A string of gruesome, ritualistic murders of Hungarian immigrants has the Thames River Police Commander stuck on solving the pattern in the latest installment of the New York Times bestselling William Monk series. When a Hungarian immigrant is dismembered near London’s River Thames, Commander Monk is called to the eerie scene, where sixteen candles surround the corpse. As identical murders pop up around the city, Monk confronts the unsettling options: could it be the work of a secret society? A serial madman? Or is a xenophobic Brit targeting foreigners? A local doctor who speaks Hungarian from his days on the battlefield may be able to help, but his own struggles with post-traumatic stress have left his memory in shambles: could he have committed the crimes without remembering? Fighting both local prejudice and the weight of the past, Monk and his wife Hester-herself a battlefield nurse familiar with horror-are in a race to find the killer and stop the echo of these repeated murders for good.
William Monk just keeps on getting better. In many series that have run this long, the stories become repetitive and predictable, but not so with this series. Each new book is exciting and interesting and you never know where it will lead because it is always filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up until the end.
Monk is called out early in the morning to a warehouse near the river. The crime is a grisly murder that has some resemblance to it being ritualistic. The victim is an immigrant from Hungary who was well respected and well liked within his community. Who would want to kill him?
After a week or more of investigation there are no leads and Monk is worn totally out. Then, another early morning call and yet another grisly murder – of a well-liked Hungarian immigrant. Then, they just keep coming – all respectable, well liked men of the Hungarian immigrant community. Is it somebody with a vendetta against Hungarians? Immigrants? Or are they just random. Monk is sure they are all the work of the same killer because they are all identical.
Hester, Monk’s wife, gets involved because of a very old friend that she thought had died 16 years earlier. Is that old friend the madman killing Hungarians? Surely not – he’s a sweet gentle man. Hester and Monk’s ward (for lack of a better word) also becomes involved in the case because he has befriended and come to admire Fitz, Hester’s old friend.
Did Fitz commit the murders? If not, who did and can they prove any of it? You’ll just have to read it to see because I don’t want to tell too much and spoil the story for you.
I’m already looking forward to Monk #24.
“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
An Anne Perry mystery always feels like a deep submersion into history and a delving into the darkest corners of humanity while using her circle of heroes to show there can be hope and justice as well. An Echo of Murder the #23 entry in the William Monk series is no exception.
From the beginning, there was no doubt this was going to be brutal and emotionally tense. Was the vicious killing of a Hungarian business owner in his office a hate crime? Was it personal? Was it a lunatic? Monk and his River Police have the job of discovering the answers- and quickly, as it happens again.
While Monk is chasing down leads attempting to bring a killer to justice, Hester and Scuff encounter a man seemingly back from the dead for Hester. Hester thought she left a good army surgeon and great friend back on the battlefield of the Crimean War dead, yet here he is suffering acute PTSD (though, Perry, accurately did not label it b/c of the Victorian time period). Fitz is a shell of who he once was, but Hester is determine to get him help.
In the end, brilliant and wily barrister, Sir Oliver Rathbone, joins Monk and Hester to defend an innocent man of a heinous series of murders.
As usual, I was quite engaged with all the elements surrounding the murder case. The author tackles two main social issues of the day (which are still relevant now, actually)- the hatred of people ethnically and religiously different from one’s own and also the lack of treatment or understanding for those come back broken by war. Alongside these issues, the story gives Scuff (now 18 yrs and desirous of being called Will) a much larger role as he is nearly a man and is studying medicine, but also still feeling vulnerable that he will lose all the good things he has since Monk and Hester adopted him.
And yes!!! Finally get to see what comes of a Latterly family reunion. Those who read The Christmas Escape and have followed along with the series knowing Hester’s background will really appreciate this inclusion.
But, I also want to address the mystery and the riveting courtroom drama finale. I figured out the killer early, but I didn’t know the motive and it remained pretty obscure for some time. I have to say that it moved at a gentle pace until the court case began and then I was riveted and couldn’t pry myself away from the book.
The mystery is broken up by switching back and forth with Hester and Scuff’s storylines crossing Monk’s investigation. I don’t bring that up as a criticism, but just to give readers a heads-up that in this book, the mystery is only one of the plot threads instead of the main one.
All in all, this was a strong and engaging entry in the series. It has standalone ability, but the reader would draw so much more from it by getting the series in order. Historical Mystery fans are the target audience for this series and I shamelessly push it at you.
As always this author never disappoints.
I’ve read all of Anne Perry’s novels, and while they may not all have perfect plots, what I love about her writing is that she lets us see what her characters are feeling and doesn’t shy away from letting them feel pain. Her characters suffer, and because of that seem very real. This is an author with a great deal of empathy, and thus her work reads as authentic to the human condition even though her plots can be sensational.
Part of a great series
Although Anne Perry writes primarily mystery books her William Monk Series has much historical information within the pages. Her vivid descriptions of London in the mid 1800’s gives the reader much information about the city and its inhabitants during that period of time. I have read all of this series and have learned a great deal about the plight of women of this period. Women had no status of their own and were much beholden to their fathers and later to their husband no matter how abusive their husbands were to to them. They owned nothing until the late 1800’s. If they were thrown out on the street, they had no skills and often resorted to a life of prostitution. Medical care was terrible and one of the main characters, a nurse who worked with Florence Nightingale, does everything she can do to correct the unsanitary conditions and poor care that existed at that time. Perry hates wars and their outcome and this latest book deals with someone suffering from PTSD although of course it is not called that. Through her characters she makes a plea for the veterans of war who have this disorder – that it be recognized and properly treated.
5 Stars
Commander Monk and DS Hooper are called to the scene of a horrific murder. Imrus Fodor has been stabbed through the heart with a bayonet and his fingers broken along with additional mutilations. It was done with intense rage or hatred. Fodor didn’t either have the chance to defend himself or was taken by surprise. He was killed at his place of work.
Since Fodor was Hungarian the local community mistrusts the police officers and many don’t speak English very well. Monk and Hooper ask for the assistance of Antal Dobokai, a local pharmacist who discovered the body. Although Monk does not like the man, he needs his help.
When they interview various witnesses and acquaintances, Monk realizes just how difficult this case is. Bigotry and fear of the other play a big part in this novel. Monk must step carefully. When more people are murdered in the same way as Fodor, the suspense and fear escalate.
Hester is treating a man who may know something about the victims, but he is very traumatized and Hester and Monk must be careful.
This book is extremely well written and plotted, as are all of Anne Perry’s books. The suspense starts immediately with a brutal murder and doesn’t let up until the denouement and the killer is caught. I like the way the author interjects domestic scenes with Monk’s wife Hester and how she assists him with his cases. I truly enjoy reading both the Monk and Pitt stories that Ms. Perry writes.
I want to send a big thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine/Ballantine for forwarding to me a copy of this most wonderful novel for me to read.
As a reader of all of the William Monk novels, I especially enjoy immersing myself in his world. All of the characters in this series are clearly drawn, yet always developing further from one novel to the next.
I like all of her books.
Anne Perry’s Monk series is always a winner. Great mystery that you never know the real answer until the end, wonderful characters, suspense, police, court room drama, medical intrigue, what’s not to like? I will not tell you about the story, you should read it for yourself with no implanted expectations except a great story in Victorian England.