This is a mystery set in the early 1900’s. Reading wbiutnthientime period is intriguing-the dialect-the setting-the characters. Trying to guess the ending...I guess the biggest problem I had was as keeping the characters straight and who was related to whom. This is a quick read for the historical fiction fan and this author is always great. .

Another of the books about the Pitt Family by Anne Perry, this one continues the trajectory of Daniel, a young barrister and the son of Charlotte and Thomas from earlier mysteries. A young impoverished woman pleads with him to defend her boyfriend who is believed to have caused a death by arson. With the help of his friend Miriam he solicits the expert testimony of her former mentor, and the events become increasingly complicated, both during the trial and outside the courtroom. This was an enjoyable read, but perhaps not as memorable as some of Perry's other work.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is third book in the Daniel Pitt series of post-Victorian mysteries. The characters are well-developed and the story can be thoroughly enjoyed as a stand-alone.

Daniel, once again, teams with Miriam fford Croft, the daughter of the head of his law firm, to solve three arson/murder cases. The use of forensic techniques to solve crimes was just developing. Although this story took place a century ago, it resonates very well with the #MeToo issues facing women in academia and employment today. Women in England were discouraged from pursuing scientific studies, as it was felt that they could not mentally handle the necessary rigor. In general, women were considered to be inferior to men and often taken advantage of by men in positions of authority.

I look forward to the next Daniel Pitt story.

I wish there was a way to leave a review without having to rate it. I got into this book about 20% and decided I didn't want to finish it. The writing was good, but the author went down too many rabbit holes with descriptions. After reading all the descriptions, you forgot where the plot was. This much description just isn't to my taste.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I felt like I stepped back in time to an old novel. To me, this is a good thing. I liked the time when it was presumed people told the truth. This is really about 3 cases that intersect. Yet each case is laid out clearly so there is room for each case to develop.. Daniel is a good main character with a strong group of secondary characters. I thought the book was well done. I liked it.

Anne Perry has been writing mysteries since 1979 when the first of her Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novels was published.  I still remember how much I enjoyed that novel's Victorian world and its characters.  Perry went on to pen a second popular series about Inspector Monk; the conceit that carried through a number of the books was Monk's amnesia.  Monk solved his cases with the help of a nurse and lawyer.  The author also has published a number of Christmas novellas that feature characters from these series.  For years, readers could look forward to a new book in each series every year. 

More recently, Ms. Perry started two new series.  With the first Elena Standish novel, she moved to the period during which Hitler was rising to power.  Her second new series features Daniel Pitt.  He is the lawyer son of Thomas and Charlotte.  I enjoyed the first two books in the Daniel Pitt series but, for me, third time is the charm.  I think that One Fatal Flaw is an excellent read.

As is true in Ms. Perry's other series, the recurring characters who surround the protagonist add interest and depth to the story.  Chief among these is Miriam; older than Daniel, she knows a great deal about criminology and science, although the times that she lives in do not allow her full or formal entry to the working world.  In each book, the relationship between Daniel and Miriam deepens.

One Fatal Flaw tells the interrelated stories of three cases of murder and arson.  Ms. Perry handles the narrative expertly and readers will enjoy spending time with the very decent characters as they do their best to serve justice.

I give this book five stars and offer many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book in exchange for an honest review

A very entertaining early 1900's mystery, set in England, and dealing with the start of using forensic techniques to solve crimes. The characters are interesting and believable. A young attorney and a scientist are forced to prove an accepted theory is flawed. There are lots of surprises as the story progresses dealing with the social norms of the day.

One Fatal Flaw
By Anne Perry
This book was a sequel to a series which was a spinoff of another series. You didn’t need to be familiar with any of the previous books.

This is historical fiction set in England in the 1910s. The main characters are Daniel Pitt, a young bannister tilting at windmills, and Miriam fford Croft, an older woman studying forensic science fighting long before it was socially acceptable. Is there a budding relationship, here? They take on 3 cases of arson sequentially fighting against injustice, legal precedents and an evil enemy. The characters are morally driven with fun, interesting supporting group of supporting characters.

Anne Perry has done it once again; l honestly do not know how she manages to juggle several series while making their contents fresh and amazing, as always. It took me a while to accept that Pitt, the son, was the main protagonist in this series, though Pitt Sr, appears briefly in each book, as does Lady Pitt. The apple didn't fall far from the tree, as Pitt Jr. displays the same passion for justice as does his father--and mother! The English legal system worked a bit differently from the American system, but the differences in both the time period, and the approach taken, are so interesting. In 1910/1911, women are also starting to come into their own, though male privilege, in ALL classes in this country, is still rampant. That becomes very apparent in this book as well. Supporting characters are becoming more fleshed out as this series continues, and they are proving to be of great interest too!

All in all, another winner from Anne Perry, and l am still looking forward to new books in all her other series! You cannot go wrong buying this book, as it is a fascinating read. BTW, this book as an ARC was supplied to me by NetGalley without cost for an honest review. I am STILL going to buy it when it comes out!

