Customer Reviews
a patronising lecture on slavery badly disguised as a novel - By: , 02 Mar 2002 
I am a great fan of Anne Perry's novels but this one was so poor that I just could not be bothered to finish it.It felt as if the author had asked herself which politicallly correct cause she could lecture her readership on this time,decided on slavery,and written a novel to fit around it.A good story flows from good characters & plot not a desire to please the literary establishment by promoting fashionable causes.Anne Perry should go back to doing what she is good at,writing cracking detective novels.Her readers are intelligent enough to make up their own minds on political questions.
One of Anne Perry's best but... - By: delhurst@yahoo.com, 04 Aug 2001 
A reallly enjoyable & gripping book, written with a tolerant view of both sides of the Civil War The war part is a terrific piece of writing & the story does not tail off after what could have been a central climax, but I found the ending very complicated & a couple of minor issues left , to me, unexplained.
An historical novel which all the history is correct - By: edwabr@aol.com, 07 Jul 2001 Ms. Perry has successfully achieved the most difficult task to the writer of historical fiction. She got alll the known history correct. This book is a great read.
Can do better - By: , 13 Dec 2000 
This book is a reasonably good read - the pace of the plot encouraged me to keep going & the section set overseas was more engaging than the rest of the story. However the characterisation was disappointing & I did not feel as involved in the outcome as I have in some of Anne Perry's other books. The structure of the book followed a predicable pattern which would have been acceptable had the characters been the motivation behind the plot rather than the impression it is the other way round. The relationship between Hester & Monk is a lot of what made the earlier books entertaining for me & I do not feel that this was explored in a sufficiently absorbing way. If this had been the only Anne Perry book I had read I might not bother with another, which is a shame as some of the earlier books especiallly are excellent.
great way to spend a rainy afternoon - By: , 23 Oct 2000 
Anne Perry's William Monk novels had their dramatic climax when Monk & his love-hate interest Hester Laterly announced their engagement. Now that they have a perfectly pleasant marriage, the mysteries are still interesting, but the special zing Monk novels had is alll but vanished. The case Monk faces this time involves both gun running, the civil war, & fratricide, & Monk does his patented asking-around-until-the-last-possible-minute schitck with his usual aplomb. It's very predictable, what provides most of the dramatic tension in this book is the way Hester gets to face up to her trauma from the Crimean War when she finds herself nursing soldiers at first Manassas (aka. Bull Run). There are also some touching bits with Hester & Rathbone, but I think I've spoiled this book enough. If your a fan, enjoy, if you're not, read an earlier Monk - preferably one published before "The Twisted Root". "Defend & Betray" was excellent.
