Summary
Hester Monk, wife of the commander of the Thames River Police, questions the finances of a London church whose members' hard-earned donations appear to go into the pocket of charismatic preacher Abel Taft. Brilliant barrister Oliver Rathbone, newly appointed a judge, presides over the trial. Taft's... Full description
Summary: |
Hester Monk, wife of the commander of the Thames River Police, questions the finances of a London church whose members' hard-earned donations appear to go into the pocket of charismatic preacher Abel Taft. Brilliant barrister Oliver Rathbone, newly appointed a judge, presides over the trial. Taft's guilt seems clear, until a last-minute witness undermines the charges and Rathbone makes a well-meaning but reckless move that could ruin his life. |
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Physical Description: |
571 pages (large print) ; 23 cm |
ISBN: |
9781410463203 1410463206 |
Author Notes: |
Sent to Christchurch, New Zealand to recover from a childhood case of severe pneumonia, she became very close friends with another girl, Pauline Parker. When Perry's family abandoned her, she had only Parker to turn to, and when the Parkers planned to move from New Zealand, Parker asked that Perry be allowed to join them. When Parker's mother disagreed, Perry and Parker bludgeoned her to death. Perry eventually served five and a half years in an adult prison for the crime. Once she was freed, she changed her name and moved to America, where she eventually became a writer. Her first Victorian novel, The Cater Street Hangman, was published in 1979. Although the truth of her past came out when the case of Mrs. Parker's murder was made into a movie (Heavenly Creatures), Perry is still a popular author and continues to write. She has written over 50 books and short story collections including the Thomas Pitt series, the William Monk series, and the Daniel Pitt series. Her story, Heroes, won the 2001 Edgar Award for Best Short Story. Her title's Blind Justice and The Angel Court Affair made The New York Times Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) |