Krishna
This tells the story of the violent death of a nurse, able one, very strong willed, with experience in Crimea with Florence Nightingale and comes from a well educated strata of society (no, Hester Latterley does not die) which in itself is unusual in Victorian times. The lady in question is Prudence Barrymore.
The story starts with Monk being hired to investigate an assault on the person of a London woman. With little evidence but with some legwork and brilliant deduction, he solves the case in short order. (You are left wondering how the book will move on at about 25 pages into it or so.) Cleverly this, the strangulation of Prudence Barrymore, forms the backdrop for the real core of the book,
Runcorn, Monk’s ex superior wants to hang this one on the convenient peg of the only foreign doctor in the hospital with the strange accent. Lady Callandra Divot, one of the directors of the institution (and related to Hester) firmly believes his innocence and hires Monk to solve the mystery of who the real killer is.
For inside information, Monk arranges Hester Latterley to take up position in the hospital. When Monk turns up an explosive evidence that seems to implicate the chief surgeon (Sir Herbert Stanthorpe) of the hospital, Monk is relived of the case. But Sir Herbert hires Oliver Rathbone as his lawyer, and Oliver is convinced of his innocence, and he hires Monk to do further investigations because again the wrong guy seems to be accused of murder.
The plot, as you can see, meandears more than Anne Perry’s novels do, but if you like Anne Perry, this is one of her moderately good books that keep the interest alive, and the story moves along. The twist at the end is unusual, if a little cliched (considering how many authors have employed it) but it still managed to surprise me.
Well told, the Victorian elements are all there as in other Anne Perry’s novels.
I would say, definitely, a 5/10
— Krishna