Description (from cover): “When junior barrister Daniel Pitt is summoned to the scene of a murder in the London district known as Mile End, he knows only that the victim is a senior barrister from the same firm. To Daniel’s relief, it is not his close friend Toby Kitteridge, but the question remains: What was this respected colleague doing in such a rough part of the city? The firm’s head, Marcus fford Croft, may know more than he admits, but fford Croft’s memory is not what it used to be, and his daughter Miriam–Daniel’s sometime sidekick–isn’t in the country to offer her usual help. And so Daniel and Toby must investigate on their own, lest the police uncover something that may cast a suspicious light on the firm.
Their inquiries in Mile End lead them to a local brothel and to an opium den, but also–unexpectedly–to a wealthy shipbuilder crucial to Britain’s effort to build up its fleet, which may soon face the fearsome naval might of Germany. Daniel finds his path blocked by officials at every turn, his investigation so unwelcome that even his father, Special Branch head Thomas Pitt, receives a chilling warning from a powerful source. Suddenly, not just Daniel but his whole family–including his beloved mother, Charlotte–is in danger. Will Daniel’s devotion to justice be the undoing of his entire life, and endanger Britain’s defense at sea? As ever, the fates of family and history are inextricably intertwined in this spellbinder from Anne Perry.”
My Thoughts:
See my previous reviews of books #2 Triple Jeopardy and #3 One Fatal Flaw in this series.
This book is the fourth installment in Perry’s Daniel Pitt series and while the previous book in this series One Fatal Flaw was a little lackluster, this book really brings the series back to where it was previously. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have to say that this is one of my favorites in the series so far. There was a lot of character development in this book and it provides a future for the characters. Also, appearances by Thomas and Charlotte Pitt play heavily in this book. The author has chosen to have them only appear in tiny bits in previous installments, and it was nice to have them play a more active role in this book.
Daniel Pitt is shocked when he is asked by the police to identify a body in Mile End, a dubious neighborhood known for its brothels, opium dens and seedy characters. He identifies the body as one of his colleagues at his law firm and due to the personal connection, he feels that he must try to discover why his colleague was murdered in such a violent manner. Nothing make sense: Was he murdered due to his previous legal cases, or was it much more personal? Using his investigative skills, Daniel enlists other colleagues, friends and his parents to assist him in this investigation. As more murders occur, Daniel feels he is set on a hopeless course for justice.
As I stated previously, this was probably one of my favorite books in this series. I found that it was well-written, the plot was very engaging and it was hard to put down. Twists and turns in the plot kept this reader very well entertained throughout this book. The only issue I had with this book was that I felt the ending was a little rushed and the author could have taken a little more time in concluding the storyline. Other than that, I would say that this was a great read and installment in a series that I am coming to love. I was lucky to receive the next book in this series, Three Debts Paid, which is due to be released in April of this year, as an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher. Make sure you stay tuned for that review in the next couple of weeks.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Author: Anne Perry
Series: Daniel Pitt Mystery #4
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Pages: 296
Genre: Historical Mystery
Get It: Amazon
Disclaimer: This book was selected by myself at the library, and I reviewed this book without compensation of any kind. All thoughts and opinions are solely mine.
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