I have read over 20% of this book and I have yet to be engaged. It is a slow and dry read about the Thames River Police. I usually like police stories and set in England was another good point. Unfortunately, after 20% of the book read, I was tired of the very in-depth details and still wasn't quite sure exactly what the point of the story was to be. I wondered if there really was such an area in London as the author described. Not my cup of tea.

In this 24th book in the 'William Monk' series, the Victorian detective investigates a kidnapping. I'm a fan of the Monk novels and had high hopes for this book. Sadly, I was disappointed.😒

*****

Commander William Monk of London's 'Thames River Police' had a difficult past. A decades-old injury left Monk with severe permanent amnesia, a condition he had to hide to remain a police detective. Monk struggled to maintain the pretense, and even recovered snippets of memory, but his life was a rocky road. Monk persevered, however, and eventually married a fine woman named Hester and secured his current job.

As the story opens, a wealthy London builder named Charles Exeter requests assistance from the Thames River Police. Exeter's wife Kate was abducted, and the kidnappers have demanded a large ransom for her return. Exeter can put the money together, but is unfamiliar with the location chosen for the exchange - a filthy, dangerous, dilapidated slum called Jacob's Island. Since the river police are acquainted with the hellhole, Exeter would like them to escort him in.....and back out (presumably accompanied by his wife).

Monk selects five of his best men, and the six policemen and Exeter approach Jacob's Island in a couple of boats. Two men stay with the skiffs, Monk and Exeter approach the exchange location, and the three remaining cops stake out various exits.....in an attempt to trap the kidnappers.



SPOILER ALERT (The rest of this review may contain spoilers.)



Things go shockingly wrong, however. The police are attacked, the money is snatched, and Kate is killed. 😖

Exeter is distraught, and the Commander blames himself for the fiasco. What really eats Monk up though, is the certainty that one of his men is in cahoots with the kidnappers, who knew exactly where every cop would be stationed.

As the rest of the story unfolds, Monk makes it his mission to bring the kidnappers to justice and to expose the cop who betrayed him. Monk REALLY hopes the traitor isn't Officer Hooper - a man Monk considers his best copper and his friend - but Monk investigates everyone involved in the Jacob's Island operation. This exposes a lot of secrets, including a hanging offense. And in that era, you could be tried and hung in a matter of days! 😵

Monk also confides in his wife Hester, an intrepid woman who nursed soldiers during the Crimean War, and opened a free clinic for prostitutes and indigent people. Hester asks Will (Scuff) - a young man the Monks took in as a lad - to secretly obtain information about the 'suspected' police officers - to determine if one of them could be bribed or blackmailed.

Before long some clues about the abduction come to light: a London ruffian starts spending A LOT of money he should not have; and a young woman who works at a bank discovers irregularities in Kate Exeter's trust fund. All this puts the police on the trail of the kidnappers.....and leads to more murder and mayhem. 🔪

Additional characters in the book include Celia Darwin - Kate's plain, almost impoverished cousin; Maurice Latham - a lawyer who's the trustee of Kate's trust fund; Mr. Doyle - the manager of the bank that holds the Exeter accounts; Oliver Rathbone - an attorney and longtime friend of William and Hester Monk; Police Officers Laker, Bathhurst, Marbury, and Walcott - who went to Jacob's Island with Monk; and more.

Sounds like a good story, right? Unfortunately it doesn't pan out. These are some of the novel's flaws (IMO):

- The solution to the kidnapping is glaringly obvious, but Monk is uncharacteristically obtuse. He comes across as willfully blind to the truth.

- The cops are constantly mooning around and sporting 'expressions of pity' when they think about crime victims. Come on! They're in the law enforcement profession! Not where we want a bunch of wusses.

- Observations about the investigation are repeated ad infinitum, and slow the book to a crawl. The novel could have been shortened by half.

- Two characters 'fall in love' almost as soon as they clap eyes on each other. I don't buy this in ANY book, and it's especially odd in this context.

