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Title details for Death On Blackheath by Anne Perry - Available

Death On Blackheath

#29 in series

by Anne Perry
Davina Porter
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
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2 of 2 copies available
Anne Perry's superb New York Times bestselling novels set in the glorious reign of Victoria are loved by readers far and wide. Now, with this new Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery, Perry returns us to that charmed era, when wealth and power rule-but where, alas, poisonous corruption lies coiled in the heart of the empire. As commander of the powerful Special Branch, Thomas Pitt has the job of keeping Britain safe from spies and traitors. So there's no obvious reason why he is suddenly ordered to investigate two minor incidents: the blood, hair, and shards of glass discovered outside the home of naval weapons expert Dudley Kynaston, and the simultaneous disappearance of Mrs. Kynaston's beautiful lady's maid. But weeks later, when the mutilated body of an unidentified young woman is found near Kynaston's home, Pitt realizes that this is no ordinary police investigation. Far from it. Is Kynaston-one of Britain's most valuable scientists-leading a double life? Is Pitt saddled with a conspiracy so devilishly clever that it will ruin him? A baffled Pitt has never needed his friends more desperately, including his indomitable wife, Charlotte; his canny old colleague Victor Narraway; and his personal drawing-room spy, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould. But even these allies may not be able to save Pitt-or Britain. Only Anne Perry could have created the tense unfolding of plot and counterplot, love and betrayal, scandal and murder that follows. Death on Blackheath is rich with fascinating characters, authentic period flavor, knife's-edge suspense, and a haunting, unforgettable denouement.

  • Creators

  • Series

    Thomas and Charlotte Pitt

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 25, 2014

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781470371975
      • File size: 325206 KB
      • Duration: 11:17:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This new entry in Perry's Victorian crime series featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt is a story of murder, infidelity, and treason, skillfully narrated by Davina Porter. Her smooth, nuanced performance transports the listener back to an earlier time and place--ferry boats on the Thames, elegant drawing rooms, and offices on Downing Street are vividly described. Porter's stylish reading demonstrates excellent pacing, empathy for the characters, an understanding of class differences, and the ability to express emotions subtly by changes in tone or intensity. This mystery begins with evidence of violence--blood, glass, and strands of auburn hair--and ends with espionage. Let's hope both Anne Perry and Davina Porter bring listeners more about the Pitts. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2014

      Perry's latest series installment (after Midnight at Marble Arch) begins with a chain of unpleasant events (which even include mutilated bodies) that are only cursorily investigated by the police. Since these events keep happening near the home of a naval weapons expert, Pitt, who as head of Special Branch deals with sensitive political crimes, is tasked with finding out who is responsible and why. With the assistance of his retired boss Victor Narraway and aunt-by-marriage Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould, both of whom move in high political circles, Pitt puts the strange story together, finds the missing maidservant, the traitors, and the family secrets behind it all. The plot moves as slowly as the investigation but then ends suddenly with a number of far-fetched explanations. The likable characters and turn- of-the-20th-century setting, rather than the story, will keep the listener engaged. VERDICT Davina Porter has perfected the voices of confident Charlotte, her perpetually worried husband, and all the familiar cast members. Porter's portrayal of Aunt Vespasia, usually so cool and unflappable, but now in a turmoil as she tries to understand her suspicions and feelings, is particularly good.--Juleigh Muirhead Clark, Colonial Williamsburg Fdn. Lib., VA

      Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      February 10, 2014
      A truly unusual mystery distinguishes bestseller Perry’s 29th Victorian puzzle featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt (after 2013’s Midnight at Marble Arch). The local police call on Thomas, who’s still adjusting to his relatively new role as head of Special Branch, about the disappearance of a housemaid who lives in a London suburb near Greenwich. Traces of blood and hair have been found in the areaway outside the house where she works, but what triggers the involvement of Special Branch is the fact that she’s employed by Dudley Kynaston, a government official intimately involved with developing Britain’s naval defense systems. Downing Street is alarmed by the prospect of a scandal involving Kynaston. The stakes rise a few weeks later after the discovery of a savagely butchered woman who may be the missing servant; signs indicate that she was killed some time before her body was found. Perry balances plot and character neatly before providing a resolution that few will anticipate. Agent: Donald Maass, Donald Maas Literary Agency.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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