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Slaves of Obsession. Anne Perry. 2000. 368 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "We are invited to dine with Mr. and Mrs. Alberton," Hester said in reply to Monk's questioning gaze across the breakfast table.

Premise/plot: William and Hester Monk attend a dinner, and, soon most of the guests will be caught up in a murder case. The victim--one of several--is Mr. Alberton. And it looks like he's been killed by someone he knew, someone he entertained in his own home. Monk isn't directly on the murder case, so to speak, but he's hired by Mrs. Alberton to find her missing daughter and bring her back home, no matter what. And the number one suspect in the case is the daughter's love-interest. So chances are, if you find one you may find the other. So Hester and Monk have their hands full in this one. It takes place on TWO continents. (The daughter has fled to the United States....)

My thoughts: I really am enjoying this series again. I really like seeing Hester and William settle down into married life. I really love seeing these two love and respect and cherish one another! Yet the romance in the book is never in-your-face or time-consuming. Instead it is in the background, subtle. The issue in this book is "slavery" and whether it's right or wrong to sell guns to the South. Does someone who sells guns for a living have a moral obligation to sell guns only to people whom he agrees 100% with? Does he have the right to refuse to sell guns to interested buyers because he finds their cause distasteful? Who is really capable of deciding which causes are good or bad?

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Christmas Visitor. Anne Perry. 2004. 199 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: "There, Mr. Rathbone, sir, are yer right?" the old man asked solicitously.

Premise/plot: Henry Rathbone (Oliver's father) is visiting his goddaughter for the Christmas holidays. Her husband has literally just died. And Henry ends up being the one who meets each returning child (all adults) about the death. As the story gets told and retold, questions arise. Was Judah Dreghorn murdered? Who murdered him? Why? Can anyone prove it was murder and not an accident?

My thoughts: For such a short book, it was a surprisingly slow read. Its two hundred pages felt like four hundred. I think it would have been very helpful to break this one into chapters. The book is divided into "parts" and not chapters. One of the key reasons a book feels quick and enjoyable are short-to-medium length chapters. When you come to the end of the chapter, you flip the pages. And let's say the next chapter is four to ten pages in length, it's I HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE CHAPTER. You can read just "one more chapter" for a good hundred pages or so. But when there are no natural stopping places for seventy-to-eighty pages, then you don't want to read it. You make excuses, I don't have the time now. Authors, pay attention, have chapters work to your benefit.

That being said, I adore the character Henry Rathbone. I got super-attached to him reading the William Monk series. And so I wanted to LOVE this one like crazy. I still think he's a good character. And the characters were more interesting than the ones in A Christmas Journey. There is no comparison between the books. This one is a lot better!!! But it just doesn't compare to her other novels.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Twisted Root. Anne Perry. (William Monk #10) 1998. 368 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The young man stood in the doorway, his face pale, his fingers clenched on his hat, twisting it around and around.

Premise/plot: William Monk is hired by Lucius Stourbridge to find his missing fiancée, Miriam Gardner. She disappeared during a garden party without a word. Monk, newly married, takes the case. As he begins work on the case, he stumbles onto a murder case that might just prove relevant to his missing person case. Sergeant Robb has found the body of a coachman. Robb soon is eager to find Miriam too, her probably being the last to see him alive. Meanwhile Hester is not staying at home doing nothing. She is fighting for reform and change in the hospital community. She has noticed that someone has been stealing medicine from the hospital where she volunteers. It turns out the thief has a heart of gold and is a kindred spirit when it comes to caring and nursing veterans.

As so often is the case in Perry's novels, Monk, Hester, and Rathbone's paths and stories all cross. This one definitely has a twist ending.

My thoughts: I really am liking the series again. Silent Cry seems to have been the low point for me. I am glad that Monk and Hester have wed, and equally glad that not any time is devoted to their physical intimacy in the bedroom. I was very, very happy to get one scene between Rathbone and his dad!

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A Breach of Promise. (William Monk #9) Anne Perry. 1999. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Oliver Rathbone leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh of satisfaction.

Premise/plot: A Breach of Promise is the ninth book in the William Monk mystery series by Anne Perry. In this one, Oliver Rathbone takes up a difficult, near-impossible-to-win case. His client, Killian Melville, is being sued for breach of promise. His friendship with Zillah Lambert was taken--by her family--as a romantic relationship. A whole wedding was PLANNED without him ever having said "I love you" or "Will you marry me?" Everything was assumed by Zillah's parents. Melville was late to catch on that he was "trapped." The case goes to trial, and, Rathbone calls on Monk to help him find something--anything--to help his client. Surely there is some reason why Melville refuses to marry her and claims that he CANNOT ever marry. Hester Latterly is nursing a patient that surprisingly enough is not directly connected in any way with the crime!!! But both Rathbone and Monk are depending on her to help them "make sense" of this case.

My thoughts: I loved this one. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. It ends with Monk decisively choosing to ask Hester something BIG. Now, have I been wanting these two together for many books? Yes and no. No, in that I personally *like* Rathbone better. And I think Oliver was just as much in love with Hester as Monk was/is. Also, I really ADORE Oliver's dad. And the thought of Hester being in that family and getting MORE of both Oliver and his Dad would have made me quite happy. That being said, it was obvious for several books now that Hester for whatever reason loves Monk. I don't know why she prefers Monk to Rathbone. I don't. But she does. So yes, I am glad that Monk stopped being stupid and argumentative enough to pop the question. If the two are destined to be together, I'd rather it be settled sooner rather than later.

Now, for the case itself. It was a twist upon twist. And I forbid myself to cheat even a little. So that helped. I think the series is guilty a bit of having modern opinions taken up by the historical characters and proclaimed a bit smugly. At times. But overall, I really found myself enjoying this one cover to cover.

© 2016 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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A few years ago I decided to read only holiday-themed books for the month of December.  I had so much fun that it’s now one of my annual  holiday traditions.  There must be a lot of people out there who share in my tradition because every December I find myself fighting for my place in line on the library waiting lists.

I mostly prefer the holiday mysteries such as those by Mary Higgins Clark,  Anne Perry and dozens of others. The best is when they combine mystery and food such as Joanna Fluke and Dianne Mott Davidson.  I’m also a sap for a good heart-warming story such as The Christmas Shoes and the holiday books in the Cape Light series by Thomas Kinkade.  I’ve also read some good comedies and last year I found a holiday/vampire novel that I strangely enjoyed.

So far this December, I’ve read The Christmas Secret, A Wish For Christmas, Dashing Through the Snow and Engaging Father Christmas (which had me sheading tears on the metro yesterday).  Up next are The Christmas Cookie Club and Plum Pudding Murder.

So, fellow holiday readers, what else should I put on my reading list this year?

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