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William Monk #10
Las raíces del mal
Una brillante novela de intriga escrita por la reina del crimen.
Un nuevo caso del inspector Monk sirve a Anne Perry para ofrecernos un fresco de la Inglaterra victoriana.
William Monk no suele aceptar casos de derecho matrimonial. Sin embargo, de vuelta de su luna de miel con su esposa Hester, no puede evitar involucrarse en la resolución de uno de ellos, cuando Miriam Gardiner es acusada del asesinato de su prometido.
Anne Perry, la reina del crimen, es reconocida por sus novelas ambientadas en la época de la Inglaterra victoriana.
Un nuevo caso del inspector Monk sirve a Anne Perry para ofrecernos un fresco de la Inglaterra victoriana.
William Monk no suele aceptar casos de derecho matrimonial. Sin embargo, de vuelta de su luna de miel con su esposa Hester, no puede evitar involucrarse en la resolución de uno de ellos, cuando Miriam Gardiner es acusada del asesinato de su prometido.
Anne Perry, la reina del crimen, es reconocida por sus novelas ambientadas en la época de la Inglaterra victoriana.
431 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
740 people are currently reading
1539 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
364 books3,397 followersAnne Perry, born Juliet Hulme in England, lived in Scotland most of her life after serving five years in prison for murder (in New Zealand). A beloved mystery authoress, she is best known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series.
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
May 2, 2026
Anne Perry was a popular writer of historical detective fiction and other genres. At the time of her death in 2023, she had published an astonishing total of 102 books, many of which are international bestsellers. There are five books in her WWI series, five books in her Elena Standish series, four young adult novels, two fantasy novels, and 22 mystery novellas with Christmas themes, as well as essays and short stories. But two series are especially popular, perhaps partly because of their male and female detective partnerships.
In the Thomas Pitt series his wife Charlotte helps the rising inspector solve crimes in Victorian London. It has 32 books, set throughout his career in the 1880s–1890s. The William Monk mysteries are set a little earlier in the Victorian era than the Pitt books: 1850s–1860s, but they are also located in London. William Monk is accompanied in his mystery-solving by a volunteer nurse, Hester Latterly, who has served in the Crimean war.
William Monk first appeared as an inspector for Scotland Yard in Anne Perry’s 1990 novel “The Face of a Stranger”. There are 24 books overall and The Twisted Root, first published in 1999, is the 10th book in the series. By now Monk has been through some life-changing events, and works as a private investigator. The Twisted Root is also the first book in which William and Hester are a married couple, and we deduce from his thoughts that we are now seeing his softer side.
There are clever mentions of the back story throughout. Not enough to spoil a future read, if read out of order, but enough to intrigue - and more importantly - to add depth to the characters. We deduce very early on for instance that Monk had been a respected, although feared policeman, and some accident resulted in both his loss of memory and his dismissal. We also learn that Hester worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, and is zealous in her campaign for hospital reform along the lines of her beliefs and practices.
The situation gives plenty of opportunity to examine what is expected of both a wife and a husband within Victorian society. Since both are strong-minded characters, and not averse to speaking their minds at the risk of losing their positions, it is interesting to observe life in their home. They both have to work at achieving domestic harmony (although they seem rather modern in outlook, for example a Victorian husband would hardly protest that he does not expect his wife to make him a cup of tea, as William Monk does on one occasion.) We also see much Victorian social hypocrisy regarding class, gender, and the treatment of servants within the broader story.
We are straight into the action. A young man, Lucius Stourbridge desperately begs Monk for help; distraught because his fiancée Miriam Gardiner has disappeared. The circumstances are baffling. Lucius’s wealthy parents were hosting an engagement party for the couple, and they were outside with the guests, celebrating, when Miriam abruptly fled the party in a coach. She has not been seen since, and seems to have completely vanished. Lucius has no idea where she is, or what made her run away. He is genuinely frightened for her safety, and his parents are as worried as he is. Lucius assures Monk that his parents are happy with his choice and believe that the couple are very much in love, despite the fact that Miriam is a widow, and a few years older than he is.
The warning bells ring in William Monk’s mind. All his experience points towards the fact that whatever the truth, there will be no good conclusion to this case. He is extremely reluctant to encourage Lucius in his search, and dubious about accepting the case, even though Lucius has assured him that money will be no object. What finally makes him decide in favour, against his better judgement, is that he feels very sorry for the young man. He has come to realise that he was an unpopular, over-demanding policeman, who bullied his subordinates in his quest for the truth. Monk ruefully recognises that being a newly-wed may have affected his decision; he is letting his empathy and emotions get the better of him. However he now bitterly regrets some of his unthinking behaviour to his colleagues in some of his past cases.
At the end of chapter 1 we switch to Hester’s life. Working as a nurse in a hospital, she and her friend Lady Callandra Daviot are both volunteer nurses, and equally passionate in seeking to reform standards. Hester is keen to stress the importance of hygiene, and argues that nurses should be trained to develop skills and work alongside doctors. Nurses of the time had no status; they were overworked and often slovenly and drunk, as their pittance of a pay packet was partly paid in porter.
The hospital director, Fermin Thorpe (a nicely apt first name!) is only out for his own glory, and secondarily that of the hospital, and has no respect for the nurses at all. Both Callandra and Hester want the hospital to have proper, trained nurses who would look after patients, but Thorpe is totally against it, considering nurses to be simply slatternly cleaners. He ignores any suggestions put forward for hospital reform, and only makes a pretence of listening to Lady Callandra because of her superior social class, and to Hester because she is determined and well-spoken. Otherwise as Victorian females they would be completely ignored.
This parallel thread set around Hester Monk is the basis for an intriguing subplot, with a mystery and a crime which nicely dovetails with the main story by the end. It involves This subplot reveals a network of hidden suffering and moral ambiguity in Victorian society. It is not only Hester and Lady Callandra who are committed to hospital reform. At least one other nurse, Cleo Anderson, and the hospital pharmacist Phillips are, and by the end we see that nearly all the main characters are beginning to rethink their previous blinkered attitudes:
“If we were the Christian people we pretend to be, she wouldn’t have had to take them. We would care for our own old and sick.”
Other characters share their view, across the classes, although some have even less influence:
“But when they get old we can’t be bothered. We say they’re going to die soon anyway. Wot’s the point in spending time and money on them?”
I particularly enjoyed this aspect, and feel that Anne Perry made a good attempt to convey Victorian hypocrisy in what is, after all, a mystery novel.
We can tell by now that as one of a series, the characterisation will be strong. Alongside the complicated plot, as in many modern mysteries, we become thoroughly engrossed with the psychology and motivations of the main characters. This means that it is quite a long novel, compared with say, golden age mysteries. The title, by the way, is a big clue.
While Monk investigates Miriam’s disappearance, his search leads him to As we read on, William and Hester Monk’s intertwined investigations uncover secrets involving three murders, hidden identities, and long‑buried trauma. The morally grey zone of justice is very much to the fore, as we realise to what lengths greed will push different characters, to achieve their desire.
