First
Sentence: Monk leaned forward, resting on his oar for
a moment as he stared across the water at the Pool of London
William Monk, head of the Thames Police Force, witnesses the
explosion and sinking of a pleasure boat which results in
the death of nearly 200 people. Almost immediately, as he
and his men start their investigation, the case is removed
from them and given to the regular land police. A man is accused,
tried and found guilty, all on circumstantial evidence and
with no motive given. The man's sentence is stayed due to
his illness, which also strikes Monk as questionable. With
Hester's help, Monk regains control of the investigation,
with nearly fatal results.
Perry is such a fine writer. Her descriptions are wonderfully
evocative as we begin with a tranquil scene on the Thames.
She then immediately changes the entire mood and secures your
involvement in the story with a terrible event. Perry takes
us into the environment of every level of society; from the
lowest to the highest, and makes each real and understandable.
The characters are each fully drawn and dimensional. In spite
of this being the 20th book in the series, new readers are
given a clear understanding of the characters, their backgrounds
and their interrelationships. Long-time readers see how the
characters have developed, grown-some literally-and how their
lives have changed. We even have the introduction of a new,
young character one hopes will remain in the series. Although
Monk is the protagonist, there is an excellent balance in
the use of characters, drawing upon the strength of each,
including Hester's background as a nurse during the Crimean
War, Rathbone as a former barrister and judge, Scruff as a
former mudlark, and Crow as an unlicensed doctor.
Ms. Perry's voice is captivating. Her dialogue is natural
and, occasionally, humorous. Determining the fate of Worm,
an urchin and mudlark found by Scruff, himself a former mudlark
who adopted himself to the Monks, is a charming interlude.
The plot is compelling. That Ms. Perry includes the trial
into the final resolution of the mystery is something particularly
interesting, demonstrating that the mystery isn't solved until
the guilty is brought to justice.
"Blood on the Water" is an excellent book with highs
and lows, drama, excitement, and suspense. This is yet another
wonderful book by Ms. Perry.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
Twisted
Root #10
Dark
Assassin #15
Execution
Dock #16
Acceptable
Loss #17
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