I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

This was the first Anne Perry book I've read, but she's been on my radar for awhile now. While this isn't a bad book, I don't think it was for me. The book did a great job of establishing its sense of place - both time and location - and was clearly a continuation of relationships and themes that had been established in previous editions of the series.

Unfortunately, I found the mystery to be very predictable and the characters fairly one-sided.

If you're into more cozy nineteenth century British crime novels, you should check out this series. If you look for more grit, unpredictability, and psychological suspense in your mysteries, maybe take a pass on this one.

Dark Tide Rising

by Anne Perry

I know that Anne Perry is a celebrated author with two main series and many other books to her credit. Therefore, I was really looking forward to reading this work of historical fiction, a genre I have come to enjoy recently. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. A lot of Dark Tide Rising centers around a betrayal that is central to understanding the kidnapping and murder of Kate Exeter. When I say “a lot,” I mean Perry belabors the points to the extent of redundancy. Also, I figured out the identity and motive of the murderer early on in the book. The last courtroom scene of the book is interesting as it establishes proof of the murderer and motives for the actions of some of the minor characters. Another overly emphasized point is that Monk’s wife Hester served with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. Although Nightingale has long had my admiration, I do not think any and every association with her needs to be touted as proof of a woman’s fortitude. On a positive note, I did enjoy learning about the Thames River Police.

Although I was anxious to bring this book to a close, I am open to reading another by this author. I want to determine if the problem is this particular book or if Perry’s books are just not a good fit for me.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House (Ballantine) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Notes: #24 in the Monk series, but works as a standalone

Publication: September 18, 2018—Random House (Ballantine)

Memorable Lines:

Monk himself ached in every bone, but how much was bruising and minor cuts, and how much the torture of utter failure, he did not yet know.

And what other secrets would the search lay bare? Perhaps it was selfish in the face of such grief to think of personal fears, not yet realized, but he could not discard them. When he lay alone and silent in the dark, there was nothing to hold them at bay.

In this latest installment, Monk's broad, capable shoulders are forced to take on a burden that might prove too heavy even for him. A kidnapping situation goes utterly wrong and it looks like one of his own men might have betrayed them and the dead kidnapped woman.

Dark Tide Rising is the 24th book in the often times riveting, sometimes contemplative, but always engaging blend of police detection and courtroom drama. I suppose it could be read standalone, but I wouldn't recommend getting this series out of order b/c the personal lives of the main characters are an ongoing story even if each book presents a standalone murder mystery.

The opening scene was a real humdinger and had me breathlessly turning pages as Monk and his River Police are forced into a dangerous and dark warren along the river where a money drop is supposed to happen in exchange for a kidnap victim. It was gritty and tension-wrought. My attention was hooked.

There were other moments of excitement on the hunt for the kidnappers and killers and then of course equally exciting in a different way was the final courtroom drama that I've become familiar with for this series that follows the police work and its all has the authentic feel of a Victorian era setting and situation down to how things looked back then to how people thought and talked.

I like how with each book, Monk, Hester, or Rathbone are faced with a personal crisis along with a murder to solve. I don't mean drama for drama's sake, but something like Monk's past amnesia causing him trouble or his not wanting to doubt himself or his men because he now has to figure out who betrayed them all and he desperately doesn't want it to be the man he counts as a friend. It adds that extra layer to the already riveting detection done by Monk and courtroom work done by Rathbone.

Hester and Will (Scruff), Monk's family, made their appearances with a little help on Monk's case and even Oliver Rathbone had a lesser role with Monk taking up the most of the narration with a surprising narration partner in his police sergeant, John Hooper.

This installment had John Hooper getting his past story revealed, several investigation scenes, a bit of romance, and I enjoyed seeing this. He was stalwart and tenacious and oh so scared that his past would ruin everything- his police career and his friendship with Monk which he treasures because he is all alone save that trust and respect he has from his commander.

The plot was tight, the pacing was perfect throughout, and even though I fingered the solution from the beginning, I was really into this one from start to finish. The villain had me so angry and I could not wait seeing them slowly but surely get there. If I had a niggle, it was the abrupt end. Without spoiling things, I really wanted to get Rathbone's reaction afterward and it cut off before showing that. Maybe there will be a mention in the next installment.

