Cardington Crescent

Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #8

by Anne Perry

When George Ashworth, a womanizing aristocrat, is found dead over his morning coffee, his wife Emily is accused of murder. But Emily's sister is none other than the indomitable Charlotte Pitt. Together, she and her husband, Inspector Thomas Pitt, take on the seemingly irreproachable March clan--and uncover an insidious web of corruption and depravity that leads them from the elegant Crescent town house to the hideous London slums, from genteel society to murder--again.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook, Victorian

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Anne 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

Reviews

[Jaline · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the Victorian era during which time this series is set, scandal in the upper classes is to be avoided at all costs. While Emily married into the upper classes and became Lady Ashworth, older sister Charlotte married a policeman – Thomas Pitt. For some people in their circles, it causes discomfort, for there is no more certain way to invite scandal than to have the police in their homes searching for evidence and asking questions both above stairs and below stairs.

Cardington Crescent is a Society address, and there is a large house party with some attendees staying as long as a month. During this time there are tensions and intrigues aplenty. However, while they may be observed, they are not talked about.

When a member of the family is murdered, Charlotte’s sister Emily becomes one of the suspects. Aunt Vespasia, an elderly lady who is Emily’s aunt by marriage asks Charlotte to come and stay with Emily until the murderer is apprehended.

There is a sub-plot that runs through this story as well, and while Inspector Thomas Pitt solves that one, Charlotte does most of the groundwork of the house party murder and is the first to realize what had happened. But not before a second murder occurs.

This novel introduces more fascinating details about the Victorian age and the story moves along at a fast clip with at least two other sub-plots simmering just below the surface and adding to the suspense.

As always, Anne Perry’s storytelling skills and writing abilities ensured that I was fully engaged in this read from the beginning through to the end. And, as always – I look forward to my next mystery with Charlotte and Thomas Pitt.

[C. (Comment, never msg). · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the great, engaging Anne Perry and would wish to meet her. She is such a stellar authoress, gaining me as a fan from volume 1: and I am not keen on historical fiction! I would tell her the death of the protagonists’ Sister, Sarah helped me through that of my young cat, while reading “The Cater Street Hangman”. I gave it and many books 5 stars, the latest lower but this eighth, “Cardington Crescent”, is a fresh winner. It nearly received 5 stars, for sheer enthrallment and appreciation of changes that are a boon to this series. It is not so focused on action, that it is spare on mid-scene detailing, like usual. I hope 300 pages have become the standard.

Charlotte married inspector Thomas Pitt, beneath her family’s Victorian station and her Sister, Emily married George Marsh; a lord who was above her family’s station. This is the wonderfully relatable premise that shows us in 1987, the bizarre class system of 1887 in England. Charlotte and Emily become privy to murders and help Thomas investigate them, when there is a connection to high society. I also love George’s Aunt Vespasia. When I wondered how the creative authoress might tie-in the sleuthing ladies again: George’s death is personal. Readers are more highly invested. Feeling for Emily and her Son is emotional. What’s more, Charlotte stays with Emily, with full run of the Marsh relatives’ house.

Thomas raised my ire for shaking Charlotte physically, no matter that it was out of fright for a safety risk she undertook. I thought it was a needless addition for the Marshes to furnish an obscure clue to another case. Otherwise, I was pleasantly surprised by Anne’s exciting changes. The principal mystery contained multiple personal stories and secrets, that were all supremely rewarding!

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anne Perry's depiction of late Victorian era mores are excellently portrayed in her novels. I personally wish the summation in identifying the perpetrator of the crimes was more fleshed out in the reasons for why the murders were committed and the aftermath of what happens to the remaining family. The ending was just too abrupt to due justice to an otherwise excellent story.

[Jamie Collins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Until the last few chapters, I was thinking that this was the best of the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt novels so far, despite the fact that it’s heavy on repetitious sexist ranting from the aged Victorian patriarch. It’s too bad that the book’s ending is so weak.

Charlotte’s sister Emily is Lady Ashworth - having married as far above herself as Charlotte married beneath. Emily’s husband is murdered just after an embarrassing episode where he was flirting with another woman, and Emily falls under suspicion.

So Detective Inspector Thomas Pitt does his police thing, and Charlotte does her behind-the-scenes, I-used-to-be-rich-and-privileged-too thing. The mystery is fairly intriguing at first and I was hoping for a clever twist, but alas, the ending is weak sauce.

