An Echo of Murder by Anne Perry

William Monk is a chief detective assigned to the Thames river area in London in the 1870's. When a Hungarian man is brutally murdered, Monk is at a loss to find any leads.  Then a friend from Monk's Wife, Hester's past shows up.  His presence creates a whole new complication to what was already a complicated case.  Another murder, committed in the same strange ritualistic fashion follows and then another.  Can Monk and Hester find the killer before the Hungarians convict an innocent man?

This is a filler book I listened to while waiting for a different book I have on hold.  Anne Perry is an interesting writer.  Even though her books are mysteries, they are not ones with as carefully crafted clues and red herrings as Agatha Christie  or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Instead, the focus is on the human drama the case causes in the lives of all the characters.  Another interesting thing is that even though this book was written by a woman, it has some elements of "men's mystery" books by authors like James Patterson and Dean Koontz.  There is plenty of blood and gore, though not as much reference of aberrant sex. Still, I would classify it more as toned down men's mysteries than as charged up cozy mysteries.  (2017, 304 p)