Dark Assassin

by: By Anne Perry

Published by: Ballantine March 2006

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann

Dark Assassin is another interesting William Monk and Hester Latterly mystery from Anne Perry, author of three historical mystery series.

The Face of a Stranger (1990) was the first in this series
Perry's works all focus on various social problems of Victorian England. The intriguing plot twist in this series is that Monk has been injured in a carriage accident, and suffers from amnesia. He has rediscovered his identity but is not pleased with how he is perceived by his colleagues on the police force. Eventually he becomes a private investigator.

In this book, Latterly and Monk are married, and Monk is working for the Thames River Police. One winter night he is in the patrol boat with his men, when they notice a couple arguing, or at least having an intense discussion, near the railing of the Waterloo bridge. Suddenly they both go over, locked in an embrace. The police are able to fish out the bodies, but the people died when they hit the water. They were Toby Argyll and his former fiance Mary Havilland. Was it an accident? A suicide? Murder?

Monk begins to investigate this convoluted and complicated case. It is connected to the supposed suicide of Mary's father, James Havilland, months before, which Mary never accepted.

James Havilland was an engineer working for the Argyll's (Toby and his brother Alan) sewer construction company, one of many working on the massive project. He was concerned about safety during the construction of the sewers because of the dangers flooding tunnels, gas and explosions. The sewers were needed desperately, due to the grim state of London's garbage system. All sewage drained into the Thames, which is where the drinking water came from as well--contributing to cholera epidemics in 1831, 1848 and 1854.

The lives of the construction workers, however, were unbelievably horrible, and if they were injured and managed to survive, there was no welfare, no health system, nothing to help them. Hester Latterly, as usual, is able to help Monk with his inquiry.

Armchair Interviews says: Perry has offered a fascinating glimpse into the Victorian era, and created another satisfying Monk chronicle.