Funeral in Blue

Rating:
Summary: Monk investigates the murder of two beautiful women.
Review: I used to be a fan of Anne Perry's novels, especially the Monk series. However, for the last few years, I haven't bothered to read her new books, since they have become rather formulaic. I decided to pick up this one to see if anything has changed.

"Funeral in Blue" is another in the series of William Monk mysteries set in Victorian England. William Monk is a former policeman who is now a private investigator, and Hester Latterly, his wife, is a nurse who is married to Monk. In "Funeral in Blue," two women are murdered in the studio of an artist, Argo Allardyce. One of the women, Elissa Beck, is the wife of Kristian Beck, a respected physician with whom Hester has worked. The other woman is an artist's model. Both women were strangled, although the police have no idea why they were killed or who did it. Hester has a personal interest in this case, since her good friend, Callandra Daviot, secretly loves Dr. Beck and Callandra is anxious that he not be blamed for the homicides.

In an implausible scenario, Monk joins forces with his old enemy, Runcorn, a policeman who is in charge of the homicide investigation. Monk and Runcorn interview everyone who has a connection to the case, and ultimately Dr. Beck is arrested, since his alibi for the night of the murders doesn't hold up. In addition, it turns out that Dr. Beck had a strong motive for wishing his wife dead.

During the course of the investigation, Monk visits Vienna, Austria, to explore the roots of Elissa's relationship with Kristian. Elissa and Kristian had fought in the revolution that took place in that city thirteen years earlier. Complicating matters further, Hester's sister-in-law, Imogen Latterly, had a connection with Elissa Beck that may have a bearing on Elissa's death.

As is usual in Perry's novels, most of the book consists of a series of repetitious interviews in which the investigators try to ferret out who is telling the truth and who is lying. Nothing much happens until the end, when the murderer is finally unmasked. The solution is implausible and it comes completely out of left field.

Unfortunately, Perry does little to explore the relationship of Monk and Hester. The couple spends very little time together and Hester and Monk seem more like good friends than husband and wife. The characters in "Funeral in Blue" are rather bland and the pacing is slow. What Perry does well is describe the atmosphere of Victorian London. The city itself is the best and most lively character in the book. If Perry had imbued her characters with as much life as she does the city of London, "Funeral in Blue" would have been a much more compelling mystery.

Rating:
Summary: Very readable
Review: Simply put. Likeable and interesting characters. Great period of time. Wouldn't call this a high-octane read, but enjoyable. Liked it enough to look into other Anne Perry novels.

Rating:
Summary: A SUPERBLY NUANCED READING
Review: Talented actor/director David Colacci gives a superbly nuanced reading to the 11th Victorian thriller by tireless Anne Perry. Much to the delight of her band of fans Ms. Perry brings back Hester and William Monk.

As many recall, William is a private investigator who has no recall of his life prior to an accident that occurred some six years ago. Hester, William's wife who once toiled along side Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War, is a nurse for Vienna born Dr. Kristian Beck whose wife, Elissa, and a second woman are brutally murdered in an artist's studio. Is the good doctor the killer as many are prone to believe? Or, is Elissa's untimely death tied to her time as a freedom fighter during Austria's mid nineteenth century revolution?

The Monks are called upon to solve this mystery by Lady Callandra who can barely conceal her love for Dr. Beck.

Once again Ms. Perry excels at her descriptions of period London as well as recalling social inequities that darkened England during those years.