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Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #7
Death in the Devil's Acre
When a doctor is found brutally murdered, even the neighborhood's most hardened residents are stunned. But three more bodies are found, killed the same inexpert way, and Inspector Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte race against time to find the killer, as a treacherous mystery unfolds. No one, not the lowest brand of ruffian or the most established aristocrat, will come out unscathed....
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 1985
616 people are currently reading
1395 people want to read
About the author
Anne Perry
361 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 271 reviews
July 31, 2021
Time To Get Your Hands Dirty!
With the help of her younger sister, Lady Ashworth, Charlotte is determined to solve the mystery of who would want to kill a footman?
Why such curiosity, is more than one can say.
With the help of her younger sister, Lady Ashworth, Charlotte is determined to solve the mystery of who would want to kill a footman?
Why such curiosity, is more than one can say.
March 3, 2019
All right, this is my official review. I hope this is where comments come in! :)
It is surely high praise to authors that we acquaint some characters so well, they need do little but take another outing upon the pages. If crime mysteries grow repetitious, maturity and advancement keep stories fresh. “Death In The Devil’s Acre”, 1985 felt recycled. Because I review 100 books a year, I can say why. This mystery produced no emotion or adrenalin. Belatedly, Thomas & Charlotte were separately thrown into physical action but it was glaringly-incongruous to the flat tone. He investigated brothels, as Charlotte & Emily sneaked among gentry who knew the victims.
Readers can pinpoint one guilty party straight off and merely wait to see how Anne will tie them in. This was a weak link. Identifying a killer, an instigator, and their motive were last-minute. Anne excelled where she usually does, seamlessly narrating facial expressions and conventions, to convey how minds worked in 1887. We are afforded a look at important sociological circumstances: highborn ladies having no purpose except to entertain, small crimes ignored for the poor who are also stuck, and the unforgiveable crimes of murder and prostitution of children being too immense to obliterate; without law reform and public outcry. Deeming these things unfit conversation improved nothing.
I interpret the resolution as an error, unless the explanation is unclear; which amounts to a shortcoming either way. Targeting pimps who enslaved children was one issue but the pimp catering to pedophiles was not a victim. Rest assured that I tiptoe broadly, where only familiar readers can clue-in with specificity. Finally: this is one of those dashed-off conclusions that was not solved but which entailed happening to catch a culprit at a key moment. I love that Emily bonded with her husband, George; appreciating his humour and sleuthing. I am sorry he does not continue with us.
It is surely high praise to authors that we acquaint some characters so well, they need do little but take another outing upon the pages. If crime mysteries grow repetitious, maturity and advancement keep stories fresh. “Death In The Devil’s Acre”, 1985 felt recycled. Because I review 100 books a year, I can say why. This mystery produced no emotion or adrenalin. Belatedly, Thomas & Charlotte were separately thrown into physical action but it was glaringly-incongruous to the flat tone. He investigated brothels, as Charlotte & Emily sneaked among gentry who knew the victims.
Readers can pinpoint one guilty party straight off and merely wait to see how Anne will tie them in. This was a weak link. Identifying a killer, an instigator, and their motive were last-minute. Anne excelled where she usually does, seamlessly narrating facial expressions and conventions, to convey how minds worked in 1887. We are afforded a look at important sociological circumstances: highborn ladies having no purpose except to entertain, small crimes ignored for the poor who are also stuck, and the unforgiveable crimes of murder and prostitution of children being too immense to obliterate; without law reform and public outcry. Deeming these things unfit conversation improved nothing.
I interpret the resolution as an error, unless the explanation is unclear; which amounts to a shortcoming either way. Targeting pimps who enslaved children was one issue but the pimp catering to pedophiles was not a victim. Rest assured that I tiptoe broadly, where only familiar readers can clue-in with specificity. Finally: this is one of those dashed-off conclusions that was not solved but which entailed happening to catch a culprit at a key moment. I love that Emily bonded with her husband, George; appreciating his humour and sleuthing. I am sorry he does not continue with us.
February 22, 2017
7th book in the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series, this one was just OK. I am strongly skeptical that Victorian ladies chose to moonlight as whores because they were bored and/or their wealthy husbands were lousy lays.
I still like both Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, although Charlotte's behavior did rather get on my nerves in this one.
