Defense and counter defense. Check and checkmate!

An unremitting and fascinating case for Daniel Pitt, even as he becomes a more reluctant player. As the story built I was exhausted by the first court case and nowhere near ready enough for the second. Good grief I thought! By the end of a third one I was wrung out like a wet bleach cloth (currently being used constantly around my home).
Perry has given us a Daniel Pitt intricately woven story centered around two deaths from arson. Toby Kitteridge, a senior in the chambers, is as usual a wonderful foil for Daniel. I am quietly interested in Toby Kitteridge whom Miriam thinks of him as being surprisingly "agile of mind and clumsy of body." Miriam fford Croft is involved once again, assisting Daniel with her forensic expertise. However, as we know, as a woman Miriam has no legal authority or acceptance by the courts. She puts Daniel in touch with Sir Barnabas Saltram, an expert in arson cases. Saltram is her former teacher, a man superbly secure in his opinions about himself, his work, and his disdain for Miriam. I found the thinly elegant Doctor, a villain of the first order.
When the second case surrounding the deaths comes to court, Daniel finds himself working on behalf of the girlfriend of the man he'd previously defended, Rob Adwell.
The way these cases unfold during the trials is absolutely fascinating. Head of Chambers, Marcus fford Croft rises to the occasion for an associated case and Miriam has a breakthrough.
I confess I am enthralled by the legal challenges this series bring forth. Just loving Daniel's journey as a solicitor who seems to fall into unusual cases, and that of Miriam as a scientist.

A Random - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley

This is one of those books that grows in intensity starting from the very beginning until the reader is totally engrossed and emotionally maxed out by the ending. The author captures the feel of Victorian England very well without becoming cloying. The limits of human relationships are tested, and the faults and features of personality play a dominant role in the story. Many of the characters were very likeable. They did well in the constraints of Victorian society. The author kept the misery of English weather front and center in the story, giving the reader chills as the action unfolded. I found this book to be especially nourishing to the spirit.

On the surface, One Fatal Flaw is a simple, albeit harrowing, story. A docker dies in a fiery inferno, but his companion, Rob Adwell, escapes with nary a singe. The police arrest Adwell for murder, and his persuasive girlfriend convinces Daniel Pitt to defend him. An esteemed scientist persuades the jury that he is innocent. A few weeks later, Adwell “is killed in the same fiery fashion.” That puts a different spin on the evidence, doesn’t it? Let’s recap:

When a desperate woman comes to Daniel Pitt seeking a lawyer for her boyfriend, Rob Adwell, Daniel is convinced of the young man’s innocence. Adwell has been accused of murder and of setting a fire to conceal the body, but Daniel is sure that science can absolve him—and Miriam fford Croft is the best scientist he knows. Miriam connects Daniel with her former teacher Sir Barnabas Saltram, an expert in arson, and together, they reveal Adwell’s innocence by proving that an accidental fire caused the victim’s death.

As stated previously, Adwell is killed shortly after his acquittal in the same way his erstwhile victim met his fate. Anne Perry poses that “if these deaths are, in fact, murders, what essential clue could Daniel and Miriam have missed?” Also noteworthy is Miriam’s troubled past relationship with Saltram. On a personal level, she doesn’t want to ask Saltram for help, but professionally, she must as their client’s life depends on it.

Apart from that, if they did not seek and find the truth, it would eat away at them, at their confidence in themselves, in all that they cared about and felt. Lying was like mold: it spread until the whole fabric was rotted with it.

In addition to Saltram, Daniel and Miriam pull out all the stops and consult with anyone and everyone that can help them find justice. Dr. Ottershaw, a forensic scientist readers met in the first Daniel Pitt story, Twenty-One Days, tells them about a forensic expert who is blessed with “creative imagination,” Dr. Evelyn Hall.

“Is he available?” Daniel asked. “I’ve never heard of him.”



Ottershaw’s smile was completely unreadable. “Evelyn is both a man’s name and a woman’s, I would remind you, and in this case, she is a woman. Although that may not be instantly apparent. She is eccentric, to say the least.”



Miriam’s heart sank. “A woman has no chance against Saltram.”



Ottershaw looked at her, his face unusually stern. It was sufficient to silence her. He turned back to Daniel, ignoring the look of despair that was in his face, too. “She is fully qualified,” he asserted, “in Holland, where they have no such prejudices against women. On the contrary, in the unlikely event that they can reach the highest standards, and Dr. Hall does, they are welcomed. Indeed, she exceeds most of them.”



