Krishna
I considered this, when I read it years ago, as the best book written by Anne Perry in terms of the mystery and how it is revealed. I re-read it recently and have no reason to change my mind. This is simply a very good mystery, well told, and twists and turns that would make you sit up and take notice.
What makes it so good is that Anne likes to add a little social commentary on how wrong some of the accepted social norms of the day were, and usually it is a side script brought in via Hester Latterley’s work as a nurse or as views and comments from characters. Here it is fully integrated into the main story.
Let us follow the story.
Killian Melville an architect of genius. Barton Lambert, a wealthy man, recognizes his genius, and engages him, giving him the opportunity of a lifetime. When Zilla Lambert, his daughter, shows an interest in Killian and he spends a lot of time in her company, both Barton and his wife Delphine approve and encourage it.
Delphine does the next logical thing, and announces their engagement in The Times. Killian refuses to marry her and refuses to give a reason. Everyone is astounded and especially, Barton and Delphine take Killian to court. If they win, Killian will be professionally ruined and he will be unable to practice his profession that he truly loves and excels in.
Killian comes to Sir Oliver Rathbone for defence in desperation. First Oliver refuses to do anything with it, as he agrees with the motives of the Lamberts in suing Killian. Then, Oliver meets the Lamberts in a party and then feels that Kelvin is victimized by high expectations, and Delphine, the domineering mother of Zilla and agrees to represent the case against his own reservations.
Hester Latterley is serving to look after a soldier Gabriel Sheldon who got disfigured in the Sepoy Mutiny of India and is back in England. His whole family struggles to even talk to him! Hester begins to understand his predicament. His brother Athol Sheldon is an insensitive boob who is stuck in his own ways and primitive notions. The wife Perdita struggles to find common topic to talk to the husband. Martha, the housekeeper too agrees quietly that Athol is a bumbling fool. (‘Muscular Christian Englishman’ as the book describes him)
The case begins and the prosecuting attorney Sachavarall is clever and very good. He paints a picture of Kevin deceiving a girl for no reason at all and even Oliver struggles to see why his client would be innocent. Killian refuses to discuss any details even with his own lawyer Oliver in private, and seems resigned to whatever his fate may be.
The case is going against Oliver and Killian inexorably. Sachavarall, the prosecution lawyer, is savouring the possibility of an easy victory in this case. Barton Lambert and Delphine conduct themselves perfectly on the witness stand.
n the meanwhile, with no evidence and certain of being convicted, Killian kills himself, much to the shock of everyone in the courtroom.
Only when he is dead and a doctor is called to do the autopsy is the real reason for his reluctance to marry revealed. A very good twist. The twist moves further when Monk continues his investigation.
At one point, you wonder why the story continues when everything seems to have been revealed. It turns out that there is a very good reason and not one page is wasted in building up the story unnecessarily.
It turns out, in an even more bizarre fashion, that Killian’s attempts to kill himself started when he was in the courtroom, in the middle of all that crowd!
The investigation into how and why a central character committed an apparent suicide when she was with the others the whole time is fascinating.
And a sideline search of Monk searching for relatives of the maid Martha Jackson’s sister Dolly Jackson’s deformed children ties so neatly into the story. Makes you gasp when the twists come. Amazingly told tale. Fabulous!
A pleasure to read from beginning to end.
I will give it a 9/10
– – Krishna