacted their most secret and shameful business. For a price, a man could procure whatever he wanted, but it happened now and then that the price he paid was his life. Now, in sunless Water Lane, respected solicitor Leighton Duff lies dead, kicked and beaten to death. Beside him lies the barely living body of his son, Rhys. The police cannot fathom these brutal assaults, until shrewd investigator William Monk uncovers a connection between them and a series of rapes and beatings of local prostitutes. Then it begins to seem shockingly clear that young Rhys Duff must have killed his own father. In a heartstopping courtroom drama, the Crown's case against Rhys Duff, accused of patricide, begins its inexorable unfolding. less

When a brilliant young architect suddenly ends his engagement to a socially prominent woman, her outraged parents file a sensational breach of promise suit. But the case comes to a tragic halt when a murderer strikes. Sleuth William Monk investigates. A Mystery Guild selection.

For Miriam Gardner, attending a party at the London home of her fiance, Lucius Stourbridge, to celebrate their forthcoming marriage, it should have been one of the happiest days of her life. But, after making a sudden exit from the party, Miriam disappears without a trace. Reluctant to cause a scandal, Lucius seeks out William Monk, a detective with a reputation for excellence.

The Barnes & Noble ReviewIn Slaves of Obsession, Anne Perry thrusts her returning hero, William Monk, into the midst of the American Civil War. Monk is not choosing sides in this war based on the convictions of the Union or the Confederacy. Instead, he must put aside his principles to get to the bottom of a complex case involving gun smuggling, blackmail, and murder.Slaves of Obsession begins with a dinner party at the home of Daniel and Judith Alberton... moreThe Barnes & Noble ReviewIn Slaves of Obsession, Anne Perry thrusts her returning hero, William Monk, into the midst of the American Civil War. Monk is not choosing sides in this war based on the convictions of the Union or the Confederacy. Instead, he must put aside his principles to get to the bottom of a complex case involving gun smuggling, blackmail, and murder.Slaves of Obsession begins with a dinner party at the home of Daniel and Judith Alberton. William Monk and his wife, Hester, meet not only the host and the hostess at this intimate gathering but also Judith's cousin Robert Casbolt, a Union sympathizer named Lyman Breeland, and the Alberton's 16-year-old daughter, Merritt. Although Breeland is quick to share his convictions, Daniel, Robert, and Judith remain more reticent on the topic of the war and try to change the subject. When an unexpected visitor named Philo Trace, a member of the Confederate army, arrives, their taciturnity regarding the Civil War becomes all too clear. Daniel and Robert deal in arms and have made a previous agreement with Trace to sell him guns for the Confederacy -- guns that Breeland desperately wants for his sacred Union. Having to choose sides in the Civil War is the least of Alberton and Casbolt's problems, however. They soon turn to Monk for help as they are embroiled in a blackmail scheme in which an unknown person wants them to sell their valuable guns to pirates; if they fail to do so, an altruistic secret of theirs will be revealed in such a way that their reputations will be ruined.Monk agrees to aid them, but before he can begin to help, everything spirals out of control: When William and Hester are awakened by a knock on their door, their lives become entangled with murder; a missing daughter whose passions are engaged not only by the war; a Civil War battlefield; and a London courtroom.Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries have always been more than just simple whodunits, and Slaves of Obsession is no exception. At first glance, it seems as though the Civil War is at the center of the turmoil, but there's much more at the heart of this work in which love plays a more crucial role than money or war. Perry's superior sense of adventure and her peerless knowledge of the Victorian era enable her readers to enter her worlds so completely that they keep coming back for more. --Jennifer Jarett less

The headlines were gruesome: two beautiful women found strangled in the studio of a well-known London artist. To investigator William Monk and his wife Hester, the murders are a nightmare. One of the victims is an obscure artist's model. The other is the wife of Hester's cherished colleague, distinguished surgeon Dr. Kristian Beck, a Viennese emigre who swiftly becomes the principal suspect... moreThe headlines were gruesome: two beautiful women found strangled in the studio of a well-known London artist. To investigator William Monk and his wife Hester, the murders are a nightmare. One of the victims is an obscure artist's model. The other is the wife of Hester's cherished colleague, distinguished surgeon Dr. Kristian Beck, a Viennese emigre who swiftly becomes the principal suspect. With an intensity born of desperation, Hester, Monk, and their dear friend Lady Callandra Daviot, who cannot hide her deep love for the accused, seek evidence that will save Kristian from the hangman - hoping to penetrate not only the mystery of Elissa Beck's death... but the riddle of her life. less

