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The Face of a Stranger: The First William Monk Novel Paperback – September 30, 2008

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,562 ratings

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In this exhilarating series debut, police detective William Monk must solve the mystery of his own past.

His name, they tell him, is William Monk, and he is a London police detective. But the accident that felled him has left him with only half a life; his memory and his entire past have vanished. As he tries to hide the truth, Monk returns to work and is assigned to investigate the brutal murder of a Crimean War hero and man about town. Which makes Monk's efforts doubly difficult, since he's forgotten his professional skills along with everything else.

“Richly textured with the sights and sounds of London and its countryside . . . Solidly absorbing and Perry's best to date.”—Kirkus Reviews
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From the Publisher

Kirkus Reviews says, “Richly textured with the sights and sounds of London and its countryside

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Anne Perry was the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels. She was also the author of a series featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt's son, Daniel, as well as the Elena Standish series; a series of five World War I novels; twenty-one holiday novels; and a historical novel, The Sheen on the Silk, set in the Byzantine Empire. Anne Perry died in 2023.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

1
 
He opened his eyes and saw nothing but a pale grayness above him, uniform, like a winter sky, threatening and heavy. He blinked and looked again. He was lying flat on his back; the grayness was a ceiling, dirty with the grime and trapped fumes of years.
 
He moved slightly. The bed he was lying on was hard and short. He made an effort to sit up and found it acutely painful. Inside his chest a fierce pain stabbed him, and his left arm was heavily bandaged and aching. As soon as he was half up his head thumped as if his pulse were a hammer behind his eyes.
 
There was another wooden cot just like his own a few feet away, and a pasty-faced man lay on it, moving restlessly, gray blanket mangled and sweat staining his shirt. Beyond him was another, blood-soaked bandages swathing the legs; and beyond that another, and so on down the great room to the black-bellied stove at the far end and the smoke-scored ceiling above it.
 
Panic exploded inside him, hot prickling through his skin. He was in a workhouse! God in heaven, how had he come to this?
 
But it was broad daylight! Awkwardly, shifting his position, he stared around the room. There were people in all the cots; they lined the walls, and every last one was occupied. No workhouse in the country allowed that! They should be up and laboring, for the good of their souls, if not for the workhouse purse. Not even children were granted the sin of idleness.
 
Of course; it was a hospital. It must be! Very carefully he lay down again, relief overwhelming him as his head touched the bran pillow. He had no recollection of how he had come to be in such a place, no memory of having hurt himself—and yet he was undoubtedly injured, his arm was stiff and clumsy, he was aware now of a deep ache in the bone. And his chest hurt him sharply every time he breathed in. There was a thunderstorm raging inside his head. What had happened to him? It must have been a major accident: a collapsing wall, a violent throw from a horse, a fall from a height? But no impression came back, not even a memory of fear.
He was still struggling to recall something when a grinning face appeared above him and a voice spoke cheerfully.
 
“Now then, you awake again, are you?”
 
He stared upwards, focusing on the moon face. It was broad and blunt with a chapped skin and a smile that stretched wide over broken teeth.
 
He tried to clear his head.
 
“Again?” he said confusedly. The past lay behind him in dreamless sleep like a white corridor without a beginning.
 
“You’re a right one, you are.” The voice sighed good-humoredly. “You dunno nuffin’ from one day ter the next, do yer? It wouldn’t surprise me none if yer didn’t remember yer own name! ’Ow are yer then? ’Ow’s yer arm?”
 
“My name?” There was nothing there, nothing at all.
 
“Yeah.” The voice was cheerful and patient. “Wot’s yer name, then?”
 
He must know his name. Of course he must! It was … Blank seconds ticked by.
 
“Well then?” the voice pressed.
 
He struggled. Nothing came except a white panic, like a snowstorm in the brain, whirling and dangerous, and without focus.
 
“Yer’ve fergot!” The voice was stoic and resigned. “I thought so. Well the Peelers was ’ere, day afore yesterday; an’ they said as you was ‘Monk’—‘William Monk.’ Now wot ’a you gorn an’ done that the Peelers is after yer?” He pushed helpfully at the pillow with enormous hands and then straightened the blanket. “You like a nice ’ot drink then, or suffink? Proper parky it is, even in ’ere. July—an it feels like ruddy November! I’ll get yer a nice ’ot drink o’ gruel, ’ow’s that then? Raining a flood outside, it is. Ye’re best off in ’ere.”
 
