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Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #19
La amenaza de Bedford Square
Cuando en una respetable mansión de Bedford Square se encuentra el cadaver de un hombre asesinado, el más experto y conflictivo policía victoriano de Londres, Thomas Pitt, acude inmediatamente al lugar de los hechos. Tanto la casa como una cajita de rapé encontrada eb el cuerpo pertenecen al muy respetado general Balabtyne, amigo de Charlotte, la esposa de Pitt, y ampliamente conocido en los circulos sociales. A medida que se va involucrando en la investigación de este asesinato y en un caso de chantaje, Pitt se verá inmerso en una terrible lucha para salvar lo que siempre ha intentado preservar: la integridad de la policia de Bow Street.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
153 people are currently reading
1332 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
360 books3,375 followersAnne Perry, born Juliet Hulme in England, lived in Scotland most of her life after serving five years in prison for murder (in New Zealand). A beloved mystery authoress, she is best known for her Thomas Pitt and William Monk series.
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
Her first novel, "The Cater Street Hangman", was published in 1979. Her works extend to several categories of genre fiction, including historical mysteries. Many of them feature recurring characters, most importantly Thomas Pitt and amnesiac private investigator William Monk, who first appeared in 1990, "The Face Of A Stranger".
Her story "Heroes," from the 1999 anthology Murder And Obsession, won the 2001 Edgar Award For Best Short Story. She was included as an entry in Ben Peek's Twenty-Six Lies / One Truth, a novel exploring the nature of truth in literature.
Series contributed to:
. Crime Through Time
. Perfectly Criminal
. Malice Domestic
. The World's Finest Mystery And Crime Stories
. Transgressions
. The Year's Finest Crime And Mystery Stories
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
March 3, 2019
This was a murder crime book. I listened to the audio and the narrator had a very pleasant voice, but the problem was that we didn't switch anything up to change voices. Often a conversation between two or more people, sounded more like a monologue. I really had to pay attention to the slight pause when a character finished talking and the next one started.
I liked how the story started....a body is found on Bedford Square and nothing was as it seemed. But then it went down hill from there. There was so much repetition in this. There was also a lot of descriptions using color and other meaningless details that don't add to plot or characterizations. That is just a pet peeve of mine.
One thing that struck me as odd was that everyone parted with information so easily. Even those who were doing the investigating. A. their job wasn't hard because they just had to ask a question and B. they often let important information slip....on purpose. I found that bizarre and unbelievable. Loose Lips Sink Ships.
I liked the dialogue but again, it was odd that everything was always so perfect....all the time. I get that this is England and it is supposed to take place in a more polite society, but it was so much of the same. So 2 stars.
I liked how the story started....a body is found on Bedford Square and nothing was as it seemed. But then it went down hill from there. There was so much repetition in this. There was also a lot of descriptions using color and other meaningless details that don't add to plot or characterizations. That is just a pet peeve of mine.
One thing that struck me as odd was that everyone parted with information so easily. Even those who were doing the investigating. A. their job wasn't hard because they just had to ask a question and B. they often let important information slip....on purpose. I found that bizarre and unbelievable. Loose Lips Sink Ships.
I liked the dialogue but again, it was odd that everything was always so perfect....all the time. I get that this is England and it is supposed to take place in a more polite society, but it was so much of the same. So 2 stars.
May 15, 2013
The author should have spent far less time repeating ad nauseam the turmoil, misery, and puzzlement of the blackmail victims, their families and friends, and the detectives on the case and far more time moving the action along and providing some basis for the eventual climax and resolution. As it is, the exposition and rising action go on with very little revelation for more than 3/4 of the book. At about the half-way point, the reader can figure out the identity of the blackmailer, though it remains a mystery to the characters. When something finally does happen, one obvious answer to the incident is conveniently ignored. Then, at the very end of the book, when from out of left field the purpose of the blackmailing is at last exposed, the reader says, "Huh?" Then, the quick and easy finale, and basta. This could have been an entertaining story. The writing itself is good (except for the endless repetition of the characters' emotions); the characters are varied, interesting, and well drawn; and the plot had a lot of unrealized potential. Where was the editor? The audio narration is excellent and was probably the only thing that kept me from giving up.