It doesn’t seem an obvious choice to write two series where a Victorian detective is centre-stage, but the statistics prove their continued attraction for readers. So what did I, as both a regular reader of Victorian fiction and of English mysteries, think?
Well, from a modern mystery point of view, it was a great read. It had a devious plot, was slow‑building with a good structure and was rewarding to read. As we would expect from an experienced writer of genre fiction, it was a well paced page-turner. From the point of view of a period mystery however, it does not score quite so highly.
There is a convention that in historical dramas the characters talk in slightly adapted modern idiomatic English. They do not use the exact expressions of their period, or we would find it extremely stilted, and at times incomprehensible. So we accept that in a work of fiction the characters to some extent “talk like us”. However, if they use slang which is too modern, it jars.
An example here is the modern idiom “Brilliant!” which was used as an expletive by a young student of the medical profession, followed by his description of something as “marvellous”. In the 1850s - 1860s “brilliant” was indeed used figuratively - but only to describe people or actions with “admirable qualities” or “showy” intellect. It was much later, in the 1970s, that it began to be used as slang term of approval. Similarly, “marvellous” only began to be used colloquially in this way in 1924.
Also, in mid‑19th‑century Britain, a housekeeper or cook was routinely addressed as “Mrs.” even if she was unmarried. This was a formal courtesy title reflecting her senior status, not her marital state, but housekeeper is addressed throughout as “Miss Parkinson”, by junior servants, employers, our intrepid investigators and the court prosecutor alike. I realise that this kind of slip may feel of no consequence to readers who stick to mostly modern novels, but as a regular reader of Victorian fiction, I found it irksome that the author had evidently not researched these finer details of etiquette and slang.
Major critical publications such as the Guardian, The New York Times Book Review, and Publishers Weekly have all praised Anne Perry’s fiction for its rich Victorian setting and evocative historical detail. In the first half of The Twisted Root we were presented with quite a few interpolated paragraphs describing a typical street scene of the time. They felt quite authentic; she had done her research, but the trouble was that they just felt “slotted in” to add a period feel. If someone was walking down a street, you could bet that there would be one of the author’s pet set scenes, describing the hansom cabs, the sounds of street sellers, the aroma of street food, the dress of passers-by and so on. It is par for the course in a cosy mystery, and we may enjoy these little diversions … but I think Anne Perry is writing something a little more ambitious. However some readers feel that the Victorian era is strongly depicted and that it is very atmospheric. Perhaps my regular diet of Victorian novels has hampered me from enjoying this aspect.
Another convention we accept is that the characters in period fiction are really “just like us”. Well I’m sorry, but they were not! Of course on one level they share our common humanity, but social mores and the Victorian mind-set was very different. I’m not sure that Anne Perry really conveyed the Victorian mind. It feels more like transferring a 20th century character into the 19th, having told them the basics of how to behave as a Victorian.
For example, even the heroines in Victorian novels, who are usually much more independently-minded than their peers, do not brazenly challenge the males in their social milieu. At one point Hester even argues with a prosecuting counsel in court; an action which would probably get anyone reprimanded for contempt of court even now. In the novel though, it just causes a ripple of amusement round the court. It’s pure fantasy, but perhaps enjoyable enough to let pass. Another instance when the strict social etiquette was ignored was when an impoverished nurse said a gentleman’s full name without a title, when asked for a name by the prosecuting counsel Robert Tobias. Full names were used in court at that time, for instance when formalising charges or swearing in witnesses, but strict etiquette dictating the use of titles “Mr” or “ Mrs” etc followed by their last names was observed thereafter. And the idea of a witness not using the title of anyone in a superior class to herself, is ridiculous. It was done here for effect, not realism.
In a similar way, I found that the accents were not consistent. The reproduced cockney vernacular of the working class characters comes and goes. Also, the speech of middle class professionals is not consistent. Here is the intelligent, compassionate and fair police Sergeant Michael Robb speaking:
“Mrs Andersen is well known in our community for going around visiting and helping the sick, especially them that’s old and poor” and again:
“She came regular to see my grandfather, who lives with me.”
The Metropolitan police force was established in 1829, with the establishment of a detective force in 1842. During the 1850-1860s, the force was consolidating its role as a professional, full-time body to prevent crime and maintain public order. Sergeant Robb would never have spoken this way; it is not the vernacular of an educated professional.
About two thirds of the way through the novel a barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone becomes involved. Evidently he has appeared in the series before; he had wanted to marry Hester, and is still sweet on her. So we have 3 males investigating, and apart from slips, they all think and sound the same! In fact I kept having to turn back to see which one’s movements we were following at any one time. Yet one is a peer of the realm, one an established middle class professional and the third a young professional, who has pulled himself up from working class origins. Their similar way of speaking was inauthentic for their classes, and made it far too difficult to distinguish between them.
There are continuity errors, such as questioning a doctor in front of a waiting room of patients, rather than stepping inside an office. Or a reference to further questions in the mind of the person being questioned (when it was clearly in Monk’s mind instead.) These I think may be slips due to the novel being written at speed, but this is just a suspicion. There were several repeated explanations of “resurrectionist” (Victorian grave-robbers) too. Granted it is not a word in common parlance now, but readers do not have to have it defined more than once.
The worst example, which is a glaring fault to aficionados of whodunnits is info-dumping. As mentioned, Sir Oliver Rathbone is introduced two thirds of the way through the novel. By this time the two plots are very complex (and I am not going to tell you them!) The author evidently decided a good way to recap the story would be as it was told to Rathbone by Hester and William Monk. But Rathbone knew none of these 8-10 people previously. He had to be told their histories, occupations and relationships, as well as possible motives and relevance both to the crime, and also to another separate suspected crime.
So Rathbone started from scratch, and needed to be brought up to speed with everything that had happened. It is completely unrealistic to think that he would not take notes. It is patently obvious that this is a recap of the complicated plot so far for the reader - and we appreciate it. But apparently Sir Oliver Rathbone had a superhuman ability to remember it all straightaway, without any repetitions or reminders, as we are soon reading about his own investigations and private thoughts.
I was quite pleased to have correctly identified the villain, although there was only one tiny clue. This person . Plus the fact that in mysteries like these, it is usually a connected person, but of minor interest, whom the author then makes sure is subsequently pretty much out of the way! As my husband remarked when I told him my suspicions: “You’ve read too many of these sort of books!” I also guessed the dramatic “big shock” about 3 chapters before the end. (There are 13 chapters.) As soon as we got more details of the
If you’ve stayed with me, you will no doubt realise that I’m having a tough time rating this novel. My criticisms are myriad, but in a way they are all peripheral. It’s a great story, with good pacing, and the tension is well managed. It should be judged with its peers - mystery novels - and not against the Victorian classics I love. And looked at this way, it is above average, and deserves 4 stars.