Miriam’s mind was racing. A woman as good as Saltram! It was possible! In fact, she already existed.

This is significant because Miriam’s “expert” witness, Sir Barnabas Saltram, is profoundly distrustful of women scientists. Who better, then, to cast doubt upon his testimony, to possibly put a dent in his immaculate, elegant, and arrogant attitude?

In Triple Jeopardy, Daniel comes to realize that his father, Sir Thomas Pitt, head of Special Branch, “the antiterrorism part of the Secret Service,” is an asset to his legal career.

Daniel recognizes that his father’s skills can’t be overlooked, ignored, or underplayed, and that using his father to save a man’s career is not wrong and doesn’t make him less of a competent adult.

Pitt père and Pitt fils collaborate in One Fatal Flaw on a visceral level. Perhaps every professional has that case that got away from them, a niggling toothache to memories of an otherwise successful career. Such is the case for Sir Thomas, but to say more would be to give away the plot.

What symbolizes the “new age” to Daniel? The readily available black taxis—for although there were still “horse-drawn vehicles” on London streets, “everything was changing.”

Most especially—and that is what interested him now—forensic medicine, ways of detecting crime and then proving it in court. Guns had been around for centuries, and knives for even longer. Fire was older than mankind! But the detailed scientific knowledge of them was new. The understanding of why people do things, and how you can work backward from an act to whatever generated it in someone’s mind, that was new, and promised all sorts of possibilities unimagined even a decade ago.

Daniel Pitt’s confidence in the burgeoning field of forensic medicine is the crux of the story. Pitt discovers that believable proof such that can sway a jury is in the hands of the expert witness. What if the scientist cooks the books, skillfully shading the facts to lead the jury in a direction that is not consistent with the truth? When they suspect this, Daniel and Miriam steel themselves with an internal integrity that informs all their actions.

If they did not seek and find the truth, it would eat away at them, at their confidence in themselves, in all that they cared about and felt.

One Fatal Flaw is like a set of Russian dolls. Daniel Pitt is on a journey to uncover secrets that have lain dormant for many years. Anne Perry is a masterful writer and this series just gets better and better.

This well-written novel is really three stories in one, with each one growing out of the previous one. It is set in London in 1910. Daniel Pitt is a young (25 years old) lawyer. He is approached by a seemingly naive young woman, Jessie Beale, to defend her boyfriend, Rob Adwell when he is accused of the murder of a rival gang member. Believing her, he enlists the aid of Miriam fford Croft, daughter of the senior lawyer at his firm and a budding scientist frustrated by the treatment of women in the early 20th century. She enlists the aid of her former teacher and now renowned forensic scientist Sir Barnaby Saltram, to testify as to the cause of death in the first case. Adwell is acquitted which leads to the second case, eerily similar to the first. Pitt and Croft and their associates begin to see some anomalies which brings their original conclusions into question. And the the final third of the book is about redemption, with a little bit of vengeance. This is the third book in Perry’s Daniel Pitt series. Daniel is the son of Carolyn and Thomas Pitt, the protagonists in an earlier series by Perry. There is plenty of tension in this mystery. And it has peaked my interest to read some of Perry’s earlier novels. My thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC of this novel.

One Fatal Flaw by Anne Perry is the third Daniel Pitt novel. I love Daniel Pitt. He always does what is right, whether it is strictly legal or not. He respects women, of course he has his mother to thank for that and he believes in new knowledge, not just traditional. He is willing to take the case of an alleged murder on the say so of the accused's girlfriend. It is a peculiar case, involving a fire, After he has gone to see his friend, and boss's daughter, Miriam, he allows her to contact an uncomfortable person from her past to save an innocent man. He succeeds. Amazingly several weeks later, the now innocent man, dies in a similar fashion, and Daniel sees how he has been duped. Daniel quickly moved forward with the help of Miriam.

This is a turn-of-the-twentieth century novel where the world is expanding but not quickly enough. Daniel struggles with human evil and always does his best to do his best. He respects his parents and wants to make them proud but is independent of them and plans to have a great career, although he is quick to put it at risk to do the right thing. One Fatal Flaw was an interesting mystery that unfolded slowly, just as Perry's stories usually do. She allows the reader to think along with Daniel as he figures things out. It makes for an enjoyable read. I recommend it, as I do all of Anne Perry's work.

