Twisted Root

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Also by Anne Perry

Excerpt from Treason at Lisson Grove

Excerpt from Execution Dock

Copyright Page

To June Anderson,

for her unfailing friendship

'THIS IS A STORY WITH TWISTS AND TURNS APLENTY. THE ENDING IS THE BIGGEST TWIST OF ALL.'

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch

'Keep[s] you turning the pages. Monk, with his murky past and all-too-real flaws and foibles, continues to be one of Perry’s most fascinating characters. Marriage to Hester has strengthened him emotionally and their shifting relationship can only make this popular series even better.'

—The Cleveland Plain Dealer

'Perry carries the suspense right into the last few pages.'

—The Christian Science Monitor

'Anne Perry does it again. Another riveting mystery ... It keeps you rooted to the pages. As always, it’s an ’I- can’t-put-it-down’ right up to the end and when the killer is revealed with a most unexpected twist.'

—'Jill Jackson’s Hollywood'

'[A] leisurely paced story suffused with period details... What’s best, however, is the denouement, when the guilty party and the meaning of the title are dramatically unveiled in a packed London courtroom.'

—Booklits

'No writer since Agatha Christie has been so good...'

— Kirkus Reviews

A Main Selection of the Mystery Guild

1

THE YOUNG MAN stood in the doorway, his face pale, his fingers clenched on his hat, twisting it around and around.

'Mr. William Monk, agent of enquiry?' he asked. He looked to be in his early twenties.

'Yes,' Monk acknowledged, rising to his feet. 'Come in, sir. How can I assist you?'

'Lucius Stourbridge.' He held out his hand, coming farther into the room. He did not even glance at the two comfortable armchairs or the bowl of flowers pleasantly scenting the air. These had been Hester’s idea. Monk had been perfectly happy with the sparse and serviceable appearance the rooms had presented before.

'How can I help you, Mr. Stourbridge?' Monk asked, indicating one of the chairs.

Lucius Stourbridge sat uncomfortably on the edge of it, looking as if he did so more because he had been instructed to than from any desire. He stared at Monk intently, his eyes filled with misery.