Sir Oliver Rathbone consents, reluctantly, to defend Countess Zorah in a case of slander. While the seemingly simple case unfolds, we learn that much more is at stake in the world of international politics than whether the princess killed the prince.
I still love this writer after years of reading. The sex is mostly in one's imagination, not spelled out. The mystery remains the compelling thing--and there is no telling who done it or why until the very last page.
Also, terrible things do sometimes occur, as in real life. Yet there is an underlying humanity, a sense of redemption and lasting affection between some of the principal characters. Several sets of characters weave their lives around the main urgently unfolding mystery. Glimpses into personalities reveal complex people, not stock stereotypes.
In Weighed, the romantic tension between Monk and Hester Latterly is almost always in his mind. He agonizes over whether she prefers Sir Oliver Rathbone because of her dogged loyalty. I find his musings more entrancing than the most explicit love scenes of the other novels I read this week. Perry manages to insinuate a brief affair between Monk and the wealthy but shallow Evelyn. This fling brings to the surface all of Hester's enduring beauty of character.
The ending resolves the case, but not their romance. I found this totally satisfactory because it will send me back to the shelves. This is NOT one to read when you need a nightcap of a book to send you to dreamland.
