Cheap The Twisted Root (Random House Large Print (Hardcover)) (Book) (Anne Perry) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Twisted Root (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))

Plausible complexity with historical subtext
This review is for the Ballantine Books hardcover first edition, October 1999, 346 pages. THE TWISTED ROOT was on the USA Today top 150 best seller list for seven weeks in September and October 2000, reaching a peak position of forty. By the end of 2006, Ms. Perry had 23 novels on the USA Today list. <
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>This is a splendid novel set in London in midsummer 1860. It begins with the abrupt departure and disappearance of Miriam Gardiner, a commoner, from a garden party celebrating her betrothal to Lucius Stourbridge, a younger man of considerable means. Lucius hires William Monk, an agent of inquiry, to find his fiancée. With the particulars of this mystery launched, the story switches to Monk's recent bride, Hester, who is a volunteer nurse at the North London Hospital, which has a mystery of its own - medicines are disappearing. These two plots will intertwine. <
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>Within this historical setting, the author crystallizes progress in the past hundred and fifty years. I cringed at the subservient role of women in general back then, and the pitiful concept of the nursing profession in particular. Within this context, the author portrays determined efforts of strong minded women struggling without much wiggle room. However, to do this, there is excessive narration of the character's internal thoughts, the nuances of them, sometimes convoluted. If these were related through dialogue and body language, the read would be livelier. <
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>Masterful plotting drives this story. Around page 204, the culprit narrows to one of two characters; an experienced mystery reader would know which one. But why? Later, the author, instead of adding some implausible twist, explicitly eliminates cute surprises and gives the reader subtle clues, which keeps you turning pages, trying to figure the TWISTED relationships of secrets within secrets. This is edge of your seat plausible complexity with historical subtext. <
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My first and perhaps last Anne Perry read
This was the first time I've read Perry's novels, and at first, the story and characters delighted me. But soon, plot twists and characters started to fog up the story. There were too many side characters who didn't propel the story, too many POV switches ("head hopping"), and too many asides about the Crimean war. The story meandered along, moving slowly through the clues and testimonials of each character, and then screeched quickly to a halt with a barrage of new evidence and a story line that seemed contrived and strange. The main characters seem to be Hester and Monk, but then at the end, the story ends with no discussion by them, no reflection on the turn of events. I was left wondering what the point of the story was. While Perry has a fine grasp on Victorian times, I learned more about what not to do as a writer than anything else. Perhaps there are better William Monk novels out there...if this was the best, I'd steer clear of the whole series.

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a surprise ending with a unbelievable twist
This is the first book of Anne Perry's that ive read and i am sure it wont be the last. This book is fantastic. This book grabs your attention and wont let u put it down untill the very last page. The ending is such a twist and shocker that u would never guess the killer. I recommend The Twisted Root to anyone who is looking to read a "not-put-downable" mystery that will grab u until the last page. A must read and great book. Anne Perry is great!