MysteryLarge Print EditionFew writers this side of Arthur Conan Doyle can evoke Victorian London with such relish for detail and mood. San Francisco ChronicleWhen Countess Zorah Rostova sweeps into the office of London barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone and asks him to defend her against a serious charge of slander, he astonishes himself by accepting, since a defense of the countess can only bring him notoriety. The countess believes that Gisela, the woman for whom Prince Friedrich abdicated the throne, has killed the prince. But theres not a shred of evidence to support her claim until private investigator William Monk and his friend Hester Latterly establish that the prince was indeed murdered. Unfortunately, the likeliest suspect is the countess herself!
Amazon.com Review
Perry's series about Victorian-age investigator William Monk is one of the crown jewels of the genre, and her latest keeps the standards high. Called to the small German principality of Felzburg, Monk finds himself involved in aristocratic murder, slander and politics. Two eras are ending -- English innocence and the independence of little states like Felzburg -- and as Monk and his associates work on this case, their efforts are shadowed by clouds of coming conflicts.
From Publishers Weekly
The byzantine politics and aristocratic squabbles of a small German principality called Felzburg exasperate and puzzle William Monk in his seventh distinctive appearance (after Cain His Brother). Monk, a Victorian-era "agent of inquiry," is still haunted by a baffling amnesia, and he feels that his associates?the rigidly proper barrister Sir Oliver Rathbone and the uncompromising and outspoken nurse Hester Latterly?have taken on more than they can handle when Sir Oliver decides to defend Countess Zorah Rostova against a slander charge. The patriotic Zorah has accused Princess Gisela of Felzburg of murdering her husband, Prince Friedrich, heir to the throne, who presumably had died as a result of a fall from a horse. Gisela is suing. The issue of slander is almost lost in all the politicking. Gisela and Friedrich had lived in English exile, Gisela having played a sort of Wallis Simpson role to Friedrich's Edward. But Friedrich dreamed of returning triumphant to Felzburg in order to defend the statelet's independence against the unifying tide of Germany. Zorah's defense requires that Monk polish his image, refine his abrasive nature and interview some devious, scheming?and perhaps murderous?aristocrats. Was Friedrich poisoned? Was Gisela the intended target? Who profits? Are personal or political motives dominant? Perry indulges her characters in a bit too much unproductive speculation, but the novel springs to life in the courtroom scenes, where careful investigation and astute teamwork produce some astonishing revelations that presage the end of Victorian propriety and an era's pretense of innocence. Major ad/promo; Mystery Guild main selection; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Title First Parm : Weighed in the Balance
Record Notes : Hand Checked Serified 02 02 15
Author Parm Cn : Perry
Calc Genre : William Monk
Calc Series Name : William Monk
Calc Cover Quality : ICBF
Single Author : Anne Perry
Make New Series : TEMPLATE ERROR Value: unknown field enterseriesname
Enter Series Name : William Monk
Test Compare Series : eq
Words in Title : 4
Title Parm A : Weighed in the Balance
Title Pre Pound : Weighed in the Balance
Sorted Author by LN, FN: Perry, Anne
Series Parm A : William Monk
Series Parm B : 7
Words in Author Name: 2
Previous Series Index: 7
Enter Series Suffix : _
Calc Series A (group): William Monk
Formats : EPUB
Title Suffix : Weighed in the Balance
Enter New Series (Calced): Serified.William Monk.Cmd.07 of 17._.ICBF
Enter Series Index Part 3: 17
Number of Authors : 1
Number of Formats : 1
Has Cover : Yes
Test Text Series Index: 7
Whole Title : Weighed in the Balance
Author Parm A : Anne Perry
Compare Author : eq
Enter Series Index Part 1: 07
Enter Series Index Part 2: of
Calc Force Series : .William Monk
Number of Words in Auth: 2
Title Post Pound : Weighed in the Balance
Enter Series Group : Serified
Enter Series Cover Quality: ICBF
Calc Series Group : Serified
Enter Series Genre : Cmd
Enter Series Index : 07 of 17
Calc Series Genre : Cmd
Calc Series Index : 07 of 17
Series Genre : William Monk
Custom Series : Serified.William Monk.Cmd.07 of 17._.ICBF
Calc Series Suffix : _
Uncorruupted Title : Weighed in the Balance
Title Pre Parend : Weighed in the Balance
Calc New Series : Serified.William Monk.Cmd.07 of 17._
Uncomma Author : Anne Perry