I still like both Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, although Charlotte's behavior did rather get on my nerves in this one.
February 6, 2018
6/1/15 Death in Devil's Acre, Anne Perry, 1985
This book in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt mystery series was so laughably improbable that it was actually fun to read. In brief summary, Pit is rousted out of his bed by a sargent in the police to investigate a murder in the notorious London slum of Devil's Acre. The victim has been stabbed in the back, but then his genitals have been cut off.
Of course the tabloid newspapers go wild, and in the subsequent days, several other people are murdered in a similar manner. Pitt, normally, quite intelligent, seems positively flummoxed. His wife Charlotte, always ready to "help" tries to question him but if met with an uncharacteristic attitude from her husband o "Mind your own business and take care of the house."
This would be like waving a red flag in front of Charlotte who immediately (and clandestinely) enlists the help of her sister Emily and gets on the case. There is a lot of clap-trap about bored society women becoming prostitutes and the usual sermonizing about the evils of those who feed off the poor, all leading up to a most ludicrous finale where Charlotte solves the case moments before Pitt bursts through the door.
I ask myself, why do I keep on reading these books, and all I can come up with is that they are my particular guilty pleasure
This book in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt mystery series was so laughably improbable that it was actually fun to read. In brief summary, Pit is rousted out of his bed by a sargent in the police to investigate a murder in the notorious London slum of Devil's Acre. The victim has been stabbed in the back, but then his genitals have been cut off.
Of course the tabloid newspapers go wild, and in the subsequent days, several other people are murdered in a similar manner. Pitt, normally, quite intelligent, seems positively flummoxed. His wife Charlotte, always ready to "help" tries to question him but if met with an uncharacteristic attitude from her husband o "Mind your own business and take care of the house."
This would be like waving a red flag in front of Charlotte who immediately (and clandestinely) enlists the help of her sister Emily and gets on the case. There is a lot of clap-trap about bored society women becoming prostitutes and the usual sermonizing about the evils of those who feed off the poor, all leading up to a most ludicrous finale where Charlotte solves the case moments before Pitt bursts through the door.
I ask myself, why do I keep on reading these books, and all I can come up with is that they are my particular guilty pleasure
Read
February 28, 2021excellent read on several different levels ... the murders ... the interactions between Pitt and Charlotte ... the lives of the families whose status is based on inheritance and past deeds and what their boredom drives some of them to do
May 29, 2017
3.75 stars.
November 17, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for GR.
Years ago (I'm re-reading a lot these days), I read practically the whole Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, the William Monk series and only stopped because I read too many too quickly : indigestion (20, 30 books ?). But Anne Perry always remained in my mind as a particular good writer and critic of Victorian society. Moreover, her characters are not mere puppets, they have depth and feel deeply human, even when flawed and unlikeable.
Re-reading a book I once loved and now DNFed, I feared opening an Anne Perry novel again but no, she's really as excellent as I remember. Phew !
It's a series best read in order, but I remembered it well, so no problem here. This particular instalment dealt with sexuality and how it was considered/repressed in Victorian times. How women were to be ignorant angels when they married, how their husbands probably expected more and went to seek satisfaction elsewhere, how women of different status became prostitutes and even worse, how children were sold for sex. There was obviously a background of violence, moral and social, and how society dealt with it : parked it in some areas of London and turned a blind eye. Anne Perry also dealt with how women were expected to live their life compared to what was expected of men and what they were allowed.
This was a grim investigation but a captivating one and now, I want to re-read everything she has written ! My only reproach would be the end, I found it a little abrupt and would have loved to see it more developped. But consider me a happy reader !
Years ago (I'm re-reading a lot these days), I read practically the whole Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, the William Monk series and only stopped because I read too many too quickly : indigestion (20, 30 books ?). But Anne Perry always remained in my mind as a particular good writer and critic of Victorian society. Moreover, her characters are not mere puppets, they have depth and feel deeply human, even when flawed and unlikeable.
Re-reading a book I once loved and now DNFed, I feared opening an Anne Perry novel again but no, she's really as excellent as I remember. Phew !
