The Silent Cry

September 29, 1997
Although lacking the panache of last year's Weighted in the Balance, William Monk's eighth outing adds to Perry's convincing yet disturbing picture of early Victorian London. Hired to find men whose evening entertainment runs to raping and beating prostitutes in the slum of St. Giles, Monk soon brushes up against murder: Leighton Duff, a respectable solicitor, was found beaten to death in St. Giles, with his son, Rhys Duff, nearby, barely alive. Despite his receiving excellent care from Hester Latterly, the nurse with whom Monk shares a volatile relationship, physical and emotional injuries have reduced Rhys to virtual silence: he can't speak and his hands are broken. Inquiries conducted by Monk and by the police suggest that Rhys was in the right place to beat the women (which interests police not at all) and murder Leighton (which interests them greatly). But, as in other Perry mysteries, it takes more than one perspective to reveal the truth, and Latterly maintains that Rhys, despite his displays of inarticulate rage, is innocent. When Latterly recruits barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone to Rhys's cause, and Sir Oliver naturally hires Monk to gather evidence, the investigator must question what he thinks he knows. Although the young man's silence and the suspicions surrounding him are ultimately resolved and tied neatly into the plot, readers may feel they are bearing the weight of this contrivance like so much overpacked luggage.

August 1, 1997
Prolific murder-mystery writer Perry has evaded the scientific precision of modern forensic fact-finding by weaving current-day issues and characters into a richly detailed Victorian-era milieu. One man is found murdered and another on the edge of death in the notorious London slum called St. Giles. Although it looks as if they may have engaged in a mortal fight, they are in fact father and son from a well-to-do family. Later, links develop between these men and a series of violent rapes of prostitutes. Hester Latterly, nurse and protector of the surviving son, Rhys, counterbalances detective William Monk in their mutual pursuit of the truth. By the novel's end, revelations of corruption and depravity break through the severe conventions of upper-class Victorian prudery in a dramatic courtroom scene. Perry followers and others will enjoy this new addition. Highly recommended.--Michelle Foyt, Fairfield P.L., Ct.

July 1, 1997
Perry's latest once again stars the enigmatic and intriguing detective William Monk and feisty Hester Latterly, nurse-turned-sleuth and precursor of today's tough female P.I. Two separate and tragic cases engage the pair. Hester is nursing young Rhys Duff, who's been beaten and left for dead next to the body of his father in a London alley. The accident has left Rhys near death and unable to speak. Meanwhile, Monk is investigating a series of vicious rapes and beatings in the seedy St. Giles area. Monk and Hester soon realize that the two cases may be related. The police believe Rhys killed his father and that the two were part of a group of men involved in the brutal rapes and beatings. Although the evidence looks overwhelming, Hester is convinced of Rhys' innocence and insists that Monk help prove it. With his usual tenacity, he does just that, revealing the stunning truth in a dramatic courtroom scene. Perry piques the reader's interest with a suspenseful plot filled with quirky twists and uses strong, larger-than-life characters and authentically detailed descriptions of Victorian London to give her story impact and intensity. An outstanding entry in a fine series. ((Reviewed July 1997))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1997, American Library Association.)