December 24, 2018
Some people complain that her books are long and slow. This is true so I just settle in and enjoy the ride. Her books are complex, the plot takes a long time to unfold as clues are gathered and discarded by the characters. Fast books are fun but so are slow ones that can be enjoyed and savored. This one had a finite set of gentlemen being blackmailed. It took a long to realize what they had in common because at first glance it didn’t seem to be much. As Pitt and Tellman doggedly work the case, they unpeel layers until the final reveal. Charlotte and Gracie help, and my fav character, Aunt Vespasia, has a large role. Lots of great period detail, as always, and a fine story.
May 24, 2020
I love this author and this series I just have to remember how bad I hate greedy people! So in line with series the husband and wife team solve crimes! He’s with police she’s a former victim and amazing at her role! Many influential people being blackmailed is apparently not unheard of in England in this time frame! But not many have Thomas Pitt and amazing wife there to figure it out! The end when you realize what’s happening is very sad!
May 9, 2011
Although I greatly enjoyed meeting the Pitts, Aunt Vespasia, Gracie, Tellman, and reading about life in late Victorian England, the mystery was in my view a big red herring. Solved in the last 20 pages by an unsexpected source, it left me unsatisfied. A lot of book was boring and I put it down. I never put a mystery down before. I'll see if Ilike Half Moon Street more; it's next on my list.
November 21, 2023
English mystery in the classic style. Read this in 2014 and forgot to rate it. Re-readable and well-narrated. Recommended.
February 11, 2018
Superintendent Thomas Pitt becomes suspicious when a man found dead outside a general's home is discovered to possess a snuff box that had recently graced the general's study. Pitt and his clever wife, Charlotte, must tread lightly while probing this masterpiece of evil.
What a book! I loved the mystery that didn't reveal until the last pages. And what an ending!
I felt like a participant as I progressed in the story. Blackmail is horrible and can bring such fear. I felt pity for those entangled in the scheme. It made me think about what's happening in America at this time. Allegations that only give one-sided stories.
I look forward to more of these London Victorian era books.
What a book! I loved the mystery that didn't reveal until the last pages. And what an ending!
I felt like a participant as I progressed in the story. Blackmail is horrible and can bring such fear. I felt pity for those entangled in the scheme. It made me think about what's happening in America at this time. Allegations that only give one-sided stories.
I look forward to more of these London Victorian era books.
July 9, 2024
8/10
A slow burn mystery that starts with a murder but mostly involves a rash of odd blackmails.
A slow burn mystery that starts with a murder but mostly involves a rash of odd blackmails.
November 10, 2024
Reviewed in 2022:
Okay, here we are at book 19, which in most series would mean the author has milked the cow so thoroughly that we are left with skimmed skim milk. But for this series, it means that Anne Perry has really hit her stride.
And I say that because of the secondary characters. In this book it's Samuel Tellman, Pitt's unwilling assistant. A good deal of the plot focuses on Tellman and his feelings and his reactions to the case.
He's not in the story for comic relief, or to show how clever Pitt is (we know that anyway), but instead he is given the dignity of a lead character. He is going through an astonishing metamorphosis, as he learns and admits (to himself at least) that some of his pre-conceived notions about people are wrong.
Most authors wouldn't bother with this sort of character development. But it's this, not the clever crimes or the truly painstaking attention to the details of the late Victorian world, that make Perry worth reading. And re-reading.
And book 20 will continue with this trend!
Okay, here we are at book 19, which in most series would mean the author has milked the cow so thoroughly that we are left with skimmed skim milk. But for this series, it means that Anne Perry has really hit her stride.
And I say that because of the secondary characters. In this book it's Samuel Tellman, Pitt's unwilling assistant. A good deal of the plot focuses on Tellman and his feelings and his reactions to the case.
He's not in the story for comic relief, or to show how clever Pitt is (we know that anyway), but instead he is given the dignity of a lead character. He is going through an astonishing metamorphosis, as he learns and admits (to himself at least) that some of his pre-conceived notions about people are wrong.
Most authors wouldn't bother with this sort of character development. But it's this, not the clever crimes or the truly painstaking attention to the details of the late Victorian world, that make Perry worth reading. And re-reading.
And book 20 will continue with this trend!
September 29, 2013
I like the way Perry presents the story, sort of easing through the events and adding information bit by bit. I like the characters and I like the details, but I think the law considered a child born within a marriage to be the child of the husband so I don't think the tittle tattle would have had a legal influence on the situation although there would certainly have been a considerable amount of discomfort. I'm a little surprised at tulips in a hot July and lilac likewise, unless flower seasons were different then.
