The Christmas Odyssey by Anne Perry

In Victorian London, twelve days before christmas, James Wentworth approaches his friend Henry Rathbone, to find his wayward son Lucien, who had disappeared into the underbelly of London pleasure haunts. Henry decides to seek the advice of Hester Monk, who runs a clinic for destitute women. Squeaky Robinson, who works for Hester, finds out Henry's mission and tries to help him without bringing in Hester, as the depraved pleasure haunts of London are hardly the place for a lady, even one as independent and bold as Hester.

Squeaky in a former life, had seen all the depravity but there are somethings he feels that are even too much for him. He approaches his friend 'almost doctor' Crow. After initial investigations, they find that Lucien had moved further underground and may not be worth while to bring him back. They learn that Lucien is obsessed with Sadie, a great beauty who finds amusement in blood and making people fight for her. Niccolo is also obsessed with Sadie. Lucien and Niccolo seem to be at each other throats. Squeaky and Crow feel it is better to abort the mission.

Henry is not ready to abort the mission, whatever the level of depravity. He joins their quest in finding Lucien. They take the help of Bessie, a teenager who knows the place. At one pleasure haunt, they find pools of blood, but no body. Somebody is dead. But who is? Is it Lucien? Or Niccolo? Or Sadie? Or more than one is dead?

Anne Perry takes us on a odyssey into the ugly West End Victorian Pleasure haunts. Where the rich, finding no adventure in real life, seek new and illegal pleasures under the influence of opium. This book does not feature her regular characters like, Hester, Monk, Oliver Rathbone instead in the same timeline, with characters related to these, like Oliver's father, Henry and Squeaky who works with Hester are featured. It is a short novella just right for the season. I do wonder, why does Wentworth approach Henry, who is not a detective, but a mathematician. He may have approached Monk, a detective, with good chances for success. This a short novella published in 2010.

Whited Sepulchres by Anne Perry

In Victorian London, Genius Architect Melville approaches Oliver Rathbone to defend him in the court for a breach of promise case. It looks like Melville has courted his mentor's daughter and when the date for the marriage is set, Melville feels that he is misunderstood. He never proposed marriage and he feels that his friendship was misunderstood for love. The girl's father brings on a case of breach of promise to vindicate the honour of his daughter. All this could be avoided. Everybody repeats this over and over. They could have reached some understanding without involving the court. The case drags on and on. In this scenario it is difficult to sympathise with the case. Why is Melville not ready for the marriage?

This book features Victorian private detective Monk. But he appears only after the first hundred pages. The first half is Rathbone's case but after half the book Rathbone more or less disappears. Everybody runs to Hester to find the female perspective. At one end they talk of weak women who need to be protected even from their wounded husband's past, the other end is Hester who had been to Crimean war-the all clever, independent, strong woman. There is also a side case. Hester requests Monk to find the deformed nieces of the housekeeper who were abandoned a long time back.

Perry places her story in the aftermath of 1857 Sepoy mutiny in India. Initially it's irritating as the Sepoy Mutiny is called a barbaric act and pioneers of the movement called cruel. Perry redeems herself by making a turnaround.

There are some surprises. I never figured out the real reason for Melville's refusal to marry. It is interesting how Monk finds out the missing girls. Perry probably is making a statement of the superficiality of Victorian England, where people are obsessed with beauty and success, where women go to any extent to catch a suitable match for their daughters. Where marriage is seen as most suitable objective for women. Perry explores the role of women in Victorian England. While this aspect is interesting, it is difficult to get involved in the mystery at the centre of the book as the writer repeatedly says this case could be avoided.