“Twenty-One Days” is yet another well-written suspense story from the fertile mind of Anne Perry. I had been sitting on this novel for a long ( long) time and it took the announcement of Ms. Perry’s death a few weeks ago for me to open up this book and begin reading the first book in yet another series. Good lord but she was prolific! Having read a number of Perry’s novels I found “Twenty-one Days” both familiar and “refreshed.” I recommend y’all read the book and see if you agree that it is worthy of the 4 stars I am giving it. Rest in peace Anne Perry…

A good first of a new series. A spin off if you will, with Daniel Pitt, the son of the wonderful prior series, being a young lawyer who goes out of his way to solve the mystery. Enjoyed this one, as most of Ms. Perry's books are well written and interesting to read. Would recommend.

Anne Perry is an impressive story teller. No matter what year she leads her readers to, her historical details are always correct. She demonstrates this talent in this first novel in her new Daniel Pitt series.

Set in 1910, Pitt, a recent law graduate of Cambridge University, is tasked by his father, Sir Thomas Pitt, head of Special Branch, to defend an alleged murderer. A short time later, Head of Chambers orders him to assist in the defense of another murderer, this one a high profile case, at the Old Bailey. After their client is found guilty, Pitt has 21 days to halt the execution by finding a basis for a successful appeal.

In 1910, junior barristers did not usually practice before the Old Bailey, or write successful appeals. Old English law was and is a voluminous and particularly dry subject, and Pitt was deemed too junior to be responsible for finding any legal flaws in the case. Instead, Perry assigns that task to the more senior barrister, who is desperate not to disgrace himself or Chambers. That leaves Pitt to exonerate their client through finding new facts and through science. He collaborates with Miriam, the brilliant daughter of the Head of Chambers. After passing all of her exams at Cambridge, the male establishment refused to award her the medical or chemistry degrees she had earned. Undeterred, she brings nascent autopsy and x-ray science to the case.

One of the most charming aspects of this novel is the collection of warm hearted, smart iconoclasts who become loyal to Pitt after he enters their lives. Hopefully, these characters will appear again in future books in this series.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Daniel Pitt, son of head of Special Branch Thomas Pitt, is an up-and-coming lawyer in early 20th century London. He’s helping defend biographer Russell Graves for the murder of his wife. After Graves is sentenced to death, Daniel has 21 days to try to figure out who actually murdered Ebony Graves to prevent an innocent man from being hanged. In the course of his investigation, Daniel discovers Graves is writing an inflammatory biography about former head of Special Branch, Victor Narraway, who is also an old family friend of the Pitts. It includes damaging accusations against his wife, Lady Vespasia, Special Branch, and even Daniel’s father. Daniel must set aside his personal disgust for Graves and solve the case to ensure justice is done while also trying to prevent the publishing of the book that could damage the public’s trust in the secretive Special Branch, the only thing standing between them and foreign revolutionaries and terrorists.

Anne Perry has done it again! She has such a gift for writing mysteries. She starts you off right in the middle of a high-stakes trial, and she weaves the various storylines together flawlessly. Daniel’s various dilemmas are handled so well: his integrity in trying to secure justice for a man he despises, his fear that his father might have skeletons in his closet, and his guilt for questioning his father’s reputation. There is a whole cast of characters involved in helping solve the mystery, and I suspect, to my delight, that they’ll continue to work with Daniel throughout the series. Good twists, great tension, and a sense of justice is preserved throughout. I’ll definitely be continuing this series! Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

Twenty-One Days was a wonderful legal mystery, racing against the clock, and uncovering the truth against all odds, set in the early 1900's. This is my first Anne Perry novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

This book opens with a bang in a London courtroom, in 1910, with all the action in progress as our protagonist, Daniel Pitt, is defending a client. He is a young gun, very eager to make his mark, and conflicted with his position in the law.

The book surprised me for being a courtroom drama, with much of it happening outside the courtroom itself. It's a nice tie-in with her other series which features his father and mother, though you don't need to know anything about that series to enjoy this.

The setting, time period, and characters are very good, as well as the plot. After winning that initial trial, he is put on a high-profile trial as a second where he makes a risky move to humanize his unfeeling client who is on trial for murdering his wife. It doesn't work and earns the irritation of his more senior lawyer on the case with him. The client is sentenced to death in 21 days, hence the title. Daniel and his colleague have 21 days to determine if there is a way to get him from being hanged- his colleague using legal technicalities and he is told to find anyone else who could have done it. It is in the chase for evidence that everything turns sideways.

I liked the pace (charged with the countdown aspect), the setting of London, the naivete and drive that Daniel has as he seeks the truth and looks at his job in new lights. I will certainly be interested in more of this series.