This is a very clear picture of the absolute anguish that lies can create and to take an undoubted event and then twist some aspect of it so that the person is held up to shame and their career is ended. The threat of doing it is enough to destroy a man when there is no proper witness available to counter the statement, because the threat is always there.
This is a very clear picture of the absolute anguish that lies can create and to take an undoubted event and then twist some aspect of it so that the person is held up to shame and their career is ended. The threat of doing it is enough to destroy a man when there is no proper witness available to counter the statement, because the threat is always there.
January 25, 2019
Anne Perry’s books are a slow burn read and as you progress into her book each layer goes more in depth so you get a feel of the era. Perry makes sure you get a flavour of how people were expected to behave and the consequences if standards slip. Both sides, rich and poor had their own badge of honour. This is a marvellous read and keeps you guessing till the end. A book you want to re read and leaves you wanting to read more of her books.
September 20, 2014
A flawed plot when I can figure out the murderer and the brilliant Inspector Pitt cannot. Did like that the working class servant had critical knowledge to help solve the case. Love the author's focus on class issues.
July 6, 2018
Too many extra people in this one, so I didn’t care who did it.
August 24, 2022
Typical Anne Perry mystery, maybe a little drier than most.
As always, I enjoyed the glimpse into Victorian England.
I enjoyed the scenes with the home life of Thomas & Charlotte Pitt. Sometimes, they feel more like Anne Perry's other characters to me from her other series, William and Hester Monk. I did like Tellman's character and the growth in his character arc, and Gracie and her final input into the mystery as well, and even Balantyne and Cornwallis. Well done.
Anne Perry did well describing the desperation that the blackmail victims felt, and I'd agree that many people just want to believe something sensational rather than trying to discern the truth about someone.
I remember telling that to my then-gradeschool-aged child who had been accused of eating soup at her desk out of her lunchbox. She was horrified that anyone would think she had done such a thing, and hadn't even brought soup to school, and couldn't understand why people wouldn't believe her or why the other students would pick on her for something she hadn't even done - something more absurd and not morally wrong. I told her they wanted to believe it because it was more interesting than believing the truth.
The same theme encompasses this book, where the blackmailer threatens to tell people, not what the victims have truly done, but something more interesting and more condemning, knowing that most people would believe it, and it would ruin them just the same.
I did not figure out whodunit. There were too many suspects for the blackmailing for me to keep them all straight. I did, however, consider this one who mentioned something someone else had said. I wasn't sure whether those words were really coming from the other person. But I didn't continue down that train of thought far enough to be sure. I'm not convinced we had enough information to be sure. I did not guess the murderer, and I know we didn't have enough information for that one.
I did know how the blackmail victims were all related, and SPOILER ... I did know most of what was happening at the orphanage. I felt like Perry tried to confuse and distract us with so many facts about all the blackmail victims, but really, there weren't many alternatives listed outright in determining those two pieces of the mystery - how the victims were linked, and why the money was so odd, that they had too few orphans, not too many.
One of the other reviewers mentioned that the flowers - tulips and lilacs - were out of season. I noticed that, too. When I came across reading them, I thought, "Hey, wait! Wasn't this taking place in the heat of summer?" Tulips and lilacs are spring flowers, April around here, but I don't know when they bloom in England.
Favorite quotes:
"What kind of friend makes their support conditional upon knowing everything that will happen, and that there will be no unpleasant surprises and absolutely no inconvenience, embarrassment or cost?"
"A great many friends. But none of the best. This loyalty must run both ways. One does not allow friends to walk unknowingly into danger or unpleasantness, nor require of them a pledge, even unspoken, whose costs you know and they do not."
"How did anyone endure having children and watching them grow up, make mistakes, get hurt, perhaps even be destroyed, suffer pain that was worse, more inexplicable than death?"
"And to be a really good commander, you must be loved ... that is what inspires a crew of men to go beyond their duty, beyond even what can be expected of them, to dare, to sacrifice, and to achieve what to a lesser crew, with the same ship, would be impossible."
"Perhaps when all is said and done a quiet conscience is the greatest possession, but a good name in the eyes of others is second." There might be other things I might list as higher - being loved and forgiven, among them - but I would agree that living with a good conscience is of greater worth than a good reputation, but that we do care what others think.
As always, I enjoyed the glimpse into Victorian England.
