I found this a disappointing addition to the series: the 'police procedural' elements of the plot simply didn't stack up, which made for a frustrating read, although the characters and situations are what I've come to expect from an Anne Perry novel. The one high point for me was the emerging and changing relationship between Victor Narraway and Great-Aunt Vespasia. ( )

Good mystery. ( )

Thomas Pitt, now Commander of Special Branch, is called out to look into a matter that at first blush hardly seems like a Special Branch concern: the disappearance of a maid from a wealthy home on Shooters' Hill. The owner of the home, though, is Dudley Kynaston, a critically important naval weapons specialist. Britain can't afford any scandal around him. But it seems that Kitty Ryder has likely run off with her suitor, an itinerant carpenter, and there's little risk of scandal. Pitt is happy to turn the matter back to the local police.

A few weeks later, a woman's mutilated body is found in a gravel pit not far from the Kynaston home. Although she can't be positively identified, she fits the general description of Kitty Ryder, the missing lady's maid. Now there's a dangerous hint of potential scandal.

It gets worse when Somerset Carlisle, a sometime friend and ally of Pitt's, starts asking questions in Parliament about the matter, making sure it's a cause célèbre Special Branch--Thomas--can't ignore.

In this latest Pitt adventure, Charlotte and her sister Emily aren't able to participate as they used to when Pitt was with the Metropolitan Police, but they don't want to be mere spectators, and Emily in particular is feeling bored, frustrated, and insecure. In counterpoint to Pitt's pursuit of a dangerous mystery that threatens national security, Charlotte, Emily, and Great-Aunt Vespasia grapple with what at first seem far more personal and private issues.

Most of our old friends are here again, and after twenty-nine volumes, the characters and their relationships continue to grow deeper, richer, and more interesting. I honestly felt the series hit a rough patch and nearly collapsed when Pitt was first forced out of the regular police and transferred to Special Branch, and I thought it might peter out. Happily, it hasn't. Perry and her characters found their footing again, and the series has remained a real pleasure.

Recommended.

I borrowed this book from the library. ( )

Great! Twists and turns and the ending was meticulous. Loved her writing as always. She has such a way with words and phrases.

"Please do not steal any more corpses and put them in dramatic and important places," she said wryly. "There are other ways of attracting people's attention."
He gave a very little smile. "You must admit, there are very few that work as well!"

Loved Aunt Vespasia as always and love (!) the new turn there. Enjoy watching the Pitt children grow up and looking forward to seeing if anything happens with Stoker and Kitty. ( )

This audiobook was fast-moving but the attraction is not in the action as much as the character studies author Ann Perry provides. Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are acquainted with many people in local law enforcement and government. When a crime is committed it is often involving one of their many acquaintances. The dilemmas they face often involve those people with government positions or people of high society. Perry is a master at holding the reader's interest as she digs deeper into the behavior of potential suspects. She also captures the essence of the times in which they live ( )