So, it was another engaging mystery from a series I can't wait to get the new release each time.
Those who love historical mysteries should really give this series a look-see.

I rec'd this book from Net Galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

Who kidnaps Kate, wife of wealthy Harry Exeter, and demands a king’s ransom? The money paid, Kate’s release still goes awry. In Dark Tide Rising, Inspector William Monk stands amid a conundrum. He and Harry Exeter followed the kidnappers’ instructions to the letter. Who knew and betrayed them? Mistrust oozes up from the Thames like the famous London fog. How can Inspector Monk untangle the web of betrayal and distrust surrounding his chosen team of River Police?

Overall, Dark Tide Rising is good, but not one of the best within Perry’s William Monk series. There is little action as most of the drama is psychological. Monk seemed too willing to believe it was one of his men who betrayed the secrets of the ransom plan rather than looking hard at a man he had just met and about whom he knows next to nothing. Without disclosing too much of the ending, one wonders how certain facts, which come tumbling out towards the end of the novel, got into the hands of someone who’s in jail.

(A full review can be seen at www.janecairns.com.)

Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry is the 24th installment in her William Monk series. Sir Oliver Rathbone, Monk's good friend, arrives at Monk and Hester's home one evening to request that Monk come and meet a man whose wife has been kidnapped. The man requires assistance in delivering the ransom and obtaining the safe release of his wife from the hands of the kidnappers. Monk is involved immediately and his whole crew gets involved. It all goes horribly awry. This is how the story begins.

Dark Tide Rising is a tale of betrayal and suspicion. The idea that one's closest companions may have betrayed their jobs and those they work with casts a pall over the entire investigation and all those involved. In many ways it is more important than the mystery. The way the words absorbed the doubt was masterful. Everyone questioning everyone and everyone they knew. Monk's story never grows old. The cast of characters changes and flows from book to book but the core remains solid. It is wonderful to immerse myself in the world of William Monk despite the fact it is a dark one.

I love this series; this book. I highly recommend it. It is not necessary to read the entire series as Perry does a good job of filling us in on the important details from the past, but starting at the beginning will be more pleasurable for the reader.

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange foe a fair and honest review. #netgalley

Businessman Harry Exeter comes to Oliver Rathbone, who summons old friend and Thames River Police Commander William Monk, on a nasty, wet, cold evening.

Exeter's wife Kate has been kidnapped. The kidnappers are demanding a large ransom--one he can, with some difficulty, raise. He's ready to pay, in order to get his beloved wife back. Yet it has to be delivered on Jacob's Island, less an island than a slum built on a swamp and sinking into the river. He needs knowledgeable and trustworthy escort to even get to the right spot.

Of course Monk agrees. It's the only think to do. (Even the US was still decades away from the events that led to today's now long-standing Never Pay Ransom policy on the part of law enforcement.) He carefully selects a small team of his most trusted, reliable men, and escorts Exeter when the time comes.

And things go horribly wrong. Kate Exeter is killed, and the money taken. It's a complete disaster, and the only explanation is that one of Monk's trusted men betrayed them.

This is a twisty, complicated story, and Monk, his men, Hester, Rathbone, Runcorn, and everyone around them deals with betrayal and the fear of betrayal. John Hooper is one of the few people Monk has told his dangerous secret: that much of his life is a blank to him, memory lost and never regained after a head injury when he was already a Detective Inspector on the Metropolitan police. Hooper has his own potentially deadly secret past, that he has not shared with Monk in return. Exeter's banker, Mr. Doyle, has social ambitions he can't meet without money he doesn't have. The bank's bookkeeper has noticed odd transfers in Exeter's accounts and in the account of Kate Exeter's inheritance trust, which neither she nor Exeter have access to till she turns thirty-three. Only Mr. Doyle and the trustee, Kate's cousin, Maurice Latham, do. Kate's other surviving cousin, Celia Darwin, has her doubts about both Latham and Exeter.

But Exeter's grief is very convincing, wholly so to Monk, who imagines losing Hester the same way.

It's another very satisfying tale of murder, mystery, and of course courtroom drama. Recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, and am reviewing it voluntarily.