I enjoyed the scenes with the home life of Thomas & Charlotte Pitt. Sometimes, they feel more like Anne Perry's other characters to me from her other series, William and Hester Monk. I did like Tellman's character and the growth in his character arc, and Gracie and her final input into the mystery as well, and even Balantyne and Cornwallis. Well done.
Anne Perry did well describing the desperation that the blackmail victims felt, and I'd agree that many people just want to believe something sensational rather than trying to discern the truth about someone.
I remember telling that to my then-gradeschool-aged child who had been accused of eating soup at her desk out of her lunchbox. She was horrified that anyone would think she had done such a thing, and hadn't even brought soup to school, and couldn't understand why people wouldn't believe her or why the other students would pick on her for something she hadn't even done - something more absurd and not morally wrong. I told her they wanted to believe it because it was more interesting than believing the truth.
The same theme encompasses this book, where the blackmailer threatens to tell people, not what the victims have truly done, but something more interesting and more condemning, knowing that most people would believe it, and it would ruin them just the same.
I did not figure out whodunit. There were too many suspects for the blackmailing for me to keep them all straight. I did, however, consider this one who mentioned something someone else had said. I wasn't sure whether those words were really coming from the other person. But I didn't continue down that train of thought far enough to be sure. I'm not convinced we had enough information to be sure. I did not guess the murderer, and I know we didn't have enough information for that one.
I did know how the blackmail victims were all related, and SPOILER ... I did know most of what was happening at the orphanage. I felt like Perry tried to confuse and distract us with so many facts about all the blackmail victims, but really, there weren't many alternatives listed outright in determining those two pieces of the mystery - how the victims were linked, and why the money was so odd, that they had too few orphans, not too many.
One of the other reviewers mentioned that the flowers - tulips and lilacs - were out of season. I noticed that, too. When I came across reading them, I thought, "Hey, wait! Wasn't this taking place in the heat of summer?" Tulips and lilacs are spring flowers, April around here, but I don't know when they bloom in England.
Favorite quotes:
"What kind of friend makes their support conditional upon knowing everything that will happen, and that there will be no unpleasant surprises and absolutely no inconvenience, embarrassment or cost?"
"A great many friends. But none of the best. This loyalty must run both ways. One does not allow friends to walk unknowingly into danger or unpleasantness, nor require of them a pledge, even unspoken, whose costs you know and they do not."
"How did anyone endure having children and watching them grow up, make mistakes, get hurt, perhaps even be destroyed, suffer pain that was worse, more inexplicable than death?"
"And to be a really good commander, you must be loved ... that is what inspires a crew of men to go beyond their duty, beyond even what can be expected of them, to dare, to sacrifice, and to achieve what to a lesser crew, with the same ship, would be impossible."
"Perhaps when all is said and done a quiet conscience is the greatest possession, but a good name in the eyes of others is second." There might be other things I might list as higher - being loved and forgiven, among them - but I would agree that living with a good conscience is of greater worth than a good reputation, but that we do care what others think.
December 24, 2019
A man was found murdered in front of General Balantye's house at Bedford Square with the General's snuffbox on his pocket. Further probings by Pitt showed that said item was given to a blackmailer and a corpse on the steps of his house as a more ominous message from the murderer to Balantyne aside from the blackmail letters. There were other victims holding key positions in Finance, the Foreign Office, and Parliament but no demands for money as yet... dread and anxiety eating up the victims and their loved ones as to what he would demand from them... of course, Charlotte's regard for the General (who was half in love with her to the extreme annoyance of his wife, the very correct and proper, Lady Augusta) led her to offer her help in unmasking the blackmailer. The end became ugly because of the unnecessary death of a good man and the grief, mortification and anguish of his family brought about by his apparent suicide and the destruction of his name (all fabricated by the blackmailer and his unwitting accomplice)... though poetic justice was also meted out... altogether a very Tragic turn of events.
May 19, 2020
I'm guessing I've now probably read as many as 10 of the Pitt books (from across the series and quite quite out of order, alas). This is the first one that has left me a bit disappointed.
I generally love the slow, deep consideration of the thoughts and emotions of so many of Perry's characters caught up in the crime, but this time those felt quite repetitive, re-saying (quite a few times) things that have been (better) said and explored in previous books.
I would have much rather seen that space used to explore Tellman's Road to Damascus moment, and the interactions between him and Gracie. These were ramped up in the first half of the book, and then - - - disappeared? Like Perry got bored, or distracted.