I've been reading Anne Perry's books for over 25 years and have enjoyed every single one. I like the new Daniel Pitt series as it contains intriguing plots and well-developed characters. This series had a great start with "Twenty-One Days" and "Triple Jeopardy" so I was really looking forward to this latest book. I like that Thomas and Charlotte Pitt from Perry's previous series play a prominent role, but don't overtake the story. Daniel has a lot to learn in the legal profession but he is bright and has a hunger for justice. The boss's daughter, Miriam, also plays a prominent role in assisting Daniel with his work. Obviously brilliant, she leads a life restrained by contemporary norms. This adds a tension to the story not seen in the Monk or Thomas Pitt series.

I recommend "One Fatal Flaw." Since reading it I've read Perry's Elena Standish mystery-- what a page-turner! So now I'm looking forward to the next volumes in both of those series as well.

One Fatal Flaw is a little like those Russian nesting dolls because it contains not one but three mysteries, each one emerging out of its predecessor. The first mystery begins when a weepy young woman turns up at Daniel Pitt's law office and tells him her boyfriend isn't responsible for the death of a man who perished in a warehouse fire. The second involves a copycat murder/fire that occurs shortly after the court returns a verdict on case #1. Then a third mystery, a death by fire that occurred decades earlier, leads to a final trial. The common denominator in all three mysteries is Sir Barnabas Saltram, one of the world's foremost forensics experts. Is his argument about the effect of intense heat on the human skull correct or is his science flawed? And is something darker at play? Could someone be using Sir Barnabas' theory for their own gain? To what end?

Daniel Pitt, the son of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, is in the difficult position of having to rely on Saltram's expertise while also trying to find out the truth. But to question the testimony of a man as powerful and revered as Sir Barnabas may not be wise. If he doesn't tread carefully, his career will surely suffer for it. Even worse, there could be dire consequences for Miriam fford Croft, his scientifically-inclined friend who studied under Sir Barnabas twenty years earlier. As Daniel and Miriam race to find answers, their reputations – and their lives – are put in jeopardy.

This is the third installment in Anne Perry's new historical mystery series, which is a spinoff from the highly successful series that features Thomas and Charlotte. Set in 1911, the novel offers a glimpse of the difficulties intellectual Victorian women faced if they wanted to pursue a career—especially one in science. Things are changing, but not very fast, and the word of male authorities is still sacrosanct. The 25-year-old Daniel represents the new thinking, Sir Barnabas the old and the story effectively conveys the powerful clash between change and business-as-usual. As someone who is quite a bit older than Daniel, Miriam is caught between these two worlds. She's grown up in a society that has ingrained traditional values in her. If she can't be a wife and mother, she's a failure. And she certainly can't pursue her passion for forensics in any serious way. Or can she?

I enjoyed this book, more because of the historical backdrop than the mysteries. The plot itself is cleverly constructed and though the action unfolds at its own leisurely pace, I didn't mind. Daniel is a likeable character and his developing friendship with Miriam held my interest, in part because I don't often see the age difference reversed in such friendships, especially in novels set during the Victorian period. I also liked the secondary characters and found even the antagonists intriguing enough to keep me reading. As for the actual forensics of the three cases, I have my doubts. I tried doing a bit of online research on the various theories put forth and could not substantiate the specifics, although the premise about what happens to skulls when subjected to intense heat seems to be generally true. I would especially have liked a little more information about the third mystery, which I found the most interesting of the three. Still, the plot was tied up neatly at the end. And whatever the science actually is, One Fatal Flaw is a fun legal drama that continues to develop the series' characters while conveying a sense of the times (which, oddly enough, parallel our present cultural situation, especially in regard to recent prominent court cases). I look forward to reading Book #4 in the series.

Much thanks to Random House and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Anne Perry never seems to disappoint. This book started out slower than the other books I've read, but I am so glad I stayed with it until the end. I love the character Daniel Pitt, he is well developed and love his interactions. The plot, once it picked up, moved fast and had me guessing until the end.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I am very fond of Anne Perry books and have really enjoyed the Daniel Pitt books, this one a little less so than the first two. It was a bit slow in parts and I could not see how the story of the laboratory set up by Miss fford Croft would fit into the story. But it was more her story than the lab that was a critical part of the book. In today's age, it is hard for us to identify with the prejudice that women suffered through during the time of this book. However, being old enough myself to be the first woman accountant in an audit firm, I have somewhat of a perspective as to what she may have faced. And Ms. Perry does give it a very truthful presentation as to the prejudice that women faced.

As always, I continue to look forward to the next book in each series. I am a bit more interested in the ones that are related to the solving of crimes directly since I do find the legal part somewhat boring. But since young Pitt is just beginning his career, I am guessing we will have many more books in this series. And it is beginning to appear unlikely that the elder Pitts will star in another book.