“William Monk?” he repeated the name.
 
“That’s right, leastways that’s wot the Peelers says. Feller called Runcorn, ’e was; Mr. Runcorn, a hinspector, no less!” He raised scruffy eyebrows. “Wot yer done, then? You one o’ them Swell Mob wot goes around pinchin’ gennelmen’s wallets and gold watches?” There was no criticism in his round, benign eyes. “That’s wot yer looked like when they brought yer in ’ere, proper natty dressed yer was, hunderneath the mud and torn-up stuff, like, and all that blood.”
 
Monk said nothing. His head reeled, pounding in an effort to perceive anything in the mists, even one clear, tangible memory. But even the name had no real significance. “William” had a vague familiarity but it was a common enough name. Everyone must know dozens of Williams.
 
“So yer don’t remember,” the man went on, his face friendly and faintly amused. He had seen all manner of human frailty and there was nothing so fearful or so eccentric it disturbed his composure. He had seen men die of the pox and the plague, or climb the wall in terror of things that were not there. A grown man who could not remember yesterday was a curiosity, but nothing to marvel at. “Or else yer ain’t saying,” he went on. “Don’t blame yer.” He shrugged. “Don’t do ter give the Peelers nothin’ as yer don’t ’ave ter. Now d’yer feel like a spot of ’ot gruel? Nice and thick, it is, bin sitting on that there stove a fair while. Put a bit of ’eart inter yer.”
 
Monk was hungry, and even under the blanket he realized he was cold.
 
“Yes please,” he accepted.
 
“Right-oh then, gruel it is. I suppose I’ll be a’tellin’ yer yer name termorrer jus’ the same, an’ yer’ll look at me all gormless again.” He shook his head. “Either yer ’it yer ’ead summink ’orrible, or ye’re scared o’ yer wits o’ them Peelers. Wot yer done? You pinched the crown jools?” And he went off chuckling with laughter to himself, up to the black-bellied stove at the far end of the ward.
 
Police! Was he a thief? The thought was repellent, not only because of the fear attached to it but for itself, what it made of him. And yet he had no idea if it might be true.
Who was he? What manner of man? Had he been hurt doing something brave, rash? Or chased down like an animal for some crime? Or was he merely unfortunate, a victim, in the wrong place at the wrong time?
 
He racked his mind and found nothing, not a shred of thought or sensation. He must live somewhere, know people with faces, voices, emotions. And there was nothing! For all that his memory held, he could have sprung into existence here in the hard cot in this bleak hospital ward.
 
But he was known to someone! The police.
 
The man returned with the gruel and carefully fed it to Monk, a spoonful at a time. It was thin and tasteless, but he was grateful for it. Afterwards he lay back again, and struggle as he might, even fear could not keep him from deep, apparently dreamless sleep.
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ballantine Books (September 30, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 034551355X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345513557
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.8 x 7.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2,562 ratings

About the author

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Anne Perry
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Anne Perry is the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels, including Dark Assassin and The Shifting Tide, and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels, including The Cater Street Hangman, Calandar Square, Buckingham Palace Gardens and Long Spoon Lane. She is also the author of the World War I novels No Graves As Yet, Shoulder the Sky, Angels in the Gloom, At Some Disputed Barricade, and We Shall Not Sleep, as well as six holiday novels, most recently A Christmas Grace. Anne Perry lives in Scotland.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
2,562 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the engaging story with its twists and turns. They find the mystery absorbing and well-crafted, with compelling characters that improve with age. The writing quality is described as good, with excellent grammar and editing. Readers describe the book as an excellent beginning to the series. The setting and style are described as charming and thought-out, pulling the reader into Victorian England.

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85 customers mention "Readability"85 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging with its twists and turns. They enjoy the complex plot and Victorian setting. The storytelling holds their attention and keeps them reading until the end.