[Lauren Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've enjoyed books 1-7 immensely, but this one lacked something. The red herrings in this story were a bit hard to join with the plot. Red herrings should misdirect you, but feel fluid with the story. I also do not understand the ending. I know who did it, but the exact reasoning is very fuzzy. It leaves me feeling like I'm missing something important.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I finished it, but I don't know how it ended. I mean I know who did it, but I don't really know exactly why. This series has no wrap up. The books just end when we find out who did it. Usually that's fine, but in this one I feel there was too much left unsaid. Maybe the author was leaving us to decide why. I don't know, but I'm not exactly a fan of that method. Maybe some people like that. I won't stop reading the series and I hope that the others leave less to the imagination.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good , except ending vague!! And abrupt. I wish Perry had made a smoother, more detailed ending... I didn't think there was closure; and after all that tension !!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite in this series so far. Suspenseful, tragic and fast-paced. The idea of Charlotte an d Emily holed up in a stuffy and unpleasant home with a murderer makes this a very enjoyable read that goes much too quickly.

[robbie jean lister · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this book more than any of the books in this series,I just wish the author would not wait until the last couple pages before the end,,I sometimes feel like I have been left hanging without a finish,,but a very good read,,,

[Chequers · Rating 3 out of 5]

La trama e' intrigante e ben narrata, pero' come tutti i libri della Perry la conclusione e' veloce e senza troppe spiegazioni.In questo caso avrei voluto una conclusione un po' piu' esauriente, non in mezza pagina! La Perry e' cosi': pagine in cui ti attira con le sue descrizioni, ed un finale sempre troppo corto.

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emily’s husband is killed after what seems like an open affair! Charlotte and Thomas have to be a United front and find the real killer. It’s a very obvious and so unexpected one

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eighth in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery series set in late 19th century London.

The Story
The Eustace March is having a house party and part of its intention is to vet Jack Radley and arrange his marriage to Tassie. For some reason, George, Emily, and Aunt Vespasia are part of the party; Vespasia is Eustace's mother-in-law and George's great-aunt. William and Sybilla March are also visiting.

As the members of the party pursue the activities of upperclass-dom, George takes up an overt flirtation with the very willing Sybilla with whom he is falling in love and Emily is terrified at the thought of losing her George. Emily's misery is showing and making George angry [prick!] and Emily determines that she will fight fire with fire and become the life of the party. It does work…on Jack. This does catch George's attention and Emily believes they have a chance again only to find that chance forever shattered when she finds George dead in his bed.

As much as he likes Emily, even Thomas is concerned that she may be the murderer. A grave concern when yet another murder occurs within the house. Fortunately for Emily, Charlotte arrives to stay…and detect. The resolution of it revolving around the family dynamics and dysfunctions…with a little help from yet another murderer.

The Characters
Lady Ashworth, Emily, is married to George in what has been, up to now, a very happy marriage. She is also Charlotte Pitt's sister.

Charlotte Pitt married seriously down, class-wise, when she insisted upon marrying Thomas Pitt, the son of a gamekeeper and now a detective with the Metropolitan Police force in London. Of a naturally curious bent, Charlotte regularly "helps" Thomas solve cases by using her upperclass connections---sometimes with Emily and Vespasia's help. It's been a lovely collusion as it provides a showcase for discussing social issues of the day---and satisfying to Perry's readers as Vespasia collaborates with the powers of the day to do something about those issues.

Thomas is a social misfit in more ways than just marrying way above himself; he also thinks himself good enough to enter anyone's house…gasp…by the front door. He does try hard not to make political waves, but he still "don't take no shit". Ya gotta love him just for that! Together, they have two children, Jemima and Daniel.

Aunt Vespasia, Lady Cumming-Gould, was beautiful as a girl and has retained the beauty and the confidence to be honest and compassionate…and a very smart, no-nonsense woman in her older years. She doesn't put up with much from either Eustace or Mrs. March---go Vespasia!

The characters relevant to this particular story include Eustace March who is the head of the family and a more overbearing, self-righteous, know-it-all prick I never want to encounter again. He has a dark, disgusting secret, which only reflects his attitudes. Between him and his mother, they manage to tear everyone apart over and over as they combine forces to railroad Emily.

William March is the son of the house and an accredited painter and in 12 years of marriage to Sybilla has not yet managed an heir. A lack his father and grandmother never cease to rail about. Sybilla herself is a beauty in both looks and personality, too bad about her morals, flirting outrageously with George.

