A review by staticdisplay
A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry

4.0

I read the first book so many years ago that I actually don't remember much of it! just the basic premise. this book covers the aftermath of the crime in the first book, with details of the trial, while Monk takes on a new case and gets Hester involved, "undercover." There are many interesting recurring characters and the side characters who populate this story are well-rounded albeit mostly miserable. there is a bit of repetition in the beginning of the book, as Monk doesn't really seem to know how to investigate this particular case and keeps going over the same details. I think also in the beginning of the book, character is established through some awkward and repetitive interactions - many times we're told how much Lord Basil hates Monk, who returns the feeling. the book has a lot of details about society and norms at the time, which made me aware that I would have absolutely perished if I had lived in history. roles are very rigid and people in certain classes are seen as "less than," which I'm sure is how it really was back then. it makes me appreciate how much people have accomplished in social reform over the last few centuries. in any case I enjoyed the amount of research that must have gone into representing this time period; I thought the interview with Perry at the end of the book showed someone thoughtful, sharp, and confident. admirable.