It's a series best read in order, but I remembered it well, so no problem here. This particular instalment dealt with sexuality and how it was considered/repressed in Victorian times. How women were to be ignorant angels when they married, how their husbands probably expected more and went to seek satisfaction elsewhere, how women of different status became prostitutes and even worse, how children were sold for sex. There was obviously a background of violence, moral and social, and how society dealt with it : parked it in some areas of London and turned a blind eye. Anne Perry also dealt with how women were expected to live their life compared to what was expected of men and what they were allowed.
This was a grim investigation but a captivating one and now, I want to re-read everything she has written ! My only reproach would be the end, I found it a little abrupt and would have loved to see it more developped. But consider me a happy reader !
January 8, 2018
Excellent addition to the set. The narration is excellently done. This one makes Pitt seem like a grump and Charlotte more stupid than naive. Still -- interesting and a good read.
June 13, 2022
Charlotte Pitt is trying to figure out why her husband, Thomas, seems so desperate to catch the latest killer to stalk the London streets. We, the readers, know that Thomas is desperate because he knows how ridiculously lacking his detective skills are, and therefore worries that half of London will be dead before he so much as asks a good question. Charlotte, on the other hand, wraps us her contemplation of several possibilities with this:
"But, perhaps foremost in his own mind, he felt the need to solve this case himself, to solve it before Charlotte..."
You know what, Charlotte - you just might have something there!
On to #8 🙂
"But, perhaps foremost in his own mind, he felt the need to solve this case himself, to solve it before Charlotte..."
You know what, Charlotte - you just might have something there!
On to #8 🙂
October 18, 2016
I bought a whole pile of Anne Perry’s Victorian-era detective series second-hand for a pittance, and have been reading my way through them in order. Death in the Devil’s Acre is the seventh in the series, and the weakest so far. Although the murder is macabre enough, the denouement felt rushed and unlikely, and the Victorian world was not brought to such vivid and effective life as previous books in the series. That said, it may be the result of reading too many back-to-back! And I have about 15 more to read …
February 16, 2018
Alright-I'm hooked on this series!
"When a doctor is found brutally murdered in the lurid section of London aptly named “Devil’s Acre,” even its most hardened residents are stunned. But shock soon turns to horror when Inspector Thomas Pitt discovers three more bodies with the same gruesome “calling card”: a stab wound in the back and a rather inexpertly executed mutilation. As Pitt and his wife, Charlotte, race against time to find the killer, a treacherous mystery unfolds. And no one, not the lowest brand of ruffian or the most established aristocrat, will escape unscathed."
"When a doctor is found brutally murdered in the lurid section of London aptly named “Devil’s Acre,” even its most hardened residents are stunned. But shock soon turns to horror when Inspector Thomas Pitt discovers three more bodies with the same gruesome “calling card”: a stab wound in the back and a rather inexpertly executed mutilation. As Pitt and his wife, Charlotte, race against time to find the killer, a treacherous mystery unfolds. And no one, not the lowest brand of ruffian or the most established aristocrat, will escape unscathed."
August 27, 2019
3.5 Stars
rounded up to 4 Stars.
February 4, 2011
Seventh in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series, this is a good example of why it's better to read such series in order, for here we see again many of the characters we met in book #2, solving the murders in Callender Square. This time around, however, the scene of the grisly crimes is the Devil's Acre, a patch of urban blight and sordidness where pimps, crooks, and lawlessness are in control, though it's geographically close to the Palace of Westminster. Someone is not just maniacally hacking up seemingly unconnected men here, but leaving them bloodily castrated as well. True to the standard formula, Inspector Pitt tries to solve the mystery in his usual professional manner while his better half Charlotte surreptitiously uses what social accesses are available to her to do some serious sleuthing on her own. Perry can always be counted on for good attention to historical detail, which I value. This series is parrticularly recommended to those who enjoy insights into the distinctions between social classes, and upstairs/downstairs relationships, in British Victorian society.
March 18, 2018
Maybe this series has run its course for me. Charlotte's involvement in a gruesome serial killer case causes her to venture into the society that she was a part of before her marriage. I rate this book so-so, and I not sure I'll read any more of the series.
May 9, 2018
Theme of this one was various forms of prostitution. Very interesting perspective of some in the upper classes, too. My only complaint is, typically, the endings of these books. I’d like more resolution.
May 16, 2014
I keep reading these, and I don't know why...
