Belgrave Square (Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Series #12)

by Anne Perry

Overview

When an obscure moneylender named William Weems is murdered in the humble Clerkenwell district, there are no mourners—and there is more than a little discreet rejoicing among those whose meager earnings he so mercilessly devoured. Yet when Inspector Pitt finds in the murdered man’s office a list containing the names of some of London’s most distinguished gentlemen, he begins to realize the magnitude of his duty. William Weems, it transpires, was no common usurer but a vicious blackmailer. Fortunately, Pitt’s clever, well-born wife, Charlotte, has entrée to London’s best society. Her insights prove to be invaluable to Pitt’s investigation as she observes, at glittering balls and over gossipy tea tables, a world of passion, power, and greed that the police are seldom permitted to see.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780345523679
Publisher:	Random House Publishing Group
Publication date:	06/28/2011
Series:	Thomas and Charlotte Pitt Series , #12
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.02(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Anne Perry was the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels. She was also the author of a series featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt's son, Daniel, as well as the Elena Standish series; a series of five World War I novels; twenty-one holiday novels; and a historical novel, The Sheen on the Silk, set in the Byzantine Empire. Anne Perry died in 2023.

Hometown:

Portmahomack, Ross-shire, U.K

Date of Birth:

October 28, 1938

Place of Birth:

Blackheath, London England

Website:

http://www.anneperry.net

Read an Excerpt

1
(Continues…)

---

Excerpted from "Belgrave Square"
by .
Copyright © 2011 Anne Perry.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

---

Editorial Reviews

Pulsates with the sights and sounds of Victorian London.”—The Pittsburgh Press

“[Anne] Perry’s characters are vivid and well-drawn. . . . If you want to be privy to the romance, politics, and scandal of Victorian London, this descriptive, leisurely paced mystery may well be your cup of Earl Grey tea.”—Houston Chronicle

“A well-plotted puzzle . . . Perry’s compassionate characterizations demonstrate the extremes of Victorian society, from the chilling conditions of the poor cowering on doorsteps to the poise of the warm and well-dressed inside.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
 
“Perry [is the] reigning monarch of the Victorian mystery.”—People
 
“The author has the eyes of a hawk for character.”—The New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

In the 12th Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery, the Victorian police detective and his wife explore society's upper crust after a moneylender is murdered. While the victim may have been killed by someone he was blackmailing, evidence points to aristocrats as well as members of the police force itself. This 1992 tale is the first Perry novel to reveal the existence of the Inner Circle, a secret society of the powerful and influential that will dog Thomas through several subsequent investigations. Because of her sister's pregnancy, Charlotte stands in as her politician brother-in-law's hostess and discovers clues helpful to the case. One of the better entries in the series because of the variety of suspects, a fascinating glimpse at sexual mores, and discussions of such figures as Lily Langtry and Oscar Wilde, Belgrave Square builds to a truly surprising climax. Davina Porter provides her usual exceptionally smooth reading. Highly recommended.-Michael Adams, CUNY Graduate Ctr. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

When a moneylender/blackmailer is brutally murdered, Thomas Pitt is called in because the case could bring scandal to half of London's aristocratic families. Davina Porter, who specializes in the Pitt mysteries, does her usual fine job as she gives the upper crust, police, servants, and many other characters distinction and believability. Pitt's wife, Charlotte, and her sister, Emily, can penetrate high society in ways that the police cannot. Porter enlivens each member of a large cast of characters who demonstrate a variety of classes, educational advantage, and lifestyles. The result is an excellent historical mystery and view of society's double standard for those lucky enough to find themselves among the privileged. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

DEC 06/JAN 07 - AudioFile