Perry, Anne – DARK ASSASSIN

[LJ Roberts]

DARK ASSASSIN (Historical-Police Procedural-London-1863) – VG
Perry, Anne – 15^th in series
Ballantine Books, 2006-US Hardcover – ISBN: 0345469291

First Sentence: Waterloo Bridge loomed in the distance as William Monk settles himself more comfortably in the bow of the police boat.

William Monk is now an Inspector with the Thames River police. London is building a new sewer system after The Great Stink of 1858. While on boat patrol, Monk and his men see a couple arguing and both go into the polluted Thames which kills them. But what did they see? Was it an accident that became a fatal accident? A murder and the killer dies with the victim? A suicide and the man dies trying to save the woman? The woman’s death is proclaimed a suicide. Monk doesn’t believe anyone who was working so hard to clear her father’s reputation, after he also died of a supposed suicide, and provide he was right in believing the way in which the sewers were being built was dangerous would take their own life. Monk even joins forces with his old nemeses, Superintendent Runcorn.

Ms. Perry continues to impress me with her writing. Her ability to take an historic event and build an interesting, suspenseful story around it is unsurpassed. She creates fascinating characters and makes them real; not only Monk and Hester, is wife, but Scuff, the street urchin who feels responsible for Monk, and Sutton the ratcatcher and his dog, Snoot. Each of the characters is brought to live and image under Ms. Perry’s writing. I am always delighted to find the newest book by Ms. Perry.