Anne Perry has written a tight, exciting mystery in Twenty-one Days. Daniel Pitt has been a lawyer for only a year. His father asks him to prove an old friend innocent of murder. Perry brilliantly works with the limitations of turn-of-the-century London. So much of today's forensic evidence is unavailable. Finding a way to prove a person innocent with limited information is an exciting addition to the problem of being under the extreme time constraint of 21 days. Most enjoyable.

First sentence: They were alone in the small room where the accused was allowed to take visits with his lawyer.

Premise/plot: Twenty-One Days is the first title in a new spin-off mystery series. It stars Daniel Pitt, the son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. The time period is 1910. Setting still London area (I believe). When the novel opens he's defending a client for murder, but that case is super short. It isn't long before he's involved in another case or two. (Two related cases). The title comes from the fact that the trial did not go their way--their client, a Russell Graves--was declared guilty and sentenced to hang. The defense (Pitt and Kitteridge) have twenty-one days to find grounds for an appeal and potentially save his life. But both men find Graves a disgusting, obnoxious fellow--hard to like in the extreme. (His servants and children feel likewise). Can these two men prove one way or another if Russell Graves is guilty of murdering his wife, Ebony?

My thoughts: I have not read ANY of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. My experiences with Anne Perry come from her Christmas mysteries and the Monk series. I was reading an advanced reader's copy. I don't know if there was a computer glitch (spell check/change all) causing an issue or not. But the law firm he works for was "fford Croft and Gibson." I have a hard time believing "fford" is the right name--it looks like part of a name. But that was minor--it didn't effect my enjoying this mystery.

I liked it. I did predict a major twist early on. (That is neither good or bad.) I would be interested in reading other books in the series. I'm curious if there will be recurring characters and what the overlap of characters there are between this series and the previous one. (Thomas Pitt does appear in a few scenes in this one.)

I really enjoyed reading through this legal-driven mystery. It harked back to a proper English version of Perry Mason as Daniel Pitt tries to solve a mystery while he has a defendant on the stand. This was a new series, a spinoff from Perry’s long-running Pitt series about Daniel’s parents. He’s not a detective but a lawyer, and yet he has a lot of the detective instincts. A couple of his friends help him solve this case.

It’s more of a procedural than a thriller, and you unfold the clues as the characters do. Several things seem insignificant but are in fact connected to the case. The twist ending was a great play and I liked how it tied in.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a free review copy. A favorable review was not required. However, my review is based off a final audio copy from my library.

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

I am a huge Anne Perry fan, but I prefer the Monk books to the Pitt series. This new series seems very promising though-new characters, a new century to explore, and as always, a good mystery. This one was maybe a bit less mysterious than previous books and more legally focused, but it was a good read.

There's enough out there about the plot, but I'll say I found this to be one of the more fast paced Perry books, while still giving us her usual deep insight into the human psyche. Her characters are wonderfully imperfect and complex, even if they are fairly naive new lawyers. No Sim-characters here with one fatal flaw, but otherwise loads of charm and perfection. Nearly every character is a real human, even if they're awful or boring or otherwise admirable.

If you're looking for a mystery writer that plumbs the depths of the mind and examines dark societal and personal issues (without every book having to be gritty or rough), while still being a fairly quick and active read, Twenty One Days will not disappoint. I only wish her books were twice the length!

Daniel Pitt as a new lawyer gets involved in a complex case of a man condemned to death for murder; he has 21 days to find a reason to appeal and or reverse the guilty verdict before the man is hanged. With the aid of a female forensic specialist he is able to find new evidence. Will he succeed?

A very interesting mystery with a surprise at the end. This new series will appeal to Anne Perry fans and those who like lawyer mysteries. Looking forward to reading more in this series.

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.
This is the first in a series by Anne Perry. Thomas and Charlotte Pitt's son, Daniel, has grown up, graduated from law school and won his first case. Now he is tasked to help an experienced lawyer find a way to get a man accused of murdering his wife from being hanged. Along the way he discovers that this man has written a book exposing supposed corruption in the government. Unfortunately some of the accused are near and dear to Daniel's heart. Is the story true? Did this man kill his wife or was it a terrible accident? With some familiar characters and a new cast of characters this book will keep you reading to find out the truth. I look forward to the next in the series.

Are you a fan of Anne Perry books? I am—especially her Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series set during the Victorian Era. So I was truly excited to be given the chance to review Twenty-one Days, the first book in a series about Daniel Pitt, Charlotte and Thomas’ son.