- A key witness commits perjury for a reason that doesn't make a lick of sense. 🙄

- Hester, who's usually a major character, makes only a token appearance - mostly to comfort her husband. I don't like her being relegated to this role.

For me these (and other) 'blemishes' detract from the book.

One thing the author does well is demonstrate the snobby attitude of the supremely arrogant 'upper classes' - who openly disdain anyone they think is 'below them.' I'm always happy to see these snotnoses get taken down a notch (or ten). 😁

If you're a big fan of the Monk stories you might want to read this book. Otherwise, I don't recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Anne Perry), and the publisher (Ballantine Books) for a copy of the book.

A ransom exchange goes wrong and suddenly you are in the midst of this tense mystery. I recommend this book to all mystery lovers. Anne Perry fans will be especially delighted. I was given a copy of this book for my unbiased review.

Great addition to this series! These books are always able to grab my attention right from the beginning and keep it all the way through. I highly recommend it.

This ebook was supplied to me by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can say this is 4 stars. I know of the Monk TV series, but I haven't seen but one and I haven't read these books. Thus this was fun for me. The writing style was exciting for me. The author didn't dumb down the vocabulary or anything else. The mystery was nice. I liked it. The settings were well done. 

My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I had never read any of the William Monk series book, and although there were times when past experiences were discussed, I did not feel entirely in the dark; the book reads well as a "stand-alone". It did take me a while to adjust to the Victorian manner of speaking, but the author has been successful with this series, so evidently she tackles it well and readers are comfortable with it. The disappointments I had with the book were that I came to figure out the murderer about 1/2 way through the book and I felt the story ended very abruptly.

I always enjoy books by Anne Perry, and this was no exception. She writes vivid characters in real-life situations, with ethical and moral choices involved. Her endings are not always happy, but they do make sense given the circumstances. I recommend her novels highly.

A serviceable entry in the Monk series, which has definitely dropped off in quality over the last several years, but is still worth reading. It was nice to be back in the courtroom—the latter books have been focusing more on the investigations, but that’s what the Pitt series is for. The Monk series is for the legal battle! There were a few incidents that contradicted early situations in the series, and I guessed the killer very early. But as always, with Perry, the journey to unravel the mystery was satisfying, even knowing the culprit. I could have done with more Hester and Scuff.

Reviewed on Goodreads.

Oh WOW!!!! Loved this latest installment in the Monk series and I totally did not see that ending coming!! I will admit that I thought the book a hair slow initially but then I was really into it and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was boring, and filled with Monk's random thoughts. I knew what was going on by 3rd or 4th chapter ! I miss the earlier Perry books and am sorry the latest stories have gotten tedious 1

An abduction in broad daylight prompts Harry Exeter to have his attorney contact the local police in hope of finding his wife. He wants help in handling the considerable ransom demand. The site of the exchange is a confusing warren of interconnecting water ways. The police commander assembles his team to work undercover to catch the kidnapper, But all goes wrong when someone leaks the information to the kidnapper.. But who? A very suspenseful book in this William Monk series.

It has been many years since I have read a book written by Anne Perry. Not for any particular reason, but that there were so many other stories to read. When "Dark Tide Rising" was offered, I was excited to get the novel and couldn't wait to dig in.

Truthfully, not one of her best. I knew the who done it within a couple of chapters. This is the 25th book of William Monk! It should have been spellbinding to the end while you figure out the who dunnits. I finished the book as I wanted to learn how Hester had been and their adopted son. They seemed about right. However, Monk must be having a midlife crisis as he second guessed himself through the whole novel. People are dying left and right of him and he refuses to see what is plainly right there. It's not like it is hiding. I'm not going to give it away, however, but most people will find it out fairly early on.

William seems incompetent at times, his second hand person seems like he has it all together, except for worrying about his past life, and they seem overly worried about being suspicious of each other. They have worked together for years!! What is this?

