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!

Enjoyed it but editing would help a lot

As detective fiction goes, I enjoyed this and plan to listed to the next in the series. But ditto to the reviewer's comment about the need for more editing. Really tiresome at points -- millions of repetitive, unanswerable questions (who am I?) that can't be answered b/c of total amnesia. In print you can skim that stuff but for audio, I might recommend an abridged version.

I like Davina Porter much better than most narrators, and, for me, narrators are as important as the novel itself.

A bit tedious ... Saved by the narrator

Can an author present too much character development? If so, then "The Face of a Stranger" verges on such excess. It does get a bit tedious listening to William Monk anguishing over his amnesia -- almost to the point of whining. He is, improbably, attempting to hide his amnesia from his acquaintances and co-workers, while continuing to function as a detective. One can semi-understand -- given that he is living in Victorian London, with no disability insurance -- Monk's wanting to conceal his amnesia from his boss; but I kept wondering why he didn't want to tell his loving sister about his affliction, for Pete's sake? Also, speaking of character development, why did Monk's boss start off with a jolly, compassionate, friendly demeanor -- when he visits Monk in the hospital -- then transform into Monk's meanest enemy a few chapters later? "The Face of a Stranger" does have some flaws; but, on the other hand, it introduces an intelligent series that truly brings Victorian times to life. If you like historical fiction -- particularly the Victorian era -- then I think that you will enjoy Anne Perry's novels very much. As an extra, added bonus, the most beautiful female voice in all of Audiobookdom narrates "The Face of a Stranger," practically compensating for this novel's minor shortcomings. Davina Porter possesses not only a beautiful voice, but an exceedingly versatile and expertly trained one, as well. It always gives me immense pleasure to hear her rendering the delightful multitude of British accents, and deftly distinguishing all the characters' voices -- both men and women. "The Face of a Stranger" definitely qualifies as a mystery, but not a thriller. If you like some action and testosterone in your audiobooks, then you probably should give "The Face of a Stranger" a pass. If you like romance novels, then you will also want to bypass this one. "The Face of a Stranger' contains no sex or romance at all. However, historical fiction fans who appreciate well-researched settings and beautiful narration will not regret purchasing this audiobook.

fantastic

great story, excellent narration, thrilling, suspencful, good character development. cant wait to read next book

The Face of a Stranger

Anne Perry introduces us to William Monk, a police detective who has lost his memory while looking for a murderer. She carefully weaves the details not giving us the final hint until the very end. She has a strong female character who helps the detective without overwhelming Monk. Great story for a book written in 1990.

Wrong Narrator

Why choose a female narrator when the main character is male? I found that distracting.

The story is very slow but I think it's just the age of the book and the genre.