Few authors have written more mesmerizingly about Victorian London than Anne Perry. Readers enter her world with exquisite anticipation, and experience a rich variety of characters and class: aristocrats living in luxury, flower sellers on street corners, ladies of the evening seeking customers on gaslit streets, gentlemen in hansom cabs en route to erotic diversions unknown in their Mayfair mansions... moreFew authors have written more mesmerizingly about Victorian London than Anne Perry. Readers enter her world with exquisite anticipation, and experience a rich variety of characters and class: aristocrats living in luxury, flower sellers on street corners, ladies of the evening seeking customers on gaslit streets, gentlemen in hansom cabs en route to erotic diversions unknown in their Mayfair mansions. Now Perry gives her myriad fans the book they’ve been waiting for—the novel in which William Monk breaks through the wall of amnesia and discovers at last who he once was.DEATH OF A STRANGERFor the prostitutes of Leather Lane, nurse Hester Monk’s clinic is a lifeline, providing medicine, food, and a modicum of peace—especially welcome since lately their ailments have escalated from bruises and fevers to broken bones and knife wounds. At the moment, however, the mysterious death of railway magnate Nolan Baltimore in a sleazy neighborhood brothel overshadows all else. Whether he fell or was pushed, the shocking question in everyone’s mind is: What was such a pillar of respectability doing in a seedy place of sin? Meanwhile, brilliant private investigator William Monk acquires a new client, a mysterious beauty who asks him to ascertain beyond a shadow of a doubt whether or not her fiancé, an executive in Nolan Baltimore’s thriving railway firm, has become enmeshed in fraudulent practices that could ruin him.As Hester ventures into violent streets to learn who is responsible for the brutal abuse of her patients, Monk embarks upon a journey into the English countryside, where the last rails are being laid for a new line. But the sight of tracks stretching into the distance revives memories once stripped from his consciousness by amnesia—as a past almost impossible to bear returns, eerily paralleling a fresh tragedy that has already begun its inexorable unfolding.From the Hardcover edition. less

In her new masterpiece featuring private inquiry agent William Monk, New York Times bestselling novelist Anne Perry displays her prodigious writing talent. With insight, compassion, and a portraitist’s genius, Perry illuminates the shifting tide of emotions encompassing Queen Victoria’s London and the people who live there—aristocrats, brothel owners, thieves, Dickensian ruffians, and their evil keepers... moreIn her new masterpiece featuring private inquiry agent William Monk, New York Times bestselling novelist Anne Perry displays her prodigious writing talent. With insight, compassion, and a portraitist’s genius, Perry illuminates the shifting tide of emotions encompassing Queen Victoria’s London and the people who live there—aristocrats, brothel owners, thieves, Dickensian ruffians, and their evil keepers. She takes us through dangerous backstreets where the poor eke out their humble livings, and into the mansions of the rich, safe and secure in their privileged lives. Or so they believe. . . .William Monk knows London’s streets like the back of his hand; after all, they are where he earns his living. But the river Thames and its teeming docks— where towering schooners and clipper ships unload their fabulous cargoes and wharf rats and night plunderers ply their trades—is unknown territory.Only dire need persuades him to accept an assignment from shipping magnate Clement Louvain to investigate the theft of a cargo of African ivory from Louvain’s recently docked schooner, the Maude Idris. Monk is desperate for work, not only to feed himself and his wife, Hester, but to keep open the doors of Hester’s clinic, a last resort for sick and starving street women.But he wonders: Why didn’t Louvain report the ivory theft directly to the River Police? Why did he warn Monk not to investigate the murder of one of the Maude Idris crew? Even more mysterious, why has Louvain brought to Hester’s clinic a desperately ill woman who he claims is the discarded mistress of an old friend? Neither Hester nor Monk anticipates the nightmare answers to these questions . . . nor the trap that soon so fatefully ensnares them.In this magnificent novel, Anne Perry holds the reader spellbound, as Monk and Hester struggle to save themselves and their world from a catastrophe whose dimensions they can scarcely measure.From the Hardcover edition. less