My main concern deals with not just Ms. Perry but many of my other favorite authors as well. It seems like they keep repeating themselves, the characterizations, what the characters are wearing or look like, and it goes on and on like filler space to make their word count.

Though I can't say this was one of my favorites, I would be happy to read another one of Ms. Perry's novels. This novel was given to me by Net Galley for an honest and unbiased review.

Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry is book 24 in the William Monk series. I was excited to pick up this book but I found it really hard to get into. The plot sounded absolutely fascinating. But the actual book was not a fast read. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Thames River policeman Harry Monk isn’t quite sure why businessman Harry Exeter doesn’t want help in finding his kidnapped wife, Kate. Even more suspicious, he only wants help navigating where she might be located. Imagine the shock of everyone when they find Kate brutally murdered.

Things went from bad to worse when during the ransom exchange, Monk and five of his men are attacked. Monk can only draw one conclusion: there is a traitor among his men. Monk has to work hard chasing down leads, some even provided by Kate’s cousin, Celia. Monk has the awful task of investigating his own men, men he was sure he knew through and through. Unfortunately Monk continually runs into dead ends.

Monk takes this case quite personally, remembering a horrid time when his own wife Hester had been kidnapped. So, between his painful history, and doubting one of his men, Monk remains quite conflicted during the investigation.

I have read a few Anne Perry novels over the years and am quite pleased that I had the opportunity to read this one. Dark Tide Rising is Book #24 in the William Monk series. I haven’t had the opportunity to read any others of the series, and this did very well as a standalone. I felt as if I was able to get to know several of the characters fairly well. As a new reader of this series, I appreciated the fact that I was able to learn how William and Hester adopted Will, or Scruff, providing wonderful insight as to Monk as a father.

This is an excellent, fast-paced multi-level mystery. I really enjoyed the romantic elements thrown in, as well as the effectively descriptive language throughout. One of the detectives, Hooper, had quite a story of his own which was quite compelling.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This is my honest opinion.

Dark Tide Rising: A William Monk Novel is the 24th historical mystery published by author Anne Perry in this series set in Victorian England. If you are a fan of the series and Perry’s writing, I recommend it. But if you have not read a book in the series before, this would not be a good choice to start with.

I enjoy Perry’s writing and her characters. She has a lyrical style of writing: “He thought about broad estuary skies and birds on the wild winds, white gulls, skeins of geese with their wings creaking.  There was no other sound like it.” She also develops her characters well and we really step inside their minds and shoes. I also like many of the themes that thread through her work like redemption and honor.

This latest novel is set 15 years after the Crimean War in the 1870s, and in it Perry explores police work and the courtrooms of the era.

This excerpt from the book in which William Monk, Head of the Thames River Police, is being questioned in a courtroom on the witness stand gives a flavor of the book:

“Commander Monk,” Ravenswood began calmly, “would you tell the court how you came to be involved in this terrible case? It has to be harrowing for you, but we need to know, and justice is not always easy for any of us.” There was no overt emotion in his voice. It might have been easier if there had been. There was nothing for Monk to fight against. And yet this was the man who was going to get it all so tragically wrong and hang Exeter for the crime that had cost him all that was most dear to him already. Now it threatened to take his life as well.
Monk drew in a deep breath and began. He did not even attempt to be impartial. He remembered the depth of his feelings that night.
“Sir Oliver Rathbone, whom I have known for years, came to my house and said that he had a client who needed my help, or more specifically, the help of the Thames River Police. He was waiting at Sir Oliver’s house and would I go there immediately. I went. There I met with Mr. Exeter for the first time.”
Ravenswood interrupted him. “What was his manner? His appearance?”
“He was extremely distressed. Much as he looks now. He told me that his wife had been kidnapped. He was willing to pay the ransom. Enormous as it was, he had managed to get the money together. It was to be handed over the following day. All he wanted from me was to accompany him to Jacob’s Island, a place he was afraid to go alone. Very particular instructions had been given him, which he was unable to follow, since he did not know the area. Few people do. It is one of the worst Thames-side slums, slowly sinking beneath the mud. The place specified was below the high tide mark, and the appointment was at dusk.” He let the image hang in the air, sink into the jurors’ imaginations.
“I have heard of it,” Ravenswood remarked.
“Indeed: vile. I can see why he would not want to go alone, and possibly not even be able to find it. Nor, perhaps, take a boat there by himself. How far did you go?” He looked interested.
Monk tried to remember exactly what Exeter had said. The memory of the journey came unbidden to his mind. The cold, the evening light, the sound of the water at slack tide, everything dripping. “All the way,” he answered.
“With a lot of men?” Ravenswood asked. “Were you not afraid the kidnappers would see you?”
“The boats are all large, but easily managed by two men,” Monk answered. “And they are not an unusual sight on the river. More usual than a boat with one man.” “Although a fisherman might go alone.” Ravenswood lifted his eyebrows. “In the Pool of London?”
Monk looked even more amazed. “Nothing lives in that water. The estuary, perhaps.”
Ravenswood gave a slight, acknowledging smile. “How many men did you take?” “There were six of us altogether. Two to remain in the boats, four to go with Mr. Exeter. He had already agreed with the kidnappers that he would not come alone.” “Did you not think that strange?”
“No. He did not intend to fight with them, only to give them the money and get his wife back unharmed. That was all he cared about.”
Monk looked at Ravenswood’s smooth, artless face and realized he had believed Exeter was innocent, but he wanted Monk to prove it.
“I saw the money myself,” he added. “It was real, and it was all there. If he had meant to fight, he could have hired men. Easy enough to find on the dockside. I think he took police to assure it was a smooth exchange.”
“Is that what he said?”
“More or less. I don’t remember his exact words.”
“It’s what you understood?”
“Yes.”
“Is that what you did, when your own wife was kidnapped?” Ravenswood asked quietly, even gently.

This latest addition to the series is not a comfortable read— it is crime fiction after all full of violence and danger—but it is a very good one if you are already a fan of the series.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of the book and for allowing me to review it.

I love all and devoted to finding the truth. Anne Perry series. William Monk is an exasperating character but totally captivating and devoted to finding out the truth.

Being a children's librarian, I usually read children's books so that I can recommend them, but Anne Perry is one author that draws me back to the adult world. I enjoy her mysteries and this one is no exception. With the famillar characters of Monk and Hester, this books looks at what suspicion can do to a group of policemen trying to solve a kidnapping and a murder. Her characters are wonderfully written and the plot was twisting and turning in a wonderful way.

Twenty-fourth in the William Monk historical mystery series revolving around a self-made man and his friends who have known each other for years. The story is set in the London of 1871.

This eARC was sent to me by NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an honest review.

My Take
It's a tale of kidnapping and the the secrets of one's past, as it explores man's need to save his face.

Using third person dual point-of-view with the perspective switching back and forth between Monk and Hooper allows us to listen on on their worries, hopes, and fears. To learn more about their back history. And while the crisis is the ostensible tale, it's Hooper's back history that is on display here as well as the love he's found. And it's so much easier to demonstrate it for the reader when Hooper can provide his perspective.

It's Monk's own experience with loss and his realization over the years since he met and married Hester that enables him to empathize with what Harry Exeter is enduring. And it is a truth that we never know how we'll react when it is one of our who is a hostage to fortune and love.

The tension really ramps up with the unknown betrayer and provides an excellent opportunity for Perry to dive into the individuals who make up Monk's men. It's the description of Celia and Kate's friendship, "of sharing dreams that mattered, someone with whom you could laugh at the small things ... someone who laughed with you and not at you" that eases that tension. And just enough that when the reality strikes of the loss, the loss becomes even greater.

It was bad enough being a woman in this time period and having Kate's friendship must have helped Celia cope with the people who decried her for not following the "rules" and having a husband, money, etc. The ones who looked down upon her as an inferior person.

