This latest in the Monk series by Anne Perry involves the kidnapping of a wealthy woman whose husband seeks out Monk to assist with paying the ransom in a very squalid section of London. The payoff goes awry, and Monk is consumed with guilt when the victim is brutally murdered, feeling special empathy for the widower since Monk himself had been through the kidnapping of his own wife. Monk, and therefore the novel, became bogged down with the notion that one of his men must have betrayed the force, and this plot stream became somewhat tedious. Each man, including Monk, was revealed to have secrets that might have made him vulnerable to blackmail. There were several red herrings as the plot unfolded, but somehow the whole certainty of betrayal was never completely convincing. The exploration of Hooper's past was interesting, and readers can hope that his character will continue to be developed.

This thriller I could not put down. In a mystery of a ransom gone bad, the author reveals many secrets of the well-drawn characters. It is suspenseful and well-paced. The descriptions of the tunnel scenes were downright scary.

Another excellent story in Perry's William Monk & Hester Monk series. As always, the characters have a very rich and complex internal dialogue played out in this page-turner. Being the 24th story in the series, one would think that Perry has exhausted the characters, but not at all. Monk's mysterious past is referenced, and the hidden stories of other characters take the center stage in the exploration of intimacy among friends and colleagues. I was suprised to identify the culprit immediately in this one, although Perry's mesmerizing writing continued to hold me to the end.

I read one of Anne Perry’s novels years ago and although I enjoyed it never read another because historical mysteries are not usually my favorite genre.

I decided to try this new one and am glad I did. It is a well written, engrossing read with strong characters.

Dark Tide Rising is the latest in the series about William Monk who is now superintendent with the Thames River Police. The first in the series was written 28 years ago! Long time fans of Anne Perry will welcome this most recent addition, but it is not necessary to have read the prior novels to enjoy this one. Bits of Monk and his wife, Hester’s, past revealed here
have inspired me to go back and read some of the earlier ones.

In some ways this felt like my favorite, Anne Perry, but in many ways it didn't. I was excited to, once again, go back to the Victorian days and revisit William Monk and family. Before I was about 1/4 through the book, I was no longer excited to be there. The story seemed to drag to me, and so many facets of the crime(s) were repeated over and over. It's hard to choose between 3 of 4 *'s, but I will give the author the benefit of the doubt and go with 4.

A most enjoyable read! Fans of police procedurals will appreciate the detail and plotting. And the glimpse back to a time when crimes were bold, motives were venal, and chivalry, for the most part, was the norm for the good guys. Characters are drawn with depth and insight, and the evocation of dark, dangerous Victorian London will transport readers eager to be immersed in another time, another place, another culture.

Another winner for Anne Perry with the 24th installment of the William Monk series. These books take place in 19th century London. Mr. Monk is in charge of the Thames River Police and is asked by a good friend to assist Harry Exeter deliver ransom money as his wife has been kidnapped. The exchange is to take place in a derelict section where the river has begun to encroach into the buildings making them very dangerous. All goes well until it doesn't. Monk and his men are all attacked leaving Exeter to deliver the money alone. Exeter is also attacked and the money stolen.

I am always amazed by the methods used to solve crimes during this time period and have admired Mr. Monk's abilities in this area. His skills are slightly diminished in this story perhaps because his wife had also been kidnapped not that long ago or because he could not understand how the plan fell apart unless one of his men had deceived him.I

I enjoy Ms. Perry's writing style and her ability to twist and resist the plot. Monk is a well fleshed out hero with faults and foibles which pull at my heart. I look forward to everyone of these book.

Kidnapping and betrayal in a flooding riverside warren lead Monk into an agonizing problem: how well does he know his men? Even Hooper might be suspect.

Everything here is about trust, fear, and loyalty. It's filled with the sort of details any regular reader of Anne Perry will expect, sounds and descriptions and introspection, as well as the more mundane details and appropriate use of tea as a panacea.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is intense. I had no clue how they were going to figure out exactly what happened, and why. The stories were so interwoven and finally, near the end, all came to light. I have to say, I love Anne Perry's books, but this was one of her best. I can envision this being turned into a movie.

This was an interesting mystery read, particularly if you enjoy period pieces and the vernacular from the time period this book is set in. I enjoyed the way the author told the stories of the various characters and although the book was a part of a series it was easily read on its own as a result of good character development and the storytelling. I didn't see the ending coming and the way the author cinched together the stories of the various characters was interesting and complete. I didn't give the book a whole 5 stars because sometimes the author went on a bit too long in the story of each character for my taste and I sometimes struggled through how the characters from this time period talked. If you like stories from the late 1800's, this is for you!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley although it has had no influence on my review. William Monk, the main character, and I have now been together for 24 books and I still enjoy the mystery series. The characters are well drawn and have developed over the series. There is a little formula to them but just when you think you have been lulled into what seems like a logical conclusion Perry throws a curve ball. Always enjoyable.

Enough said, read it and let me know what you think.

I've read other books by Perry and enjoyed them, but never a Monk and now I know why - in order to give the flavor of the time, Perry wrote in the style of the Victorian era.

Kate Exeter is kidnapped and held for ransom. Her wealthy husband contacts Rathbone, attorney and Monk's friend, to get Monk's assistance in paying the ransom. The exchange is to take place on an Island in Commander Monk's jurisdiction. Monk assembles a team to help in the pay-off and the securing of Mrs. Exeter safely.

The plan goes off like clockwork until Monk and his team are ambushed and the exchange goes very badly. Monk assumes one of his loyal team is a traitor and revealed the plan to the kidnappers. He spends a great deal of time investigating the men's backgrounds to discover who betrayed them.