I enjoyed reading Dark Tide Rising. A fantastic plot that kept you guessing until the end. The story is set in Victorian England and you can feel yourself in that time. This is book #24 and the first William Monk Novel I read. I liked Monk and thought Hooper and Celia were great. I liked the way they deduced the crime and am looking forward to reading more William Monk Novels.

I give Dark Tide Rising 4 stars for it's murder mystery.
I would recommend this book to murder mystery fans.

William Monk has again gotten himself in the thick of things as the case of a kidnap/ransom goes horribly wrong. Dark Tide Rising is William Monk’s 24th book by Anne Perry. After all this time, you would think that this series would have lost steam, but wonderfully it has not. Plenty of intrigue, police protocol, lawyer intrusion with twists and turns that baffle Monk and the reader as we go along on the case.

Excellent written plot with the solid William Monk in the lead. For a few hours one is transported back to Victorian London. The case is murky but have no fear Monk and team will solve this whodunit.

Reading this reminded me why I fell in love with Anne Perry. And in turn find myself watching tv dramas set during this period. I got hooked on Ripper Street because it reminded me of Monk and Thomas Pitt. I also realize I need to catch up on the Monk series because I am very behind. That said, I still loved this book. Monk is exactly as I remembered and I love how Perry evokes London of that time. I also love the twists and turns she is so good at giving us. I may need to reread to completely appreciate all the nuances! I received an advance copy. I voluntarily am providing an honest review.

"Dark Tide Rising" by Anne Perry, Ballantine Books, 304 pages, Sept. 18, 2018.

Anne Perry is the author of two series set in Victorian England. This is about Commander William Monk of the Thames River Police. It is the 25th in the series.

Defense attorney Oliver Rathbone goes to Monk for help. Wealthy developer Harry Exeter's wife, Kate, has been kidnapped. She was walking with her older cousin, Celia Darwin, when she was taken.

Exeter can raise the funds, but the drop off is to be at Jacob's Island, a waterside slum with tunnels and alleys. Exeter wants police to go with him for his protection and his wife's safe return. Monk is sympathetic because his wife, Hester, was kidnapped not very long ago. He selects John Hooper, his second in command, and four other trusted men to go with them. They must travel by rowboat.

The exchange goes horribly wrong and Kate is murdered. The gang of kidnappers attack the men from all sides. They knew which route the police were taking, so someone on Monk's team must have tipped them off. Monk has to investigate the homicide and the betrayal.

"Dark Tide Rising" is very engrossing, with twists I didn't see coming. The guilty person was a complete surprise. This is my favorite of the two series that Anne Perry writes. The other features Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. You do not have to read others in the series to enjoy this book.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the Advanced Readers Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder and Kidnapping in Victorian London

William Monk, Commander of the Thames River Police, is approached by Harry Exeter to assist him in paying the ransom for his kidnapped wife, Kate. Monk feels a strong attachment to Exeter’s distress because of his wife Hester’s kidnapping.

Exeter has raised a huge sum of money to pay off the kidnappers who are holding Kate in a dangerous slum on the river, Jacob’s Island. Monk selects his best men to accompany them to the drop spot. From the time they land at Jacob’s Island everything goes wrong. Monk and his men are attacked, the kidnappers take the money, but all is in vain because Kate is dead.

One of the main themes of the book is the distress among Monk and his men that one of them betrayed the exercise. A great deal is made of the necessity for trust among a group of men who work together in dangerous circumstances. Another less obvious theme is the lack of respect for women’s intellectual gifts. Monk has great respect for Harriet, but the other men distrust the word of a woman, and it hampers the investigation.

This is not my favorite Monk novel. The descriptions of Victorian London are excellent, but the detective work is not up to par. Perry excuses this because Monk empathizes with Exeter so completely. I became bored with the constant worry about who had betrayed Monk’s men when the clues they should have been following seemed so obvious.

If you’re a Monk fan, you may enjoy this book, but I can’t recommend it for your first Monk adventure.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

William Monk has changed his profession several times since I began reading the series many, many years ago. Police detective, private detective, investigator for attorneys, etc. His position with the River Police, though, seems to have become his permanent berth. He's settled into the role, assumed the mantle of authority, and formed ties to his men, a change from the alienation he experienced in the early books. Those ties will be challenged in this novel.

