Blood on the Water. A Sunless Sea

Blood on the Water by Anne Perry.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (September 9, 2014)
ISBN-10: 9780345548436



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. 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.
This one was one of her different ones.  The lack of Rathbone put a lot more pressure on the other main characters.. which, of course, .. they still managed to dig out the truth!
I have liked all the Monk series and have to say, other than ONE other author have I read such a long series.  The difference being with the other series  often I had to wait a year for the newest book to come out. That series would be the late, great Ann McCraffrey, with her Pern series.

But if you like mysteries and being in court waiting for what you didn't know to become apparent.. this is a series for you!
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Blind Justice by Anne Perry.

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books;(August 27, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0345536703


Amazon Review:

In Perry’s stunning new novel, Hester Monk, the wife of William Monk, commander of the Thames River Police, questions the finances of a London church whose members’ hard-earned charitable gifts appear to have ended up in the pocket of charismatic preacher Abel Taft, paying for his fine home and the stylish outfits of his wife and daughters.

Taft is accused of extortion, and brilliant barrister Oliver Rathbone, newly appointed a judge, is chosen to preside over his trial. It seems clear that Taft is indeed guilty. However, at the last second, the defense produces a witness who completely undermines the charges. Then Rathbone makes a well-meaning but reckless move that could ruin his career, his reputation, and his life.

Blind Justice presents a rich and lively panorama of London life, from the teeming Thames docks to the wealthy West End, while unfolding a magnificent courtroom drama. And while justice, law, and morality hang in the balance, Hester and Monk race to save their distinguished friend Rathbone from disgrace. The incomparable art of Anne Perry grips us fast until the final, unforgettable scene.

I really need to tank Kiyo Walsh for the wondrous gift of nearly every one of the Monk series.  What a gracious and wonderful gift.  Thank you again Kiyo!!

The end of the series!  I will miss Monk and Hester, Scruff and Rathbone.. They were true characters that always kept me hopping and always learning more of them privately, which I really enjoyed.

They are all easy reading but at the same time you are always in for twists, turns and surprises!!

A Sunless Sea

A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books;(August 28, 2012)
ISBN-10: 9780345510648

 

Amazon Review:

As commander of the River Police, Monk is accustomed to violent death, but the mutilated female body found on Limehouse Pier one chilly December morning moves him with horror and pity. The victim’s name is Zenia Gadney. Her waterfront 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—described as quiet and kempt—she doesn’t appear to be a fallen woman. 

What sinister secrets could have made poor Zenia worth killing? And why does the government keep interfering in Monk’s investigation? 

While the public cries out for blood, Monk, his spirited wife, Hester, and their brilliant barrister friend, Oliver Rathbone, search for answers. From dank waterfront alleys to London’s fabulously wealthy West End, the three trail an ice-blooded murderer toward the unbelievable, possibly unprovable truth—and ultimately engage their adversaries in an electric courtroom duel. But unless they can work a miracle, a monumental evil will go unpunished and an innocent person will hang. 

Anne Perry has never worn her literary colors with greater distinction than in A Sunless Sea, a heart-pounding novel of intrigue and suspense in which Monk is driven to make the hardest decision of his life.


Ok, so...  Anne Perry never lets up!  

This one started off a little slow.  But, as they say, not for long!  I think this book, so far, of the Monk series, has the longest trial of all her books.  I could be wrong, but I don't think so.  

As always there are twists and turns.. and occasionally even a wake up slap across the face!

Yet another good story, what can I say?  How she keeps coming up with these novels I will never know!!

Acceptable Loss

Acceptable Loss by Anne Perry.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books;(August 9, 2011)
ISBN-10: 0345510607


Amazon Review:

"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

Ok.. so I've pretty much really liked all the Monk series that I've read.  A few are outstanding.. this is one of them !

Children's lives in the balance if Monk fails.  Friendships are tested to the highest degree. Hester once again "invades" the land of the detectives to help Monk. And Scruff, the 9 yr old orphan who lives on the streets finds himself caring more  for Hester and Monk.
A lot of the story is in the courts, which I thought would be boring... but , by no means was it!

If you've read some of the Monk books I'd advise you find this one if you haven't read it yet.

John Muir: Wilderness Essays

John Muir: Wilderness Essays. by John Muir.

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Gibbs Smith;(April 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 1423607120

 

Part of John Muir's appeal to modern readers is that he not only explored the American West and wrote about its beauties but also fought for their preservation. His successes dot the landscape and are evident in all the natural features that bear his name: forests, lakes, trails, and glaciers. Here collected are some of Muir's finest wilderness essays, ranging in subject matter from Alaska to Yellowstone, from Oregon to the High Sierra.This book is part of a series that celebrates the tradition of literary naturalists―writers who embrace the natural world as the setting for some of our most euphoric and serious experiences. These books map the intimate connections between the human and the natural world. Literary naturalists transcend political boundaries, social concerns, and historical milieus; they speak for what Henry Beston called the “other nations” of the planet. Their message acquires more weight and urgency as wild places become increasingly scarce.

From the Publisher

John Muir, Father of the National Parks

Millions have read his books. Did he know the impact he would have with his ecological musings? Known as the 'Father of the National Parks,' his letters, books, and essays about nature are priceless. Read this wonderful edition, part of the Gibbs Smith Publisher series of literary naturalists.

• Inspirational reading for those who love the outdoors
• Convenient trim size for traveling and adventures
• Beautiful cover illustrations
• Read outside!

There's not much I can say about John Muir. He was a true lover of all nature and never could explore it enough.. 

Here is  a piece of his Wilderness Essays when talking about Yellowstone..:

"In these natural laboratories one needs stout faith to feel at ease. The ground sounds hollow underfoot, and the awful subterranean thunder shakes one's mine as the ground is shaken, especially at night in the pale moonlight , or when the sky is overcast with storm clouds. In the solemn gloom, the geysers, dimly visible, look like monstrous dancing ghosts, and their wild songs, and the earthquake thunder replying to the storms overhead seem doubly terrible, as if a divine government were at an end. But the trembling hills keep their places. The sky clears, the rosy dawn is reassuring, and up comes the sun like a God, pouring his faithful beams across the mountains and forest, lighting each peak and tree and ghastly geyser alike, and shining into the eyes of the reeking springs,  clothing them with rainbow light, and dissolving the seeming chaos of darkness into varied forms of harmony. The ordinary work of the world goes on. Gladly we see the flies dancing in the sunbeams, birds feeding their young, squirrels gathering nuts and hear the  blessed ouzel (a bird that resembles the blackbird) singing confidingly  in the shallows of the river,... most faithful  evangel, calming every fear, reducing everything to love." 



My special thanks to Cath (Sis) for sending me this book... It's a "keeper"!!!