This series begins in 1910. Unlike his father who is head of London’s Special Police Branch, Sir Thomas Pitt’s son, Daniel, is a barrister. (Americans—this is a type of lawyer.). After studying law at Cambridge, 26-year-old Daniel has gone to work for a prestigious London law firm.

He is in the middle of his first case as a barrister when he is summoned by the head of the firm, Mr. fford Croft, to the Old Bailey to assist with another important trial. Daniel (who wins the case) disobeys his summons long enough to complete the case before departing to assist a more experienced member of the firm—Kitteridge—with the Old Bailey case of Russell Graves, a biographer, who is charged with the brutal murder of his wife.

Mr. fford Croft is not pleased:

“Disobedience won’t always turn out so well,” fford Croft warned, shaking his head. “Well, between the two of you, you have a disaster to rescue.”
“Sir?” Daniel and Kitteridge said almost in unison.
“Only an appeal can save Graves, and it needs to be lodged in good time. You have twenty-one days in which to get Graves out of the noose. Twenty days, tomorrow. You, Mr. Pitt, know very little of the law. Mr. Kitteridge, on the other hand, is possibly the best student of the law we have in this firm.”

The case is fascinating as are the characters that emerge in the novel, and, the view of the world in 1910.

Forensic science is new and just emerging and jurors are fascinated when x-rays are shown as evidence in the second case.

Pitt calls in a fingerprint expert to help him win the first case. To modern readers, the idea of looking for fingerprints on a murder weapon is common. Not so in 1910.

When Daniel moves to demonstrate the science behind fingerprints in the courtroom, the judge is reluctant to let Daniel proceed: “I do hope this is not a diversionary tactic of desperation, Mr. Pitt?”

Daniel responds: “No, my lord. Far from it.”

The jury is skeptical too, But Daniel handles this well when he asks his expert witness if he is “quite sure all people’s fingerprints are different?” and lets him say to one of the jurors:

“You, sir,” he looked at a large, impressive man, very well dressed. It was easy to imagine he had a good opinion of himself. “Your fingerprints are unique to you. They are not exactly the same as those of any other man on earth.”
The juror took it as a compliment, and it showed in his face.
“It matters,” Dr. Ottershaw continued. “The whorls, the ridges, the islands, features and dimensions in the lines you can barely see with the naked eye, they are unique to you. More so even than your signature.”

The jurors are then convinced that the defendant is not guilty because his fingerprints cannot be found on the bullet used in the murder weapon.

The position in society and lack of rights that women have in the era—whether it is to earn an advanced degree despite completing the coursework or to defend themselves against an abusive husband—is accurately and tastefully portrayed.

In the novel young Pitt manages to make some friends as he strives to win his cases and reflects:

“Real friends fought battles beside you, even after they were exhausted, fought on to protect you. Even if the end was defeat, they did not leave you. Friends knew your flaws, as you did theirs, but stood by you anyway. You laughed together and mourned together, celebrated victories and grieved for losses.

Pitt would never let his friends down. Perhaps if they were guilty, he could not protect them from the carrion creatures who dared not attack them when they were alive. But still he would protect protect what he could. That’s what friendship is.“

I very much enjoyed this enjoyable debut in the series and will look forward to future books in the series. Thank you Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this novel and for allowing me to review it.

Twenty-one Days by Anne Perry is the first novel in the Daniel Pitt series. It is a spin-off of another series. I was really looking forward to reading a book by this author. I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read the other series first. This book started out slowly and kept dragging from there. I would still like to pick up other books by this author, but I will probably not read others in this series. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

Good start to a new series. As always author authenticity to era is spot on. Watched this young man grow up in his parents series and enjoyed how the author ages and grows her characters. He has grit, intelligence and compassion. Looking forward to more of this series.

My first book by Anne Perry. She drew me in ... her writing was excellent and the mystery intriguing. I recommend it to historical mystery fans.

What fun to start a series from the beginning! Better than a reboot, this book puts the reader in the familiar setting of the other Pitt books, but from the son Daniel's point of view.

Struggling to make his own way, he is assigned as a very junior member of a tough case. Confusion and frustration ensue - as always with Anne Perry's books - and I really wasn't sure how this book was going to turn out. Daniel is endearing and you really want him to succeed.

If you have enjoyed other historical mysteries, this is a a good series to start on the ground floor. I eagerly await the next book!

I was looking for a new series when a friend recommended Anne Perry. After reading 21 days, I'm hooked. A great story, carefully crafted with an exciting ending are what every reader hopes to find when they open a new book. My friend was right...I really liked this book!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

The first in a new series, this is a thoroughly enjoyable light read. It did keep one guessing and it is filled with likable, entertaining characters. I'll look forward to more in this series.
3.5* rounded to 4.