Tassie March is the daughter of the house and takes after Vespasia's side of the family---she has a compassionate heart. However, she also has carries a family-destroying, bloody secret.

Jack Radley is, like Emily, an outsider amongst the Marches with only his face, his personality, and his wit to recommend him although Eustace is courting him for his bloodline. If he marries Tassie, Eustace might get his peerage.

My Take
As ever, Perry does a lovely job of recreating the sense of the late 19th century through the dialog and the mores, culture, and styles of the time. The part I don't understand is why Emily and George and Aunt Vespasia are even staying at the Marches. They all live in London. Why would they be spending weeks at a house where they can't stand its matriarch or her son??

I also resent the summary on the back of the book where it claims that George is a womanizing aristocrat. Sure, he's an aristocrat. But this is the first time [in the series] that George has behaved this way. This does not make him a womanizer!

This is just like book covers…don't the summarizers or cover artists ever read the damned book??!

Now that I have that off my chest. It's a very frustrating and terrifying read as there seem to be no clues to help clear Emily and the only allies she has are Aunt Vespasia [I do love this woman!] and Jack, the man she suspects of having killed George.

The Cover
The cover is…different. In two shades of gray, there is an inch-and-a-half diameter circle rich with an empurpled London street scene at night which doesn't appear to have anything to do with the story.

[Carole (in Canada) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As book #8 in the the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series, Cardington Crescent is the best so far for me. I did find the beginning just a bit slow but the suspense just kept building until the very end. Parts of a dismembered woman are found throughout an area of modest means. Then Charlotte's brother-in-law, George, has been poisoned in his relative's home. Emily is being suspected by the patriarch and his mother as the prime suspect for she had 'married up' in their opinion. For Inspector Thomas Pitt, he doesn't expect to be able to solve the first murder, but he does his best, along with Charlotte, to prove Emily's innocence.

The mindset of the upper crust of Victorian society was incredibly conveyed in this book. You could just feel the suffocating strictures and the hypocritical actions of all. It is amazing the secrets harbored within an individual let alone a family. As Charlotte stated "We never do know anyone else completely. And nor should we - it would be an intrusion. And I daresay, at times it would be painful and destructive. And perhaps boring. How long would you stay in love with someone you could look through like glass, and see everything? One has to have mystery somewhere ahead left to explore, or why go on?"

I have now come to expect rather abrupt endings once the crime has been solved. It is not necessarily in a way we would expect, and I certainly didn't see it this time. But the scandal of it all would be contained but at such a price.

[Nadishka Aloysius · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love Anne Perry's descriptions of Victorian London and society. She really hits the nail on the head. This book was different to the others in the series since the murder was much closer to home.
Emily loses her husband, George. And, she is suspected of having killed him. That in itself was a good plot.
There are two reasons I did not give 5-stars.
1. There were too many pages devoted to people pondering over the murder - it was quite repetitive. I did not really need to hear Pitt, Charlotte and Emily wonder who the killer is and go through the same list of suspects and motives at different times in the story.
2. George's murderer was a surprise because I could not reconcile with the motive given... it just did not carry enough weight with me (I don't want to reveal who it is!)

Nevertheless, a good read for lovers of historical fiction / crime

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another very good story from Anne Perry although I must say, the last two books of her's that I've read that involve Thomas and Charlotte Pitt end rather abruptly. Anne has a very good sense of how to build up her characters, the locations she chooses for her stories seem extremely real to the reader and many of the characters can really infuriate you. The smugness, the completely blind and ignorant way the wealthy seem to live in the Victorian period never ceases to amaze. One minute they speak of God and Christianity and the next they're bad mouthing their family members and twisting proverbial knives into their kin. The mysteries that were created in this particular book brought two miserable and nasty realities to the reader- one is dealing with baby farms and the other is how a wealthy man and his absolutely hideous mother care not about anything but their own selfish desires and the havoc it causes.

Also, it's extremely infuriating to see how women had to play the part of "children" to some degree and not even be able to confront their own husbands when they were unfaithful, lest it be shown as bad taste, etc. The way Emily had to deal with her husband's stupidity and blatant wooing of another woman in plain sight was completely tasteless and pathetic on his part yet she couldn't do anything to stop it and is even told to grin and bear it.

[Tad Richards · Rating 1 out of 5]

A bunch of summer reading mystery novels together. Sue Grafton is always dependable, always good. John Maddox Roberts is a new discovery for me. A private eye in ancient Rome is a great idea -- the historical stuff is excellent, the characters and the writing good too. Very readable. I could have used one more plot twist in each of them.

