EXECUTION DOCK
Anne Perry
Ballantine Books
Mystery
ISBN: 9780345469335
Anne Perry brings back one of her serial investigators, Commander William Monk, in his 16th adventure. We last read about Monk three years ago in DARK ASSASSIN. This time out, Monk has taken over as Commander of the River Police with the responsibility of patrolling the Thames River. He inherited this position as a result of the untimely death of his predecessor and friend, Commander Durban.
The first thing Monk must attend to is the case that Durban was investigating when he died --- the murder of a 13-year-old boy known only as Fig, allegedly killed at the hands of the dreaded kingpin of the docks, Jericho Phillips. Phillips is known to run a floating brothel along the Thames River whereby young boys are abducted and forced to endure unspeakable acts as sex slaves, often times ending in their ultimate disappearance and death. Monk vows to bring Phillips to justice and see him hang in an effort to clean up the area and also avenge the late Commander Durban.
The area known as Execution Dock refers to the section of docks located on the Thames in the Wapping area of London, England. It was used for more than 400 years (as late as 1830) to hang pirates, smugglers and mutineers who had been sentenced to death by the Admiralty courts. It is ironic that Phillips, a pirate in his own right, is sought for hanging for alleged sins committed in this very location. However, he is a wily and nefarious character who boasts several important and well-to-do members of London society as his clients, so sentencing him to hanging may not be as easy as it would seem.
Fairly early in the novel, Phillips is apprehended and put on trial for the murder of young Fig. It appears to be an open and shut case that no reasonable jury would ever fail to convict on. However, Monk will soon find out that it is not as easy as he thought and quickly realizes why his late predecessor died in vain trying to silence his “white whale.” EXECUTION DOCK is unlike a typical William Monk mystery, as he turns out to be one of many central characters in the story. This book belongs just as much to his wife, Hester, a nurse and primary witness for the prosecution. Hester is well-respected and known to have served proudly under the famous nurse Florence Nightingale. With her testimony and that of other character witnesses, there is no way Phillips will not be convicted.
Standing in defense of Phillips is Oliver Rathbone, a friend and sometime collaborator of Monk’s. This makes for an uneasy situation as former colleagues are on opposite sides in the case. Equally unsettling is the fact that at one time Hester had been in a relationship with Rathbone prior to her marriage to William. Rathbone does no more than any good defense attorney would be expected to do as he fairly and justly represents his client. However, the line of questioning soon takes a turn as Rathbone begins to paint a picture of doubt around the proof of Phillips’s alleged crime. At the same time, Rathbone portrays former Commander Durban as being both obsessive and possibly in league with Phillips. With Durban not alive to defend himself, the defense rests having raised enough doubt that the jury comes back with a startling verdict of not guilty.
With the rule of double jeopardy in effect, Monk realizes that he will be unable to re-try Phillips for Fig’s murder. He will have to find evidence of other killings or criminal acts to tie Phillips to in order to present an air-tight case. This is not made easy as the influential and powerful forces that paid for Phillips’s initial defense do not want to see him convicted ever and will go to any ends to accomplish this. Monk has the dual challenge of seeking to clear the good name of his late predecessor, who had his reputation unreasonably besmirched during the Phillips trial.
As Monk and his team work tirelessly to hunt down proof by which they can nail Phillips, Hester is conducting her own investigation into Durban’s past to see if there was any merit to the allegations that his relationship with Phillips was anything less than it appeared to be. What Hester uncovers will show Durban in a slightly different light than the persona he had presented during his time as River Commander --- but is this enough to totally disregard his case and pursuit of Phillips? Other characters are recruited to assist in the investigations --- particularly a young boy from the docks named Scuff and a slightly dim-witted assistant to Hester, Claudine Burroughs. Additionally, Rathbone has been having continued feelings of guilt for helping to acquit a defendant he himself knew to be guilty. He conducts a similar background check of the facts he obtained surrounding the identity of the party that paid for the defense of Phillips --- and is startled by what he uncovers.
Anne Perry, in her usual indomitable style, deftly weaves all of the storylines and investigations together and paints a picture of corruption that runs so high and deep that it may present insurmountable odds against justice ever being realized in the case of the evil Jericho Phillips. As always, her writing easily transports you into Victorian London and takes you to the often unglamorous areas of this volatile period. Any time spent with William Monk, as well as his associates and family, is time well spent. I very much look forward to his next mystery!
--- Reviewed by Ray Palen
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