The kidnapper was quite obvious to me almost immediately. Logically it really couldn't have been anyone else but Monk is blind to it. He was so blind and fixated on his own theory, I really questioned his abilities. How could the Commander be so obtuse? After awhile, it set my teeth on edge.

I think this #24 edition to the series was a little time worn and lifeless. There was very little Hester, my favorite, and even less of Scruff. He was thrown in as an afterthought. In her other series about the Pitts, she just had a book come out that featured the Pitts' son and it was quite delightful. I think she needs to freshen this series too as it appears to have run out of gas.

Thanks to Net Galley and the author for a copy of this book.

In 1871 England, William Monk, Commander of the Thames River Police, finds himself embroiled in a kidnapping that goes horribly wrong, bringing an unwelcome charge of a betrayal by one of his own men. Determined to find the kidnappers and bring them to justice, Monk finds himself consumed with worry over the possibility of an untrustworthy member of his own team even as the body count rises and the kidnapping case seems to lead to nothing but dead ends. Can he find the kidnappers and resolve the issue of trust within his own team or will he find himself at the mercy of contemptable criminals?

This character-driven narrative, the twenty-fourth book in the series, brings most of the expected characters together for the adventure. Atmospheric and filled with visceral images of the waterfront, the setting plays an integral part in the unfolding story. Plot twists bring new reveals in the unfolding story and keep readers guessing until the final revelation.

Although astute readers are likely to identify the culprits long before the big reveal, fans of the series will find much to appreciate in Monk’s latest investigative efforts. Strengthened by the many introspective moments of each character, the narrative provides readers with many revealing insights. However, the frustrating repetitions throughout the narrative may soon become tiresome for readers.

I received a free copy of this Advance Reader eBook from Random House/Ballantine Books and NetGalley
#DarkTideRising #NetGalley

Commander Monk of the Thames River Police is faced with two challenges in this riveting novel. A hideous murder, and the suspicion that one of his men betrayed those seeking to save a life.

Hold onto your seats until the very last pages of this thriller!

I read this EARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House pub date 09/18/18

A Great Mystery
The story starts out as the Thames River Police Commander, William Monk is asked to go with Harry Exeter to provide protection as Exeter hands over ransom money to the kidnappers of his wife Kate. The ransom exchange goes terribly wrong. There is drama, murder and embezzlement. The ransom money is lost. Someone betrayed them. The rest of the book is about Monk trying to find out who betrayed them and why. The story and plot line really held my interest and attention. This is another great book by Anne Perry.

It has been quite a while since I read one of Anne Perry's books and I really enjoyed getting reacquainted with her work.
The historical atmosphere places you back in the second half of the eighteen hundreds. Bringing to live the various classes in society from wealthy to extreme poor. The operational side of the police force in that time period. The not wanting to believe that one of your coworkers has betrayed you but at the same time the distrust of each other hangs in the air constantly when you need to depend on each other.
The book keeps you in suspense till the end. Once you realize who the bad guy is you don't find out till the last couple of pages if he is going to get away with it all and destroy a lot of people lives by doing so.

Rathbone enlists Monk help when one of his clients' wife is kidnapped for ransom. Monk is supposed to accompany the client to pay the ransom and recover the wife but it all goes terribly wrong and the wife is killed. Now Monk needs to find the kidnappers/murderers. He feels the clients grief particularly since he is reminded of Hester's kidnapping and his own feelings in the situation. But there's even more guilt on his part because he believes that one of his own men was partially responsible for the bad outcome.

The mystery of the kidnapping, murder and subsequent investigation is filled with twists and turns that are Ms. Perry's norm - not saying this in a bad way because the reader is kept on the edge of their seat waiting for a thoroughly satisfactory though surprising resolution - again her norm.

This is typical Anne Perry and another great read. The main character is William Monk! a Thames River police commander new to his job and feeling his way among the men who work the river, needing both their support and guidance. The supporting characters of Oliver Rathbone, who is a lawyer, and Hester Monk, who is William’s nurse wife, add to the feel of the story. They all come at the problem with different perspectives they have acquired over time and they grow with each new installment of the series. The basic story is about a kidnapping gone wrong. The descriptions of the Thames River and the characters that work and live beside the river are always colorful and heartbreaking at the same time, especially the children. Life was extremely hard for a majority of the people in this time and Perry always uses her vivid descriptions of the area, people and action to show this. It is interesting how she is allowing the new technological advances to change the people and the way they interact with each other as the series progresses. The class system and manners of the time add to the complexity of solving the crime. The characters work hard to discover the reason for the kidnapping. Then they must again re-evaluate all they know as the plot twists and turns. I await each new Anne Perry novel eagerly, and this one did not disappoint.

In Anne Perry’s latest William Monk novel, Sir Oliver Rathbone requests his assistance when Kate Exeter , the wife of a London real estate developer, is kidnapped. Harry Exeter will gladly pay the ransom for his wife’s return, but he would like Monk and his men from the Thames River Police to accompany him. The exchange is to take place on Jacob’s Island, a dangerous maze of deserted alleys and tunnels that is partially submerged during high tide. Monk deploys his men, but before they can reach Kate they are attacked in the darkness, making it impossible to identify their attackers. With the ransom stolen, they finally reach the exchange point but find Kate viciously murdered.

Monk’s plans were known only to his men, leading him to believe that one of his men must have betrayed them. It is a conclusion that preys on his mind as they work together to solve the murder. He now finds himself questioning the actions of the men he works beside. While he knows their capabilities as policemen, he realizes just how little he knows them personally. Even Hooper, his second in command, is hiding events from his past that he fears would destroy his friendship with Monk if they were known. With few clues to go on and thoughts of betrayal, Perry has written a mystery that provides a number of unexpected developments.

Anne Perry has long been one of my favorite authors for historical mysteries. Dark Tide Rising is one more excellent entry in this series. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange for an honest review.