Death with a double edge

 Death with a Double Edge by Anne Perry  293 pages

Summary from Goodreads: 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 friend and sometime sidekick--isn't in the country to offer her usual help. And so Daniel and Kitteridge 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?

And here's what I thought: This is the fourth book in the Daniel Pitt series and I think it's the best one yet. From the beginning, Perry lays out details that are intriguing and then the suspense builds throughout the story. As always, there are plenty of realistic details here, so it's very easy to become immersed in the story and the setting. I like that Daniel is an earnest character, but he's not so perfect to be unbelievable. I also like that Perry includes elements that are easy to relate to, like having one character who has started to develop memory problems with age. It makes you wonder if you have somewhat of an unreliable narrator in that character, which adds an extra bit of mystery to this mystery. It doesn't hurt that Perry brings in more of both Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, characters that I have always enjoyed. 

The Guest List

 

The Guest List by Lucy Foley   313 pages

This is a "closed room" type of mystery, where everyone is in the same place and something happens.  In this case, it's on an island off the coast of Ireland where people are gathered to celebrate a weeding. The bride is a magazine publisher and is determined to make this a perfect day. The groom? Appears perfect on the outside, but you get a sense he's hiding something. As the book description says, "As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?"

I found the book to be a bit of a slow starter, but I was hooked pretty quickly. With a number of different narratives to keep track of, I started to have my suspicions about what was going to happen and who would be responsible, but there were still a few things thrown in that I didn't quite expect. A good page turner for a weekend read.

Triple Jeopardy

Triple Jeopardy (Daniel Pitt #2) by Anne Perry   320 pages

If you're familiar with Perry's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series, you'll know that she started a spin-off series based on their son, Daniel, who is a lawyer.  In this second book in the Daniel Pitt series, the story revolves around Daniel defending a British diplomat accused of embezzlement.  However, that's an accusation to get to another crime that the diplomat is accused of committing in America.

The story begins with Daniel and his parents welcoming Daniel's sister, Jemima, and her family back to London. Jemima's husband, Patrick, is a police offer in Washington D.C., and while she and the family are visiting in London, Patrick reveals to Daniel that one of Jemima's best friends in Washington, D.C. was assaulted, apparently by Philip Sidney, a British diplomat stationed in D.C.  Sidney has fled to London, but has been accused of embezzlement.  Patrick is sure that if they can get Sidney in court, that they can bring up the charges of the assault, as well.  So, Daniel takes the case --- but he's not sure about Sidney's guilt.

And so, now the investigation is afoot. Perry brings back the character of scientist Miriam fford Croft, who brilliantly uses the most up-to-date forensic technologies, to help with his investigation. The book is a bit of a slow starter, and I found it took what felt like a long time to get the story going.  However, if you can push through the slow start, the book takes off and the story becomes really interesting. I like Anne Perry's storytelling, so I am glad that she created this spin-off series because you get some of the same familiar characters, but you're moving forward with some new characters and moving forward in time.

Dark Tide Rising

Dark Tide Rising by Anne Perry  (Monk, #24)  304 pages

While this is the 24th book in the William Monk series, if you haven't read the first 23 books, you can still jump in to this story and enjoy it. Anne Perry always does a nice job of including just enough details to give you some back story (even though once in a while, too many details . . . but I digress) so you can enjoy a story without wondering what's going on.

This story begins with a kidnapping. Commander William Monk is enlisted by Kate Exeter's husband to accompany him with the ransom money and save Kate. Monk and his most trusted men arrange a secret handover in the dangerous slums of Jacob's Island, but at the last moment, someone betrays them, leaving death and destruction in the wake of a skirmish that breaks out in the dark.

Now, Monk must not only determine who kidnapped Kate, but which one of his men betrayed him. When a whistleblower claims that the ransom money was embezzled funds that incriminate Kate's husband, the whole case takes on a new twist.

I gulped down this book, setting aside time on my day off from work to sit in a favorite chair and just read, read, read. I felt Perry did an excellent job with this story, moving it along at a steadily increasing pace, adding in twists and details --- and by the end, I was still wondering if it would all turn out okay.  You have a sense you know what happened, but you have no idea how Monk is going to prove it --- and the fact that there is the underlying storyline about one of his own men betraying him just adds to the tension.  This is a great addition to the series!