This one is terrible. I'm frankly not all that impressed with Anne Perry's Victorian backgrounds, though they're not bad. But when I was about two thirds through, I realized -- nothing has happened in the last hundred pages. She shows up at the mansion, realizes any one of seven people could have done it, but she has no clue which one. Then he shows up, and realizes any one of seven people could have done it, but he has no clue which one. Then back to her, realizing...

and so on.

[Moira Fogarty · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Anne Perry mystery; I enjoyed her world-building skills, the rich details of the Victorian era that set the mood perfectly. This was a classic "English country house" mystery, with limited suspects and a single investigator (Pitt) with sidekick, but the true sleuth is Pitt's wife Charlotte. Some excellent suspense moments, my only complaint is that the conclusion, where the murderer is revealed, felt flat and too speedy. There was no real explanation of motive, everything was simply alluded to vaguely. Otherwise, a strong book, I will read more from this series. Next: Seven Dials.

[Ness · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book... right up to almost the end. Maybe a lack of sleep or Covid anxiety has made me a little slow but the ending was a little vague or too subtle. There were a few inconsistencies in the writing but all in all an enjoyable read. I have read the previous books in this series and found this one particularly compelling.

[Kevin Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ending is lousy. Worst of the lot so far, and kills the rating. One reader here on Goodreads says she understands it, but I'm not convinced of her explanation. Seriously, Anne Perry, is even a few pages of denouement too much to ask?

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

1/17/18 $1.99 for Kindle.

[J Balascio · Rating 2 out of 5]

No spoilers, but I literally didn't understand the ending. Perhaps I'm too thick, but when I expected a final chapter, there was an introduction to the next book. V disappointed.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, the character-building, social commentary, and relational dynamics are riveting in this novel. The twisted nature of the March family even approached, at times, the tension of a gothic horror novel. Some beautiful character development from Emily, and Charlotte and Thomas were on point as always. It was also sad, but fascinating, to see Vespasia in a more vulnerable state. Add in compelling side characters in the form of Tassie and Jack Radley, and the hateable Mrs. March and Eustace, and I was absolutely riveted!

The solution to the mystery wasn't unsatisfying, per se, but it was a little underwhelming after so much despairful buildup (I had guessed who the culprit might be, but I sort of dismissed them due to the true tragedy being couched in priorities of the time period). Particularly, I think it was an unceremonious way for the victim(George) to die - it seemed more like a catalyst for some very rich character development for others, which is a bit of a shame for the victim. I also took issue with how the subplot was woven in. The social commentary it sparked was rich and pointed, but the fact that it was completely divorced from the main plot save for one minuscule coincidence didn't sit well with me. It seemed uncharacteristically clunky for Anne Perry; I think it could have been better integrated into a different plot.

Still, despite this novel's shortcomings, Anne Perry deserves the utmost respect for her keen observations of human psychology and her deft sense of the small wounds that, added together, create heart-wrenching tragedy.

[Susan Cabaniss · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was one of my favorites in the series until I got to the ending. How do I know who the killer is, but not know why? The explanation at the end was so purposefully vague that I'm not sure what happened. I thought it was just me until I read a bunch of the reviews...many felt as if they had missed something! There are some interesting theories out there, but it should be more conclusive somehow. I get being vague so as to not reveal the dead's secrets to other characters, but to keep it from your readers seems a smidge excessive. Or perhaps I'm just slow. Or maybe I did get it, but the "it" had no impact. Frustrating. Plus the trademark abrupt ending, classic.

[Falina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this kind of well-written historical mystery, with plucky main characters and hints of darkness and complexity. This was several books into the series, but I never felt like I was missing anything by not reading the earlier books. I'll read more books of this series if I can find them.

[Tory Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The development of the main characters will keep fans of this series waiting for the next book. Charlotte's character continues to delight while the backdrop of London provides some perspective on the thoughts and actions of characters.

[Nina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love, lust, and murder in a Victorian nouveau riche family. Charlotte's sister Emily is at risk of being blamed. After the last book I read (challenging science), I was looking for some literary slumming, but this was lower than slumming. I've liked a couple other books in this series for their airplane reading level of brainlessness, but this one was pretty lame and kind of dragged

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots going on in this book and very enjoyable. Nicely narrated, however there were times when I didn’t know exactly who was talking. And I’m really getting annoyed at Thomas and the way he doesn’t respect Charlotte’s sleuthing abilities. All that said, really good mysteries in this book.

