Execution Dock by Anne Perry picks up where her last book, Dark Assassin left off. It is summer in London and Monk and members of the Thames River police are chasing Jericho Phillips. Perry goes on a bit too long, I think about this chase and fight scene because ultimately he is caught and brought to trial. Even the trial portion of the story is dragged out because this does not seem to be the central point of the story. The story is centered on the pornography trade in little boys in Victorian England. It is the rich and powerful who are able to keep this trade going and it seems that there will ultimately be no way to stop them. Monk and Hester’s friendship with the little Mudlark Scuff, their relationship with lawyer Sir Oliver Rathbone and his wife Margaret seem to be in jeopardy. Durbin, Monk’s friend and predecessor is about to be ruined, and Monk will lose his job over failure to get Phillips convicted and finally hung. The story reaches into a very dark corner of Victorian life, and Anne Perry paints a convincing picture of life during the late 1800’s. We also see a use for a new and emerging technology that is an ugly part of its history. That is the camera. This is Perry’s 17th William and Hester Monk story. Along with the Monk series, Perry also has the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series and a World War I series. Give her a try!
Le Mars Public Library 