As an addendum, and I won’t tell the details of this gruesome true story but it’s easy to find if you search under Anne Perry’s real name “Juliet Hulme”. Goodreads simply notes that she served five years in prison for murder. This was at age 15, when in brief These are the basic facts, which were unearthed by a reporter in 1994, who made the connection after Peter Jackson’s film “Heavenly Creatures” was released. The film was his interpretation of the events.
The revelation sent shock waves through the literary world, as “Anne Perry” was a much-loved author by then. Her first novel, “The Cater Street Hangman” was published in 1979, and she had published around 20 novels by the time her identity was revealed.
What is intriguing is the moral complexity of her works. In The Twisted Root she examines whether criminal acts can ever be justified by trauma or necessity. Can people change? What does redemption look like? How do we live with the worst things we’ve done? These two short quotations made me think something more was being said:
“Reality was a kind of healing - and the beginning of exerting some control over the chaos.”
“Maybe that was what madness was … something inside which the reality of the world did not touch?”
I’ve now read a book in each of Anne Perry’s most popular series. Will I read another? If one comes my way in an accessible format perhaps, but otherwise I won’t go looking.
In the Thomas Pitt series his wife Charlotte helps the rising inspector solve crimes in Victorian London. It has 32 books, set throughout his career in the 1880s–1890s. The William Monk mysteries are set a little earlier in the Victorian era than the Pitt books: 1850s–1860s, but they are also located in London. William Monk is accompanied in his mystery-solving by a volunteer nurse, Hester Latterly, who has served in the Crimean war.
William Monk first appeared as an inspector for Scotland Yard in Anne Perry’s 1990 novel “The Face of a Stranger”. There are 24 books overall and The Twisted Root, first published in 1999, is the 10th book in the series. By now Monk has been through some life-changing events, and works as a private investigator. The Twisted Root is also the first book in which William and Hester are a married couple, and we deduce from his thoughts that we are now seeing his softer side.
There are clever mentions of the back story throughout. Not enough to spoil a future read, if read out of order, but enough to intrigue - and more importantly - to add depth to the characters. We deduce very early on for instance that Monk had been a respected, although feared policeman, and some accident resulted in both his loss of memory and his dismissal. We also learn that Hester worked with Florence Nightingale in the Crimea, and is zealous in her campaign for hospital reform along the lines of her beliefs and practices.
The situation gives plenty of opportunity to examine what is expected of both a wife and a husband within Victorian society. Since both are strong-minded characters, and not averse to speaking their minds at the risk of losing their positions, it is interesting to observe life in their home. They both have to work at achieving domestic harmony (although they seem rather modern in outlook, for example a Victorian husband would hardly protest that he does not expect his wife to make him a cup of tea, as William Monk does on one occasion.) We also see much Victorian social hypocrisy regarding class, gender, and the treatment of servants within the broader story.
We are straight into the action. A young man, Lucius Stourbridge desperately begs Monk for help; distraught because his fiancée Miriam Gardiner has disappeared. The circumstances are baffling. Lucius’s wealthy parents were hosting an engagement party for the couple, and they were outside with the guests, celebrating, when Miriam abruptly fled the party in a coach. She has not been seen since, and seems to have completely vanished. Lucius has no idea where she is, or what made her run away. He is genuinely frightened for her safety, and his parents are as worried as he is. Lucius assures Monk that his parents are happy with his choice and believe that the couple are very much in love, despite the fact that Miriam is a widow, and a few years older than he is.
The warning bells ring in William Monk’s mind. All his experience points towards the fact that whatever the truth, there will be no good conclusion to this case. He is extremely reluctant to encourage Lucius in his search, and dubious about accepting the case, even though Lucius has assured him that money will be no object. What finally makes him decide in favour, against his better judgement, is that he feels very sorry for the young man. He has come to realise that he was an unpopular, over-demanding policeman, who bullied his subordinates in his quest for the truth. Monk ruefully recognises that being a newly-wed may have affected his decision; he is letting his empathy and emotions get the better of him. However he now bitterly regrets some of his unthinking behaviour to his colleagues in some of his past cases.
At the end of chapter 1 we switch to Hester’s life. Working as a nurse in a hospital, she and her friend Lady Callandra Daviot are both volunteer nurses, and equally passionate in seeking to reform standards. Hester is keen to stress the importance of hygiene, and argues that nurses should be trained to develop skills and work alongside doctors. Nurses of the time had no status; they were overworked and often slovenly and drunk, as their pittance of a pay packet was partly paid in porter.
The hospital director, Fermin Thorpe (a nicely apt first name!) is only out for his own glory, and secondarily that of the hospital, and has no respect for the nurses at all. Both Callandra and Hester want the hospital to have proper, trained nurses who would look after patients, but Thorpe is totally against it, considering nurses to be simply slatternly cleaners. He ignores any suggestions put forward for hospital reform, and only makes a pretence of listening to Lady Callandra because of her superior social class, and to Hester because she is determined and well-spoken. Otherwise as Victorian females they would be completely ignored.
This parallel thread set around Hester Monk is the basis for an intriguing subplot, with a mystery and a crime which nicely dovetails with the main story by the end. It involves This subplot reveals a network of hidden suffering and moral ambiguity in Victorian society. It is not only Hester and Lady Callandra who are committed to hospital reform. At least one other nurse, Cleo Anderson, and the hospital pharmacist Phillips are, and by the end we see that nearly all the main characters are beginning to rethink their previous blinkered attitudes:
“If we were the Christian people we pretend to be, she wouldn’t have had to take them. We would care for our own old and sick.”
Other characters share their view, across the classes, although some have even less influence:
“But when they get old we can’t be bothered. We say they’re going to die soon anyway. Wot’s the point in spending time and money on them?”
I particularly enjoyed this aspect, and feel that Anne Perry made a good attempt to convey Victorian hypocrisy in what is, after all, a mystery novel.
We can tell by now that as one of a series, the characterisation will be strong. Alongside the complicated plot, as in many modern mysteries, we become thoroughly engrossed with the psychology and motivations of the main characters. This means that it is quite a long novel, compared with say, golden age mysteries. The title, by the way, is a big clue.
While Monk investigates Miriam’s disappearance, his search leads him to As we read on, William and Hester Monk’s intertwined investigations uncover secrets involving three murders, hidden identities, and long‑buried trauma. The morally grey zone of justice is very much to the fore, as we realise to what lengths greed will push different characters, to achieve their desire.
It doesn’t seem an obvious choice to write two series where a Victorian detective is centre-stage, but the statistics prove their continued attraction for readers. So what did I, as both a regular reader of Victorian fiction and of English mysteries, think?
Well, from a modern mystery point of view, it was a great read. It had a devious plot, was slow‑building with a good structure and was rewarding to read. As we would expect from an experienced writer of genre fiction, it was a well paced page-turner. From the point of view of a period mystery however, it does not score quite so highly.
There is a convention that in historical dramas the characters talk in slightly adapted modern idiomatic English. They do not use the exact expressions of their period, or we would find it extremely stilted, and at times incomprehensible. So we accept that in a work of fiction the characters to some extent “talk like us”. However, if they use slang which is too modern, it jars.