[We Are All Mad Here · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one even though the ending was a) lame b) vague and c) not what I might call plausible. I liked it because of the series, this was the first to have a plot that included real stakes for both the Pitts and for Emily, especially for Emily.

Another thing - there is no way, I mean I really cannot believe, that a person could be tied by the hair to a bedpost and thus strangled. I don't even know why someone would think that was a good idea, and by "someone" I mean the character who allegedly did it in the book, and also Anne Perry herself.

[Flor Danussi (florlovesbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5⭐ Mi favorito hasta la fecha de los 8 leídos!

[Fonch · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ladies and gentlemen, you apologize for taking so long to write a review. Today we will try to write two, although I have many overdue reviews. I hadn't written one for several weeks and my friend Ana Estelwen has stung me with hers, which are very good. She took the opportunity to recommend that you follow her. I really like that I commented on my reviews and I also enjoy commenting on his readings and his book reviews.
If you want to know an interesting anecdote about this novel, it is that I bought it a year ago and I lost it and, it turns out, I had it with me all the time. When I met her again this week despite my commitments I decided to make room for her in my schedule and read her because Anne Perry is a writer that I like a lot. It will be known previously that other novels by Anne Perry had already been read and, more than the couple formed by Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. However, despite the doubts that have been had with this novel, I am going to suspend this one for several reasons.
The literary quality is acceptable, but there are things that I have not liked. First of all, I enjoy reading the novels of William Monk, Hester and, the most interesting character, that of the lawyer and lawyer Sir. Oliver Rathbone https://www.goodreads.com/series/4093.... It's a bit like with the American John Dickson Carr John Dickson Carr that I like his Chestertonian G.K. Chesterton detective Gideon Fell https://www.goodreads.com/series/4248... than the more Churchillian Winston Churchill Sir. Henry Merrivale https://www.goodreads.com/series/4187... or, Gaunt or, Henri Bencolin https://www.goodreads.com/series/4269.... In the detective novel, one of the keys is that the detective, apart from fascinating you, likes him or empathizes with him in some way. Without disliking the Pitt marriage, I like the Monk marriage better. Despite reading "The Whitechapel Conspiracy" The Whitechapel Conspiracy (because of the theme) I must confess that I liked William Monk's novels more than Pitt's. I wonder why is it the saga of Thomas Pitt when almost always the one who solves the crimes is his wife? Let's see, it's normal for the police to be helped by the official detective. That's what Sherlock Holmes https://www.goodreads.com/series/4999..., Hercule Poirot https://www.goodreads.com/series/5113... or, Father Brown https://www.goodreads.com/series/5560... and most detective fiction detectives do. I also don't think it's a bad thing that the detective I failed happened to Sherlock Holmes in "Scandal in Bohemia" A Scandal in Bohemia - a Sherlock Holmes Short Story or, to Roger Sheringham https://www.goodreads.com/series/8531... (one of the fictional detectives created by Anthony Berkeley in the case of "The Poisoned Chocolates"The Poisoned Chocolates Case Ambrose Chitterwick https://www.goodreads.com/series/1555... has to amend the plan). But I don't like that it's Charlotte who solves his crimes and that I left the detective (presumably the main one) like an idiot. It's not because I'm opposed to there being fictional female detectives, we have Vicky from the sleuths of the transition of my friend Professor Manuel Alfonseca Manuel Alfonseca https://www.goodreads.com/series/1836... who also often steals the page from Gonzalo, her husband (generating a healthy rivalry in the couple), "Molly, Scotland Yard agent" from the Baroness of Orczy Lady Molly Of Scotland Yard , to Hildegarde Withers of Stuart Palmer https://www.goodreads.com/series/6335... or, to Miss. Marple https://www.goodreads.com/series/5179... . However, I like the distribution of tasks of the trio of characters in William Monk's cycle (by the same author) more than Thomas and Charlotte Pitt do (detective marriages we have the Tuppence https://www.goodreads.com/series/2331... and the Charles The Thin Man created by Agatha Christie and Dashiell Hammett respectively). I understand that due to his social background Thomas Pitt cannot pierce the wall of prejudice and social snobbery of Victorian society and that his wife, who is of a higher extraction, gets into the noble salons as a field agent. I understand that, but give something more honorable to your detective. The humiliation that Thomas Pitt suffers does not reach that of "Paragon Walk" Paragon Walk at least in this novel he does something (the Charabelle Mapes affair).