June 7, 2022
The premise of this one was a stretch and the denouement was an even bigger stretch.
June 13, 2022
truly a weak solution to the crime. Almost as though AP had been hired to write 266 pages, reached that point and said "let's end it here" and that was page 267.
September 26, 2019
The problem with reading the book in a series back to back, and then being delayed in putting down information about it, is that things blur. I had to go back and listen to bits of the last chapter in order to clarify.
I remember being pleased that secondary characters had returned and were entwined in the new mystery too. There's the pain of a friendship between Charlotte and a General who is a history buff - the pain coming from the fact that there's no way to have a friendship between men and women.
There's in particular a character who thinks she's crafty enough to do what she wants, when she really rather selfish and stupid. For the sake of other characters, there is sympathy even while one rather hopes she gets her comeuppance.
Other folks complain about the abruptness of the endings, but it's part of the style. It also works knowing there's another book to come.
I remember being pleased that secondary characters had returned and were entwined in the new mystery too. There's the pain of a friendship between Charlotte and a General who is a history buff - the pain coming from the fact that there's no way to have a friendship between men and women.
There's in particular a character who thinks she's crafty enough to do what she wants, when she really rather selfish and stupid. For the sake of other characters, there is sympathy even while one rather hopes she gets her comeuppance.
Other folks complain about the abruptness of the endings, but it's part of the style. It also works knowing there's another book to come.
August 1, 2023
El último tercio de esta historia la ha salvado a mis ojos.
No me están encantando estas últimas novelas de Perry... Creo que no me termina de gustar su estilo, sobre todo en lo que tiene que ver con la construcción de personajes, y de verdad creo que (por lo menos a estas alturas de su carrera) tenía un problema grave con el ritmo de la acción y el desenlace. Sus finales me matan 😂😂😂
Y un pelín repetitiva en los temas que tocan sus novelas... No digo más por los spoilers.
No me están encantando estas últimas novelas de Perry... Creo que no me termina de gustar su estilo, sobre todo en lo que tiene que ver con la construcción de personajes, y de verdad creo que (por lo menos a estas alturas de su carrera) tenía un problema grave con el ritmo de la acción y el desenlace. Sus finales me matan 😂😂😂
Y un pelín repetitiva en los temas que tocan sus novelas... No digo más por los spoilers.
December 25, 2023
7.5/10
Rather an abrupt ending and not a very full explanation of the crimes, which is typical of the author’s Charlotte & Thomas Pitt books. I read it in one sitting, so it obviously kept my attention.
Rather an abrupt ending and not a very full explanation of the crimes, which is typical of the author’s Charlotte & Thomas Pitt books. I read it in one sitting, so it obviously kept my attention.
February 17, 2018
This is the second book I've read from this series. I really enjoy them. I'll probably try to track them all down.
February 24, 2017
This was another riveting novel by Anne Perry taking place in the underbelly of the slums of London. The blackmailing footman from Callendar Square (Book 2) pops up dead and emasculated. From there, the bodies start piling up. Inspector Pitt works hard to connect the threads of these people to each other. He has asked Charlotte not to interfere in this one. However, once an aristocrat from her sister, Emily's, social sphere is found dead and mutilated, she can't help herself as they start making 'morning calls' on the families. Married young ladies, bored with their restricted lives and unhappy in their marriages, start walking on the seedier side of London for their 'thrills'.
Ms. Perry gives you just enough details with such descriptive settings. You can feel the bitter cold and smell the refuse in the streets of the slums. In this one, I figured out the gender of the killer, but not exactly who was the exact culprit. I had my suspicions though. I enjoy reading Ms. Perry's books for their flow and quick pace. However, in this one, I found the ending rather abrupt. Looking forward to reading book 8.
Ms. Perry gives you just enough details with such descriptive settings. You can feel the bitter cold and smell the refuse in the streets of the slums. In this one, I figured out the gender of the killer, but not exactly who was the exact culprit. I had my suspicions though. I enjoy reading Ms. Perry's books for their flow and quick pace. However, in this one, I found the ending rather abrupt. Looking forward to reading book 8.