Which is also how the ending felt. Less Surprise! and more Huh? Like Perry decided, "Meh, this isn't working for me, I'll just go an entirely different random direction for these last few pages."
In fairness, it's pretty hard for even the best of authors to keep things fresh by book #19. But I still have #20 on my to read pile and will dive in, because I really have enjoyed all the other Pitt novels I've read so far, and optimism reigns.
I generally love the slow, deep consideration of the thoughts and emotions of so many of Perry's characters caught up in the crime, but this time those felt quite repetitive, re-saying (quite a few times) things that have been (better) said and explored in previous books.
I would have much rather seen that space used to explore Tellman's Road to Damascus moment, and the interactions between him and Gracie. These were ramped up in the first half of the book, and then - - - disappeared? Like Perry got bored, or distracted.
Which is also how the ending felt. Less Surprise! and more Huh? Like Perry decided, "Meh, this isn't working for me, I'll just go an entirely different random direction for these last few pages."
In fairness, it's pretty hard for even the best of authors to keep things fresh by book #19. But I still have #20 on my to read pile and will dive in, because I really have enjoyed all the other Pitt novels I've read so far, and optimism reigns.
August 30, 2020
I loved the ending and how they came up with the final answer. I found the lead-up a little...mmmm....stifling? That's not the word I want. Basically it was a difficult mystery-book-topic because it was about blackmail in 19th century London...so I think my problem was simply accepting how a rumor was affecting the characters. Perry spent quite a bit of time on conveying how this was a big deal. It was almost too much explanation. Then the theories for the purpose of the crime kept swirling to places that didn't come across as logical to me. Although perhaps because I read all the accounts and was like...the club...the club...the club...for crying out loud the club you bunch of dunces!
As always, once the solution was given, the book ended...which still is a shock to my sense of continuity. I'm so accustomed to a postscript to the climatic reveal.
I will say it is not my favorite Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, but it was enjoyable.
As always, once the solution was given, the book ended...which still is a shock to my sense of continuity. I'm so accustomed to a postscript to the climatic reveal.
I will say it is not my favorite Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, but it was enjoyable.
September 2, 2019
A good plot to this story but the solution took a long and round about way to solving the murders. Pitt won't reveal the names of the victims of blackmail to the others he is questioning so none of them are able to make their connection to each other. This, of course, would have made the story shorter but that may have been a blessing.
The story began to drag some and I wanted to skim through pages to get to something that would move the story forward but from past readings of Perry's books I learned this was not a good idea because she would often have one, ONE!, line that would reveal the breakthrough to the solution of the murder.
This one gets two stars because it dragged in several places and for the first time, after 18 of Perry's books, I thought it would wind up being a DNF.
The story began to drag some and I wanted to skim through pages to get to something that would move the story forward but from past readings of Perry's books I learned this was not a good idea because she would often have one, ONE!, line that would reveal the breakthrough to the solution of the murder.
This one gets two stars because it dragged in several places and for the first time, after 18 of Perry's books, I thought it would wind up being a DNF.
November 19, 2020
I like this series well enough but there is something I do not like about these books. Yes, we know who done it by the end of the book and maybe why and how but these stories all feel unresolved. It is left to the reader to complete how things are settled in the end. All the characters who are involved are left hanging. The aftermath and how all is handled is left open. It is less than satisfying. I feel the author has left her work incomplete. This was confirmed when I took s break to read the latest work of another and favorite author. I found the ending much more satisfying and the work was whole. These books in this series consequently never achieve that sense of a true work of art or literature.
September 11, 2018
This is the 19th in the Pitt series, but the first I have read. three stars, a little disappointing for so successful a series. For mysteries of the era, few can match the Sherlocks, and some of the short stories under the subheading Rivals Of Sherlock Holmes (ROSH).
I admit I hadn't predicted the killers or the actual crime. If her stories reflect the "sins" of the upper class, then the stories have merit. Too often then, and as Perry has said, the wealthy have both power over those poorer and better defense when charged with crimes.
I admit I hadn't predicted the killers or the actual crime. If her stories reflect the "sins" of the upper class, then the stories have merit. Too often then, and as Perry has said, the wealthy have both power over those poorer and better defense when charged with crimes.
December 10, 2018
Sometimes I wonder why I keep reading these books if all look the same. Then I finish one of them and I instantly feel the urge to continue reading another mystery featuring Pitt and Charlotte.