An example here is the modern idiom “Brilliant!” which was used as an expletive by a young student of the medical profession, followed by his description of something as “marvellous”. In the 1850s - 1860s “brilliant” was indeed used figuratively - but only to describe people or actions with “admirable qualities” or “showy” intellect. It was much later, in the 1970s, that it began to be used as slang term of approval. Similarly, “marvellous” only began to be used colloquially in this way in 1924.
Also, in mid‑19th‑century Britain, a housekeeper or cook was routinely addressed as “Mrs.” even if she was unmarried. This was a formal courtesy title reflecting her senior status, not her marital state, but housekeeper is addressed throughout as “Miss Parkinson”, by junior servants, employers, our intrepid investigators and the court prosecutor alike. I realise that this kind of slip may feel of no consequence to readers who stick to mostly modern novels, but as a regular reader of Victorian fiction, I found it irksome that the author had evidently not researched these finer details of etiquette and slang.
Major critical publications such as the Guardian, The New York Times Book Review, and Publishers Weekly have all praised Anne Perry’s fiction for its rich Victorian setting and evocative historical detail. In the first half of The Twisted Root we were presented with quite a few interpolated paragraphs describing a typical street scene of the time. They felt quite authentic; she had done her research, but the trouble was that they just felt “slotted in” to add a period feel. If someone was walking down a street, you could bet that there would be one of the author’s pet set scenes, describing the hansom cabs, the sounds of street sellers, the aroma of street food, the dress of passers-by and so on. It is par for the course in a cosy mystery, and we may enjoy these little diversions … but I think Anne Perry is writing something a little more ambitious. However some readers feel that the Victorian era is strongly depicted and that it is very atmospheric. Perhaps my regular diet of Victorian novels has hampered me from enjoying this aspect.
Another convention we accept is that the characters in period fiction are really “just like us”. Well I’m sorry, but they were not! Of course on one level they share our common humanity, but social mores and the Victorian mind-set was very different. I’m not sure that Anne Perry really conveyed the Victorian mind. It feels more like transferring a 20th century character into the 19th, having told them the basics of how to behave as a Victorian.
For example, even the heroines in Victorian novels, who are usually much more independently-minded than their peers, do not brazenly challenge the males in their social milieu. At one point Hester even argues with a prosecuting counsel in court; an action which would probably get anyone reprimanded for contempt of court even now. In the novel though, it just causes a ripple of amusement round the court. It’s pure fantasy, but perhaps enjoyable enough to let pass. Another instance when the strict social etiquette was ignored was when an impoverished nurse said a gentleman’s full name without a title, when asked for a name by the prosecuting counsel Robert Tobias. Full names were used in court at that time, for instance when formalising charges or swearing in witnesses, but strict etiquette dictating the use of titles “Mr” or “ Mrs” etc followed by their last names was observed thereafter. And the idea of a witness not using the title of anyone in a superior class to herself, is ridiculous. It was done here for effect, not realism.
In a similar way, I found that the accents were not consistent. The reproduced cockney vernacular of the working class characters comes and goes. Also, the speech of middle class professionals is not consistent. Here is the intelligent, compassionate and fair police Sergeant Michael Robb speaking:
“Mrs Andersen is well known in our community for going around visiting and helping the sick, especially them that’s old and poor” and again:
“She came regular to see my grandfather, who lives with me.”
The Metropolitan police force was established in 1829, with the establishment of a detective force in 1842. During the 1850-1860s, the force was consolidating its role as a professional, full-time body to prevent crime and maintain public order. Sergeant Robb would never have spoken this way; it is not the vernacular of an educated professional.
About two thirds of the way through the novel a barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone becomes involved. Evidently he has appeared in the series before; he had wanted to marry Hester, and is still sweet on her. So we have 3 males investigating, and apart from slips, they all think and sound the same! In fact I kept having to turn back to see which one’s movements we were following at any one time. Yet one is a peer of the realm, one an established middle class professional and the third a young professional, who has pulled himself up from working class origins. Their similar way of speaking was inauthentic for their classes, and made it far too difficult to distinguish between them.
There are continuity errors, such as questioning a doctor in front of a waiting room of patients, rather than stepping inside an office. Or a reference to further questions in the mind of the person being questioned (when it was clearly in Monk’s mind instead.) These I think may be slips due to the novel being written at speed, but this is just a suspicion. There were several repeated explanations of “resurrectionist” (Victorian grave-robbers) too. Granted it is not a word in common parlance now, but readers do not have to have it defined more than once.
The worst example, which is a glaring fault to aficionados of whodunnits is info-dumping. As mentioned, Sir Oliver Rathbone is introduced two thirds of the way through the novel. By this time the two plots are very complex (and I am not going to tell you them!) The author evidently decided a good way to recap the story would be as it was told to Rathbone by Hester and William Monk. But Rathbone knew none of these 8-10 people previously. He had to be told their histories, occupations and relationships, as well as possible motives and relevance both to the crime, and also to another separate suspected crime.
So Rathbone started from scratch, and needed to be brought up to speed with everything that had happened. It is completely unrealistic to think that he would not take notes. It is patently obvious that this is a recap of the complicated plot so far for the reader - and we appreciate it. But apparently Sir Oliver Rathbone had a superhuman ability to remember it all straightaway, without any repetitions or reminders, as we are soon reading about his own investigations and private thoughts.
I was quite pleased to have correctly identified the villain, although there was only one tiny clue. This person . Plus the fact that in mysteries like these, it is usually a connected person, but of minor interest, whom the author then makes sure is subsequently pretty much out of the way! As my husband remarked when I told him my suspicions: “You’ve read too many of these sort of books!” I also guessed the dramatic “big shock” about 3 chapters before the end. (There are 13 chapters.) As soon as we got more details of the
If you’ve stayed with me, you will no doubt realise that I’m having a tough time rating this novel. My criticisms are myriad, but in a way they are all peripheral. It’s a great story, with good pacing, and the tension is well managed. It should be judged with its peers - mystery novels - and not against the Victorian classics I love. And looked at this way, it is above average, and deserves 4 stars.
As an addendum, and I won’t tell the details of this gruesome true story but it’s easy to find if you search under Anne Perry’s real name “Juliet Hulme”. Goodreads simply notes that she served five years in prison for murder. This was at age 15, when in brief These are the basic facts, which were unearthed by a reporter in 1994, who made the connection after Peter Jackson’s film “Heavenly Creatures” was released. The film was his interpretation of the events.
The revelation sent shock waves through the literary world, as “Anne Perry” was a much-loved author by then. Her first novel, “The Cater Street Hangman” was published in 1979, and she had published around 20 novels by the time her identity was revealed.
What is intriguing is the moral complexity of her works. In The Twisted Root she examines whether criminal acts can ever be justified by trauma or necessity. Can people change? What does redemption look like? How do we live with the worst things we’ve done? These two short quotations made me think something more was being said:
“Reality was a kind of healing - and the beginning of exerting some control over the chaos.”
“Maybe that was what madness was … something inside which the reality of the world did not touch?”
