I've really enjoyed the books I read by Anne Perry and I can't wait to continue reading this series. The fact that there are so many books out only makes me more enthusiastic.Although the summary above mentions Monk as the main detective in this case the truth is that Hester Latterly does most of the investigation. She has been employed to nurse a military man who has broken his leg and, when she story opens, she is waiting to meet her friend Edith Sobell. Edith is General Carlyon's sister and she asks Hester's hell in finding a good lawyer for her sister-in-law Alexandra after she confesses to killing her husband. Hester finds Rathbone who, in turn, hires Monk to find out what really happened.Although at first the characters entertain the idea that Alexandra may have confessed to protect the real killer, it is soon apparent that she is the only one with opportunity to do it. So the investigation ends up not being about whom but about the why as no one believes the reason Alexandra gives.While Monk is the one hired to discover the truth he keeps getting distracted with memories from his past. Visiting Alexandra Carlyon in prison makes him remember another woman in the same circumstances. A woman he can't remember the name but that he knows he cared about deeply. So the main investigation gets a bit side tracked while he goes off to discover who the woman is. I can't help but enjoying the way Perry makes Monk discover his past, he keeps discovering he may not have been a very good person and feels ashamed and embarrassed by it. We are yet to find out what turned him into someone different.So, it is Hester, due to her ties with the Carlyons who ends up discovering the secrets that are the key to Alexandra's behaviour. I really enjoyed the whole investigative details, how we are given clues throughout the book that make sense in the end, but I especially liked the scenes in the courtroom. Rathbone is a very good lawyer and Perry is excellent at describing these scenes, it felt we were with Hester and Monk sitting right there and watching the jury reach their conclusions.As usual I think she does a really good job with the atmosphere of the period and inserting details of social, military and economic history. She really brings the period to life. She teases us a bit with a romance between Rathbone and Hester but then, right at the end, it seems it is Monk that is looking at Hester with new eyes. Looking forward to see that development.Grade: 4.5/5
The pacing is slow, but that seems to reflect the clue-gathering of Monk and Hester, which primarily consisted of painstakingly questioning and requestioning people. At times, I grew frustrated that no one picked up on certain things like questioning Damaris pn WHY she was so upset that night or even that she might not have considered it extremely coincidental that the murder happened the very night she discovered something horrible. I did figure out the motive long before it was revealed by the author, but I didn't know the identity of the other criminals and the final courtroom scene was riveting. There were some wonderful quotes in this book too: "When we are happy to turn from evil because it is ugly, and causes us distress, then we condone it and become party to its continuance. Little by little, we become as guilty of it as those who commit the act - because we have told them by our silence that it is acceptable." "She does not understand virtue as a positive thing - generosity, patience, courage, kindness -- only as the freedom from taint."(Some adult content and language)
What do You think about Defend And Betray (1993)?
This book suffered a little from rereading: there were clues in people's behavior on the night of the murder that were inexplicably not followed up for chapters, despite multiple mentions. There were a few leaps of logic, and at least one plot point I would have suggested editing out. I'm no expert on British law of the period, but some of the courtroom rulings seemed a little capricious or unlikely to me. Monk's retracing of his past seemed occasionally irresponsible in the face of his other duties. And let's not get into the 9 instances of the word "aquiline" that I counted.However, it still works both as a mystery/courtroom drama and a rather searing commentary on Victorian society. I enjoy the Monk books partially for their flawed, human main characters and partly for the courtroom aspect. In these, Perry continues the story into the potentially frustrating and unjust world of Victorian law, with satisfying dramatic results. In general, I enjoy Perry's nuanced characterizations -- almost no one is fully innocent in her books, and most guilty parties have reasons, passions, ample humanity mixed with their turpitude. In this one, the drama comes from untenable situations as well as flawed and floundering humans, and I still found these compelling the second time around.
—Felicity
Hester's friend Edith meets her in the park the day after her brother met his death after falling over a banister. Soon after his wife confesses it was no accident and she in fact murdered him. Her stated motive is nonsense so Edith ask Hester for a lawyer. Of course it is Rathbone who in turn hires Monk to investigate. Nasty secrets of the family are uncovered which the widow is willing to die for rather than reveal. Monk and Hester of course uncover the truth and it is worse even than the widow had realized. I figured out her motive about the time Hester did but did not see the rest of the situation. I don't know that I could have handled any more but I wish there had been a bit more resolution - a little romance seemed to be blooming, the fate of the children, the consequences of the big motive.
—Argum
I like this series with William Monk. The storyline is about a woman who kills her husband and no one believes her reason for doing it except the law. Monk gets involved again through Hester and investigates the crime. I will not tell you what happens but I liked the twists and turns. I like the way that Perry is slowly maturing or developing Monk to be a better human being. I'm glad she didn't find it convenient to get his memory back at the end of one of the books, he gets to slowly learn about himself and realize he wants to be better than he was. I also like the slow way she is developing the character of Hester--that is all I'm going to say no spoilers. My only quibble with this storyline was that I found it hard to believe that none of them figured out who the third person was....they kept alluding to the possible person's access but didn't put two and two together. Yet that is a minor thing. Enjoyed the book.
—Krishna Shah