Oliver Rathbone contacts Monk on behalf of Harry Exeter. His wife, Kate, has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. Exeter is willing to pay the ransom, but it requires that he go to a very dangerous area along the river and he wants protection against robbery (en route) and double-crossing during the transfer. Monk accompanies Exeter personally and stations his men in nearby locations to try catching the kidnappers after the safe return of Kate. Instead, the double-cross does happen, and the police are ambushed in their locations.

Kate Exeter is dead, and clearly the kidnappers knew where Monk’s men were going to be. Someone has provided the information to the bad guys, and it could only be someone involved in the exchange. Monk must investigate his own men to clear or condemn them. They all have secrets, and they all have weaknesses… did one knuckle under to blackmail? Worse…bribery?

One of Monk’s men, John Hooper, often takes center stage during this novel. Like Monk, he is agonizing over the idea that they were all betrayed… and, as the secrets of his fellow officers are revealed, it becomes clear that he has one of his own, and it could cost him everything.

As Monk pursues his leads, the trail of crime enters Superintendent Runcorn’s patch. Runcorn, Monk’s old boss and former enemy, develops his own opinions on the case, which don’t always agree with Monk’s. Runcorn charges the husband with murder, and Monk, with Rathbone, work to prove Harry Exeter innocent.

The case ends with a twist I didn’t expect the author to make. It keeps the story from entirely sinking into the tawdry background of Monk’s many cases (since this is the twenty-fourth Monk novel).

I was pleased to see Monk’s men fleshed out further, even under the unpleasant circumstances, and I enjoyed Runcorn’s bold entry into the investigation. Monk’s wife, Hester, does appear in this book, though not frequently enough for my tastes. Scuff, their adopted son, is maturing nicely and has developed ambitions for his future. Beata, Oliver’s new wife, also makes a brief appearance.

Perry often ends the book shortly after revealing the killer; this is one of those occasions. I like a little more denoument, personally, but it wasn't too abrupt. It did remind me a little of a Perry Mason ending, where all is revealed on the stand.

I accessed this novel through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are two components that make many a crime novel memorable over the long haul: the twists of the plot, and the way the crime's investigator stands up as a person—his or her courage, integrity, sense of humor, intelligence, and most of all, capacity to care.

That last aspect may seem a bit out of place at first. But it's what makes Louise Penny's Armand Gamache seem "known" to his legions of fans; it's what carries Carol O'Connell's prickly and dangerous Kathy Mallory into the hearts of her colleagues and readers; it's the part of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch, and even Lee Child's feckless Jack Reacher, that pulls us to the next title, and the next.

And it's what makes Anne Perry's police Commander William Monk someone you might want for a neighbor, or on your local police force, in spite of his location in 1881 England.

In DARK TIDE RISING, Monk accepts a mission to protect the life of a wealthy real estate developer racing to ransom his kidnapped younger wife. Harry Exeter has a marriage Monk can connect with, because it's so much like his own: an unexpected and intensely valued relationship discovered against the odds, with a woman whose life is clearly worth sacrificing a fortune to save. MORE at link that follows.

Monk is asked to escort a rich man to an dangerous place where he will pay the ransom to get his kidnapped wife back. Unfortunately, they take the money but his wife is dead...

Ballantine books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It is being published tomorrow.

Monk has always been a favorite character of mine. He gets used in this story but doesn't discover it until the end.

Since it appears the kidnappers knew what routes they were using to attack them, one of his cops must have betrayed them. He's searching for the kidnappers and questioning his own men. He's getting nowhere. The man they were shadowing shows up dead and they have no new leads.

Then he meets a young woman from the bank who says someone is embezzling from a trust fund. That fund belonged to the dead kidnapped woman. Might that have been why she was killed? As he waits to talk to the bank president, she arranges to meet him again. She never showed. It was because she was dead...

He gives that case to the police whose jurisdiction it was. They surprise him by arresting the husband of the kidnapped woman. The surprises aren't over...