I received a free ARC of One Fatal Flaw from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #onefatalflaw

A clever girl, a few heinous crimes, a naive barrister, some interesting legal wrangling, some contemptuous characters, some right-minded ones to help sort it out and always a strong belief in justice. It was a long windup and I felt as if there were a lot of balls thrown over the plate before one was hit out of the park.

Harboring the feeling of helplessness, watching those you care about being destroyed by injustice, how do you get out of a such a disastrous situation with decency? How do you maintain your balance? The best advice given: “You can follow the facts wherever they seem to lead, or you can decide what the truth is and then look for the facts that seem to prove it. The honest way lies between the two.” That is where the story gets more than interesting.

Anne Perry doesn’t hand you the answers. She makes you work to untangle the mystery and drama. While her villains are truly loathsome they are not one dimensional. They are bright, clever and self-righteous. Her protagonists are equal in virtue and there is a clear line drawn and a harsh gauntlet thrown down. Daniel Pitt is going to “poke the bear” and the question becomes whether he is up to the challenge. If he loses the cost to be borne will not be his alone. I enjoyed this installment in the Daniel Pitt series and look forward to watching the characters and relationships grow and mature.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy

This is such a good story. I enjoyed the characters, the era and the mysteries. Daniel is asked by a woman to defend her boyfriend on a murder charge. He takes the case, but everything goes down hill from there. It leads to another case that is exactly like the first one. The victim in the second case is the defendant in the first. Then these two case lead to a third older case to right an old wrong. Daniel and his firm stand to lose everything. Daniel could lose his reputation, his livelihood and maybe his life if he can't find something soon. His friend Miriam stands to lose so much for helping him. She almost lost her life. With the prejudice of men during this time against women, it would not be hard for someone to discredit her. Daniel can't let that happen. They are up against a man who holds a lot of secrets for some powerful people. Daniel doesn't want to expose all of them, he just wants to find justice for a few people. It may cost him everything.

I think I like these new generation of the Pitt Series even better than the original series. One Fatal Flaw by Anne Perry is the third story with Daniel Pitt as the main protagonist. It is an engaging story that keeps the reader on his/ her toes as the mystery involves into three mysteries one leading to the other.

Well structured plot with such a likable hero, it lives up to the standard set by the first two books. Along with trying to solve the mysteries along with Daniel and friends, I enjoy the historical setting and insight. Without a doubt, Anne Perry is the queen of Victorian Era mysteries.

The publisher through Net Galley provided an ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3. The books reminded me a bit of Miss Fishers Mysteries and I think would do well in a film adaptation; I say this bc I'm conflicted on how it works as a book. One, it's always difficult to come into a series (there are 2 before this) but Perry did a good enough job laying the groundwork on the major characters and their relationships. The major theme seems to be underestimating women and it was infuriating to read about how they simply couldn't science bc of their lady brains. I had a hard time understanding the main villain and what they were attempting to do with him. It became much clearer at the end and actually worked in terms of narrative; but needed to be cleaned up to get there. That's what took me out of the story, the jumping around in POV and trying to understand which story to be engaged in. The latter half is much better than the first half in this regard

One Fatal Flaw by Anne Perry 4 stars

This book is the third in the series that features Daniel Pitt, the son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. As a young barrister, Daniel seems to be idealistic and enthusiastic. While these traits might be admirable, in the practice of law, this might also bring about another set of problems. This is an intricate story with not one but three cases to be tried. - Two in 1907 and one that springs from a past case. This time period is in flux, between the use of horse drawn carriages and the fledgling automobile. World War I has not occurred yet, so the decimation of a generation of men is still in the future. One of the best parts of this book is an exploration of the background of Miriam fford Croft, the daughter of Marcus Croft (senior partner of the law firm) - a scientist denied her status because of her gender. She has in prior books provided valuable insight and information to Daniel.

The initial mystery centered around the murder of two conspirators in theft and the arson of a warehouse. Like an onion, this turns out to only the first layer. The stakes are higher that just guilt or innocence and involves reputation and ego. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to next years entry.

Thank you Netgalley and Ballentine Books for this ARC.

I have read all three books in this new series and have enjoyed every single one of them. This latest book “One Fatal Flaw”, is my favorite thus far.