I do have a niggle about Monk's reactions throughout, as I didn't quite believe he could be that susceptible. That he wouldn't question things more. I will say it was a merry chase, and I had no idea how he'd manage to prove the truth. Of course, it really was Hooper who got that ball rolling.

In all, Dark Tide Rising was an exciting tale that had me flipping pages, trying to figure out whodunnit!

The Story
Kate Exeter has been kidnapped, right from under her cousin's nose. Her husband is frantic to get her back, doing everything he can to raise the ransom.

It's William Monk and his men who escort the worried husband to the drop-off where the plan suddenly goes wrong. Monk knows he's responsible for the operation, and yet, how could the kidnappers have known their plans? Unless it was one of his own men.

Tensions mount within the police station, as each wonders who they can trust. Then the case takes on a whole new meaning when a whistleblower waves proof of embezzlement.

The Characters
The sometimes-too-proud William Monk is the commander of the Thames River Police, which he had joined in Dark Assassin , 15. Hester Monk had been a nurse in the Crimea and determined to change the world's attitude toward women in the medical field. She runs a clinic in Portpool Lane. Scuff, who chooses to be called Will, had been a mudlark until Monk adopted him nine years ago. Now Scuff is apprenticed to Crow, a man who practices unlicensed medicine on the poor.

Sir Oliver Rathbone is an excellent defense lawyer and friends with Monk. Beata is his much-appreciated wife who'd been married to a violent, arrogant judge.

Wapping Police Station, Thames River Police
Monk's men include Bathurst who comes from a large family, Marbury who is passionate about animals, Sergeant John Hooper who had been in the Merchant Navy for twenty years and is Monk's second-in-command, the flippant Laker, the green Jones, and the stubborn, snappy Walcott with an ability for street fighting and who has a wife and son.

Clacton. Orme had also been a friend. Peter Ravenswood is the crown prosecutor and a friend of Rathbone's, outside court.

Greenwich Police Station, Metropolitan Police
A rule clinger, Superintendent Runcorn is Monk's former superior who became friend, then enemy, and then friend again. Sanders will see Monk home. Fisk had been in the Merchant Marines.

Harry Exeter is a land developer, and Kate is his second wife. Celia Darwin is Kate's poorer cousin and will inherit a fortune if Kate dies before she turns thirty-three. Mary is Celia's maid. The pompous Maurice Latham is another cousin and a lawyer who holds the trusteeship for Kate's inheritance.

Nicholson's Bank holds...
...Kate's trust where Roger Doyle is the bank manager and one of her trustees. Bella Franken has been head bookkeeper for three years.

Albert Lister is one of the kidnappers. Jimmy Patch is one of Hooper's informers. Jacob's Island is a particularly nasty slum in London...where you can step into a mud puddle and disappear forever.

Major Carlton had suffered a terrible injury for which Hester had nursed him. Seems he keeps up with Hester's activities and with anyone who matters to her. Betsy is a barmaid at a local public house. Squeaky Robinson is the bookkeeper at Hester's clinic.

Twenty years ago...
...there was a mutiny on the Mary Grace commanded by Captain Ledburn. Jacob Abbott had been first mate. Joe Twist had been an ordinary seaman. Chester, the second mate, was keeping an eye on Ledburn for his father.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a peaceful scene looking down the softly golden river into a pinkish golden sunrise, water lapping at the small boats tied to the stairs, a bridge in the background, and a side view of parliament in deeper brown tones. An info blurb and the author's name are at the top in red. Immediately below it is the series information in white bracketed by a yellow gold icon on either side. The title spans the building, boats, and river in the bottom quarter in white with a bit of shadowing

That Dark Tide Rising is one of suspicion and betrayals.
1 like

This is the first book that I read by this author. I enjoyed it. I think the writing was very good. The characters were strong and well developed. The story was intense and very good. I recommend it and give it 4.5 stars.

Good story enjoyed the read but felt it went back over things a little too much when it came to the past of the characters..