I think the publisher and the author, as well as, Netgalley for a copy of this book. The review is my own.

This was my first Anne Perry novel, I've had friends reccomend her books to me, and I'm finally glad I gave her a go. I truly enjoyed this book, so easy to read but kept my attention throughout the whole story, I will definitely be checking out more of her work. Thank you netgalley for sending me the book.

Although I enjoyed the new characters of Daniel Pitt, Kitteredge and Miriam in the first of this series. I really felt like this second book didn't deviate much from the original book. I think it would have been much more interesting had the author developed Daniel's personality more and injected some new regular characters.

Young lawyer Daniel Pitt is back in the third installment of Anne Perry’s latest series, a spin off from her popular Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. When a young woman comes to Daniel begging him to get her boyfriend acquitted of arson and murder, he reluctantly agrees to take the case and, with the help of his friend and sometimes collaborator, Miriam fford Croft, enlists a famous forensic scientist to defend his client. But after a second, identical fire and death calls the verdict in this previous case into question, Daniel and Miriam must decide if the cost of justice is worth paying with their reputations—or even their lives.

I had read the previous Daniel Pitt mystery and was happy to find that this one, like its predecessor, was filled with the pub dinners, tea settings and atmospheric descriptions of London weather that transport the reader to 1910 England and are for me a real pleasure of reading these books. Unfortunately, however, the plot suffers a bit from the same slow, ruminative pacing and abrupt ending that I’ve found in the few other Anne Perry books I’ve read. I’ll probably still read the next Daniel Pitt book—I’ll just be more prepared for a meandering but pleasant journey to a quick conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

early-20th-century, lawyers, London, arson, murder-investigation, friendship, forensics, gangsters

The best thing about dropping into a spin-off series by an author I enjoyed in the past but who slipped off my radar is a newer and more evidence biased appreciation of her ability. The original mystery series began before Daniel's parents had even met and continued onward as the constable rose through the ranks and the (demoted as a result of her marriage) society heiress continued to assist him with cases, some of which she dragged him into. Now it's 1910 and their second child, Daniel, is a fledgling lawyer in a fairly prestigious office. When a probably unwinnable and supposedly cut and dried case comes to his attention he calls on friends and digs deep. One memorable aspect (aside from the misogyny of the era) is a look into the early development of forensic application to investigations. Good plot full of twists, misdirections, and red herrings all done very well. I think that her writing has gotten even better and I plan to reread the original series until it's time to catch up to this one!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

The suspense starts slowly but builds to one of Perry's edge-of-you-seat suspenseful courtroom dramas. While Daniel Pitt is the main character, we get a more in-depth knowledge of a secondary character introduced in previous books - Miriam fford Croft.. Miriam is that rarity in Edwardian times, a female scientist. She is a wonderful character that I hope becomes a mainstay for future books. Her difficulties in developing her career and other life choices, become relevant when Daniel has a client he believes innocent, contrary to the evidence. Miriam has an old .acquaintance who is now a famous forensic expert and who's specialty is the type of case Daniel now has. The expert, Sir Barnabas Saltram, is an arrogant, unpleasant individual. with whom she has some embarrassing history. She asks him for help on the case and it results in far reaching consequences..I had some difficulty with parts of the story that showed the workings of the British courts and rules for lawyers. In many cases, the actions of those involved would have been illegal or even gotten the the lawyers disbarred in the United States. I had to just accept that this was OK in Britain and go with it. I thought this story was more character driven than usual and therefore more involving. I also enjoyed this glimpse into the early days of forensic science.

Anne Perry doe not disappoint with her latest entry in the Daniel Pitt series. It has all the ingredients of a successful book: complex plot brisk writing, sharp characters, and descriptions of the justice system of the time that make it easy to understand what is happening and why. One Fatal Flaw’s title does not describe the novel, which has no obvious flaws at all.

This is the third entry in Perry's Daniel Pitt series, in which Daniel is begged by a young woman to help her boyfriend, who has been accused of killing a rival gang leader and then covering it up with arson. Daniel's friend, the scientist Miriam fforbes-Croft, recalls that one of her instructors at university, Sir Barnabas Saltram, once was able to save a member of the nobility in a case where a fire killed the man's young wife. Daniel is able to secure Saltram's services and with the help of his fellow attorney Kitteridge, Robert Adwell, is cleared. And then, not weeks later, Rob Adwell is killed in a similar manner in a similar situation, and the young woman who pleaded for his life is accused of the crime. Daniel and Miriam are stunned; two so similar crimes could not have happened. Could they have been wrong? Could Sir Barnabas have been wrong—more than once?

As always, a deliberate narrative in Perry's classic style, and although Miriam is an appealing character, strait-laced and sober Daniel is not as colorful or interesting as either his father or mother were in the earlier Pitt series. The mystery is interesting up to a certain point, when you realize what happened, and then the remainder of the book is proving that.