October 18, 2022
Having previously read several of Anne Perry's short Sherlock Holmes pastiches, I desperately wanted to like this book. Her Victorian writing style is accurate, and her general knowledge of the era seemed profound. Always appreciating an author who researches the time period in which they write so as to increase authenticity while avoiding jarring anachronisms, I was even more excited about her Thomas & Charlotte Pitt novels as the plots appeared much more promising than those of her pastiches.
The book's opening is both engaging and intriguing, hooking the reader with a winning blend of likable characters and fascinating plot. That the writing style was reminiscent of something more of an authentic feeling period piece rather than a book conspicuously written by a 20th Century hand trying to imitate Victorian writers was another bonus. The author did have an annoying habit of switching to multiple POVs, but this was overlooked. As was the rather dull way the story then unfolded with Pitt asking the obvious people obvious questions. I was expecting it to pick up pace in the second half, but was genuinely enjoying her characterizations and the Thomas/Charlotte interactions.
What I cannot forgive is how halfway through the book, Perry's POVs become erratic, shifting away from her main detectives to Emily (Charlotte's sister) then General Ballantyne, which was not only irritating after we've been introduced to and have warmed up to the former, but here she decides to bog the story down with excessive amounts of introspection/exposition that have more to do with an often misguided societal commentary than moving the story along. In small doses, it would have increased the book's authenticity. With the copious way it is used as useless filler it only makes for an annoying deviance from plot.
I also could not help but feel like this was not the book I signed up for. If I wanted to read about two women who attend boring dinner parties and admit they veered off course and never even made the attempt to acquire the information they were there for, or traipse around the town prattling on about their dresses, etc., then I would have bought such a book. I like strong women characters, but these two seem unbelievable as that for the time period in which they live. I also seem to be in the minority as I prefer male dominated mysteries but of course am open to anything, so this has me further aggravated that most of the men are portrayed as either imbeciles or sleazes that, in differing ways, are only there to oppress womankind. Doing such does not, in turn, make your female characters more authentic or stronger willed. It just makes the author look unduly hostile (like some of her characters).
In summation, this was an epic disappointment and it's very unlikely I'll ever pick up one of Perry's novels again.
The book's opening is both engaging and intriguing, hooking the reader with a winning blend of likable characters and fascinating plot. That the writing style was reminiscent of something more of an authentic feeling period piece rather than a book conspicuously written by a 20th Century hand trying to imitate Victorian writers was another bonus. The author did have an annoying habit of switching to multiple POVs, but this was overlooked. As was the rather dull way the story then unfolded with Pitt asking the obvious people obvious questions. I was expecting it to pick up pace in the second half, but was genuinely enjoying her characterizations and the Thomas/Charlotte interactions.
What I cannot forgive is how halfway through the book, Perry's POVs become erratic, shifting away from her main detectives to Emily (Charlotte's sister) then General Ballantyne, which was not only irritating after we've been introduced to and have warmed up to the former, but here she decides to bog the story down with excessive amounts of introspection/exposition that have more to do with an often misguided societal commentary than moving the story along. In small doses, it would have increased the book's authenticity. With the copious way it is used as useless filler it only makes for an annoying deviance from plot.
I also could not help but feel like this was not the book I signed up for. If I wanted to read about two women who attend boring dinner parties and admit they veered off course and never even made the attempt to acquire the information they were there for, or traipse around the town prattling on about their dresses, etc., then I would have bought such a book. I like strong women characters, but these two seem unbelievable as that for the time period in which they live. I also seem to be in the minority as I prefer male dominated mysteries but of course am open to anything, so this has me further aggravated that most of the men are portrayed as either imbeciles or sleazes that, in differing ways, are only there to oppress womankind. Doing such does not, in turn, make your female characters more authentic or stronger willed. It just makes the author look unduly hostile (like some of her characters).
In summation, this was an epic disappointment and it's very unlikely I'll ever pick up one of Perry's novels again.
May 29, 2024
Again an abrupt ending. I honestly do not understand why the author rushes to the end of the story. In this novel, I think we would have been better served if a more detailed explanation was provided as to the motives of the killer. Also, we never got to see how Thomas Pitt worked his way to his discovery of the murderer. Both he and Charlotte seemed to luckily stumble upon the scene as it was reaching its climax.