BELATED JULY POST: Death of a Gossip

Please note: Shirley emailed me this post and I failed to get it posted before the end of July. So, it's posted in August but goes towards our JULY totals. - Jen

Death of a Gossip by M. C. Beaton             Audio Book: 4 hours, 46 mins      

Good Story.   I found out that this was actually the first book in the Hamish Macbeth series and what a great start.   At this juncture Macbeth is in his early 20s and is saving all the money he can to send home to his parents and 6 siblings.     He has a keen sense for sorting out crimes and the criminals who commit them.     A gathering of hoity toities on a fishing holiday and everyone has a dark skeleton hiding in their closet and one horrid accusatory wench bomblasting every one there every chance she gets till the murder occurs.  Hmmmm.    Juicy story with lots of things turning up a who’s who that could be a rogues gallery.   Well written and fun to read.    The murder will have you guessing all the way through to the end.    I have looked up the series order so I can begin reading the books in the order they were written so I can learn more on the backgrounds of the locals especially Hamish.   Excellent series.    Makes me long for the heather covered moors.    Bravo, M. C. Beaton you have great characters and write Scot culture and brogue endearingly.    Good on ya.   I highly recommend the Hamish MacBeth series.

BELATED JULY POST: Death of a Cad

Please note: Shirley emailed me this post and I failed to get it posted before the end of July. So, it's posted in August but goes towards our JULY totals. - Jen

Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton             Audio Book:  5 hrs.  37 mins           Mass Market Paperback Book:  256 pages                

This story takes place at the castle of an upper crust Scot Family who host a grouse hunting get-together for several of their wealthy friends each year.   The year that the book takes place there has been a shortage of grouse so while they will still continue their customary gathering, no one will be hunting, at least they aren’t supposed to.   This year, the host’s daughter is announcing her engagement to a celebrity playwright and the guests invited are all those who have expressed excitement in meeting the famous fiancée’.     Between the mixing of males and females, amorous attentions arise,  the spoiled daughter who is an only child, 23 years old and only getting married because it pleases Mummy and Daddy there are many side plots afoot.    The girl obviously has a thing for Hamish and he for her, but, well, there is the fiancée to deal with and all those surly aristocrats.   Then lo and behold a body is found, the press converges on the castle and the playwright can’t gussy up to the reporters fast enough and tries to force his fiancée to stay by his side throughout and all she wants to do is go over to Hamish’s place to get away.    Another equally brilliant story proving that everyone rich or poor has more than one face to show, what they want you to see and what they are.   Bravo!   Next in the series, please. 

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton    512 pages    read an e-galley

At a gala party, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed.  Again. She's actually been murdered hundreds of times and each day, Aiden Bishop has been too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day again and again, Aiden's only escape from this place is to solve Evelyn's murder.  However, he's hardly ever the same person twice, waking up in the bodies of different people over several days. If Aiden's not sure who he is, how can he find Evelyn's killer?

This is an atmospheric, intricately plotted and completely, deviously original story. Set in the early 1920s, the book reads like a Gothic tale, with characters who are darkly plotting against one another. The idea of having Aiden wake in different people's bodies really throws off any sense you might have of timeline until Aiden gets his own bearings. It's an interesting way to pace a story, for sure. That being said, if you put this book down partway through, don't wait too long before picking is up again because it can be difficult to find your own bearings (much less figure out who Aiden is)!.

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware     368 pages

Hal's made a life for herself, even though she's struggling a little.  Well, actually, struggling pretty badly. Bills are piling up and the moneylender she used months ago is knocking on her door. When a mysterious letter arrives telling her that she's to receive a substantial inheritance, Hal's sure they have the wrong person. However, she's curious to know more, especially since her mother never mentioned any family.  Soon, Hal finds herself at the funeral of the deceased and meeting people in a family that seems to be hiding some pretty dark secrets. Is she actually related to them?  Do they have anything to do with the death of her mother? And just what the hell is wrong with that housekeeper who's so mean to Hal?