Two things I really appreciate about this book are: 1) the focus on Miriam fford Croft and 2) the focus on the emerging science of forensics.

Miriam has become a comrade-at-arms with Daniel Pitt. He is a lawyer who was been called on to defend an individual who appears to be guilty of murder. He is convinced by a young woman to take the case on at no cost.

As part of finding somehow to defend this individual, Daniel calls on Miriam for her advice and also her ability to call on someone who can give compelling testimony. The story takes off from there and I won’t go into more because I don’t believe in spoilers in reviews.

There is a cost to Miriam and the story delves into her past. At the same time, it shows her moving forward with her own scientific abilities. No one could be a stronger advocate of her than Daniel Pitt. There seems a possibility of these two having a closer relationship but it is nebulous if and when it could happen.

I can hardly wait for the next book in this series.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

I enjoy this series. I was really excited when Anne Perry decided to do a spin off of her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series -- especially given that the last few books in that series kind of dragged.

This book is clever in that there are three mysteries nestled in one another in the plot. Perry does a clever job interweaving all of them. There is more time spent in the court room in this book compared to the previous one, as opposed to outside of it investigating the cases. As usual, she gives great period details of Edwardian England., and the portrayal of the emerging field of forensic science is fascinating. She also brings to the fore the struggle that women faced during this time in obtaining education and entering professions through the thoughts and experiences of Mariam fford Croft.

It is unfortunate that this book suffers from some of the flaws of Perry's later Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels. She can be somewhat pedantic and heavy-handed when discussing social ills (such as women's secondary status). Also, the plot can get bogged down by characters' inner monologues -- they tend to be repetative.

Overall, I would recommend this book. I am also looking forward to the next installment in the series.

“One Fatal Flaw” is the third in the series by Anne Perry, with Daniel Pitt as our protagonist. We are in 1910 London.

The girlfriend of a not so good man has come to ask for Daniel’s help in proving her beloved innocent of murder. There’s been arson, they know that; the warehouse is gone. And in the warehouse fire, one man escaped and one did not. She begs Daniel to be the defense lawyer. But the man doesn’t seem particularly interested in having a defense.

Daniel, through his friend Miriam fford Croft’s intercession, asks a famous expert in the causes of fire and fire evidence to look at the case. This expert is rather… sure of himself. There is the hint that the expert will do anything to have his opinion sustained. Miriam dislikes him, although she will not say why. Of course, she won’t, because that is a source of conflict. It will come out later, also of course. Thus, the author skirts around some facts, some little tidbits, that will leave readers wondering what’s going on. I would have preferred to have out with it and be done with it.

Ms. Perry describes the two different social worlds of Daniel Pitt and Miriam fford Croft very well. Although they are almost but not quite social equals, it is their different sexes that divide them like a mighty chasm, and Anne Perry knows how to present this extremely well, how a historical mystery must present this, to be believable and true to its time frame and genre. Miss fford Croft may rant and rave and fume about her constraints and pushes a bit for dramatic purposes, but she cannot do too much, and be believable. This Ms. Perry also knows very well. And so, Daniel and Miriam fight their own private battle to prove Rob Adwell’s innocence.

The expert gets Daniel’s client off with his testimony. Wonderful – except the book is only about half way done. What’s up? Ah, we are not done, not by a long shot. Because Daniel will need the expert yet again, and not in a good way, one might say. It is going to take all of Ms. Perry’s considerable skills to come up with a plausible plot and make this believable. Is there any doubt, gentle reader?

So, Miriam goes to work again, although she can’t help officially because she is of the wrong sex, alas, so she has to work behind the scenes. This is her book as well as Daniel’s, perhaps more so. Another expert has to be found. And found “she” is. It is a little pat, but to be expected in a story like this.

The author builds up the case point by point. Modern detectives could hardly do better. Readers may even look at “One Fatal Flaw” as a study in the beginnings of modern forensic science. This is also a study in science versus emotions and fallibility. Much of the last third of the book is Daniel righting wrongs and staying one step ahead of a terrible wave of anger and ego. There is danger here, because it will force a need for revenge. But it has to be done, because it means too much for a society predicated on the scales of justice. You will have to read “One Fatal Flaw” to see how well he succeeds at it.