"...Tight story, well told with much feeling and description...no doubt about the characters and their feelings...she writes constantly reviewing what..." Read more

"This book has lot’s of fun twists and engaging characters. It will keep you guessing to the end. Highly recommend!" Read more

"...reading "The Face of a Stranger" I was gripped and never disappointed, albeit very surprised in certain choices that Perry made as a writer...." Read more

"...the plot twist that occurs two thirds of the way through is the story is wild, unexpected and deeply satisfying...." Read more

61 customers mention "Mystery depth"57 positive4 negative

Customers enjoy the book's mystery. They find the story engaging, with well-crafted characters and excellent prose. The book is described as an interesting Victorian police mystery filled with unexpected twists and turns. Readers appreciate the historical context and the fact that all clues are present. Overall, readers are kept guessing until the end.

"...History buffs and anyone else who appreciates a good, well crafted mystery should find alk they are looking for in Anne Perry's books...alk of them!" Read more

"...It will keep you guessing to the end. Highly recommend!" Read more

"This was a fun mystery within a mystery kind of book...." Read more

"...The police procedural is good too. Monk and his new assistant Evan are methodical...." Read more

37 customers mention "Writing quality"29 positive8 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. They find the story well-written and engaging, with excellent editing, punctuation, grammar, and research. The book is easy to read for a quick escape at home or on vacation, and they like the main character.

"...Tight story, well told with much feeling and description...no doubt about the characters and their feelings...she writes constantly reviewing what..." Read more

"Anne Perry is a prolific novelist with a big following, but I had never heard of her until "The Face of a Stranger" came to my attention...." Read more

"...I liked Perry's writing style, the period felt real and alive and the characters were believable." Read more

"...This is a great historical mystery. The writing is excellent, very descriptive of Victorian England and the impact of the Crimean War on the..." Read more

35 customers mention "Character development"35 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development in the book. They find the characters compelling and engaging, with many layers of personality that peel away to reveal a deeper insight into human emotions. The characters are masterfully portrayed and endearing, making readers fall in love with William Monk.

"...Tight story, well told with much feeling and description...no doubt about the characters and their feelings...she writes constantly reviewing what..." Read more

"This book has lot’s of fun twists and engaging characters. It will keep you guessing to the end. Highly recommend!" Read more

"...'s writing style, the period felt real and alive and the characters were believable." Read more

"...actions of the minutia of clothing and furnishings--but enjoyed the characters, Monk's examination of self and the author demonstrates to us her..." Read more

24 customers mention "Start"24 positive0 negative

Customers enjoyed the start of the series. They found it an excellent introductory novel for mystery fans. The book set the stage for the Monk novels and was well-executed and thought-out.

"...recommend it to lovers of romance, and especially to people who love mystery novels and even thrillers...." Read more

"I was hooked from the first sentence. I was totally unprepared for the usual story line and the unfolding of events...." Read more

"...The Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series is very good. Ms. Perry writes with such detail about this era and it is always very evocative...." Read more

"The police story is very good, and the climax is very well brought on. a wealth of details about victorian London... got to love that...." Read more

13 customers mention "Style"13 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's style. They find it charming, well-crafted, and enjoyable to read. Readers appreciate the author's classy writing style and intricate plot. The book provides a detailed understanding of Victorian life and a cohesive storytelling style.

"...Great intro depiction to Monk and Hester and the men at the police station...." Read more

"...I love both, so seeing them blended in what I felt to be a very cohesive style for the purpose of telling a heart-pounding mystery was awesome to see..." Read more

"...to have for neighbors and others I wouldn't want to meet in the dark, nice and kind people to care about through the whole series, good but not..." Read more

"...She provides a very detailed and thorough understanding of Victorian life in London." Read more

12 customers mention "Era"12 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's setting in Victorian London. They appreciate the interesting background and how it immerses them in the history of the era. The descriptions of the London area and way of life for the characters are also appreciated.

"...careful detective work carried out against the very interesting background of Victorian London. Enjoyable." Read more

"...The writing is excellent, very descriptive of Victorian England and the impact of the Crimean War on the population...." Read more

"...'s brilliant descriptions of the times, and how she pulls the reader into Victorian England, just after the Crimean War...." Read more

"...I enjoyed reading the first three books as they are set in Victorian England...." Read more

11 customers mention "Emotional depth"11 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the emotional depth of the book. They find the characters sympathetic and well-described with psychological details. The period feels real and alive, with a Sherlock Holmesian feel to the setting. Readers appreciate the intelligence, humanity, and perseverance of the characters.

