Rating: 
Summary: Nice Debut to a Good Series!
Review: I went through the Pitt series first and picked up the Monk series with some trepidation...after twenty-odd books the Pitts were all beginning to look alike. I was pleasantly surprised by "The Face of a Stranger" and the Monk series remains one of my favorites.Actually, it *is* possible to incur brain injury erasing memory but not touching your skills. We learned in class here at university about that, as they involve two separate areas of the brain. There are folks that can't remember yesterday but can still beautifully play the piano, perform surgery, etc. True, some of Monk's amnesia is a bit selective, but this is a work of fiction and thus does entail inclusion of some possibly not-perfectly-realistic elements. Monk's a great character, if not one easy to like. Flawed and all-too-human, it's also fun to watch his development through later books, so don't give up on him after "Face". Thomas Pitt was a *little* too perfect for my taste, so I rather like the darker character Monk presents. It's also a relief that Monk does not spontaneously recover his memory in a common author's cop-out. Also, Hester Latterly's the perfect foil for him, and their clashes are always amusing to read in each book, right from that first meeting in the countryside. The mystery itself is interesting, and I noted that Ms. Perry once said that she intended for this to be a one-time book and not a series, intending to have Monk be the killer. I'm very glad she decided not to abandon him, even if he needs a good reality check at times. Not the absolute best of the Monk series, but a spirited and promising beginning to a great series.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Debut to a Good Series!
Review: I went through the Pitt series first and picked up the Monk series with some trepidation...after twenty-odd books the Pitts were all beginning to look alike. I was pleasantly surprised by "The Face of a Stranger" and the Monk series remains one of my favorites. Actually, it *is* possible to incur brain injury erasing memory but not touching your skills. We learned in class here at university about that, as they involve two separate areas of the brain. There are folks that can't remember yesterday but can still beautifully play the piano, perform surgery, etc. True, some of Monk's amnesia is a bit selective, but this is a work of fiction and thus does entail inclusion of some possibly not-perfectly-realistic elements. Monk's a great character, if not one easy to like. Flawed and all-too-human, it's also fun to watch his development through later books, so don't give up on him after "Face". Thomas Pitt was a *little* too perfect for my taste, so I rather like the darker character Monk presents. It's also a relief that Monk does not spontaneously recover his memory in a common author's cop-out. Also, Hester Latterly's the perfect foil for him, and their clashes are always amusing to read in each book, right from that first meeting in the countryside. The mystery itself is interesting, and I noted that Ms. Perry once said that she intended for this to be a one-time book and not a series, intending to have Monk be the killer. I'm very glad she decided not to abandon him, even if he needs a good reality check at times. Not the absolute best of the Monk series, but a spirited and promising beginning to a great series.
Rating: 
Summary: Well-worth reading
Review: In this book, William Monk wakes in a hospital in Victorian London with no memory of who he is or even what he looks like. This devastatingly frightening condition is no match for Monk though; his deep-seated instincts, which made him a formidable police detective (as he learns is his profession), lead him to slowly figure out, little by little, who he is and allow him solve a brutal murder. Anne Perry provides a good mystery with a twist. I really liked the way she provided insight into Monk's thought process, fear and confusion while trying to discover all he can about himself. I gave this book four stars instead of five only because I guessed ahead of time a significant plot point; however, this book is still a four star novel because I was surprised by the ending and was very impressed and fascinated by the way Perry introduces her characters, lets us get one impression of each, and then provides more in-depth information and personality development. This book will pull you right in!
Rating:
Summary: A Man with a Secret
Review: Inspector Monk is one of the most riveting figures you will ever come across in Victorian mysteries. Initially, I was not sure that I would like this Anne Perry series because of the initial premise (Monk has had an accident and cannot remember his own identity or anything about his past life) nor was I sure I would like a series without Charlotte Ellison Pitt! I was drawn in immediately by Perry's amazing ability to explore the secrets that can reside within the most seemingly secure and blameless households. The Inspector Monk novels (of which this is the first) are darker and more gritty than the Pitt novels. There are few veils between the cruel and dangerous world of mid-century London and the reader, which gives the novels a faster pace and often more complicated plots. While some readers have taken issue with the amnesiatic Inspector Monk, I feel that his lack of awareness about his own past is a metaphor for the blindness his social betters are willing inflict upon themselves in order to keep up appearances. Monk's desire to KNOW, however, provides an interesting point of comparison with the people he must investigate who seem not to want to know anything at all that will make their lives unpleasant. I have spoken more about character than plot in this review, and that is largely because Anne Perry's mysteries seem to me to pivot on their protagonists's characters. The plot of this novel, and the mysteries at the center of it, do not disappoint any more than the characters. As Monk tries to untangle his own personal mysteries, he is expected to get to the bottom of a mystery that involves death, financial ruin, and the closely-guarded secrets of some very proper families.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Premise!
Review: Interesting twist to the normal murder mystery plot. Nice character development made all the richer by the setting in Victorian England. I couldn't put it down! Can't wait to read more Ann Perry Novels and learn more about William Monk!!
Rating:
Summary: Great start to a series(Monk).
Review: Introduction to a series which obviously became rather popular. This offering peaked my curiosity enough to read the second in the series. However, that is where I had to stop.
Rating: 
Summary: Dreadful.
Review: Ms. Perry's depiction of post-traumatic head injury is completely irresponsible. She apparently did no research at all. Amnesia of the type she describes here does not exist. Thus, the underlying premise of this book unbelievable, even infuriating, to anyone with the most basic knowledge of brain injury. In addition to this, Monk's investigative skills are virtually nonexistent. His interviews with informants and suspects are fragmentary and incomplete. Suspense is not built, action is nearly absent, and the eventual solution is anticlimactic. Laden with turgid prose, this book is absolutely dreadful.
Rating:
Summary: A real murderer writes novels about murders...
Review: Soon after I picked this book, and actually before I got down to reading it, a friend saw it and informed me *whose* book I bought, without knowing. He revealed to me that Anne Perry's name used to be Juliet Hulme, and that in 1950s, along with her teenage friend, she murdered her own mother with a brick, committing a crime that shocked New Zealand. ...It turned out that Perry's identity has been known for a long time but still, her books were published. I would say it made me sick, but then, when Charles Manson gets his own record, perhaps I shouldn't complain. Still, I can't get over this fact and cannot judge this book without judging its author, and I know I will never buy another book by Perry, not to support a killer. I just wonder - when writing about murdering people,does Perry write about her own supressed fantasies?
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS BOOK
Review: The best Anne Perry book I've ever read! Character development that creates compassion and intrigue. Sometimes Perry takes you on an amazing ride that fizzles out in the end, but this story delivers interest and meaning through to the very end. If you like mysteries, you'll LOVE it. If you like historical fiction, you'll LOVE it. If you like good stories, you'll LOVE it.
Rating:
Summary: READ THIS BOOK
Review: The best Anne Perry book I've ever read! Character development that creates compassion and intrigue. Sometimes Perry takes you on an amazing ride that fizzles out in the end, but this story delivers interest and meaning through to the very end. If you like mysteries, you'll LOVE it. If you like historical fiction, you'll LOVE it. If you like good stories, you'll LOVE it.
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