I do enjoy the relationship between Thomas and Charlotte, though it does get tedious when she tries to insert herself into his investigations while he expressly forbids it. Reminded me of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo with higher stakes. Also, there seemed to be nothing going on in their lives besides this investigation. If I recall correctly, I thought that they had a child. But in this book, I do not remember her being mentioned.
Also, the premise that high born ladies would act as prostitutes seemed to be far-fetched. I cannot imagine them being so bored or neglected by their husbands that they would turn to prostitution for kicks. Why not just have an affair?
I do enjoy the relationship between Thomas and Charlotte, though it does get tedious when she tries to insert herself into his investigations while he expressly forbids it. Reminded me of Lucy and Ricky Ricardo with higher stakes. Also, there seemed to be nothing going on in their lives besides this investigation. If I recall correctly, I thought that they had a child. But in this book, I do not remember her being mentioned.
Also, the premise that high born ladies would act as prostitutes seemed to be far-fetched. I cannot imagine them being so bored or neglected by their husbands that they would turn to prostitution for kicks. Why not just have an affair?
October 12, 2016
So I HATE Christina Balantyne, which is fine, because she dies at the end of this one. She popped up in an earlier book when she was totally getting banged by the smug, oily, pretentious footman Max, and her mom Augusta had Max thrown out, and I'm 95% sure Christina was pretty sure she was pregnant (by Max) and so her mom made sure that Alan Ross (who had lost his beloved Helena, who actually sounds like a neat girl except her only appearance in the series was as a pregnant skeleton) married Christina. (There was no baby so either I'm misremembering or she miscarried or had an abortion.) But Alan's too good for that bitch. The other two members of the family are General Balantyne, who is nursing a HUGE crush on Charlotte and very nearly compromises himself in this one by telling her his feelings (she admits that she's married first, and it's all super awkward because General Balantyne really isn't a bad guy) and the son, Brandon, who married Jemima the governess and seems super happy with her. Also, Christina's a bitch?
Anyway, this book kicks off with the discovery of a stabbed and castrated corpse in a bad part of town. Max was also killed that way (hooray, 'cause he was an asshole) and it turns out he had started a "high class" brothel where bored society ladies could come get banged by society guys and hilarity, whatevs. Anyway, a doctor gets killed (he was botching abortions and thus making the women in question unable to have children and maybe making them look awful in the lady region as well? I just had that impression) and this other asshole, who was discovered on the steps of a "for men only and we mean it, only dicks allowed" brothel, owned a row of gin mills and was profiting from the poor, and a math teacher who was a pedophile (he was just clever enough not to molest the students he was tutoring). I think that was it. Anyway, Max died because Christina paid two female brothel owners to do it, and then to kill her lover because why not, and then they were like "Hell yeah let's kill that asshole doctor too, and that pedophile for good measure," and anyway Thomas gets stabbed and survives (he has to, his name is in the name of the series) and Charlotte wears fancy dresses (which I love) and at the end of it Christina gets shot, and good riddance! Go find someone awesome, Alan!
Anyway, this book kicks off with the discovery of a stabbed and castrated corpse in a bad part of town. Max was also killed that way (hooray, 'cause he was an asshole) and it turns out he had started a "high class" brothel where bored society ladies could come get banged by society guys and hilarity, whatevs. Anyway, a doctor gets killed (he was botching abortions and thus making the women in question unable to have children and maybe making them look awful in the lady region as well? I just had that impression) and this other asshole, who was discovered on the steps of a "for men only and we mean it, only dicks allowed" brothel, owned a row of gin mills and was profiting from the poor, and a math teacher who was a pedophile (he was just clever enough not to molest the students he was tutoring). I think that was it. Anyway, Max died because Christina paid two female brothel owners to do it, and then to kill her lover because why not, and then they were like "Hell yeah let's kill that asshole doctor too, and that pedophile for good measure," and anyway Thomas gets stabbed and survives (he has to, his name is in the name of the series) and Charlotte wears fancy dresses (which I love) and at the end of it Christina gets shot, and good riddance! Go find someone awesome, Alan!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2015
I can't say that I enjoyed this installment of the Thomas/Charlotte Pitt series. It started with a strong opening (a man is found murdered and castrated in a very destitute/slum area of London called the Devil's Acre) but then the book devolves into social commentary about the slums/whorehouses and then goes a step further into child prostitution (which was kind of alluded to in Perry's previous Pitt book with Arthur and the teenage prostitute).
