A Sudden, Fearful Death [Hardcover]

Anne Perry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 1993

Victorian private inquiry agent William Monk is hired to investigate the brutal rape of a young London woman and the strangulation murder of Nurse Prudence Barrymore, a talented, extraordinary woman who had served in the Crimea with Florence Nightingale.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this excellent historical mystery, Victorian detective William Monk investigates the suspicious death of a young English nurse.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-Another Perry mystery that highlights the frustrating status of women in Victorian England. The story hinges on society's low opinion of nurses and of both single and married women who seek abortions. A talented nurse is found strangled, and Inspector Monk and his friends, a nurse and a lawyer, follow the clues to see that the murderer will hang. It is difficult to decide which element is the author's true forte-the details of everyday life or the suspenseful courtroom dialogues. The plot has many twists and turns. Readers may suspect some of the answers, but surprises continue right until the last page. The opening chapters place readers in a subplot that provides background on different characters. The shift in the action is slightly confusing as these people are rarely mentioned again. However, Perry fans will not be disappointed, and newcomers will be entertained by a good mystery as they enter the world of Victorian high society.
Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 383 pages
• Publisher: Fawcett; 1st edition (August 31, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044990637X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449906378
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #601,482 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

36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Nurse is Murdered--Inspector Monk is called in!, June 5, 2000

By 

drdebs (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sudden, Fearful Death (William Monk Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

A Sudden, Fearful Death is the fourth mystery in the Inspector Monk series of books by Anne Perry. Better known for her Pitt series, the Inspector Monk series are slighly earlier (just after the Crimean War), grittier, and in many ways more riveting. They are longer than the average Pitt novel, and this allows the author's wonderful ability to convey period detail and characterization to shine through.

In this mystery Inspector Monk is called in to investigate the murder of one of Florence Nightingale's Crimean nurses, who is working at a London hospital. Those of you who have read the previous three novels know how hard it can be for these young women to adapt to English hospitals after their stint abroad, and at first it seems that Prudence Barrymore might be a victim because of her desire to reform the medical system. As the plot unfolds, however, we realize that there is a great deal more going on at London's Royal Free hospital than meets the eye.

One of Perry's greatest talents lies in character development, and she is always careful to let a different character feature prominently in each novel. This time it is Lady Callandra Daviot's turn, Inspector Monk's female patron, who emerges as a more three-dimensional character. Hester Latterly, another Nightingale nurse, is also featured, along with the brilliant Inspector Monk and the lawyer of lawyers, Oliver Rathbone.

I would particularly recommend the Monk series to fans of TV's Law and Order, since these mysteries combine excellent sleuthing with taut court-room drama. If you like historical mysteries, you will love this series. If you already like Anne Perry, I encourage you to give Inpsector Monk a try!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Monk/Latterly mystery, November 11, 2007

By 

Diana Coats "dianainsc" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sudden, Fearful Death (William Monk Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have recently started to listen to Anne Perry mysteries. I have thoroughly enjoyed them. The reason this one gets a four-star rating is because I was disappointed with the role Calandra played in this one. She has been a stalwart and formidable presence in the earlier books, not one to worry about someone's reputation when justice is at stake. I guess we're supposed to believe she has temporarily lost her presence of mind because she is in love.
Other than that spoiler, I enjoyed this thoroughly. I especially enjoy the courtroom scenes, the carefully crafted defense of a supposedly innocent doctor.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Perry Really Drug This One Out!, November 14, 2011

By 

Dawn Aiello (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sudden, Fearful Death (William Monk Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, and was very eager to read and enjoy this one, as well. Each of the books prior to this one held my attention, and I read each of them within 2 weeks -- and only took that long because I have a crazy work schedule and was not able to read as often as I would like. This book, however, I started reading a YEAR ago, and as of the writing of this review, I still have about 10 pages LEFT!! The reason that it has taken me SO long is because, in addition to the crazy work schedule I have and difficulty always finding time to read, I simply have lacked the INTEREST in this book to TRY to MAKE time to read it! This book haa simply dragged on and on, and it feels like it hasn't gotten anywhere! It is SOOO repetitious, and just goes over and over theories, etc, but nothing really ever happens! It takes some 400 pages to build (but "build" really isn't the right word because it isn't really very suspenseful, and there really are no twists, and it's not really "building" toward anything)! Then at the end it feels as though the author is trying to quickly pull it all together and finish the book. Dora's revelation is hurried and contrived, particularly since the story leading up to it is so very slow!

All in all the book was just ok. I like Perry as an author and have already purchased the next few books in the Monk series. I am hoping this particular book was written while she was in a funk, and that the series will get back on track. Having so enjoyed the first few stories, I am holding out hope for the rest of the series. Perhaps this one was just a slight falling-out, the result of some kind of writer's slump!