The author shows that there is no explanation for economic growth nowadays, and therefore no recipes do exist. The wealth of nations may be pushed forward by neoliberalism or by social market economy or by Santa Clause. According to the lay of land all three are in a same way competent...

A brilliantly comparative analysis of the contradictions that beset all the various capitalist models amidst globalization today as well as of the mode of thinking that limits our perspective to choosing among them. A must read for everyone doing work in comparative and international political economy, and for all those concerned with finding a new way forward for labour movements and the left.

Death of a Stranger, Anne Perry's latest installment in the William Monk series, is a good, entertaining read, but it could have used a little more meat on its bones. Perhaps Perry was rushed to meet a deadline. As Hester works in a charity medical clinic in the slums and investigates the beatings of prostitutes, and as Monk looks into the possibility of railroad fraud for a woman who is afraid for her finacee, Monk finds that, though he can't discover any current fraud, he fears that in his past life he had less than honorable dealings in another railroad fraud sixteen years ago.

Monk's fear of finding that he had been involved in something illegal or immoral estranges him from Hester, and Hester is uncertain what to do about it. As the action accelerates, though, that part of the story is neglected, leaving one wishing for more character-oriented material. The two storylines-- Hester's doings in Coldbath Fields and Monk's railway investigation--do not intersect enough, and at times one must assume a conversation relaying important information between them took place. Also, whether or not (or, if he does, how) Monk confides his fears and certain important events and information to Hester, we are not told, and since much of the first half of the book deals with that issue, it's strange that their interactions all but cease in the last 120 pages. Basically, I was left feeling that the book needed a few more scenes depicting Hester's and Monk's interactions were needed. Monk certainly spends a lot of time in the first half of the book agonizing about how Hester would feel about him if he had done something wrong in the past, but there is no resolution, or confrontation of this issue as one would expect. Perhaps in the next Monk/Hester novel this will come out, but it would have been appropriate in Death of a Stranger. Lack of it gives a somewhat sketchy, unfinished feel.

There were also some small inconsistencies (or seeming inconsistencies) that niggle slightly. The woman Monk undertakes an investigation for, Katarina Harcus, is a strong, interesting character, but I think some readers will start to figure her out before Monk does. However, the subplot with Rathbone (who is getting over Hester) helping Hester investigate beatings of prostitutes is excellent.

There are three reasons to read a Perry novel, the fine mysteries she cooks up, the descriptions of Victorian England, and the new information and insights into her characters. Unfortunately, the third element is not as srong as could be; I missed the richness of Hester and Monk's relationship that's more evident in earlier installments. An opportunity for Hester and Monk to face a real problem in their marriage is missed, and it shows. However, the unexpected (and unexpectedly action-packed) denoument is top-notch. Other positives include a practically laugh-out-loud funny sequence in which Rathbone helps Hester uncover the prostitutes' persecutor and the (re)introduction of spunky young Margaret, a well-to-do young woman who helps Hester in her clinic. Followers of the series will enjoy this latest book, and with its revelations about Monk's past, it's not to be missed.

I really enjoy Anne Perry's books, especially her ongoing romance between William Monk and his wife Hester. Her description of these characters and the people in their world is really detailed and fascinating. 'Death of a Stranger' is beautifully written (as always) and enjoyable. My only caviat is that Perry's in-depth look at the railway industry is almost overwhelming. She adds so much detail about the day to day workings of steam engines that is tends to draw the reader away from the plot. Granted, there are many details about steam engines that are important to solving the book's mystery, but if more chapters are needed by the publisher, more Hester and William scenes would be welcome (less historical engineering). This is a lovely, beautifully written book, and anyone who enjoys historical mysteries will be captivated.

Hester and William Monk become involved in the investigation of the murder of a railway executive in a brothel. At first, Hester and William are working on seperate cases (Hester finds that prostitutes are being abused by their clients from the women that come to her free clinic, and William is retained by the finacee of a young and successful railway executive to see if he is involved in fraud). Soon, Hester and William realize that their cases are connected, and William finds, as the investigation progresses, that his memory loss from a past accident is starting to come back, and that he may be involved with the railway fraud.

Riveting and suspenseful, it was a hard book to put down. Another winner for Perry, and one of the best in the Hester and William Monk series.