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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
There were some continuity issues in this one. For example, the plot made extensive reference to the lawyer who defended Rathbone a few books back, but it used the name of a different lawyer who had appeared in the books.
Medically interesting, but from a mystery/crime-solving perspective, I found it kind of blah. I thought there was too much focus on Hester, whom I like as a character, but I prefer more of a balance between her and Monk, with some Oliver Rathbone on the side. I did like the growing maturity of Scuff, but thought the demise of Orme, while in the line of duty, was unnecessary. And the budding romance between Oliver and Beata York continues to rub me all wrong--I just don't see how it developed (and yes, I've read all the books and it blossomed in the space of a dinner or two? Give me a break!)
In the 21st book of the William Monk series, most of the action centers around Hester. She had gone back to nursing at a hospital as a favor to a friend when she finds a secret ward with three children in beds. They are there as part of an experiment run by Hamilton Rand, a brilliant chemist who is trying to find a cure for the 'white blood disease,' a form of leukemia in today's terms. When Hester and the children disappear, it is up to Monk and his team to find them before it's too late.
Ms. Perry never disappoints. While the mysteries are always good, I find the thing that sets her books apart is how she integrates social issues we still have today into her books. In this case, Hester is torn: she's been kidnapped, and she and the children may not make it out alive, yet Rand's experiment has the potential to save many lives. As a nurse, she understands how successful blood transfusions could be a medical miracle for many people. The discussion of this ethical conundrum is interesting, and Ms. Perry doesn't offer a solution but leaves it to the reader to ponder.
Another great book in a great series.
Ms. Perry never disappoints. While the mysteries are always good, I find the thing that sets her books apart is how she integrates social issues we still have today into her books. In this case, Hester is torn: she's been kidnapped, and she and the children may not make it out alive, yet Rand's experiment has the potential to save many lives. As a nurse, she understands how successful blood transfusions could be a medical miracle for many people. The discussion of this ethical conundrum is interesting, and Ms. Perry doesn't offer a solution but leaves it to the reader to ponder.
Another great book in a great series.
I've been a huge fan of the Anne Perry novels for more years than I'd like to count. They have a great sense of place and interesting twists. I marvel at the customs of Victorian England and glad I wasn't born during that time but I like to think I would have been like Hester. Her strong spirit and love of her husband are traits I admire in any period. If you haven't read any of the other William Monk stories, you won't understand some of nuances and character development but it's not a requirement to read this book. The medical advancements, or lack of them, put an interesting spin on the story but it's not a classic whodunit. It's not may favorite Anne Perry story but definitely worth reading if you like historical mysteries.
Corridors of the Night by Anne Perry- William Monk, 21 is a 2015 publication.
Although the story does make the reader think, will evoke emotions of anger and sadness, if you are looking for a good murder mystery, this one falls a little short of the mark, and the plot is very slow moving. While I enjoyed the book for the most part, I wouldn’t say this is one of Perry’s better novels, and not what I have come to expect from the William Monk series.
Recommended for the long term Anne Perry of William Monk fan.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the review in full, click this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Gpangel-reviews-Corridors-Of-The-Night-by-Anne-Perry
Although the story does make the reader think, will evoke emotions of anger and sadness, if you are looking for a good murder mystery, this one falls a little short of the mark, and the plot is very slow moving. While I enjoyed the book for the most part, I wouldn’t say this is one of Perry’s better novels, and not what I have come to expect from the William Monk series.
Recommended for the long term Anne Perry of William Monk fan.
This review is the copyrighted property of Night Owl Reviews. To read the review in full, click this link: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Gpangel-reviews-Corridors-Of-The-Night-by-Anne-Perry
I usually enjoy the Monk series but this one was confusing because it seems as though the character named Ardal Juster is supposed to be Rufus Brancaster, who defended Rathbone in an earlier book. Added to this is discrepancy is that Ardal's personality and character traits resemble Brancaster very little. Ardal Juster is a character who was a prosecutor in The Whitechapel Conspiracy which is a ok from the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. There is a plot line at the beginning of the book involving Monk that gets dropped. I'm hoping this was a set up for future books. I think the person who edited this book was asleep at the wheel and that is why I rated it at only one star.
This book was crazy, but in a good way.
Two quibbles: 1) At one point the defense attorney pushes Hester into admitting that something *that actually happened* didn't happen; another witness had already testified to it, and moreover, we read it happening just a few pages ago. It made no difference to the outcome, but it also made no sense that she would say that. 2) Rufus Brancaster was the lawyer who defended Rathbone in his criminal case in Book #19 and who appeared again in book #20. In this book, for some inexplicable reason, Perry changes his name to Ardal Juster. Not sure if Ardal is an improvement over Rufus or not, but that's not the point. Who the crap is Ardal Juster, anyway?
That said, the story was very exciting.
Two quibbles: 1) At one point the defense attorney pushes Hester into admitting that something *that actually happened* didn't happen; another witness had already testified to it, and moreover, we read it happening just a few pages ago. It made no difference to the outcome, but it also made no sense that she would say that. 2) Rufus Brancaster was the lawyer who defended Rathbone in his criminal case in Book #19 and who appeared again in book #20. In this book, for some inexplicable reason, Perry changes his name to Ardal Juster. Not sure if Ardal is an improvement over Rufus or not, but that's not the point. Who the crap is Ardal Juster, anyway?
That said, the story was very exciting.
Well done mystery involving William and Hester Monk. Part of what I enjoy about these novels is the protagonists are very much part of the middle classes, not the gentry (though in Monk's case we can't be positive since he has no memory of his early life). They have to think about paying bills, and cooking food, and making ends meet. They can't just hie off on mystery solving like Peter Wimsey or Sherlock Holmes.
This novel involves a question of medical ethics and the price of success. If experimentation involving live subjects--human subjects--can bring life-saving results for millions, should we condemn the scientists who conduct the research?
It's much more complicated than that, naturally, but the mystery involves something we very much take for granted in the 21st c., blood transfusions. In an age before an understanding of blood typing, no one knew why it almost always failed. Hester gets involved with a medical researcher who's willing to stop at nothing to find answers, even if it costs lives.
I thought the ending, while predictable, seemed a bit rushed. The novel will be enjoyed by fans of the series, because while it brings us to a conclusion of the crime investigation, it also advances secondary characters who've become part of the narrative.
This novel involves a question of medical ethics and the price of success. If experimentation involving live subjects--human subjects--can bring life-saving results for millions, should we condemn the scientists who conduct the research?
It's much more complicated than that, naturally, but the mystery involves something we very much take for granted in the 21st c., blood transfusions. In an age before an understanding of blood typing, no one knew why it almost always failed. Hester gets involved with a medical researcher who's willing to stop at nothing to find answers, even if it costs lives.
I thought the ending, while predictable, seemed a bit rushed. The novel will be enjoyed by fans of the series, because while it brings us to a conclusion of the crime investigation, it also advances secondary characters who've become part of the narrative.