For countless readers, one of life's great pleasures is the mesmerizing magic of a Victorian mystery by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry. Her dramas of good and evil unfolding inside London's lavish mansions and teeming slums hold us spellbound. Now, in Dark Assassin, she sweeps us into a darkly compelling world that we never dreamed existed... moreFor countless readers, one of life's great pleasures is the mesmerizing magic of a Victorian mystery by New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry. Her dramas of good and evil unfolding inside London's lavish mansions and teeming slums hold us spellbound. Now, in Dark Assassin, she sweeps us into a darkly compelling world that we never dreamed existed. A Thames River Police superintendent struggling to win the respect of his men, William Monk is on a patrol boat near Waterloo Bridge when he notices a young couple standing at the bridge railing, apparently engaged in an intense discussion. The woman waves her arms and places her hands on the man's shoulders. A caress or a push? The man grasps hold of her. To save her or to kill her? Seconds later, the pair plunge to their death in the icy waters. Monk can't help but wonder, was it an accident, a suicide, or a murder? It seems impossible to determine the truth, but haunted by the woman's somber beauty, he is impelled to try. Mary Havilland was her name, and she had planned to marry Toby Argyll, the fair-haired man who shared her fate. Mary's father, an engineer employed by the Argyll Company, had recently died-a suicide, according to the police and Mary's sister. But Mary's friends tell Monk that she suspected her father had been murdered because of his stubborn insistence that the Argyll Company's current project-the construction of a splendid new sewer system for the metropolis-was so badly flawed that it put the entire city in peril from flood and fire. Monk is now faced with the mysteries of the three deaths. Aided by his intrepid wife Hester, he starts looking for answers and is soon treading a slippery path that takes him from the luxurious drawing rooms where powerful men hatch their unscrupulous plots to a world beneath the city where poor folk fight starvation. In nightmarish tunnels, Monk and Hester find true friends, among them Scuff, a young mudlark; Sutton the ratcatcher; and Snoot, Sutton's clever terrier. For once, even Monk's old enemy, Superintendent Runcorn, is on his side. As rainfall strains the fragile manmade underground, Monk must connect the clues before death strikes again. With characters as vivid as Dickens's, gripping courtroom scenes, breathless horrors beneath the earth, and a plot that twists and turns toward a stunning denouement, Dark Assassin is absolutely one of Anne Perry's best. "From the Hardcover edition." less

On the bustling docks along the River Thames, Great Britain’s 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, who seems far beyond the reach of the law. But when thirteen-year-old Fig is found with his throat cut, Commander William Monk of the River Police swears that Phillips will hang for this abomination... moreOn the bustling docks along the River Thames, Great Britain’s 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, who seems far beyond the reach of the law. But when thirteen-year-old Fig is found with his throat cut, Commander William Monk of the River Police swears that Phillips will hang for this abomination. Monk’s wife, Hester, 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. less

Anne Perry’s seventeenth William Monk novel, now in paperback, is a mesmerizing masterpiece of innocence and evil on London’s docks, a welcome addition to this successful and beloved series.   NATIONAL BESTSELLER   On a London riverbank, when the body of small-time crook Mickey Parfitt washes up with the tide, no one grieves. But William Monk, commander of the River Police, is puzzled by the murder weapon: an elegant scarf whose original owner was obviously a man of substance... moreAnne Perry’s seventeenth William Monk novel, now in paperback, is a mesmerizing masterpiece of innocence and evil on London’s docks, a welcome addition to this successful and beloved series.   NATIONAL BESTSELLER   On a London riverbank, when the body of small-time crook Mickey Parfitt washes up with the tide, no one grieves. But William Monk, commander of the River Police, is puzzled by the murder weapon: an elegant scarf whose original owner was obviously a man of substance. Dockside informers lead Monk to a floating palace of corruption on the Thames managed by Parfitt, where a band of half-starved boys is held captive for men willing to pay a high price for midnight pleasures. Though Monk and his fearless wife, Hester, would gladly reward Parfitt’s killer, duty leads them in another direction—to an unresolved crime, to a deadly confrontation with some of the empire’s most respected men, and ultimately to a courtroom showdown with Monk’s old friend, Oliver Rathbone, in a trial of nearly unbearable tension and suspense.BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Anne Perry's A Sunless Sea.   “Masterful storytelling . . . [the] best in the series to date.”—The Star-Ledger less

As commander of the River Police, Monk is accustomed to violent deaths, but the mutilated female body found on Limehouse Pier on a December morning moves him with horror. Her neighbors can tell him little, only that the same unknown gentleman had visited her once a month for many years. She must be a prostitute, but she doesnt appear to be a fallen woman.

