Synopses & Reviews
For many years Anne Perrys magnificent novels have transported millions of readers into the very heart of one of the richest, most vibrant societies the world has ever known: England in the golden ages of Queen Victoria. Gaslight, cobblestones, halls of power, haunts of vice-all the splendor and sordidness of a world that believed the opulence would last forever.
But now, toward the end of her long reign, Victorias gold is tarnishing. With a general election fast approaching, a deep rift separates aristocratic Tories from the Liberal opposition. The powerful Inner Circle-a secret society of men sworn to support each other above all other loyalties-is committed to seizing one critical seat in Parliament, a first step towards the achievement of sinister secret ambitions. Passions are so enflamed that Thomas Pitt, shrewd mainstay of the London police, has been ordered to forego his long awaited vacation, not to solve a crime, but to prevent a national disaster.
The Tory candidate is Pitts archenemy, Charles Voisey, a ruthless leader in the Inner Circle. The Liberal candidate is Aubrey Serracold, whose wifes passionate committment to the Socialist agenda may hurt his chances. Equally damaging is her dalliance with spiritualism. Indeed, she is one of the three participants in a late-night séance that becomes the swan song of stylish clairvoyant Maude Lamont. For the next morning, the maid finds Lamonts brutally murdered body in the séance room of the house on Southampton Row.
To Pitts heavy burdens is now added the investigation of this most baffling crime. Meanwhile, his wife, Charlotte, and their children are enjoying the country vacation that Pitt has been denied-unaware that they, too, are deeply endangered by the same fanatical forces hovering over the steadfast Pitt.
In this riveting new Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novel, Anne Perry again proves herself a sorceress who transcends time and change, a master without parallel of the dazzling milieu she has so memorably made her own.
From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
In Victorian England, a divisive election is fast approaching. Passions are so enflamed that Thomas Pitt, shrewd mainstay of the London police, has been ordered not to solve a crime but to prevent a national disaster. The aristocratic Tory candidate—and Pitt’s archenemy—is Charles Voisey. The Liberal candidate is Aubrey Serracold, whose wife’s dalliance with spiritualism threatens his chances. Indeed, she is one of the participants in a late-night séance that becomes the swan song of a stylish clairvoyant who is found brutally murdered the next morning in her house on Southampton Row. Meanwhile, Pitt’s wife, Charlotte, and their children are enjoying a country vacation—unaware that they, too, are deeply endangered by the same fanatical forces hovering over the steadfast Pitt.
About the Author
Among
Anne Perrys other novels featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are
The Whitechapel Conspiracy,
Half Moon Street,
Bedford Square,
Brunswick Gardens, and
Ashworth Hall. She also writes the popular novels featuring Victorian private investigator William Monk-among them,
Funeral in Blue,
Slaves of Obsession,
The Twisted Root,
A Breach of Promise, and
The Silent Cry. “Her grasp of Victorian character and conscience still astonishes,” said the
Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hundreds of thousands of readers in Europe and America agree.
Anne Perry lives in Scotland. Visit her Web site at www.anneperry.net.
From the Hardcover edition.