Slaves of Obsession (William Monk Series #11)

The clouds of anger and impending violence gathering above far-away American soil cast a long shadow that extends over the family of a London arms dealer. Amid murmurs of civil war in the United States, what could drive William Monk and his wife Hester to a war-ravaged Manassas battlefield? The answer: A search for an alleged murderer.

The quiet dinner party held by newly wealthy Daniel Alberton -- who sits in luxury as emissaries from both sides of America's bloodiest conflict rush to buy his weapons -- seems a world away from the passions enveloping the other side of the Atlantic. Yet investigator William Monk and his bride, Hester, sense growing tensions and barely concealed violence in the mansion's elegant surroundings.

Why? Two of Alberton's guests are Americans -- one hailing from the North, the other from the South. And each are vying to buy his armaments. Philo Trace, the Confederate, is charming and intelligent, even as he defends the peculiar institution of slavery. Union loyalist Lyman Breelove, to whom Alberton's teenage daughter has pledged her heart, possesses a disturbing fusion of political zealotry and personal reserve.

Soon, William and Hester's misgivings are proved correct. Within days, Alberton and two other men lay dead, victims of a ritual murder, and 6,000 Enfield rifles are missing -- along with Alberton's young daughter and one of the Americans, who may just be a cold-blooded murderer.

At the request of Alberton's bereaved widow, William and Hester track the man they believe to be the murderer to Washington, D.C. and the bloody battleground of nearby Manassas. A richly drawn puzzler, this is Perry's most breathtaking novel to date.