I am a fan of Anne Perryā€™s series about William Monk. This is book #14 and it held my attention just like the other books.

Monk is hired to find stolen cargo - stolen right from the ship. A sailor on board was murdered but the owner wants the cargo found more than the murder solved. He is hired by Clement Louvain. Solving a crime on the waterfront is very different than in the city. Monk learns a lot with the help of Scuff and Crow. Even the River Police Captain Durban.

Good descriptions of life on the wharf. And the battling of a deadly disease.

Hester is busy at the clinic in Portpool Lane. There are many women coming in with illnesses and more help is needed and more supplies. Hester is wearing herself put taking care of everyone. Margaret finds help in unexpected places. One sick woman (Ruth Clark) brings unexpected illness.

Characters: Sir Oliver Rathbone and Miss Margaret Ballinger are getting more serious.
Lady Callandra is off to Vienna to marry Dr. Kristian Beck. Good for her and yet I enjoyed her character so I will miss reading about her.

Mr. Sutton, the rat catcher, is such a good character.
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Monk's intro to consulting must move into high gear to deal with the Thames scene. Monk's search for some missing ivory takes him deep into an alternate London environment the Thames River area. Lots of bumps and bruises acquired before he sorts it out with some assistance from the River Police. Meanwhile, Hester is dealing with plague in her neighborhood care center. A family connection leads to several tragic deaths before both difficult scenarios are brought to a final but not pleasant end. ( )

This series just gets better and better. Monk has to find a stolen cargo of ivory tusks and the murderer of the man who was guarding it. Esther is still working in her clinic for women of the streets when a man brings a seriously ill woman to her, the same man who hired Monk.
Monk and Hester are such a perfect couple, each so strong in their own way, and this book tests the boundaries of their relationship in a new and scary way. Hester especially must deal with soul-wrenching issues while Monk tests himself in a new area, the Thames river, all the time worrying about his wife.
Oliver and Margaret make appearances, adding to their story. It was nice to see the stoic Oliver in a new and better light. Callandra makes a brief appearance; I'm glad for her and hope it's not the last we'll see of her.
There are some new characters that I really enjoyed: a rat catcher and a mudlark. I had no idea about the River Police, but I found that whole idea interesting and looked up more about their history. I always learn something from this series.
Another great read. On to book 15. ( )

Resisted reading for a couple days because I have been so disappointed in the last several books.

What a pleasant and welcome surprise this book was!!

Great mystery, well developed characters, good sub plots, good dialogue.

Well done, Anne Perry ( )

William and Hester Monk continue to struggle financially - Monk trying to earn enough for their living expenses while Hester donates her talents and efforts to a women's clinic for sick prostitutes. As the story opens, Monk is accepting a job, unlike his normally inquiries into murder but instead trying to recover a stole cargo. Meantime, Hester and her fellow volunteers are put into a precarious position by non-other than the same man as Monk is working for.

The plot twists and intricacies take the reader on a emotional roller coaster, first with Monk in trouble, then Hester, then the entire clinic.

The story was fantastic! ( )