A simple, uncomplicated case of murder and courtroom drama this is not. But, then it never is with a writer who not only brings the past of, first Victorian, and now Edwardian London to life, but also brings the reader right inside the minds of the characters who people her stories.
For those new to Anne Perry's books, Triple Jeopardy is the second of the Daniel Pitt stories. The Daniel Pitt stories are a follow up series to the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. Daniel is their son. He is a lawyer unlike his dad who was a police detective and left the London force to rise through the rank in Special Branch to become its head. Because of the close tie of family and an assumed familiarity with all that came before, new readers should start with Thomas and Charlotte's stories before jumping into Daniel's. And, because they enter into this story, the novella, A New York Christmas, should be read first so the reader has the earlier part of Jemima and Patrick's story.
Triple Jeopardy left me in knots so many times. I was so vested in the characters that I felt what they felt and, particularly, feared what they did. By the time I was done with this investigation and courtroom drama, I was still left with a great deal to unpack. The author tells a cunning murder mystery in a well drawn setting with complex characters and motives, but she's not afraid to ponder social mores and ideologies, too. Justice vs. Revenge, Truth vs. Expediency, A Woman's Reputation exposed to puerile gossip vs. allowing an injustice, and the biggie, presumed innocent until proven guilty, are just some of the major elements brought into play.
So, the skinny on Triple Jeopardy is that young, junior lawyer, Daniel Pitt, gets sideswiped when during her first visit home from America, his sister, Jemima and her husband, Patrick, approach him with a nearly impossible request. A dear friend was assaulted in her own home back in DC and the man who did it is now back in London after claiming diplomatic immunity. They want to get him on a different charge because surely a man that would attack a woman has done other crimes and, if possible, get the other brought into it.
Daniel isn't emotionally involved like his sister and brother in law who he doesn't want to disappoint, but he is uneasy. They are trusting the word of others and he is trusting their word. The actual facts are few, but hearsay is rife. And, things that stack up against Phillip Sydney very neatly. And, yet, a young woman is not faking the assault which really happened and her father swears he saw the man's face clearly before he got away.
Daniel wants to help his sister and her husband get justice for their friend, but he believes that there is something else behind it all.
Daniel is up against powerful people and maybe his own family, but it sure was great seeing him work through all that with the help of Kitteridge, his wry senior partner, the colorful and not always lawful Rowan Blackwood, and the redoubtable criminal pathologist Miriam fford Croft.
Though I felt Jemima and Patrick put Daniel on the spot, I did love that I got to follow up with them after all this time. I always wondered how Jemima and her Irish-American copper were faring.
Miriam and Daniel's interactions are my favorite as there is the low level buzz of attraction with the slight taboo that he is over ten years (maybe even fifteen) her junior.
This was one where I knew exactly who the bad guys were as soon as most of the players were introduced and I even got the general idea of why things were set up the way they were. But, that said, there were a lot of coloring in that I needed to get a better picture so it made more sense for the why behind this villain. In the end, I still had some questions that I didn't think got fully answered like the German angle and how the villain was connected there. Maybe I missed it and will need to go back and look closely. But, beyond that I wanted to know the ramifications for what came now that the truth was out. It ended abruptly with not much of a denouement.
All in all, it was a gently-paced character driven plot with spikes of intrigue and excitement. It was a nice blend of historical setting and courtroom drama. I can't wait for more of Daniel and the others solving mysteries and bringing the answers to the courtroom. This is definitely a series for the historical mystery fan.
I rec'd this book through Net Galley to be read in exchange for an honest review.