Defend and Betray: A William Monk Novel #3

I found the first two novels slow and redundant, although it's only fair to say that I still couldn't put them down. This novel flows better, is significantly less repetitive and develops the characters of Hester and Oliver even more than that of Monk.

I have really enjoyed Perry's descriptions of the classes and time period, more than any other author who writes about that period - she vividly portrays the constraints placed on women, children and the servant class.

As a woman I feel badly for generally not liking women narrators. I find it easier to hear a man narrating a woman's part than the reverse. That being said, Davina Porter's narrations are so good that suspension of disbelief is nearly total for me.

This is the darkest yet of the three but also the easiest to believe and the most touching. Enjoy!

Anne Perry's books are well written, rich with historical details and the mystery always leads to something unexpected.
Of course, Davina Porter's narration is delightful and absolutely perfect for the story. What a golden voice!

Davina Porter is one of my favorite narrators and she was the main positive. I listen to audio books on road trips and this one drew out far too long and the use of "aqualine" was too much in describing the people. I remember wondering if everyone looked alike other than hair color and height. Not a great book for a long drive because it makes the drive seem even longer with its length. It drags out.

The book could be in the Guinness Book of Records for most frequent use of the phrase "aquiline nose." Perry resorts to cliche to tell some of her tale, and as in the previous seven Perry historical novels I've listed to, 20th century ideas often bubble just under the surface, despite her very good verisimilitude of historical detail. This novel is particularly weak in that respect, yet it kept me on my exercise cycle and working at my household chores a little longer than usual.

It's a tale of Oliver Wrathbone and Nurse Latterly as much as Monk, but Monk continues to piece together his past through detection and memory recovery (though he is not as sharp as usual in uncovering the mystery intertwined in this tale). The last third is mostly court room procedural, and that's where the anachronistic ideas and even language surface the most. Also, Perry provides more detail of the dirty deeds than usual, making it a slightly darker listen. Still it's a very good Victorian soap if you are willing to suspend your disbelief and are interested in the continuing adventures of the characters OR in detailed description of the type of soap available to Victorian households mid 19th century. Davina Porter continues her excellent narration.

Davina Porter is becoming one of my favorite narrators. This is the third book in the Monk series. This book has more to do with Hester and the attorney Oliver. Some of the new characters in the story are great such as Hester's employer the Major. This book covers a darker problem in peoples behavior and goes into the problem women had in protecting their children when they had no rights as far as the law is concerned. Reading this series makes me realize how far women have come in obtaining equal rights even though their is still more work to be done and a battle to keep the rights we have obtained.

The main characters took too long to figure out what was going on. I understand that children were "invisible" in this period of time, but still it seemed too long and drawn out as they finally tumbled to the problem. The courtroom scenes were excellent and it was very moving once the story got to go forward.

I would try another book from Anne Perry as she writes well. I just didn't like this one. And, it wasn't bad just uninspiringly blah.

Once again, Ms. Perry tackles modern societal issues in a Victorian setting. She vividly illustrates some of the deleterious effects inflicted on the victims. The first half of the book, I did suspect what was going on, but not the murderer.. by the middle, I’d figured it out.. but wanted to continue .. if nothing else than to see how Ms. Perry handled the issues.

There is a great triangle brewing between Monk, Hester and Oliver. I keep vacillating over which man I want to get the girl!

Ms. Porter again, is wonderful!

This book is not for those with blissfully innocent sensitivities.. but, is an excellent expose of some of societies most degrading practices.

On the author's part: tighter editing to remove repetition and move the plot forward at faster than a glacier's pace; showing Monk's skills instead of just telling about them. On the narrator's part: Greater attention to differentiating character voices, especially during transitions between one character's voice and another.

Yes. I would like to learn more about Monk.

Monk regains a few more memories. Major Tiplady(sp?) and his infatuation with Hester's friend was adorable. Casean's (sp?) plea to his uncle towards the end of the courtroom scene was heartbreaking.

Love this series. Wish it was all on audible. And wish Davina was the narrator for all of them. Her narration is what captured me.