The Face of a Stranger

William Monk doesn’t remember his name. He doesn’t remember his life, his past, who he is and what he’s like. Those who know him tell him he’s a detective with the police, but Monk can’t remember having anything to do with the police. In fact, he doesn’t even remember his family, or his childhood. When he looks in the mirror, he sees a stranger, not his own face. But he must hide his lack of memory if he’s to discover who he is. Life as a detective may give him some insight as to who he is. But then he is put on the most difficult case – the case of Major Joscelin Grey, who has been beaten to death in his own appartment, and then further beaten after he was dead. As Monk tries to hide his loss of memory, he must solve show more the two cases thrust upon him – Major Grey’s as well as his own – at the cost of much more than anyone can fathom.

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I’m utterly impressed. What a story – what characters – what a murder and a way to solve it. I’ve read one other Anne Perry novel (Buckingham Palace Gardens) and was completely engrossed. I expected to love this one….and boy, did I!

I’ll start with the characters. You know those characters that you love from the moment you meet them? Well, here’s one that I loved from page one…literally. I loved him when he was waking in darkness, all alone, with no memory. I wanted to be his friend, to see him well, to watch him build success after such an accident – such a downfall. His name is William Monk. All of Anne Perry’s characters are very humanized, to say the least. They all feel - love, hate. They cry and laugh. They all struggle with something deeper than the surface. And while it is fascinating to see this in her other characters, with William Monk, it was a treat, a desert to be savored. We watch him as he is seeing himself – as though for the first time, with no recollection of the past. We are a part, from the very beginning, of his self-discovery. We see what he sees, understand what he understands. We are kept in the dark and we are captivated by the newness of Monk’s life as it is to him, however old or young he may be. The rest of Anne Perry’s characters, while not seen from this angle and depth, are all so well drawn out that within a few sentences about them, you feel as though you know them, and yet you have a fascination to learn evern more.

I really enjoyed Evan’s character as well, and the part he plays in the story. He’s a young, new detective who looks up to the brilliant William Monk with an innocence that makes him human. As you watch Monk and the story unfolding, you also see what it’s like to be a newbie detective in Victorian England. Evan affected Monk’s character in ways that I loved – but you’ll have to read the book to see for yourself!

The story line here is interesting and quite original. (There have been books about lost memories before, and there will be more, I’m sure, but this had something unique to it.) While it fluctuates from being a page-turner to just your average mystery novel, it never lost my interest…not once. And I never felt lost about what was going on. Even with twists in the story and new additions of suspects and characters, I felt on top of the case and ready to kick some murderer-butt.

And then there is the writing…. It’s smooth, like melted chocolate – and it tastes just as good. She writes simply, elegantly, and with a class and style that is a God-given gift. The quote that I posted last week is an example of her perfect and realistic descriptions. I read this and I immediately cared for the woman she was describing – and I didn’t even know her name. (Her dialogue is also realistic and very intriguing. It’s very right for the time period.)

Oh, and the end… Don’t even get me started on how shocked and excited and nervous I got.

So would I recommend this book? Yes: to anyone (probably older teen to adult) who can read. It’s captivating, realistic (that’s another thing – Anne Perry doesn’t hold back on her crimes, which is also the reason I recommend it to older teens), and intense. And there’s Monk – need I say more? I think we’ve established this, by now, that he’s my favorite character. And one word I would use to describe this book: exquisite. (Like melted chocolate.) This book is especially wonderful if you’re looking for a mystery with the feel of Sherlock Holmes – except one that’s longer and has more depth. You’ll get that…and a story that relies deeply on the patterns of human nature to solve crimes, which makes for a very interesting case. show less

A man wakes in hospital with no memory. He is told that he is a detective and must solve the murder of one of the gentry.

And so William Monk sets out, not only trying to solve a case in class-ridden Victorian England, but to discover what sort of a man he himself is, while trying to keep his secret hidden from others for fear of losing his livelihood.

Great idea for a novel, giving us at least 3 mysteries for the price of one. And allowing Perry to reveal through Monk’s fresh eyes, the constraints of a society following the Crimean war. Class & sexism & the difficulties of a police-force, considered tradesmen, trying to open the doors to reveal the secrets of their ‘betters’.

An entertaining read with memorable characters & show more interesting period detail. show less

There is a reason why Anne Perry is so widely read. She is able to with only a few words convey the atmosphere and predicament of the character. She quickly establishes that Monk, the main character, is in a serious predicament when he wakes with out his memory in a Victorian hospital. He struggles through out the novel to solve the murder of a prominent London citizen, while piecing together his own past.

Not only do you feel the deep distress Monk does, she also develops her secondary characters fully in their own right. Her female characters in particular have strong dialogue of their own. My favourite quote being,
" I like clever men." Her eyes raked him up and down. " It seems we are both to be disappointed."