I’ve now read a book in each of Anne Perry’s most popular series. Will I read another? If one comes my way in an accessible format perhaps, but otherwise I won’t go looking.
March 19, 2013
I"m on an Anne Perry jag - reading one novel after the other and rather enjoying it too!
A bit of of sequence and read the one below a few years ago. The story before this dealt with opium and this ones with another ugly hidden secret of the rich and famous toward their servants.
Here's my latest:
I am a fan of Anne Perry's mysteries series as this one with William and Hester Monk set in
Victorian England. The whole setting, language, fashion styles, social and political happenings and all the uglies of the time is found in her writings. Proper (high) society to the dredge of the beyond what we know now, poverty and somewhere in between.
Ms. Perry addresses crime within the era and in fact, society does continue to have it in 2013. Sometimes the harshness of the reality of what is done is disturbing and if the writer didn't have such memorable characters and lay out the story as she does, I might turn from it. I don't.
This story is about murder, of course, and a court trial - as most of Ms. Perry's novels include- and the horrific lies told to keep an "image" and how that image is supported by high society. A woman engaged to a younger man from a wealthy family disappears with the family's footman who later is found killed. The woman is sought up one alley and down the other. Did she murder him or know who did? The young man can't believe his small fiancee would do that, nor will you believe who and why it was done.
I like Anne Perry - not all are five stars though - and will continue to read to keep up with the unfolding of the Monks and all the other characters I've grown to like or not, but continue to be interested in.
A bit of of sequence and read the one below a few years ago. The story before this dealt with opium and this ones with another ugly hidden secret of the rich and famous toward their servants.
Here's my latest:
I am a fan of Anne Perry's mysteries series as this one with William and Hester Monk set in
Victorian England. The whole setting, language, fashion styles, social and political happenings and all the uglies of the time is found in her writings. Proper (high) society to the dredge of the beyond what we know now, poverty and somewhere in between.
Ms. Perry addresses crime within the era and in fact, society does continue to have it in 2013. Sometimes the harshness of the reality of what is done is disturbing and if the writer didn't have such memorable characters and lay out the story as she does, I might turn from it. I don't.
This story is about murder, of course, and a court trial - as most of Ms. Perry's novels include- and the horrific lies told to keep an "image" and how that image is supported by high society. A woman engaged to a younger man from a wealthy family disappears with the family's footman who later is found killed. The woman is sought up one alley and down the other. Did she murder him or know who did? The young man can't believe his small fiancee would do that, nor will you believe who and why it was done.
I like Anne Perry - not all are five stars though - and will continue to read to keep up with the unfolding of the Monks and all the other characters I've grown to like or not, but continue to be interested in.
July 12, 2019
These mysteries are impossible to solve and almost impossible to put down because most of the way through the book, yo have literally no idea how it can be solved! Actually in this one I did get an inkling before the end. I was pleased with the amount of time given to William and Hester and their marriage- not too much. I felt a bit sorry for the barrister character.
March 19, 2015
Monk and Hester are now married, and beginning to build their life together, each having to make adjustments in preferences and considerations. As expected, there are some tense moments: Monk mustn't try to lay down the law, or force Hester into the role of a subservient wife, if he wants them to be happy, and she must also allow him to retain some pride and decision-making.
There continues to be medical and nursing history. Anaesthetic is now more commonplace, changing surgery for the surgeons as well as the patients. Hester, along with Florence Nightingale, is still trying to improve conditions at the hospitals and to train nurses to a higher standard, to make them skilled professionals rather than untrained, drunken cleaners. Nightingale is regarded, sentimentally, as a lady sweeping genteely through a ward at night, soothing fevered brows - rather as she is now - but is in the process of setting up her own training school (something which actually occurred in 1860, at St. Thomas' Hospital). Unfortunately Hester's hospital is not as forward-thinking.
The social issue Anne Perry focuses upon here is that of veterans: those who fought in earlier wars, and the many who are now old and poor, unable to afford the medicines they need or to go to hospital. Used and discarded, these valiant soldiers who fought at Waterloo and Trafalgar are now the vulnerable in society, and yet hospital administrators and doctors seem to discount them, leaving only a handful of people and some dedicated nurses to try to help them.
The mystery, of course, is murder, with the answer in long-buried history. Monk, Hester and Rathbone require all their skill and co-operation if they are to save their clients - if their clients are as innocent as they believe - and when the answer is finally revealed, it is the unthinkable.
There continues to be medical and nursing history. Anaesthetic is now more commonplace, changing surgery for the surgeons as well as the patients. Hester, along with Florence Nightingale, is still trying to improve conditions at the hospitals and to train nurses to a higher standard, to make them skilled professionals rather than untrained, drunken cleaners. Nightingale is regarded, sentimentally, as a lady sweeping genteely through a ward at night, soothing fevered brows - rather as she is now - but is in the process of setting up her own training school (something which actually occurred in 1860, at St. Thomas' Hospital). Unfortunately Hester's hospital is not as forward-thinking.
The social issue Anne Perry focuses upon here is that of veterans: those who fought in earlier wars, and the many who are now old and poor, unable to afford the medicines they need or to go to hospital. Used and discarded, these valiant soldiers who fought at Waterloo and Trafalgar are now the vulnerable in society, and yet hospital administrators and doctors seem to discount them, leaving only a handful of people and some dedicated nurses to try to help them.
The mystery, of course, is murder, with the answer in long-buried history. Monk, Hester and Rathbone require all their skill and co-operation if they are to save their clients - if their clients are as innocent as they believe - and when the answer is finally revealed, it is the unthinkable.
October 3, 2025
One of the weaker entries in this long-running series. I'm doing a buddy-read of this series with a GR friend. We're reading a book a month and we started with the first book. It's been fun watching our three main characters (William Monk, Hester Latterly, Oliver Rathbone) develop and grow.
Now, as for this book, the sad truth is that the plot for the main story line has holes big enough to drive a tour bus through them. In addition the baddie's motive is so very over the top as to make it unbelievable.
On the plus side, there are several side stories that were worth further exploration. One involved the plight of aged veterans who couldn't get to the hospital for medical pain relief, and the efforts of some to set up a home visit system for these forgotten survivors of the Napoleonic War.
The second involved the sordid, illegal practice of 'selling' the bodies of the poor, family-less, people who died in the paupers' clinics to medical schools and teaching hospitals for their anatomy/autopsy classes. Grave-less 'resurrectionists', as it were. I wanted to see more of that story line, even as I wondered why it even appeared in the book at all.
As the book opens William Monk and Hester Latterly are newly married. I had good time watching them settle into domesticity. No smooth sailing for them, their personalities and independent natures wouldn't allow that. The author didn't dodge Oliver Rathbone's reaction to their marriage, either.
Perry's books often have an abrupt ending. This one's ending seemed to speed to the mystery's conclusion then screech to a stop. And that was it, with barely a nod to the wrap-up of a related case.
Over all,I was disappointed in this one.