Well, of course, you have to read to find out.  Every time there's a new book coming from this author, I make sure I'm close to the top of the holds list. I find her stories to be entertaining and compulsively readable --- I literally set aside a chunk of time so I can whip my way through her books.  I really liked this book and enjoyed how Ware sets the story up and then slowly develops it, even as you sense a steadily increasing pace. I liked Hal as a character, too; she's easy to relate to and interesting.

Good book!!

The Craftsman

The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton.  416 pages   I read a galley - book due out in October 2018

When Florence Lovelady convicted coffin-maker Larry Grassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago, she not only made her career, but she thought the case was closed. However, decades later, events from the past are beginning to repeat themselves. When her own son goes missing, Florence wonders if she had the right man all those years ago and if now, the original murderer has come back for some personal revenge.

Set in a small village in Lancashire, this moody thriller is a slow-building pageturner. More suspenseful and psychological than anything else, Bolton gives us a protagonist who makes her way in an inhospitable place to prove that she is as good at her job as she believes herself to be. There is a deeply foreboding feeling to this story, where the sense of place is quite clear. Bolton also brings the area's history of witches and witchcraft into this story, a place where you wouldn't expect it.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It's a sophisticated story and I liked Lovelady ---but I found I was sometimes struggling with some of the details, or maybe the pace. I felt like the pace was detail-heavy in a way that made it a bit of a slog until about 3/4 of the way through --- and then I was whipping along.  This is probably just a case of "not the right book for me in the moment right now," because other readers' reviews on Goodreads are quite positive.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton     521 pages

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed--again. She's been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden's only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend--but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

This book was amazing. I was immediately hooked, the writing was so brilliant. I didn't want the book to end, and at the same time I wanted to get to the end so I could solve the mystery. It was everything I wanted it to be and I am so, so glad this book exists. I'll definitely be reading it, recommending it to all my friends and anyone I meet because IT. IS. A-MAZING.

If you love mystery/thrillers - this is for you. If you love Agatha Christie - this book is for you. If you love puzzles, twists, or being kept on your toes - this book is for you. If you like time travel or "Groundhog Day"-esq tropes - THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

Twenty-One Days

Twenty-One Days (Daniel Pitt #1) by Anne Perry    320 pages

Anne Perry begins this new series in 1910, where Daniel Pitt (son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt from Anne Perry's long-running series) is a reluctant lawyer who would rather be a detective. When Russell Graves, a biographer, is sentenced to death for the execution of his wife, Daniel is put on the case as second chair. However, Daniel learns that Graves is writing a rather nasty biography of Victor Narraway, the former head of Special Branch. And it gets worse: Thomas Pitt is mentioned, as well as other people very close to Pitt's family.  Is it possible that someone is framing Graves to keep him from finishing and publishing this biography?  With only twenty-one days before Graves is set to hang, Daniel Pitt is determined to find out.

Typical of Anne Perry, this book is filled with period details that make this time period come to life. Daniel Pitt is an engaging character, and you get to meet some new characters, as well (including a woman that I suspect will become a love interest of Daniel's in any future books).  I enjoyed this story, especially as Pitt uncovered more and more about Russell Graves. There are many realistic details in this book which made the characters especially interesting, and which made the story fun to read.  Perry does a nice job of keeping the pacing pretty taut, and you discover things along with Daniel, so things are revealed bit by bit. 

Nemesis

Nemesis by Agatha Christie       213 pages

In utter disbelief, Miss Marple read the letter addressed to her from the recently deceased Mr. Rafiel—an acquaintance she had met briefly on her travels. He had left instructions for her to investigate a crime after his death. The only problem was, he had failed to tell her who was involved or where and when the crime had been committed. It was most intriguing.

Soon she is faced with a new crime—the ultimate crime—murder. It seems someone is adamant that past evils remained buried. . . .
---
This was a good finish to the Marple series. I enjoyed the book being almost exclusively from Miss Marple's point of view. They way she views the world is very interesting and reading how she goes about detective work is fascinating. She is so good at reading people and sensing things, like things unsaid or the slightest emotional reactions from people. 

