A Sudden, Fearful Death

By: Anne Perry

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 16 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Anne Perry's Victorian murder mysteries have enthralled millions with their evocative atmosphere and finely-crafted suspense. Now, in this mesmerizing best seller, the star of these mysteries, Inspector William Monk, returns to solve the most heartbreaking case of his career.

Prudence Barrymore braved the horrors of war to nurse the wounded on the battlefronts of the Crimea. Shortly after she returned to England, she was strangled to death in a hospital. Inspector Monk is instantly convinced that her death was not a random act of violence, but a deliberately-plotted murder.

Who would murder the courageous young nurse? And why? With the help of Prudence's friend, Nurse Hester Latterly, Inspector Monk works feverishly to find the answers. In an explosive courtroom confrontation, he will expose a cunning murderer, and a horrifying evil that threatens every woman in England.

For all Inspector Monk fans, and for all listeners encountering this extraordinary mystery series for the first time, A Sudden, Fearful Death is an unforgettable listening experience.

©1993 Anne Perry (P)1996 Recorded Books, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Anne Perry's mysteries, set in Victorian England and featuring William Monk and Hester Latterly, are engrossing....Anne Perry and Davina Porter seem made for each other. Porter reads in a manner that enhances the story and completely immerses the listener in the various characters, no matter what their sex or station in life. She captures the essence of each person's voice as the novel moves from an arrest to a trial and a surprising conclusion" (AudioFile)

Oh, yummy, yummy -- another great Anne Perry

I'm not normallly a fan of Victorian anything, including mysteries. But Anne Perrry is such an incredible writer that I always jump on her latest and can listen to them several times. She is among the best at character development, and her juxtaposition of England's upper and lowest classes, along with those inbetween, is stunning, and usually a strong component of the mystery -- indeed, often of the crimes themselves. Couple Perry's writing with excellent narration and it's no wonder she's much-loved at Audible.

Hypocrisy, Corruption, and Suffocating Patriarchy

Monk, Hester, Lady Callanda, and Barrister Rathbone work together to solve the mystery of a well-respected nurse in a London hospital. The plight of women of all social classes under the extreme strictures of Victorian society takes center stage. Davina Porter superbly narrates this fourth novel in Anne Perry's Monk series. While I love Anne Perry's novels, I would like to know something of how the characters fare after the climax of the story. However, it is left to the reader's imagination.

A long walk to nowhere

This is a well written book, and I enjoyed listening to it in that "I'm doing something else and I just want my mind occupied" way that I listen when knitting or doing something else. But it didn't engage me at all. (But then again, I'd listen to Davina Porter read the St. Louis phone book and enjoy it!)

Perhaps it was the sketchy-to-be-almost-nonexistent back story on characters I guess I was supposed to already know, or the very tedious women-are-property-DO-YOU-GET-THIS hammer (yes, very true, but once the horse is dead you don't have to beat it over and over in the same book!) but most of all it was the slim mystery and the fact that all the men in the book were very short sighted (what, a woman DOCTOR! Why, how ABSURD - now get back to the fainting couch!)

I would have SO preferred to hear more of the fascinating life that the dead victim must have crafted for herself, a bit about surgical procedures, even a nod to the few women doctors who DID practice in Victorian times. I hadn't expected this to be so predictable - and it took a damned long time getting there!

The characters evolve well

What did you love best about A Sudden, Fearful Death?

Discovering new facets of the characters.

What did you like best about this story?

The reader is, as always, superb.

What about Davina Porter’s performance did you like?

She is beyond reproach in her characterizations.

Good stories, great characters.

Would you consider the audio edition of A Sudden, Fearful Death to be better than the print version?

I love this series. The stories are secondary to the very rich and complex characters Ms. Perry creates. She focuses each story on an aspect of social history in 19th C England, making it very personal. And Davina Porter is a brilliiant interpreter, bringing nuance and clarity to every single character. I have not "read" the books on the page, but I am sure Ms. Porter's reading of them improves an already good story.

Anne Perry does it again

What did you love best about A Sudden, Fearful Death?

A great novel. Her development of characters and descriptions of scenes are vivid. You feel you can actually imagine the different places in London and the countryside. The plot twists and turns so you can never predict "who dun it"! Give these novels a chance and you'll be hooked!

What does Davina Porter bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Yes, her narration is superb.

Powerful story, difficult subject matter

This is a powerful, well told story. But the subject matter made it difficult for me to listen all the way to the end. I'm glad I stuck with it, but this isn't one I'll listen to again.

Enjoying This Series

I discovered the William Monk series while searching for books narrated by Davina Porter. This is the first of the Anne Perry series I have read - I don't usually read novels set in this time period - but am enjoying the characters and stories. (Unfortunately, it appears that several in the series are not available on Audible and that later books have a different narrator. As a Davina Porter fan, it remains to be seen if I will like them as well with another narrator.)

Very Good

I disagree with prior reviewers, I did not find the readers accent or her reading pace to be difficult to hear. I think she is excellent and added very much to my listening experience.

I have read other Anne Perry novels and I liked this one very much. I enjoy her descriptions of Victorian English society and her development of the characters.

I love all her books!

I thoroughly enjoy every book I have ever read or listened to of hers. Davina Porter is my favorite narrator as well.