I found the book eloquent as usual, if a little pedantic and heavy, being much of what it rails about is how women were treated unfairly in their intellectual and educational development, as evidenced in Miss fford Croft’s case. In between Anne Perry talks about life, ideas, the rumblings of society with new ideas coming, how the world was changing, melting, slipping away, breaking, as she calls it. This is more than just a historical mystery.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for a copy of this book, in exchange for this review.

Wow! Anne Perry keeps coming up with amazing stories that keep me wanting more from her. The layers in this book will keep you wondering just how Daniel Pitt is going to be able to figure everything out.

Daniel Pitt is a young lawyer at the
prestigious law firm of fford Croft.
It is the year 1910. The story takes
place in London where there is a
warehouse fire with a death
occurring. But was the death a
result of the fire or a sharp blow
to the man’s head?
Miriam Croft is the daughter of
Marcus. She is a very smart, well
educated woman. She is very
knowledgeable in the science and
criminality. This means that she is
out of place in a time when women
are considered as inferior and to be
seen but not heard.
Miriam is essential in Daniel’s defense
of the man accused of murder. She
presents Daniel with the opportunity
to meet Sir Barnabus Saltram. This
man is an expert on fires. Miriam had
studied with him. He is crucial to the
case.
Then a second fire case arises with
the same circumstances plus an old
cold case is brought to light. What
will be the outcome?
Three dimensional, vivid, colorful
characters involved in a fast paced
murder mystery with plenty of twists
and turns.
I volunteered to read One Fatal Flaw.
Thanks to the publisher via Net Gallery
for the opportunity. My opinion is
voluntary and my own.

The prolific Anne Perry adds to her long running series featuring the Pitt family with another Daniel Pitt novel. The youngest of the Pitt family, a newly fledged lawyer, is engaged to defend a man accused of murder. An apparent dispute between rival gangs along the London waterfront involving theft and arson will claim one victim, and then another. Pitt finds himself in conflict with his firm, his client, and ultimately with a powerful witness as he works to uncover the truth. Daniel’s parents, Charlotte and Thomas Pitt appear here as counselors and supporters of their son.

Set in Victorian England, the novel strongly evokes the social and political unrest of the times.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Earnest young Daniel Pitt is back, this time with his most challenging case to date. Daniel is drawn into an impossible case by Jessica Beale, a seemingly distraught woman who begs for Daniel's assistance in proving her beloveds innocence in an arson turned murder case. Daniel turns to his friend Miriam fforde Croft, who has assisted him in the past and has a knowledge of forensic science, which could play an important role in solving case. On Miriam's advice, Daniel seeks out the assistance of Sir Barnabas Saltram, an expert in the field on forensic science. Daniel's client is ultimately exonerated on the testimony of Sir Barnabas that the heat of the fire was ultimately responsible for the damage to the skull of the victim uncovered at the scene of the crime. It's not until some weeks later when Daniel is called in to defend Jessica Beale herself for an eerily similar crime, that he calls into question Sir Barnabas' testimony. And he is not the only one. Miriam herself has questions she would like answered as well. However the pair must tread lightly as each step they take towards justice could land them in peril. Sir Barnabas is a powerful man with many powerful allies and Miriam herself could face dire consequences as she studied under the man some twenty years earlier. The series of cases call into question the fallibility of science and testimony, even seemingly expert testimony and shed some light on the justice system and the early beginnings of the field of forensic science.
Set in 1910 London England, One Fatal Flaw is full of the atmospheric historical details that Perry fans have grown to expect and admire. Although the tone of this story was a bit deep and heavy, it was balanced nicely with plenty of intriguing characters, some to love and some to hate, and plenty of legal drama. The action moves at a more lackadaisical pace, but picks up steam towards the end, culminating in a swift if somewhat abrupt ending that serves to tie loose plot points together expertly. Readers will get a glimpse into the fascinating world of early forensic science as well as the struggle that existed for Victorian women. Perry hints at changes that are just around the horizon for women which I hope will feature prominently in the next Daniel Pitt story. I highly recommend this series to fans of Perry's Charlotte and Pitt series as well as those looking for an intriguing historical legal drama.

A Question of Murder by Fire

A tearful Jessie Beal begs Daniel Pitt to represent her young man, Robert Adwell. He’s accused of murdering Paddy Jackson by setting fire to a warehouse. Paddy is burned to death, but he also has a severe blow to the back of the head. In desperation Daniel goes to his friend Miriam fford Croft, a brilliant woman who wanted to be a forensic scientist, for help. Miriam thinks their only hope is in enlisting the help of her former forensics instructor, Sir Barnaby Saltram, even though she has a fraught relationship with him from her student days.

