The Sins of the Wolf: A William Monk Novel (Mortalis) [Paperback]

Anne Perry (Author)

Book Description

Series: Mortalis | Publication Date: September 29, 2009

Nurse Hester Latterly finds herself well suited for the task: accompany Mrs. Mary Farraline, an elderly Scottish lady in delicate health, on a short train trip to London. Yet Hester’s simple job takes a grave turn when Mrs. Farraline dies during the night. And when a postmortem examination of the body reveals a lethal dose of medicine, Hester is charged with murder–punishable by execution.

This notorious case presents detective William Monk with a daunting task: find a calculating killer among the prominent and coolly unassailable Farraline clan–and try to save Hester from the gallows.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nurse Hester Latterly, who served courageously in the Crimean War and has assisted former policeman William Monk in many of his investigations (the last, A Sudden, Fearful Death), is charged with murdering a patient for personal gain. Hester hires on to accompany aging but lively Mary Farraline by train from Edinburgh to London and to administer the proper dose of heart medication. But Mary dies en route-and her pearl brooch is discovered in Hester's bag. The dead woman's family, the police and most of Edinburgh are convinced that Hester killed her to obtain the pin. Coming to her aid are former policeman Monk, barrister Oliver Rathbone and Lady Callandra Daviot. Monk goes to Edinburgh to investigate the Farraline family, whose members have more than their share of secrets. But with no hard evidence in Hester's favor, it seems that not even the appearance of Florence Nightingale will rescue her from the gallows. The courtroom scenes from Hester's Edinburgh trial are as gripping as those of any contemporary legal thriller. Though the number of characters can be confusing, Perry keeps the plot taut, compelling and ringing with verisimilitude. Mystery Guild selection; Literary Guild alternate.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

The doyenne of Victorian historicals (The Hyde Park Headsman, LJ 3/1/94) offers another mystery masterwork in the William Monk series. After nurse Hester Latterly's elderly charge dies on the train from Edinburgh, the police charge her with murder via an overdose of heart medication. Hester is innocent, of course, so Monk hastens to Edinburgh for a background search of the family who originally hired Hester. Back in London, lawyer Oliver Rathbone prepares to defend Hester but must defer to the Scottish courts. As always, Perry's measured, literate prose and strict attention to every detail of custom, location, and culture result in pure reading pleasure.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 464 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books; Reprint edition (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345514009
• ISBN-13: 978-0345514004
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #485,797 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne Perry is the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels, including Dark Assassin and The Shifting Tide, and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels, including The Cater Street Hangman, Calandar Square, Buckingham Palace Gardens and Long Spoon Lane. She is also the author of the World War I novels No Graves As Yet, Shoulder the Sky, Angels in the Gloom, At Some Disputed Barricade, and We Shall Not Sleep, as well as six holiday novels, most recently A Christmas Grace. Anne Perry lives in Scotland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hester Latterly Charged with Murder, July 2, 2000

By 

drdebs (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sins of the Wolf (William Monk Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

When Hester Latterly, a former Crimean War nurse, takes on a brief assignment between jobs to assist an elderly Scottish woman from Edinburgh to London she has no idea that when they reach their destination she will be charged with murder. Despite the best efforts of her friends private detective William Monk and lawyer Oliver Rathbone, she is put on trial in Scotland. You will enjoy following the twists and turns in this 19th-century "Law and Order"-type mystery as the skilled Anne Perry takes you from investigations to trial procedures without ever missing a beat or hitting a false note.

Perry's Monk mysteries are a bit darker and more psychologically thrilling than her more well-known Pitt series of mysteries, but devoted fans of the Pitts will recognize the skilled plot and character developments, the labrynthine twists and turns of the investigations, and the focus on scandals and secrets.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, well-plotted mystery., January 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sins of the Wolf (William Monk Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

Anne Perry has done well on the bestseller lists every time her books have come out. After reading this book, I can see why. This is an incredible, breathtaking book. Hester Latterly has been accused of killing an elderly woman in her charge on a train from Edinburgh to London. Things get progressively worse for her when a private detective who is a close collegue of hers comes up with very little to prove her innocence, but a light at the end of the tunnel does eventually appear. Anne Perry brilliantly describes England and Scotland with vivid detail. She even brings the village she lives in in Scotland, Portmahomack, into it. There is a great deal of psychological detail, but keep reading. The end left me with my mouth hanging open. One of the very best historical mysteries I have read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the William Monk series, February 10, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Sins of the Wolf (William Monk Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

William and his barrister friend Oliver come to the aid of Hester, whose latest charge died in her care, and the family is accusing her of their matriarch's murder. William and Oliver must go to Scotland, where Oliver isn't authorized to practice law, because that's where the trial is. The courtroom drama is as good as those in Scott Turow's and John Grisham's novels. Who framed Hester, and why? That's what William's about to find out. . .

The three friends face life and death together here, and you can truly feel the bond that's been established among them. Though they don't always like each other, their loyalty and valor in helping one another makes this series a real delight. A great read all the way around