However, I miss Charlotte. This book had almost no role for her and though I liked Vespasia's and Tellman's points of view, Charlotte is my favourite one together with Emily, when the two of them (plus Vespasia) enter into action, the books become more interesting for me so I hope to recover their roles and prominence in upcoming books.
However, I miss Charlotte. This book had almost no role for her and though I liked Vespasia's and Tellman's points of view, Charlotte is my favourite one together with Emily, when the two of them (plus Vespasia) enter into action, the books become more interesting for me so I hope to recover their roles and prominence in upcoming books.
September 24, 2023
The plot in this was familiar as Rex Stout proposed it in a Nero Wolfe book. That, plus the several references to the need to sit down so As not to force a character to crane their neck makes me think the author is a Stout fan. There were a couple of things that made it a less enjoyable read. The repetitive nature of the plot was one. The fact that each person promises to tell no one and then tells everyone,while realistic, was annoying. It also seemed amazing that the detective would have fallen for the “I knew that because so and so, who must be the guilty part” told me.” Line.
January 10, 2018
Anne Perry's books are well written and true to the period setting, however I sometimes find that her story takes far too long to develop and unfold into something the reader can get into. She also does an admirable job of recreating the attitudes and speech of the period, but that makes it equally difficult to follow at times. Overall, I found this story to be a bit plodding and slow to develop and the characters a little too honourable for their own good.
September 14, 2018
Like the other books in this series-long and detailed with an abrupt ending. But I do love the characters, so I will continue on with the series.
"Superintendent Thomas Pitt becomes suspicious when a man found dead outside a general's home is discovered to possess a snuff box that had recently graced the general's study. Pitt and his clever wife, Charlotte, must tread lightly while probing this masterpiece of evil. The book contains an interview with the author."
"Superintendent Thomas Pitt becomes suspicious when a man found dead outside a general's home is discovered to possess a snuff box that had recently graced the general's study. Pitt and his clever wife, Charlotte, must tread lightly while probing this masterpiece of evil. The book contains an interview with the author."
October 20, 2018
As always I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I had my own ideas about who the culprit might be, but was way off. I never would have guessed who really did it! I was shocked! Well done! Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bedford Square. I had my own ideas about who the culprit might be, but I was way off. I was shocked. Well done! Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
I thoroughly enjoyed Bedford Square. I had my own ideas about who the culprit might be, but I was way off. I was shocked. Well done! Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
July 11, 2019
Another terrific mystery, solved literally on the last page!! And thanks to Gracie, who figured out the final piece of the puzzle . So much interesting history, naval, military, Africa, orphanages, with all.of our favorite characters, plus 2 unrequited loves. I am going to finish all the Charlotte and Thomas novels, then finally finish the Monk series and she already has 3 Daniel novels!! Yikes that is a lot if reading!!
August 27, 2019
Dramatic last-page ending (involving a pair of dueling pistols on the stairs) to a story of blackmailed society men who were threatened by exposure of the secrets from their past that none of them could refute. Lots of the usual angst about social standing and unrequited feelings plus Victorian fashion and mores. Also not sure the usually perceptive Charlotte would be so naive about General Balantyn’s interest in her.
March 28, 2020
I think this is my least favorite of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series that I have read so far. It may be because there were too many characters involved, and it was hard to keep up with them all. I also didn't think the ending was well done because it seemed to be a little contrived. I do appreciate the descriptions of the scenery and her information about the plight of women in the late 1800's.
January 18, 2021
I always enjoy Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. This was an audio book, and was especially enjoyable because of the British accent of the narrator.
Recommended if you like cozy mysteries, books set in Victorian London, and if you want to start a mystery series with lots of books! I haven't read them in order, and I don't really lose any of the story in doing that. Most of them center around the story itself, and the progress of the characters is more peripheral.
Recommended if you like cozy mysteries, books set in Victorian London, and if you want to start a mystery series with lots of books! I haven't read them in order, and I don't really lose any of the story in doing that. Most of them center around the story itself, and the progress of the characters is more peripheral.
April 29, 2021
It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Thomas & Charlotte Pitt mystery. I used to enjoy them. I listened to this one and found it just took way too long to get to the answer of the mystery. Pitt and friends gather information for about 10 hours of listening, seemingly getting nowhere. Then in the last last 20 minutes or so, they figure out the real criminal’s identity. Maybe I’ve read too many of these types of books. Very unsatisfying. ( I did listen until the end though!) Alas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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