The Face of a Stranger

A William Monk Novel #1

By: Anne Perry

Narrated by: Davina Porter

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A tragic accident leaves Inspector Monk with amnesia just moments after he solves the murder of a popular Crimean war hero. Forced to redo his entire investigation, a frustrated Monk faces a desperate murderer who will do anything to keep the inspector from discovering the truth twice.

Crack another case with William Monk.

©1990 Anne Perry (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

Monk!

Love Davina Porter, so I got this story. Really well written! I couldn't 'put it down'.

Think I'm about to become a Monk fan

What made the experience of listening to The Face of a Stranger the most enjoyable?

Davina Porter

What other book might you compare The Face of a Stranger to and why?

Any number of similar mysteries abound, but Ms. Porter's talent as narrator sets this book apart.

Have you listened to any of Davina Porter’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I first heard Davina Porter as narrator for the Outlander series. Nothing could compare to that. So, as is the case with this book, I am as likely to choose a book because Ms. Porter is the narrator as I am because of a particular author and so have been introduced to several authors.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened in bits.

Great read

A liitle confusing at first, but a good read and exciring finish. I hardily recommend this book.

Wonderful history of the time as well as great story

Anne Perry provides so much history of the times in honest, unflinching prose. Her characters are rich and full of shades of grey. I am brought to tears by her description of the human condition of the times.

Outstanding!

I’ve only recently discovered Anne Perry and I absolutely love her stories! I’ve started both of the Pitt series and now the Monk series! Her style of storytelling is so interesting and intriguing. I’m looking forward to reading more!

Tediously Internal

What did you like best about The Face of a Stranger? What did you like least?

The premise is rather promising. The problem is with the main character's internal dialog which is constant and then repeats. You want to like the main character, but he's just so tedious. You get to hear every single thought he has (in real-time). I you miss some of the internal dialog, no need to worry it will be repeated. An abridged version would be much better. With 1 hour to go I can't decide if I can get through it or not.

Great introduction to a "new" series

What did you love best about The Face of a Stranger?

I loved the parallel between Monk's trying to find out the man he was behind his face and the man Gray was behind his (brutally murdered) face.

What three words best describe Davina Porter’s performance?

I was a bit surprised they chose a female narrator to read a book nearly 90% peopled by men. At first, I did not care for her at all, but I will admit she grew on me.

Pleasantly Surprised

When I first started to listen to this book, I wasn’t sure if I would finish it, but you have to give it a chance. As the story unfolds, you try to figure out who did it with the police.

I liked the detail

This is a difficult review because at times I loved it, liked it and was bored by it. Some of the other readers said it needed editing but I liked the pace and the descriptions. I did not mind how the mystery unfolded. I loved Monk and the fact that he had lost his memory. At the end I was pleased that I had listened, but there were times when I wanted to stop, at the beginning, the way Hester and Monk met and acted towards each other, and the Victorian lecturing most of all. Overall it is worth sticking with.

Cure for insomnia

The narration of this book is wonderful and that's where it stops. This book is about 4 hours too long. The entire middle section is so incredibly boring I slept through most of it. This book has all the words but very little substance. It's easy to figure out who did it but it Takes eons for the writer to get there. The last hour of the book is the best. Just fast forward and put yourself out of misery.