Lots of courtroom drama and not much mystery. The main characters stay interesting and the storyline keeps you engaged even if a little frustrated by the pace. ( )

The courtroom trial in this book was beyond frustrating highlighting the difficulty of convicting a slippery, powerful, wealthy personality. Typical of the Daniel Pitt series the case is looked at from every conceivable angle, dissected, resected with a running commentary of all the pitfalls and how a case could be lost and how the jury was losing interest and how prejudicial the misogynistic judge is behaving and on and on. There were a few too many things going on, too many words and emotions which distracted from the main thrust of the story. Shorter would have been better except for the ending which was just abrupt and disappointing. Having said all of the above I liked the book and read it in one sitting.

Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy. ( )

In this latest installment in the series featuring Daniel Pitt, the law firm for which he works has taken on a new lead barrister and moved a junior into another leadership position. Daniel and the team take on the prosecution for fraud of a high profile businessman and newspaper magnate. Daniel has recently married Miriam and she plays a key role in the story as a forensic pathologist. The novel focuses on the trial and the various twists and turns associate with the characters involved.

Although I did not read the others in this series, the author did a good job of describing the characters and bringing readers up to date with past events. I enjoyed this novel as quite the page-turner, and the action became rather intense as the trial progresses. An astute reader could find this not only an intriguing story but could also draw some parallels to current day events with the media and those in power.

This book can be read as a standalone although it is part of a series. Readers who enjoy fast-paced trial novels and historical mysteries will find this to be a welcome addition to the repertoire.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. The story starts with lots of changes as Daniel and Miriam are now married and her father and Daniel’s boss is retiring. Daniel now has a new superior and wants to impress him even though he’s not comfortable with his selection of being in charge. He’s taken on a libel case of a very powerful newspaper man but not well liked. There are lots of similarities with current day media control shaping the news. ( )

I have been reading Ms. Perry's books for decades, and have enjoyed everyone. I particularly enjoy this series with Thomas and Charlotte Pitt's son as a young barrister practising in a prestigious law firm in London. In this book, we find Daniel happily married to the woman he loves, and contentedly setting up his home, and making strides in the legal profession. When Daniel's long-time mentor, who happens to be his wife's father, decides to retire from his firm, Daniel finds himself at a loss, and can't decide if he likes or trust the new lead council that Mr. fford Croft has hired, and when that lead council brings a case to the firm that has the potential to bring great benefit to the firm, or it could be a disaster, Daniel finds himself on unfamiliar footing. The case is a financial fraud case against a British citizen who is wealthy and powerful, and who appears to also be sponsoring a number of worthy charities in England. As the case proceeds, Daniel and Gideon find they are only cracking the surface on the fraud case, and they begin to learn how dangerous a man with this much money and backing can be and how far he will go to preserve his position and his money. The book moves along at a fast pace and lots of action right to the end. It held me enthralled. Reading this book was also bittersweet because right in the middle of my reading I heard that Anne Perry had passed away. There may be a few more books she had penned that are awaiting publication, but the Thomas Pitt series, the William Monk series, and this one, all that I have enjoyed so much, are over. RIP Anne Perry. Thank you for a lifetime of wonderful reading. ( )