The Face of a Stranger by Anne Perry

Title: The Face of a Stranger

Author: Anne Perry

Series: William Monk Novels, #1

Genre: Historical Fiction; Mystery/Thriller

Publisher: Fawcett Crest

ISBN: 0804108587 (978-0804108584)

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages

List Price: $7.99

Reviewed: February 15, 2009

Rating: 4 stars (4.3)

Warnings: Mild violence

Synopsis: This is the first in Anne Perry's "William Monk" mysteries. William Monk, detective, lost his memory in a carriage accident. He tries to recover bits and pieces of his life while trying to solve the murder of Jocelin Grey, a member of the nobility. To help him in this is his partner, Evan, and Hester Latterly, formerly one of Florence Nightingale's nurses.

My opinion: I like the characters in this, but I prefer Perry's other Victorian series, featuring Charlotte & Thomas Pitt. That aside, I thought the characters were rather well developed but this story focused primarily on Monk, due to his loss of memory. That was ok with me since I didn't really care all that much for Hester anyway. She was a little too harsh for me to like her, but I thought she was well-written.

Meanwhile, I ruined this book for myself by inadvertently reading the second book first. Hence, I already knew who the killer was since he stands trial in the second book, A Dangerous Mourning. I do believe, if I hadn't already known, I would have been very surprised by the outcome, something to be desired in a mystery novel. On a historical note: I am not an "expert" on Victorian England, since I tend to focus a little more on the Regency, but what I read seemed quite accurate.

I apologize if my thoughts here seem a little haphazard. Truthfully, I started this book over a year ago and had trouble getting into it. I completely blame my mistake for this (see above), not the author.