The only problem I had show more with the book was repetition. Several times Monk's inner monologue is filled with repetitions about his memory loss. These can cover pages with the same thoughts being echoed over and over again. Yes, it is important to demonstrate the characters distress, but is it really necessary to reiterate it in full every chapter.

The atmosphere, strong characters, both male and female, and the pithy dialogue I will be continuing to read more of her back catalogue. show less

This was one of my mother's favorite series. I had never read any of it..don't know why I hadn't...but while going through some of her books to keep and to donate...I found that she had 20 of the 24 books in this series. So instead of finishing this task I sat down to read. I became captivated with the character of William Monk who William Monk looks in the mirror, and doesn't know the man looking back at him. A horrible injury has erased his memory of most things but he does remember that he is a London police detective, and a not very popular one with his superior, who can't wait to show him the back side of the door. Monk's personality is questionable at best but as the layers are peeled away a smart and gifted investigator is show more revealed. Monk finds that he doesn't like some of what he learns about himself, like the fact that he has very few friends outside or inside of his work place and even fewer of his superiors who would go out of their way to aid him. The ending is emotional as this man learns that even he doesn't much care for the man in the mirror. I see why my mother loved this series. I will certainly make use of the other 19 that I now own. show less

I've read a few of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels by Anne Perry and was intrigued by other readers' comments that they enjoyed the Monk series better, so thought to give them a try.

The historical and societal background is well-written and detailed. I was happy with the pace of the novel overall, but occasionally it was a bit slow.

What I really admired was the device of introducing Monk to the reader as having lost his memory. As Monk struggles to piece himself back together, the reader learns a lot about him, his temperament and lifestyle as well. It's simply brilliant.

What I wasn't overwhelmed by was the plot itself, especially in the beginning when we are trying to discover the motive for the murder. When it's actually show more revealed, it's pretty good really. The denouement is a bit rushed, after all the painstaking lead up.

I think Monk will grow on me as I continue with the series and look forward to his interactions with the recurring characters. A good start to what I gather is a long series of historical mysteries. I look forward to the next book. show less

I've read all of Anne Perry's Monk books, and a few of her Pitt books. I have to say that by the end of each of the Monk stories, the overall feeling is _emotional exhaustion_. The story is always very compelling, and the settings are excellent, but it's the characters that run the show.

Monk is a particularly complicated man, psychologically speaking, and the author devotes a lot of time delving into his head. The other main characters who get the cerebral treatment are fascinating, as well. They all interact during each book, and it usually ends up in a very tense court scene.

So, I would not want to read them all together, straight in a row -- not because they are grisly (they aren't) or boring, but because I would need time in show more between to rest!

Other authors to try, as well: Boris Akunin, Barbara Cleverly, Jane Jakeman show less

Themes: identity, crime, war, family, secrets, memory, class
Setting: Victorian England

Now I remember why I don't read Anne Perry anymore. I don't really like her writing. This book sounded like a change from her Thomas/Charlotte Pitt series, which I did enjoy at one time. I just got a little tired of reading about the seamy side of Victorian life, and she explored deviance in all its forms, the worst crimes she could imagine, and on and on and on. There wasn't much to smile about in her books, ever. But this is about a different character, so it was possible that it would be enjoyable.

Nope.

This is a classic example of how NOT to write a mystery, IMO. It starts with Detective William Monk awaking in a hospital to find that he is very show more weak, injured, and that he doesn't remember anything at all, even his name or how he got there. He returns home and searches for clues all over his flat to find anything that will help trigger a memory. When nothing helps, he goes to visit his sister. On his return to London, he gets sent to investigate a crime that occurred the same night he had his accident, the murder of a popular gentleman with a titled family. Someone beat Joscelin Gray to death.

So far, it could have been a good book. We've got both the mystery of Monk's past and the mystery of murder. But the writing was so darn bad that I really couldn't finish the book. I was listening to it, which means that it took stinking forever to finish, so I finally gave up and got a paper copy at the library so I could skim through to the end.

The main thing that turned me off was the way the writer stuck interior monologue in the middle of PRACTICALLY EVERY CONVERSATION! So Monk is questioning someone, and then randomly thinks, "I wonder what kind of man I was before my accident. I wonder if I liked music. Did I have a girlfriend? Did I like pie? Why can't I remember?" and on, and on, and on, while the actual conversation just sort of hangs there until Monk comes to his senses and starts paying attention again.

And the other main character, Hester Latterly, does the same thing. She'll be listening to some discussion of the Crimean war and have a flashback to her service there as a nurse and we'll get a page of her reminiscences. I know we all do that from time to time, let our minds wander now and then, but it's really super boring to listen to! Even reading it was bad enough, but at least then I could skip ahead a couple of paragraphs.

I know that this series, and her other one, have some fans, but I am not reading anymore by this author. One series is too dark, and this one is too dumb. The writing itself is not very good and the style is extremely irritating. 1 star. show less