A review by cakereads
A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry

3.0

Decent women don't get violated - they don't lay themselves open to it - they don't invite it - or frequent such places in such company.

Deft writing, great characters, excellent plot twist.

Perry's characters are always so well-done - they are flawed characters, realistically strong in their own ways. I enjoyed this book better than the first one: the mystery is better done, and the twist at the end - wow! I did not expect that at all.

One thing I've noted about Perry's books is how feminist they are. In this book, within the frame of a mystery, we deal with rape culture, and how the powerful prey on the weak and steal their voices away. Relevant in the context of the Victorian England drawing room, and relevant to our world today. And we have our protagonists, Monk and Hester, fighting for the powerless in their own ways - it's just so awesome.

Monk and Hester - their simultaneously antagonistic and caring relationship. Now these are two people who know themselves and know the other person very well, and (will eventually it seems from the other books) go into the relationship clear-sighted. I love them together and how they bounce ideas off each other and fight for the truth.

TLDR: Intriguing plot, can't wait for the next book to see how Monk and Hester's relationship develops.