Once again we get a vivid picture of England at the time, and once again, little bread crumbs of memory are placed that will eventually lead us (and Monk) to rediscovering who he was before the accident that robbed him of his memory. The characters of Hester Latterly and Oliver Rathbone are becoming more distinct. I wish I could say the same about Sgt. Evan. He's a good sort, and I would like to know him better.

I did expect that the key to the crime would lie in the past. The title gives that away, because there is only one person in mourning before the crime is committed. What actually happened, and why, and who covered it up, were all revelations to me.