Next up, we tackle Slaves of Obsession. It's 1861 and the Civil War in the US is a major player in the story. Should be interesting.
Now, as for this book, the sad truth is that the plot for the main story line has holes big enough to drive a tour bus through them. In addition the baddie's motive is so very over the top as to make it unbelievable.
On the plus side, there are several side stories that were worth further exploration. One involved the plight of aged veterans who couldn't get to the hospital for medical pain relief, and the efforts of some to set up a home visit system for these forgotten survivors of the Napoleonic War.
The second involved the sordid, illegal practice of 'selling' the bodies of the poor, family-less, people who died in the paupers' clinics to medical schools and teaching hospitals for their anatomy/autopsy classes. Grave-less 'resurrectionists', as it were. I wanted to see more of that story line, even as I wondered why it even appeared in the book at all.
As the book opens William Monk and Hester Latterly are newly married. I had good time watching them settle into domesticity. No smooth sailing for them, their personalities and independent natures wouldn't allow that. The author didn't dodge Oliver Rathbone's reaction to their marriage, either.
Perry's books often have an abrupt ending. This one's ending seemed to speed to the mystery's conclusion then screech to a stop. And that was it, with barely a nod to the wrap-up of a related case.
Over all,I was disappointed in this one.
Next up, we tackle Slaves of Obsession. It's 1861 and the Civil War in the US is a major player in the story. Should be interesting.
January 23, 2024
Not one of my favorites as far as the mystery is concerned (saw too much of it coming too early in the story), but I did like the new Monk and Hester combination... so that made up for guessing much of the storyline in advance (which I don't always do with Anne Perry books).
(Reviewed 9/6/09)
(Reviewed 9/6/09)
August 1, 2018
A book by Anne Perry is always an entertaining story and the 10th Books as not disappoint. Hester and Monk have just returned from their honeymoon. They are slowly adjusting to their life together. Hester is a volunteer at a hospital and Monk accept a job to locate Miriam Gardiner, a young woman who disappeared from luncheon party at party celebrating her engagement to the son of the house. Monk soon finds the coach in which she fled. The coachman nearby but strangles. Hester is working to change the practice at the hospital she is volunteering. Pain drugs are missing from the drug storage area. Hester befriends an elderly soldier who is receiving pain drugs from an unidentified source. I did get tired on several times how much we owed these men for saving their country. The twists and turns the story to bring the thread together will hold your interest until the shocking end. I highly recommend this book and series.
July 31, 2020
This needed stronger editing. Repetitious scenes and repeated dialogue bog down the middle and latter half, sucking the steam out of an otherwise decent, albeit occasionally melodramatic, mystery about a mysterious woman accused of murder.
March 15, 2015
La trama es muy interesante y el final logra sorprenderte. Casi la mitad de la novela habla sobre cómo eran consideradas las enfermeras en la época victoriana, por lo que la trama de los crímenes se diluye un poco. Así y todo, la historia te atrapa y es una lectura amena.
April 13, 2026
Read for the English Mysteries Club monthly group read. I enjoyed this one so much more than the last Monk book I read, which happened to be #3, but had no issue in jumping from three to ten. I enjoyed the newly married aspect between Hester and Monk, they show so much love, respect and compassion for each other. The mystery plot was well written and a bit surprising to me at the end.
August 11, 2009
Anne Perry uses the cultural mores of the 18th century as the backdrop for her books, and in The Twisted Root the reader is delivered into a time when cultural taboos leave a woman ready to die rather than tell what she knows about three murders that she has been charged with committing. Even though the plot twists in this Perry book keep readers involved, the characters are missing the intensity of the earlier Monk books. It seems once William Monk recovered his memory and decided to settle into the domestic bliss of married life with Hester, some of the fire went out of each of them. Perry tries to rekindle that fire by depicting the inevitable conflicts, mainly unspoken, that must have been present in any 18th century marriage between an independent woman and a man who is unsure of how to define himself as the husband to this independent woman.
The major secret of the book is apparent almost from the first. The only details left hanging are how and why the villain committed the crimes and who one of the victims is.
One thing that is obvious is that the arrests and trial that play major roles in the plot bring home the inadequacies of the justice system of this time period. Evidence? What evidence? These people had motive and opportunity, so forget that there's no evidence against either of them that would stand up in a modern American court of law. I don't know how accurate that is to the reality of the time, but Perry usually does a good job of research.
One problem with all of Perry's books is her insistence on repeating things the reader already knows. How many times do we have to be reminded that Hester served as a nurse with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War? These repetitions do not further the plot and in this book they slow things down.
Still, it's interesting to get a glimpse of the reality of domestic life during this time, and to know that Hester wants to hire someone to do the cooking and the housework because she doesn't like to do it. William goes along with her because her cooking does leave something to be desired.
The major secret of the book is apparent almost from the first. The only details left hanging are how and why the villain committed the crimes and who one of the victims is.
One thing that is obvious is that the arrests and trial that play major roles in the plot bring home the inadequacies of the justice system of this time period. Evidence? What evidence? These people had motive and opportunity, so forget that there's no evidence against either of them that would stand up in a modern American court of law. I don't know how accurate that is to the reality of the time, but Perry usually does a good job of research.
One problem with all of Perry's books is her insistence on repeating things the reader already knows. How many times do we have to be reminded that Hester served as a nurse with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War? These repetitions do not further the plot and in this book they slow things down.
Still, it's interesting to get a glimpse of the reality of domestic life during this time, and to know that Hester wants to hire someone to do the cooking and the housework because she doesn't like to do it. William goes along with her because her cooking does leave something to be desired.
February 11, 2022
i had No Idea this book was going to spin on its head like that
usually i expect her books to do this (and they always do) but this time i wasnt enjoying myself much in the beginning. i usually am hooked from the start but i was going through some stuff irl and couldnt focus. but once i got to the last 3rd of the book - yall my mind was BLOWN. there was no way i would have ever seen that coming even if i was fully invested holy-
anne perry you never disappoint
usually i expect her books to do this (and they always do) but this time i wasnt enjoying myself much in the beginning. i usually am hooked from the start but i was going through some stuff irl and couldnt focus. but once i got to the last 3rd of the book - yall my mind was BLOWN. there was no way i would have ever seen that coming even if i was fully invested holy-
anne perry you never disappoint
February 2, 2012
Another enjoyable Victorian murder mystery. The author decided to take a break from worrying about the subjugation of women - in this book she frets over the neglect of aging veterans and the low prestige of the nursing profession; the latter is always a favorite topic.
Monk and Hester, together at last!
Monk and Hester, together at last!
August 18, 2019
Wow. What a doozy. It took me a while to figure out the ins and outs but I gasped audibly once I did. As always, the courtroom scenes was absolute fire. As always, the judge, the jury and the people in the gallery made me chuckle. There were some really great characters.... Old Mr. Rob, Michael Rob and Phillips the apothecary.