The Balantynes from Callendar Square are back, including Brandy (who I had forgotten married Jemima, the governess) and Christina, now married to the stoic but handsome Alan Ross for a number of years. And Charlotte picks back up on her friendship with General Balantyne, who slowly realizes he's in love with her. Meanwhile, matriarch Augusta suspects Christina of whoring herself out for the thrill of the adventure and tries to stop her habits.
Other characters featured:
--Gracie, the Pitts' maid
--Emily of course, but George is featured more prominently here (though not Aunt Vespasia)
--Balantyne's neighbor Carlton is alluded to but not really seen
--the sisters Dalton who own a "more upstanding" whorehouse
--Squeaker Harris, someone Pitt goes to for insider information in the Acre
--Max Burton, the Balantynes' former footman (although he's dead from page 2)
--Beau and Bertie Astley (a family who makes money from running sleazy businesses in the Acre)
What happens:
The Balantynes from Callendar Square are back, including Brandy (who I had forgotten married Jemima, the governess) and Christina, now married to the stoic but handsome Alan Ross for a number of years. And Charlotte picks back up on her friendship with General Balantyne, who slowly realizes he's in love with her. Meanwhile, matriarch Augusta suspects Christina of whoring herself out for the thrill of the adventure and tries to stop her habits.
Other characters featured:
--Gracie, the Pitts' maid
--Emily of course, but George is featured more prominently here (though not Aunt Vespasia)
--Balantyne's neighbor Carlton is alluded to but not really seen
--the sisters Dalton who own a "more upstanding" whorehouse
--Squeaker Harris, someone Pitt goes to for insider information in the Acre
--Max Burton, the Balantynes' former footman (although he's dead from page 2)
--Beau and Bertie Astley (a family who makes money from running sleazy businesses in the Acre)
What happens:
February 19, 2011
When I read, I had an overwhelming, claustrophobic feeling of being in a dusty, dark, narrow place. The book had no breath, and despite the use of Victorian slang and the descriptions of tableware and gowns, everything felt wrong. The aristocrats, particularly the general's family, behaved and talked in such a vulgar way that it made me wince, several times. The conversations Christina had with her father - an army general! - were simply unbelievable. The poor general was ridiculed more than once, called names by the women in his family, and all he could do was to keep dignified silence? Young women from high society talking about whorehouses and openly looking forward to scandals? Butlers and servants were more sophisticated and in character than those people. It was as if any pretension to plausibility ended as soon as the well-born people appeared on the stage.
As for the mystery, I don't know. I guess I didn't care.
As for the mystery, I don't know. I guess I didn't care.
March 22, 2011
Perry once again examines the mores and morality of Victorian England. In her seventh book, which brings back characters from an earlier piece (Callender Square), a doctor is found brutally murdered and sexually mutilated in the unsavory section of London aptly named “Devil’s Acre.” Additional victims appear with stunning frequency, ranging from a respectable doctor, to a blackmailing footman turned pimp. Perry keeps the suspense high, while engaging her readers in a thoughtful debate on the class system at the time, the plight of poor women and children, and the inequality of men in women in a marriage. Perry's ability to create a sense of place and character in amazing. Though the atmosphere, and subject, in DEATH IN THE DEVIL'S ACRE are dark and moody,the book is well written and thought provoking.
January 15, 2009
I'm a huge fan of Perry's Monk series, but this is my first Pitt Mystery. I'd avoided them for a while because someone told me that they weren't as enjoyable as the Monk books, but I have to disagree. I think that the Pitts are much more historically accurate than Hester and Monk, and I really enjoy their interaction. I'm looking forward to reading more of the Pitt books.
Perry isn't afraid to delve into truly dark parts of humanity -- but she does it with such compassion and insight! Villains are never just two dimentional *bad guys* -- they're people crippled and tormented by hidden pain or anger. And it's that aspect of her novels that make them real mysteries and real tragedies.
Perry isn't afraid to delve into truly dark parts of humanity -- but she does it with such compassion and insight! Villains are never just two dimentional *bad guys* -- they're people crippled and tormented by hidden pain or anger. And it's that aspect of her novels that make them real mysteries and real tragedies.
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