Christie does more developmental character work on Marple in this book than any of her other books. She really delves into Marple's dual nature of both sweet, loving old lady and the avenging angel of justice. No crime is safe from being discovered if Marple is on the case. 

The recurring theme of love was also an interesting point. A character in the book muses, "Love is the most terrifying word," and in many ways, throughout the novel, Marple finds this to be true. Love can bring people to perform unspeakable acts, like murder, or it can be so all-consuming, that people do things they never thought they'd be capable of.

At Bertram's Hotel

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie     272 pages

At Bertram's Hotel the intrepid Miss Marple, on holiday in London, must solve a deadly mystery at the end of a chain of very violent events.

An old-fashioned London hotel is not quite as reputable as it makes out to be....

A fun little mystery, but I didn't quite like it as much as I've liked some of the other Miss Marple books. In this one, Miss Marple is very much a periphery character, and isn't much involved in the solving of this mystery as the constable Davy. However, I always enjoy Christie's writing and her deft handling of atmosphere and suspense.

A Caribbean Mystery

A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie     283 pages

As Jane Marple sat basking in the tropical sunshine she felt mildly discontented with life. True, the warmth eased her rheumatism, but here in paradise nothing ever happened. Then a question was put to her by a stranger: 'Would you like to see a picture of a murderer?' Before she has a chance to answer, the man vanishes, only to be found dead the next day. The mysteries abound: Where is the picture? Why is the hotelier prone to nightmares? Why doesn't the most talked-about guest, a reclusive millionaire, ever leave his room? And why is Miss Marple herself fearful for her life?

Another well-crafted mystery by Agatha Christie. This was quite interesting, as Miss Marple was outside her element of St. Mary Mead, instead having to solve a mystery on holiday in the Caribbean. It was an enjoyable read and I can't wait to read the next one in the series!

Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie     212 pages

Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. One of his fellow passengers must be the murderer.

Isolated by the storm and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer amongst a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again...
A truly thrilling mystery. I absolutely love Agatha Christie - her characters are so dynamic and interesting and she spares no detail. Detective Poirot is amazing and such a fun character to read. His methodical, calm methods are mesmerizing and I would come back to this book again and again. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good whodunit. 

An Echo of Murder

An Echo of Murder by Anne Perry (William Monk, #23)       320 pages

Commander Monk has seen many awful crime scenes, but when he finds a Hungarian warehouse owner in his office, covered in blood, pierced through the chest with a bayonet and surrounded by seventeen candles, he knows he's discovered a particularly horrifying crime. It also appears there may be a connection to London's Hungarian community, as more murders start to occur. Turning to people who can translate and communicate with the community, Monk hopes to find the murderer before even more people die. And what is the significance of the seventeen candles? Is there some kind of sinister secret society behind all of this?

I really enjoyed this book. I have read all of the books in this series and a few books ago, felt Perry was stumbling a bit. However, the last two have been especially good and up to the standards I expect from this author.  This is the 23rd book in the series, so it helps if you have read at least a few books with these characters, but Perry always finds a way to introduce them in some way.  Thankfully, in this book, Perry doesn't go into excruciating detail about some of them (by now, we all know Hester was a nurse in the Crimea, for crying out loud!).  However, she does tie Hester's (Monk's wife) past in the Crimea into this story, as one of the other characters in the book turns out to be someone she worked with on the battlefields. 

I also liked how Perry brought the Hungarian community into the story, showing how Londoners could mistrust foreigners and how immigrants to London could find themselves at real disadvantage (and at times, in danger).  Perry also brings into sharp relief the realities of the horrors of war. She doesn't shy away from some medical details in this book, and I appreciated that Hester's friend seems to show signs of PTSD, re-living moments from the war and having waking nightmares. This book is a particularly good example of the research that Perry puts into her books, making the details realistic so that you not only get a better understanding of war and what it does to people, but you feel compelled by these characters' stories.

Also, I wasn't sure who the murderer was until really close to the end, so this was a good mystery!