January 5, 2015
It's fine. I find that with these Monk books, I can pretty much always put my finger on who did it from the beginning, but then Perry spends 500 pages of narrative investigating other things before coming back at the end and pulling the rabbit out of the hat to get her "ending twist" (often with the help of coincidence). I never get a sense of progression, or the little hints along the way that help the reader to build a case. Instead it's just "who does your gut tell you Perry's picked to be the murderer" - now read 500 pages and see what unlooked-for coincidence turns up at the last moment to shockingly convict them.
If these books were really only William Monk, I wouldn't be reading them. I find him uninteresting, and the narrative is constantly telling me how brilliant and awesome he is at his job, when I don't think it proves it at all. In this book, we get the addition of some period-accurate sexism/patriarchal instincts towards his new wife Hester, which may be in character but only adds to my dislike for him. (I also think Perry rushed their relationship. I don't think they have any chemistry - again, the narrative just says they do, without showing it - and they went from vicious arguments to proposal to marriage in two seconds flat. I might buy things more if we'd had a book where they were shown to be falling in love, but that didn't happen. Proposal on last page of one book, married by first page of the next. And Monk demanding Hester be domestic. SIGH.)
Luckily, there's also Hester and Callandra and Rathbone, who are great, and minor characters as well. I love Cleo, and Henry Rathbone, and Evan, and John Robb and his grandfather. My favorite parts of this book were Hester's relationships with the Robbs and with Cleo. Really very well done.
If these books were really only William Monk, I wouldn't be reading them. I find him uninteresting, and the narrative is constantly telling me how brilliant and awesome he is at his job, when I don't think it proves it at all. In this book, we get the addition of some period-accurate sexism/patriarchal instincts towards his new wife Hester, which may be in character but only adds to my dislike for him. (I also think Perry rushed their relationship. I don't think they have any chemistry - again, the narrative just says they do, without showing it - and they went from vicious arguments to proposal to marriage in two seconds flat. I might buy things more if we'd had a book where they were shown to be falling in love, but that didn't happen. Proposal on last page of one book, married by first page of the next. And Monk demanding Hester be domestic. SIGH.)
Luckily, there's also Hester and Callandra and Rathbone, who are great, and minor characters as well. I love Cleo, and Henry Rathbone, and Evan, and John Robb and his grandfather. My favorite parts of this book were Hester's relationships with the Robbs and with Cleo. Really very well done.
March 13, 2020
4.5 Stars
rounded up to 5 Stars.
January 4, 2024
Me ha gustado porque este tipo de historias me gustan, pero sin más.
Es el segundo libro que me leo de la trama de Monk y es el que menos me ha gustado con diferencia
Es el segundo libro que me leo de la trama de Monk y es el que menos me ha gustado con diferencia
February 14, 2021
La primera novela de la autora que leo. Compre el libro solo por la sinopsis (no es poca cosa) y la verdad es que la historia es mucho más de lo que la sinopsis nos presenta. No se dejen engañar.
Comienza de manera lenta pero apresurada a la vez, nos presenta el conflicto ya en las primeras paginas pero todo se va desarrollando de manera lenta y últimamente me estoy dando cuenta que ésto es lo que hace que una novela tenga mucho mas impacto en su final. Como sucedió con Las raíces del mal.
Una historia que nos sitúa en un Londres victoriano donde a partir de la desaparición de una joven se van sucediendo diferentes hechos que se conectan entre sí, que nos sorprenderán cada vez más y que culminará con EL final. Sí. EL señor final, las últimas 100 paginas las leí en el mismo día, interrumpida por diferentes cuestiones, pero apenas terminaba de hacer lo que tenia que hacer volvía y lo retomaba.
"Las raíces del mal" es el decimo libro de la serie protagonizados por William Monk, y fue el primero que leí... por lo que puede decirles que no hay ningun problema con comenzar por el decimo y seguir con otros aunque hay ciertas cuestiones personajes de los personajes que podrían verse afectadas (nada que cambie mucho la historia principal del libro).
Algo que quiero mencionar y que no voy a dejar pasar por alto es el rol que le da a la mujer y creo que es algo muy valioso. Anne Perry nació en 1938 y cuando este libro fue publicado tendría unos 60 años. Las mujeres que se presentan en este libro no son nada parecido a lo que uno podría llegar a encontrarse en una novela victoriana. Ellas son fuertes, decididas, con valores, con HISTORIA, y con la capacidad de hacer grandes aportes a la historia. Definitivamente es algo que me maravilló.
Un libro con el cual costó engancharme, pero que a medida que agarraba ritmo y me adentraba en la historia me daba cuenta de cuán increíble era la historia que Perry nos quería transmitir.
Comienza de manera lenta pero apresurada a la vez, nos presenta el conflicto ya en las primeras paginas pero todo se va desarrollando de manera lenta y últimamente me estoy dando cuenta que ésto es lo que hace que una novela tenga mucho mas impacto en su final. Como sucedió con Las raíces del mal.
Una historia que nos sitúa en un Londres victoriano donde a partir de la desaparición de una joven se van sucediendo diferentes hechos que se conectan entre sí, que nos sorprenderán cada vez más y que culminará con EL final. Sí. EL señor final, las últimas 100 paginas las leí en el mismo día, interrumpida por diferentes cuestiones, pero apenas terminaba de hacer lo que tenia que hacer volvía y lo retomaba.
"Las raíces del mal" es el decimo libro de la serie protagonizados por William Monk, y fue el primero que leí... por lo que puede decirles que no hay ningun problema con comenzar por el decimo y seguir con otros aunque hay ciertas cuestiones personajes de los personajes que podrían verse afectadas (nada que cambie mucho la historia principal del libro).
Algo que quiero mencionar y que no voy a dejar pasar por alto es el rol que le da a la mujer y creo que es algo muy valioso. Anne Perry nació en 1938 y cuando este libro fue publicado tendría unos 60 años. Las mujeres que se presentan en este libro no son nada parecido a lo que uno podría llegar a encontrarse en una novela victoriana. Ellas son fuertes, decididas, con valores, con HISTORIA, y con la capacidad de hacer grandes aportes a la historia. Definitivamente es algo que me maravilló.
Un libro con el cual costó engancharme, pero que a medida que agarraba ritmo y me adentraba en la historia me daba cuenta de cuán increíble era la historia que Perry nos quería transmitir.
August 3, 2012
This is #10 in the Inspector Monk series, although he has not been an inspector since Book #1, and Monk and Hester are finally married. (Is that a spoiler? Sorry about that!) Marriage has not hurt them, however, and the series just keeps getting better and better; this probably should get four stars instead of three. Perry keeps coming up with these odd murders (in this case, three of them), all tied together with some terrible social injustice brought about simply because of the inequality between the high class and the low, with innocent people being charged with hideous crimes from which only Monk’s relentless pursuit of facts and Sir Oliver Rathbone’s mastery of court procedure can save them—except that, as usual, it is Hester, who solves the crime. As usual, too, we get some intriguing glimpses into life in Victorian British society, from its slums to its croquet parties in the garden, from below the stairs to the top of the stairs, from its hospitals to its courtrooms.