The second thing I didn't like about this plot is that here Perry offers us a repetition of what has happened in other novels of his. My mechanism or my pattern of behavior is this. Generally I usually raise my hand with the first novel that is read to an author and I tend to be more demanding as they are read more. This one seems better than "Paragon Walk", but there are songs that I didn't like and, here I have seen themes and plots already repeated. It's not as topical or controversial as "Defend and Betray"1241091], but I think that of all the novels that have been read to Anne Perry this is the bitter and saddest of all. That doesn't start badly with Thomas Pitt finding a part of a woman's body and Charlotte's sister Emily is staying with some of her husband's relatives. Having a lot of problems because Emily's husband, George, goes back to his old ways and flirts with the wife of the son of the host of the house (a painter named William as the Goldophin of "Resurrection Row" Resurrection Row). In this case George Answorth is courting (because I think he doesn't go beyond that) with Sybilla March. However, this will cause Emily (as in other books) to launch a crusade to get her husband back. Which will cause a very funny anecdote that will divide the March clan. In reality, Eustace March, the pater familias, has more children (seven daughters and all married. In fact, his wife Olivia died due to the high number of births she has suffered. The problem of today's world is precisely the opposite. An aging of the population, because there is not the number required to ensure the continuity of the human species. Due to anti-natalist measures promoted by globalist millionaires with neo-Malthusian tendencies), Eustace is home to the firstborn William who is a painter, his wife, Tassie (the youngest of the clan and who resembles Vespasia Cumming Gould) and Eustace's mother Lavinia, who live in the mansion.

In this novel we see something similar to "Rigorous Mourning" A Dangerous Mourning, a faithful patriarch attached to traditions and with an excessive zeal for family honor (hypertrophy of honor). This novel has practically reminded me of a Japanese novel if instead of setting it in Victorian England we had set it in feudal Japan of the Sengoku period, or Tokugawa would also have been plausible, or convincing due to the subject matter it deals with. It could almost be one of the novels published by the Spanish publisher @quaterni and it would not have been out of place in its catalogue.

Now, it has been said that this has been one of the most bitter novels in the Anne Perry saga and this is because one of the victims is one of the characters that have appeared in previous novels. That is to say that it belongs to the repertoire of the usual characters of the cycle of Thomas Pitt and Charlotte Pitt. It is true that George is one of the secondary characters and no one likes him precisely because of his frivolous and selfish nature and, because he is too light of helmets (casquivana would be the right word. More vulgar would be that of flirt or, play boy). It is not the first time that this character flirts with another female character. This death by poisoning may not leave Emily, Charlotte, and Thomas Pitt indifferent, but the reader does. Because no one values George or appreciates him because of his actions and his character and the virtues that the characters in the book see in him go unnoticed by Anne Perry's readers. If he had felt anything for Sybilla, he could still be pitied or excused (even if this was a vulgar adultery. It doesn't even come to that, but to a flirt, a roll). In fact, when the reading of this novel is finished, the figure of George is not exactly reinforced, but on the contrary his figure is even more discredited because he refused to help a person who needed his mercy.

Another thing that has been irritating to me has been the reactionary and caveman figure of Eustace March (sometimes stupid like when they try to convince him and Lavinia that there has been a murder. Wondering Forrest Gump's question Forrest Gump, if they are as stupid as they appear to be or, do they do it because they are more complicated than it seems). Eustace March's attitude is so extreme that you don't believe it, although there must have been something of that in Victorian England. I understand that Perry is implacable with the arbitrariness and injustices of the perfidious Albion. I will not be the one to defend a country that approved the Maitland plan to put an end to Spain and its overseas territories (not colonies, we leave that to predatory empires). I think that more than the criticism of machismo and the toxic virility of Eustace March, I am much more moved by the criticism of the abandoned and poor children that were in the other subplot. I mean, although the main plot is that of the murders, the Cardington Crescent murders are the others that I really liked the most. I mean the subplot of Tassie (Anastasia), like the dismembered corpse at the beginning are infinitely more interesting than the main plot. It has not been very difficult to find out who was guilty of the murders either. The reader will discover it as soon as he is minimally skilled. There are times when, for example, the solution was discovered, such as in "His Brother Cain" Cain His Brother (since I read something similar a long time ago), but the intrigue was so interesting that the author was forgiven for that slight inconvenience.