2009;
311 pages. New Author? : No. Genre : Historical
Crime Fiction. Overall Rating :8*/10.
Justice.
It can be a little “gray” at times.
For instance, everyone agrees that Jericho Phillips is a monster of a
human being, catering to the pedophilic and pornographic tastes of some
powerful clients. So when Commander of
the River Police William Monk finally catches him and runs him in for the
murder of young boy, does he deserve a fair trial, or should he just be strung
up peremptorily?
Surprisingly, Monk and the topnotch lawyer Sir Oliver Rathbone have
differing views on this. But when
Rathbone is hired to defend Jericho, Monk isn’t worried. Surely there are no holes in his
investigation, are there? And even if
there are holes, surely the jury won’t find Jericho innocent and send him back
on the streets to molest more boys, would they?
What’s To Like...
Execution Dock has
an unusual structure for Anne Perry, who swaps
in her usual whodunit format for a probing look at what constitutes justice in
1864 London. She also examines
hero-worship, in this case, Monk’s obsession with clearing his (recently deceased)
predecessor’s only open case – the murder of the boy Fig, by (presumably) Jericho
Phillips. But the late Commander Durban
had secrets of his own, which might come to light if Monk insists on continuing
the investigation.
The book has a very James Bond-ish start – a mad chase up and down the
river and docks of the Thames trying to capture Phillips. Things settle down after that, but there’s a
nice balance of History and Mystery to keep you entertained. And there’s a nice human interest story as
Monk and his wife take in a young waif, Scuff, off the streets. Methinks there’s an adoption on the horizon.
The theme of the book – child pornography – will be off-putting to some
readers, but Anne Perry handles the subject deftly and with only a minimum of
lurid sensationalism. The book closes
with a short, mock interview of Monk by the author, which I found to be amusing.
Excerpts...
As he left his
emotions were tangled. He walked warily
along the narrow street, keeping to the middle, away from the alley entrances
and sunken doorways.
What was the
difference between one blackmail and another?
Was it of kind, or only of degree?
Did the purpose justify it?
He did not even
have to think about that. If he could
save any child from Phillips, he would, without a thought for the morality of
his actions. But did that make him a good policeman or not? He felt uncomfortable, unhappy, uncertain in
his judgment. (pg. 177)
“At dinner we
will all sit where we are directed, according to rank, and I have had occasion
to sit opposite Mr. Ballinger, and listen to him speak.”
It was an unknown
world to him. “Listen ter ‘im speak?” he
asked.
“It is not
appropriate for ladies to speak too much at the table,” she explained. “They should listen, respond appropriately,
and ask after interests, welfare, and so on.
If a gentleman wishes to talk, and usually they do, you listen as if
fascinated, and never ask questions to which you suspect he does not know the
answer. He will almost certainly not
listen to you, but he will certainly look at you closely, if you are young and
pretty.” (pg. 283)
“No man of honor does only
what is comfortable to him.” (pg. 69)
The ending, like the beginning, is action-packed,
and the investigation builds up logically to it. It felt a bit “rushed” to me, but it does tie
up the main issue – that of Jericho Phillips - satisfactorily. There are some loose ends left over, but it
is my understanding that Execution Dock and
the next book in the William Monk series, Acceptable
Loss, form a sort of mini-duology within the larger series. We shall see; the latter is on my TBR shelf.
I
enjoy Anne Perry books as much for historical setting (Victorian London), as for the crime-solving
itself. And when she deals with issues
of the day – justice, the poor, pornography, women’s rights - that’s just an added delight.
8 Stars. Another solid effort from Ms. Perry.
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