This one starts when an anguished young man hires Monk to find his missing fiancée, who dashed away from a pre-marriage party and disappeared with the family coach and coachman, whose body is found many miles away. With the typical extraordinary coincidences that fills Perry’s novels, Monk finds that the missing girl was raised \by a nurse from Hester’s hospital, where there is growing concern about missing drugs. Monk becomes friendly with a rural policeman who is investigating the coachman’s murder and also is taking care of a sickly grandfather, who though impoverished has a stock of medications in his cupboard. One thing leads to another, as it always does, and the story becomes as tightly wound as a strand of DNA.
This one starts when an anguished young man hires Monk to find his missing fiancée, who dashed away from a pre-marriage party and disappeared with the family coach and coachman, whose body is found many miles away. With the typical extraordinary coincidences that fills Perry’s novels, Monk finds that the missing girl was raised \by a nurse from Hester’s hospital, where there is growing concern about missing drugs. Monk becomes friendly with a rural policeman who is investigating the coachman’s murder and also is taking care of a sickly grandfather, who though impoverished has a stock of medications in his cupboard. One thing leads to another, as it always does, and the story becomes as tightly wound as a strand of DNA.
May 19, 2012
This is a splendid novel set in London in midsummer 1860. It begins with the abrupt departure and disappearance of Miriam Gardiner, a commoner, from a garden party celebrating her betrothal to Lucius Stourbridge, a younger man of considerable means. Lucius hires William Monk, an agent of inquiry, to find his fiancée. With the particulars of this mystery launched, the story switches to Monk's recent bride, Hester, who is a volunteer nurse at the North London Hospital, which has a mystery of its own - medicines are disappearing. These two plots will intertwine.
Within this historical setting, the author crystallizes progress in the past hundred and fifty years. I cringed at the subservient role of women in general back then, and the pitiful concept of the nursing profession in particular. Within this context, the author portrays determined efforts of strong minded women struggling without much wiggle room. However, to do this, there is excessive narration of the character's internal thoughts, the nuances of them, sometimes convoluted. If these were related through dialogue and body language, the read would be livelier.
Masterful plotting drives this story. Around page 204, the culprit narrows to one of two characters; an experienced mystery reader would know which one. But why? Later, the author, instead of adding some implausible twist, explicitly eliminates cute surprises and gives the reader subtle clues, which keeps you turning pages, trying to figure the TWISTED relationships of secrets within secrets. This is edge of your seat plausible complexity with historical subtext.
Within this historical setting, the author crystallizes progress in the past hundred and fifty years. I cringed at the subservient role of women in general back then, and the pitiful concept of the nursing profession in particular. Within this context, the author portrays determined efforts of strong minded women struggling without much wiggle room. However, to do this, there is excessive narration of the character's internal thoughts, the nuances of them, sometimes convoluted. If these were related through dialogue and body language, the read would be livelier.
Masterful plotting drives this story. Around page 204, the culprit narrows to one of two characters; an experienced mystery reader would know which one. But why? Later, the author, instead of adding some implausible twist, explicitly eliminates cute surprises and gives the reader subtle clues, which keeps you turning pages, trying to figure the TWISTED relationships of secrets within secrets. This is edge of your seat plausible complexity with historical subtext.
January 3, 2014
A very intense plot involving two story arcs that do merge. The first is about a missing widow, Miriam Gardiner, who has vanished on the day that she is celebrating her engagement to young Lucius Stourbridge. Missing along with her is the family coachman along with the carriage and horses. When the man is found with his head bashed in, suspicions fall on Miriam, being the last person to see him alive, but when Lucius' mother is found in her bedroom with her head crushed, Miriam is arrested. And she appears doomed to hang -- for she will say nothing in her defense. In a parallel tale, Hester is continuing to volunteer at the hospital but her attempts to modernize the care for patients and nurses' training is halted by a bureaucratic director. Then she finds out that one of the nurses is stealing morphine. Does Hester turn her in, or will she try to find the real truth? It's a fairly good novel, and has a nicely complex plot, but the reason why this didn't get five stars was that I was able to figure out who did the killing early on. I hate it when that happens. Overall four stars and a recommendation. Oh yes -- Hester and Monk have finally married.
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Anne_P...
For the longer review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Anne_P...
March 9, 2010
Yet again, Anne Perry does it! This book is my favourite of all her mysteries. I love the Monk Series best of all. The Twisted Root grips from the beginning, and won't let go, even after you've finished! Every character is convincing and exciting, making it hard to guess who did the dirty deed.
I highly recommend it!
I highly recommend it!
November 10, 2023
After a disappointing “in the style of Anne Perry” book, I started re-reading the Monk series when Libby can’t find something to interest me. There may be some faults in Perry’s writing, but she writes eloquently. She has the grasp of Victorian life and sensibilities; has interesting stories that bring characters and situations to life.
May 18, 2017
William Monk and Hester Latterly are now married. The story is in the general mold of the series in that the first half is the setting of the scene with Monk trying to locate a runaway fiance. This inevitably leads to the first of the bodies and the arrest of Miriam and her step mother Cleo Anderson for murder. Oliver Rathbone is then brought in to fight the case with little to go on but as the trial unfolds so do the clues unearthed by William and Hester.
Now well into the series the writing seems to flow much better and there are less loose ends in the story. Good descriptions of the life of the classes that very much marks London life of the mid 1800's.
About 3.5 for this one though I scored 4.
Now well into the series the writing seems to flow much better and there are less loose ends in the story. Good descriptions of the life of the classes that very much marks London life of the mid 1800's.
About 3.5 for this one though I scored 4.
August 14, 2024
Of the 10 in this series, I favored 3 or 4 over the others, but this is my favorite of the 10. A spell binding story of why the bride to be ran away and I was frustrated along with her lawyer, as to why she faced terror and hanging for a murder that she would not talk about at all! Wow what a story.
May 25, 2025
Very much enjoyed this, didn't realize when I first saw this suggested on Libby that it was part of a series. Will look for and start with the first one. Had forgotten how much I used to enjoy mystery as a genre and had shifted to primarily sci-fi/fantasy many years ago. I was looking up Thomas Perry (unrelated, mystery author who I very much enjoy reading) and her name also came up.
March 20, 2019
Excellent writing. This is my first Anne Perry book. #10 in the Mr. Monk series. I would read more of this series, the characters are interesting.
August 15, 2020
Got the right guy. Totally missed the motive. Not even in the ballpark.
That's the thing with Anne Perry- she makes you walk through the process one step at a time, no wild leaps, no tech gadgets solving the puzzle at the ninth hour, just good solid characters and good solid stories.
That's the thing with Anne Perry- she makes you walk through the process one step at a time, no wild leaps, no tech gadgets solving the puzzle at the ninth hour, just good solid characters and good solid stories.
October 15, 2021
Un bon suspense un peu desservi par une fin tirée par les cheveux
November 6, 2022
Audio-borrowed from Hoopla
Narrator: Terrance Hardiman
3.5 stars
Narrator: Terrance Hardiman
3.5 stars
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