Winner of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Novel 2014Oliver Rathbone, William Monk's close friend, has presided brilliantly over his first cases as a judge. But the next will bring a far greater challenge. Abel Taft, a charismatic minister adored by his congregation, stands accused of terrible corruption and fraud which has ruined the lives of those he's betrayed... moreWinner of the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Novel 2014Oliver Rathbone, William Monk's close friend, has presided brilliantly over his first cases as a judge. But the next will bring a far greater challenge. Abel Taft, a charismatic minister adored by his congregation, stands accused of terrible corruption and fraud which has ruined the lives of those he's betrayed.In court, each victim affirms Taft's guilt, but when the defence's star witness tears their stories apart, the case seems lost. Rathbone realises he holds, locked away, a piece of evidence that could change the outcome of the trial and bring true justice, but can he, as the judge, become involved? The decision Rathbone makes will draw Monk deep into a dangerous case that will shape the rest of both their lives... less

As her New York Times bestselling novels always remind us, Anne Perry is a matchless guide to both the splendor and the shame of the British Empire at the height of its influence... moreAs her New York Times bestselling novels always remind us, Anne Perry is a matchless guide to both the splendor and the shame of the British Empire at the height of its influence. In her twentieth William Monk mystery, she brings us to London’s grand Mayfair mansions, where the arrogant masters of the Western world hold sway—and to the teeming Thames waterfront, where one summer afternoon, Monk witnesses the horrifying explosion of the pleasure boat Princess Mary, which sends to their deaths nearly two hundred merrymakers. The tragedy is no accident. As commander of the River Police, Monk should handle the case, but the investigation is turned over to the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police. An Egyptian man is swiftly caught, tried, and sentenced to die. But almost as quickly, Monk presents evidence that Habib Beshara, though a nasty piece of work, was elsewhere at the time of the blast. The investigation, now in complete disarray, is hastily turned over to Monk. Is the crime connected with the soon-to-be-opened Suez Canal, which will enormously benefit wealthy British shipping companies? Or did all of those innocent people drown to ensure the death of just one? How did the bomber board the ship, and how did he manage to escape? Is he an anarchist or a madman? Backed up by his astute wife, Hester, and his old reliable friend Oliver Rathbone, Monk vows to find answers—but instead finds himself treading the dangerous waters of international intrigue, his questions politely turned aside by a formidable array of the powerful and privileged. Events twist and turn like the Thames itself, leading to the shattering moment when Monk realizes, perhaps too late, that he is the next target. less

One night, in a corridor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich, nurse Hester Monk is approached by a terrified girl. She's from a hidden ward of children, all subject to frequent blood-letting, and her brother is dying.While William Monk's River Police fight to keep London safe from gun-runners, Hester takes on a new role at the hospital, helping to administer a secretive new treatment. But she slowly realises that this experimental cure is putting the lives of the children at risk... moreOne night, in a corridor of the Royal Naval Hospital in Greenwich, nurse Hester Monk is approached by a terrified girl. She's from a hidden ward of children, all subject to frequent blood-letting, and her brother is dying.While William Monk's River Police fight to keep London safe from gun-runners, Hester takes on a new role at the hospital, helping to administer a secretive new treatment. But she slowly realises that this experimental cure is putting the lives of the children at risk. Attempting to protect the young victims, she comes under threat from one rich, powerful, and very ill man who is desperate to survive... less

Originally published: New York: Ballantine Books, 2017.

When a ransom exchange turns deadly in the latest mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry, Commander William Monk faces an unthinkable possibility: betrayal by his own men.Local businessman Harry Exeter doesn't want the aid of the Thames River Police in tracking down the men who kidnapped his wife, Kate. He only asks them to help him navigate Jacob's Island, a creepy mass of decrepid buildings where he will hand off a large sum of money in exchange for her life... moreWhen a ransom exchange turns deadly in the latest mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry, Commander William Monk faces an unthinkable possibility: betrayal by his own men.Local businessman Harry Exeter doesn't want the aid of the Thames River Police in tracking down the men who kidnapped his wife, Kate. He only asks them to help him navigate Jacob's Island, a creepy mass of decrepid buildings where he will hand off a large sum of money in exchange for her life. But when they arrive at the island, Commander Monk and five of his best men are attacked from all sides, and Monk is left wondering who could have given away their plans--and why anyone would want Kate Exeter dead.As Monk follows leads from Kate's worried cousin and a clerk at the bank where Exeter gathered the money to pay the ransom, it seems more and more likely that one of his own men has betrayed him. Delving into their pasts, he realizes how little he knows about the people he works with every day, including his trusted partner Hooper, the one colleague Monk has always been certain he can count on. Even as they identify one of the kidnappers, the case runs into hurtle after hurtle, causing Monk to choose between his own safety and the chance to solve the case--and figure out where his men's loyalty really lies. less