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side by Agatha Christie     351 pages

In Agatha Christie's classic mystery, The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side, a fatal dose of poison meant for a glamorous movie star fells her ardent admirer instead--and Miss Marple is there to unmask a murderer.

I absolutely love Agatha Christie and this story was pretty good. Not my favorite, but still. I always try to guess who the murder is, but I usually get it wrong. This time, however, I got it right - partially! 

Where the Dead Lie

Where the Dead Lie by C. S. Harris.   338 pages

"The gruesome murder of a young boy takes Sebastian St. Cyr from the gritty streets of London to the glittering pleasure haunts of the aristocracy . . .

London, 1813.
Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is no stranger to the dark side of the city, but he's never seen anything like this: the brutalized body of a fifteen-year-old boy dumped into a makeshift grave on the grounds of an abandoned factory."  (summary courtesy of Goodreads)

The latest in the series of Sebastian St. Cyr, a nobleman who involves himself in murders no one else seems to care about, set in Regency England. I started this series several months ago and had to read them all. Now I have to wait for the next one.

Murder on the Serpentine

Murder on the Serpentine by Anne Perry             288 page.

This is #32 (!) in the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry, and I believe it will be the final book in this series (from what I saw in a review).  I feel like in her last few Pitt and Monk series books, Anne Perry's heart just didn't seem to be in writing.  However, this book measured up to the books I have enjoyed that are earlier in this series.

In this story, Thomas Pitt, Commander of Special Branch, receives a summons from the Queen.  The body of Sir John Halberd, the Queen's confidant, has been found in the shallow water of the Serpentine in Hyde Park.  At first dismissed as an accident, Pitt is sure that Halberd has been murdered.  At the time of his murder, Halberd was conducting a surreptitious investigation of Alan Kendrick, a man who seems to have an undue amount of influence on the Prince of Wales.  Now, Pitt must navigate his investigation with the utmost discretion and stealth to determine who murdered Halberd, and what secrets he had been about to uncover at the time of his death.

This story ties into the politics of the time, especially the Boer Wars (it is set between the first and second Boer War).  I found the addition of the information about the war, as well as Britain's interests in South Africa, to be really interesting. Perry does a nice job with slowly increasing the pace here, so that there's a feeling of danger which keeps building through the story.  I also appreciated that Charlotte Pitt, Thomas' wife, has more of a role in this story.  I felt that by the end, I was satisfied and if this is actually the end of this series, I don't feel like I have unanswered questions or feel that it's too abrupt of an ending.

It does help to be familiar with the series before starting this book, although the book can stand alone pretty well.  However, you have more context for a lot of the story and character motives if you've been reading the series all along.

Revenge in a Cold River

Revenge in a Cold River by Anne Perry.  288 pages.

This is the 22nd book in the William Monk series, so it definitely helps if you are already familiar with the characters and part of the storyline for Monk.  In this story, Commander Monk, who works with the Thames River Police, is called to investigate the drowning of an escaped prisoner. However, as always, things are not as clear as they seem at first, and Monk is forced to deal with a customs officer who seems to hold a bitter grudge against him.  After a second prisoner escapes, Monk's pursuit leads to the accidental death of a man who works for the customs officer, Monk winds up in a very dangerous predicament which puts his own life at risk.

As mentioned, since this is the 22nd book in this series, it helps if you have read at least some of the previous books in the series.  Typically for the series, Monk's loss of his memory years ago has a direct effect on what is happening in the story. In this story, it has a definite impact on what happens to him, and it's clear just how dangerous it is for him that he doesn't remember parts of his life (and thus, cannot be sure who he can trust).  I did appreciate that in this book, Hester (his wife) was somewhat minimally involved, and also that the author did not belabor Hester's backstory, as I often find happens.

I have read all of Anne Perry's books in the Monk series, as well as the Pitt series, and while this book was okay, I felt a bit disappointed. The last few books from Perry, in both series, have felt somewhat flat, which makes me wonder if she's writing them to fulfill a contract, and perhaps just isn't as invested in the two series as much as she used to be.