How well do we know the people we work with everyday? How deeply do we trust our own impressions? The latest entry in the story of Monk and Hester explores these issues through the lens of betrayal. Monk's team is seemingly betrayed from the inside resulting in a shocking loss that sends Monk reeling. Over the course of the investigation and subsequent trial, Monk is left to wonder how much he has actually learned about the people around him each day.
In this book, we see very little of Hester but get a better and broader introduction to Monk's team. As the unit begins to fragment under the pressure of their investigation, we learn how the team has come together and how their individual secrets influence their perceptions of the events unfolding around them.
I enjoyed this deep dive into Monk's understanding both of himself and of the relationships he has developed. More than most of the books in this series, this story is driven by internal questions rather than external events. The story is compelling enough to stand alone, as is usually the case with Perry's series, but benefits from familiarity with Monk's history. Fans of the series will enjoy this glimpse of Monk's wider world. Newcomers will be captivated by the rich descriptions and intriguing twists in the unfolding plot.

Monk has to find a killer. Who could have murdered Mrs. Exeter? This is a good story with interesting characters. There were some interesting twists and turns. I liked the ending very much.
I would recommend this book.

This is my first William Monk book and given that this is the 24th in the series I was at a disadvantage with background knowledge of the characters. Monk seemed more than capable of devising a plan to rescue both Kate and the money at the beginning of the story. The description of Jacob’s Island gave me the creeps even before everything went awry. The aftermath of the incident is where I was lost - that is the disadvantage of not knowing all the information about Monk and the officers he works with impacted my understanding of the plot line. I almost gave up but decided I had to persevere. The kidnapper was obvious to everyone but Monk! The ending was my reward for sticking with it. Thanks to Anne Perry, Headline, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this soon to be published book.

Anne Perry has a wonderful gift, pulling us into whatever century and location that she has set her tale. Dark Tide Rising is no different. Set in Victorian England, we continue to follow William Monk as he is drawn into the kidnapping of a wealthy man's wife. Still deeply impacted by his own wife, Hester's kidnapping, he does not hesitate in the least when long-time friend and attorney, Sir Oliver Rathbone, comes to him and requests his assistance in retrieving his wife Kate after her kidnap from a riverbank where she had been walking with her cousin. Harry Exeter is a wealthy man, clearly distraught over the kidnapping and more than willing to turn over the exorbitant ransom that has been demanded. Feeling a kinship, Monk agrees and assembles a team of his best men from the River Police to assist him. Among them, John Hooper, an ex-Merchant Seaman, now Monk's second in command, who later finds himself attracted to Kate's cousin, Celia Darwin, in his regular contacts with her for background in unraveling the case. Monk's team, with Exeter follows all of the kidnappers demands to the letter to retrieve Kate from Jacob's Island, but all are attacked as they near her location, the money taken and Kate is found slashed to death. Monk is horrified and dismayed as he witnesses Exeter's keening over Kate and vows to bring the killers to justice. Monk must explore all angles, including the possibility that one of his own men may be involved, and is closing in on the kidnappers when one turns up dead in a boat, his throat slashed, and a young woman who has vital and damning financial information is murdered before Monk's meeting with her. Is he looking in the right direction? Who on his team would possibly betray them? The only certainty is that it's all about the money.

Right up front- if you are a fan of the series, know that this might not be the best. However, to my mind, any time spent with Monk is a good time. Who kidnapped and then killed Kate? At the root of this mystery is really who on Monk's team has sold out. Clearly the point of getting the team to Jacob's Island was not to rescue her, as her husband requested, but rather to do something to the rescuers. Why? And who? Unfortunately, this time around, we don't get as much of Hester and virtually nothing of Scuff, but there's still insight into others on the team. It's as well written as always and while I sorted out the bad guy pretty quickly, I still enjoyed Monk's thought process. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

Dark Tide Rising, the latest in Anne Perry's Monk series, finds William Monk involved in a case more complex and disturbing than any other. Monk and his men from the Thames River Police accompany Harry Exeter as he delivers the ransom required to save his wife; however, things go horribly wrong, and Monk realizes it's because they've been betrayed --by one of his own men. What follows is a complex, suspenseful mystery full of psychologically dark tunnels that Monk and Hooper must travel if they're to find the traitor before it's too late. Dark Tide Rising delves into the characters of Monk and Hooper while also introducing a new one I hope will return. I've read and loved all the Monk books, and this one was definitely one of the best with so many twists. I highly recommend it as well as the series!