"...Tight story, well told with much feeling and description...no doubt about the characters and their feelings...she writes constantly reviewing what..." Read more

"...I liked Perry's writing style, the period felt real and alive and the characters were believable." Read more

"...neighbors and others I wouldn't want to meet in the dark, nice and kind people to care about through the whole series, good but not showy writing,..." Read more

"...I really liked the Sherlock Holmesian feel of the setting, and how Monk follows the leads to the end no matter how unpleasant it all becomes...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2023
    Have rediscovered all of Anne Perry's books...read them all at the time of original publication and have found them again in my kindle...am rereading entire series and forgot until now that this INE is my and was MT favorite. Love the main characters and some of the secondary ones as well. Great intro depiction to Monk and Hester and the men at the police station. Tight story, well told with much feeling and description...no doubt about the characters and their feelings...she writes constantly reviewing what is in their innermost thoughts so the reader knows what each one us thinking. Well worth reading...she does characters as well as the best of them!
    I highly recommend these books to all the Anglophiles out there and all the late 1800 S
    History buffs and anyone else who appreciates a good, well crafted mystery should find alk they are looking for in Anne Perry's books...alk of them!
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2012
    Anne Perry is a prolific novelist with a big following, but I had never heard of her until "The Face of a Stranger" came to my attention. It is the first of her 18 books in her Detective Monk series. Monk is a Scotland Yard detective in the 1850's, who navigates through London's upper crust to solve the murder of an aristocrat. He is aided by Hester, whom he marries in later books, who herself was a nurse with Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. "The Face of a Stranger" is an easy book to read and the solution of the murder is not obvious, but evolves from careful detective work carried out against the very interesting background of Victorian London. Enjoyable.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2024
    This book has lot’s of fun twists and engaging characters. It will keep you guessing to the end. Highly recommend!
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2016
    I had the pleasure of listening to Anne Perry speak at my university during a reading series, and was very much captured by her dry wit and sharp intelligence. She spoke at length on her writing process and some of the material she was working on, and I was very intrigued by it all, so I decided I would need to pick up the first in her arguably most well known series, the William Monk novels. Throughout reading "The Face of a Stranger" I was gripped and never disappointed, albeit very surprised in certain choices that Perry made as a writer. The novel is almost all told in a third person point of view from two characters, the eponymous William Monk - brilliant amnesiac detective trying to figure out a nasty murder case while also uncovering the secrets of his shrouded past, and Hester Latterly, a highly intelligent, perceptive and strong-willed woman who is simply trying to find her way in the world and figure out what the future has in store for her after a very eventful and prestigious past as a nurse in the Crimea. Monk's sections of the book are reminiscent of the great Victorian and Holmesian mysteries laid out by Doyle and others, while Hester's sections hearken more to a more Romantic period Jane Austen style. I love both, so seeing them blended in what I felt to be a very cohesive style for the purpose of telling a heart-pounding mystery was awesome to see. I would easily recommend it to lovers of romance, and especially to people who love mystery novels and even thrillers. Perry does a great job of putting in a little something for everyone it seems, and her skill as a writer really shows here. Definitely check out this book! If you aren't a fan of Victorian or Romantic literature, perhaps look for something a little more contemporary, but giving the book a chance won't disappoint you!
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2014
    This was a fun mystery within a mystery kind of book. It is the first of Anne Perry's William Monk series (of which there are approximately 20 to follow). Set in Victorian England, Monk is a police detective who has been in an accident and wakes up on page 1 with total amnesia. He must discover who he is, who he can trust, AND who killed a high profile victim and the pressure is on! I liked Perry's writing style, the period felt real and alive and the characters were believable.
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024
    It rather difficult to follow the cockney language. I read this for a book discussion and it was really interesting to find out about author’s life.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2018
    William Monk wakes up in a hospital. He has completely lost his memories but learns he is a police detective (a Peeler) in Victorian London. Once he recovers from his accident, he is put on a murder case. He is still relearning about himself while he investigates the murder of a Crimean War veteran, brother to a lord, who was beaten to death in his rooms.
    I love the work of C.S. Harris, so I was very happy when a friend who I had recommended her books to in return shared Ms. Perry's books. This is a great historical mystery. The writing is excellent, very descriptive of Victorian England and the impact of the Crimean War on the population. The police procedural is good too. Monk and his new assistant Evan are methodical. They run down every lead despite Monk only slowly getting his own memories back which hampers his speaking with contacts and his superiors.
    Hester Latterly is a lady who went with Florence Nightingale to nurse in the Crimea. She becomes involved in the investigation though she and Monk clash. They're both highly intelligent and independent people, and I enjoyed their conversations as well as Hester's outlook on her situation.
    I'm now addicted to these books and I'm very happy that this is just the first one of Ms. Perry's wide catalog. They will definitely keep me busy until the next C.S. Harris book comes out.
    17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Larry Marshall
    5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous insight into the our perceptions of reality
    Reviewed in Canada on June 9, 2019
    I particularly loved the depiction of city life in mid nineteenth century London with all of its sounds, smells and variety of human conditions.
  • éclectique
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pour moi c'est une découverte
    Reviewed in France on February 11, 2020
    Mais combien agréable. Merci à ma nièce qui m'a orientée vers cette auteur qui nous fait toucher du doigt la vie quotidienne des Londoniens au milieu du XIX° siècle. Non seulement j'ai accroché pour tout ce qui concerne l'aspect social mais aussi quant à l'intrigue: le personnage principal qui a perdu la mémoire et tente de ne pas se laisser couler dans la fange qu'il ressent autour de lui et surtout durant l'enquête qu'il tente de mener
  • Albear
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best story I have read for many years
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2018
    Excellent story with excellent characterisation. The main character's amnesia is thoughtfully dealt with and contributes significantly to the development. The secondary characters are also interesting and well established. The impact of the Crimean War on those who were involved and the lack of impact on those who were not, the backward medical practices, the slum conditions, the excessive leeway given to the aristocracy, the uncaring attitude to the working class, the lack of women's rights, are all woven into a critque of Victorian society. At the same time, we are given an intriguing who-done-it. Brilliant.
  • Beverley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Murder and intrigue
    Reviewed in Australia on January 11, 2021
    A very violent murder of high born gentleman sets the scene as detective Monk struggles to rediscover himself following a harrowing accident.
  • kumiko
    5.0 out of 5 stars 1850年代、クリミヤ戦争で看護婦だった女性と硬派の警部が出会った
    Reviewed in Japan on April 30, 2013
    本書はウィリアム・モンク警部シリーズの第1作である。1850年代、クリミヤ戦争が終わった時代のロンドンで起きた事件の物語。

