| William Monk, a private detective suffering from amnesia, is asked to work on a case involving possible railroad fraud which seems closely related to one in his past by a young lady whose finace may be involved. In seeking to find out if there is fraud, he must also delve into his past and perhaps discover his own secrets. Hester, Monk's wife and a nurse, is running a clinic for prostitutes. A rich business man also involved with the railroads has been found murdered in the area and the police are cracking down trying to find the killer. The police presence is causing a slowdown in business for the prostitutes and many are being beaten by their pimps. Hester gets involved to try and help them. Anne Perry paints a picture of the seamier side of 19th century England. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear) How difficult to spot villain? - Difficult, but some clues given Time/era of story: What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 60% Murder of certain profession? Misc. Murder Plotlets - Proving innocence of very obvious suspect Kind of investigator Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Any non-mystery subplot? descript. of violence and chases - 20 % Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 % Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40 % How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10 % Crime Thriller Yes Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes Main Character Gender - Male Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Race Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: Motive of antagonist - revenge How sensitive is this character? Intelligence - Average intelligence Setting Europe Yes European country: - England/UK Writing Style Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
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