An Echo of Murder

De: Anne Perry

Narrado por: David Colacci

A string of gruesome, ritualistic murders of Hungarian immigrants has the Thames River police commander stuck on solving the pattern in the latest installment of the New York Times best-selling William Monk series.

When a Hungarian immigrant is dismembered near London's River Thames, Commander Monk is called to the eerie scene, where 16 candles surround the corpse. As identical murders pop up around the city, Monk confronts the unsettling options: could it be the work of a secret society? A serial madman? Or is a xenophobic Brit targeting foreigners?

A local doctor who speaks Hungarian from his days on the battlefield may be able to help, but his own struggles with post-traumatic stress have left his memory in shambles: could he have committed the crimes without remembering?

Fighting both local prejudice and the weight of the past, Monk and his wife Hester - herself a battlefield nurse familiar with horror - are in a race to find the killer and stop the echo of these repeated murders for good.

©2017 Anne Perry (P)2017 Recorded Books

Great series

Other than wishing Davina Porter would have continued reading this series, nothing could be improved upon from my point of view. Just wish Anne could write faster!!!

Repetitious

Had high hopes for another Monk novel. Turned out to be poorly organized and boringly repetitious

Not as good as I expected.

The story almost has no mystery at all, easily guess who commented the crime. The story could have been short er.

Really good mystery.

Nice to visit with these characters again. the ending was very abrupt but the story was engaging.

Another winner

What made the experience of listening to An Echo of Murder the most enjoyable?

Anne Perry rarely disappoints. I've listened to many of her books and love her returning characters especially her strong women. The surrounding history makes the storyline all the more poignant.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

William Monk and Oliver Rathbone slowly unravel the plot thus keeping you engaged until the end.

What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?

I look forward to David Colacci's narration. He's perfect for this historical timepiece.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The search for the truth no matter the cost.

Perhaps the best in the William Monk Series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. The Monk series has introduced and followed the lives of its characters through many crises and triumphs. This entry brings together Hester's family, a character from her Crimean War experience as one of Florence Nightingale's nurses, and Monk's job as Commander of the Thames River Police. The character of Scuff, a former homeless mudlark, is shown in his maturity as a medical student. The courtroom climax is riveting.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The lack of police progress in solving the grisly murders leads to the seemingly hopeless job Sir Oliver faces in defending the doctor suffering from being left for dead on the battlefield during the Crimean War 10 years earlier. He becomes the easy victim of fear by the very people he has helped.

Have you listened to any of David Colacci’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

His performances have always been excellent.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

In the courtroom when Hester's brother, from whom she had been estranged, offers to care for the defendant after all charges are dropped. Hester's participation in the war kept her from being able to care for her family at home when her father was ruined financially and committed suicide.

monk is back!

it was wonderful to see that the author had written another Detective m o n k book. I love that series and hope to see more.

Without a sense of her own lore

Authors have what is generally called their “bible” which contains all story elements, side characters, minor story arcs etc. This story seems to have been written by someone who did not have access to that at all.

If you are reading this as a stand alone then it’s probably fine, though the ending was rushed and it’s easy to see that describing the fate of medical personnel during the Crimea, the state of medical care of the Victorian era, and a comment on social pressures and xenophobia were the primary point of this novel. If you’ve read them all, prepare to be frustrated as the “mystery” is very deus ex machina and who so ever wrote this is entirely unaware of the well fleshed out relationship between Hester and her sister-in-law Imogen, not to mention the almost constant use of Imogen as a touchstone for Monk across the first ten or so novels. Not to mention how this novel should have been allowing us to get to know Crow more but nvm…there is a handsome and tortured gentleman to pay attention to instead.

This one feels very sloppy and I’m salty about the discordance with the general feel of the rest of Perry’s work.

A Compelling Story

It was very entertaining. It kept my interest from beginning to the end .

My latest favourite Anne Perry book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes. interesting characters. good story. educational.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hester Monk

Have you listened to any of David Colacci’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have listened to him many times. He's consistently good.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Although Perry includes some pretty grusome details in her stories, she handles this in a delicate yet informative way. I love the language that she uses in her writing.