    モンク警部が目が覚めたとき、彼は病院のベッドで横たわっており、すべての記憶を失っていた。自分の顔も名前もわからない。病院の看護人は一昨日おまわりが来てあんたのことをモンクといってたぜ。なにかしでかしたのかと聞いた。
    そのあと上司のランコーンがやってきて三週間も経ったと告げ、仕事ができそうになったら署にもどるようにいう。仕事中に乗っていた馬車が事故を起こしたそうだ。
    晴れた午後モンクは退院する。病院から返してもらった衣類は上等で持ち物の封筒には住所が書いてあった。下宿に入ると女主人が出てきて、帰ってきたことを喜んでくれ、温かい食べ物を出してくれた。見覚えが全然ない部屋の中を探して自分がなにものか考える。机の引き出しに妹からの手紙があったが、彼の手紙への返信でない。きっと高慢な自分は妹を無視していたのに違いない。住所を地図帳で調べて翌日モンクは妹の家に旅立った。妹夫妻のところで温かく迎えられて体力を回復する。

    ロンドンに戻って警察に復職するとランコーンに未解決の難事件を担当するようにいわれ、部下のエヴァン刑事とともにグレイ少佐殺人事件を追うことになる。少佐は自室でひどい暴行を受けて死んでいた。
    グレイ少佐は悪くいう者がいない明るい人柄だった。モンクは彼の生家を訪ねて母親や兄夫妻から話を聞く。
    新しく出た創元推理文庫の「護りと裏切り 上下」で活躍するヘスター・ラターリィが関係者として登場し、モンクの捜査を助ける。
    ヘスターは上流階級出身だが、父がグレイ少佐と関わる投資で財産を無くしたので、自分で働かねばならない。その事情も聞きモンクの捜査は進んでいく。