黑暗刺客 Dark Assassin

Forcountlessreaders,oneoflife’sgreatpleasuresisthemesmerizingmagicofaVictorianmysterybyNewYorkTimesbestsellingauthorAnnePerry.HerdramasofgoodandevilunfoldinginsideLondon’slavishmansionsandteemingslumsholdusspellbound.Now,inDarkAssassin,shesweepsusintoadarklycompellingworldthatweneverdreamedexisted.AThamesRiverPolicesuperintendentstrugglingtowintherespectofhismen,WilliamMonkisonapatrolboatnearWaterlooBridgewhenhenoticesayoungcouplestandingatthebridgerailing,apparentlyengagedinanintensediscussion.Thewomanwavesherarmsandplacesherhandsontheman’sshoulders.Acaressorapush?Themangraspsholdofher.Tosaveherortokillher?Secondslater,thepairplungetotheirdeathintheicywaters.Monkcan’thelpbutwonder,wasitanaccident,asuicide,oramurder?Itseemsimpossibletodeterminethetruth,buthauntedbythewoman’ssomberbeauty,heisimpelledtotry.MaryHavillandwashername,andshehadplannedtomarryTobyArgyll,thefair-hairedmanwhosharedherfate.Mary’sfather,anengineeremployedbytheArgyllCompany,hadrecentlydied–asuicide,accordingtothepoliceandMary’ssister.ButMary’sfriendstellMonkthatshesuspectedherfatherhadbeenmurderedbecauseofhisstubborninsistencethattheArgyllCompany’scurrentproject–theconstructionofasplendidnewsewersystemforthemetropolis–wassobadlyflawedthatitputtheentirecityinperilfromfloodandfire.Monkisnowfacedwiththemysteriesofthethreedeaths.AidedbyhisintrepidwifeHester,hestartslookingforanswersandissoontreadingaslipperypaththattakeshimfromtheluxuriousdrawingroomswherepowerfulmenhatchtheirunscrupulousplotstoaworldbeneaththecitywherepoorfolkfightstarvation.Innightmarishtunnels,MonkandHesterfindtruefriends,amongthemScuff,ayoungmudlark;Suttontheratcatcher;andSnoot,Sutton’scleverterrier.Foronce,evenMonk’soldenemy,SuperintendentRuncorn,isonhisside.Asrainfallstrainsthefragilemanmadeunderground,Monkmustconnectthecluesbeforedeathstrikesagain.WithcharactersasvividasDickens’s,grippingcourtroomscenes,breathlesshorrorsbeneaththeearth,andaplotthattwistsandturnstowardastunningdenouement,DarkAssassinisabsolutelyoneofAnnePerry’sbest.