Daniel wins the case, but then Robert Adwell is killed in a fire identical to the one that killed Paddy Jackson, and Jessie Beal is arrested. He has no wish to take the case, but he’s trapped by his previous case even though he begins to suspect that Jessie is guilty. If she is, it calls into question Saltram’s evidence in the first case and now Daniel and Miriam have a problem. Can they go up against Sir Barnaby?

The book paints a vivid picture of London in 1910. The historical details are accurate. You almost feel that you are living there with cozy pubs and warming fires. However, there were problems with that era. Miriam is an intelligent woman who wanted to be a forensic scientist, but that profession was closed to women. She makes the best of it in her private laboratory, but it’s not the same.

Daniel, being younger than Miriam, is less prone to believe that women are failures unless married. He feels comfortable with Miriam as a close friend and relies on her judgment. I thought Perry did an excellent job presenting a pivotal moment in history where older men saw women as only wives and mothers while younger men were willing to treat them as equals.

This story consists of three court cases. Each grows out of the one before, but requires additional sleuthing. I though the first case was rather slow, but the action built until the third case gripped my interest.

This is the third book in Perry’s Daniel Pitt series although it reads easily as a standalone. I loved the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt books, and their son Daniel’s story is a welcome addition.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

"Two fiery deaths have young lawyer Daniel Pitt and his scientist friend Miriam fford Croft racing to solve a forensic crisis in this explosive new novel from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.

When a desperate woman comes to Daniel Pitt seeking a lawyer for her boyfriend, Rob Adwell, Daniel is convinced of the young man’s innocence. Adwell has been accused of murder and of setting a fire to conceal the body, but Daniel is sure that science can absolve him - and Miriam fford Croft is the best scientist he knows. Miriam connects Daniel with her former teacher Sir Barnabas Saltram, an expert in arson, and together, they reveal Adwell’s innocence by proving that an accidental fire caused the victim’s death. But it’s not long before Adwell is killed in the same fiery fashion. If these deaths are, in fact, murders, what essential clue could Daniel and Miriam have missed?

As their investigation deepens, one of Saltram’s former cases comes into question, and Miriam finds herself on the defensive. If the reasoning Saltram used in that case is proved false, several other cases will have to be re-tried, and Saltram’s expert status - not to mention Miriam’s reputation - will be ruined. Haunted by Saltram’s shady tactics in and outside of the classroom, Miriam is desperate to figure out truths both past and present and protect herself in the face of Saltram’s lies. What started as an accidental fire in Adwell’s case seems to be linked to a larger plot for revenge, with victims accumulating in its wake, and Miriam and Daniel must uncover who or what is stoking these recurring flames - before they, too, find themselves burned."

If anything can get you through what's going on in the state of the world it's some good murder brought to you by Anne Perry!

I am a long time fan of Anne Perry and this series continues my reading pleasure. Daniel Pitt, son of Sir Thomas and Lady Pitt, is now 25 and a practicing barrister at a prestigious law firm. All of his cases, so far, have been challenging but this one is the most challenging of them all. It's really three cases involving death and fire. It's 1911 and arson investigation and forensics are in their infancy. One day Jessica Beale comes to Daniel for help. Her young man has been charged with a death caused by a fire. With the help of Miriam fford Cross, he hires Sir Barnabus Saltram, an expert in forensics. Miriam had been one of his students and thinks he will be the key to winning the case. Are Daniel and Miriam putting their reputations on the line to depend on Sir Barnabus? They win the case but that leads to more arson crimes, past and present. did they, indeed, make a mistake?
Historical mysteries are one of my favorite sub genres and Anne Perry does her research very well. The period of 1911 is a time of change and Daniel and Miriam are the trail blazers in social norms and science. Miriam is older than Daniel and unmarried. Not one to put herself on a shelf, her desire is to forge a new role for herself in science. It's hard to say which character I am drawn to the most but, if pressed, I would pick Miriam.
This entry in the series works as a stand alone. The mystery is a three fold puzzle and it kept me reading way past my bedtime. It was the perfect mental vacation I needed. I can't wait to see what is in store for them in the next book.
My thanks to the publisher Ballantine and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.