First Sentence: Daniel was worried.

Jonah Drake, a senior lawyer with fford Croft and Gibson, has been murdered, his body found with Daniel Pitt's card in the pocket of his jacket. Almost more important to the law firm than who killed Drake, is learning whether the murder was personal, or involved the legal chambers. Looking into his past cases, which were mostly financial but also involved two murder cases, Daniel and colleagues are concerned about possible wrongdoing on Drake's part, and whether Marcus fford Croft, the firm's founder, was involved.

The book starts off very well with Perry adroitly setting scenes that convey the transformation from the Victorian era to the Georgian period, and with the thoughts and anxiety Daniel feels traveling to the morgue. The dialogue is audible; one not only hears the words but the intonation and emotion. Perry wraps one inside Daniel, allowing one to know his thoughts.

Unfortunately, that becomes the book's downfall as we spend too much time with Daniel thinking and not doing. It is the protagonist making decisions and acting on them that creates a compelling read. The constant dithering of Daniel, and later even Pitt, becomes repetitive and, frankly, boring.

It was nice to have Daniel's parents, Thomas and Charlotte, involved. Kitteridge, a colleague in the firm, is a good secondary character, but fford Croft is ill-used, and Roman Blackwell and his mother, the two most fascinating characters, were seriously underutilized, which made no sense as they were the ones with the skill and contacts to have done the on-the-street investigation.

There are huge leaps and assumptions made with no substantiation. At the point of danger and suspense, Perry backs off since one knows the threat isn't dire and won't be acted upon. The situation makes no logical sense, and the character behind it could not possibly have thought the threat would work. Even so, once again, the characters sit and dither rather than act. Worst of all, the ending is abrupt making it completely unsatisfactory.

"Death with a Double Edge" is not the best representation of Ms. Perry's fine writing. As has been noticed for other authors, this may have been a case of trying to write during a period when no one's focus or attention was quite up to par. One must hope that the next book will be up to Perry's usual standard.

DEATH WITH A DOUBLE EDGE (HistMys-Daniel Pitt-London-1911/Georgian) – Poor
Perry, Anne – 4th in series
Ballentine Books, Apr 2021, 304 pp.

My review of Death with a Double Edge by Anne Perry is in the May 2021 issue of Gumshoe Review and is exclusive to them until June 1st, 2021. You may read the review at this link:
<http://www.gumshoereview.com/php/Review-id.php?id=6743>

This was an eARC from Netgalley. I am a big Anne Perry fan so was excited to receive this ebook. This was a great read with suspense and a story with a twist. Only 4 stars because it at the time felt like it was a slow burn, but then made up for it as the story came to an end.

Daniel Pitt is called to a murder scene in the slums of London to identify a body which leads him and his family and colleagues to solve the murder. This story has many twists and turns that include murders, kidnapping, and other mysteries that need to be solved to find out who the murderer is. A good mystery with some historic backdrops and shady characters to help build the plot of the story.

Thanks, Netgalley and Ballantine Books for this eARC of Death With a Double Edge.

I enjoyed this book. This is an author I never hesitate to pick up. Her writing skills and attention to details her stories have a realistic feel to them. This one is no different. The characters bring the story to life on each page as well as keep the story engaging. This is a fast paced story that kept me reading to the end. The twists and tuns brought the story to a new level and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this suspenseful thriller. It is truly a great story by a great author.

As with all of Anne Perry’s books, it’s pure genius! I jump in telling myself I’m going to read it slowly and relish it and before I know it I’m so deep into it that I can’t put it down! Can’t wait to see what genius she comes up with next! Thanks Anne for writing such a great book!

This is another historical murder mystery in the Daniel Pitt series. When Jonah Drake, one of the senior barristers in the law firm is found murdered in a seedy part of London known as Mile End, Daniel is asked to secretly investigate to see what Jonah was working on that would've taken him to that part of town and in the wee hours of the morning at that.

Daniel has his friend and colleague Toby Kitteridge have to sort out Jonah's case files and notes, but Miriam fford Croft is in Holland getting her forensic scientist qualifications, and Daniel can't ask her, as much as he'd like to, to miss classes to help with the case.

This case brings up a lot of questions and Daniel and Toby need to find the answers as several more people are murdered and Daniels' mother, Charlotte is kidnapped. Was Jonah Drake taking bribes? Was Jonah's murder personal? Did it have anything to do with the recent murder case even though the man was found innocent? Why was one of the bodies moved after the person was killed?

This story had several twists and turns, and I couldn't figure out who the bad guy(s) was until Daniel and Toby started revealing the evidence at the end. I liked that we see more of Daniel and his parents together, in fact, Daniel works with his father to help find his mother. I was glad we got to see Miriam towards the end, and I'm still wondering if she and Daniel will get together romantically. I liked how Daniel and Toby discovered more about their aloof colleague, Jonah, while investigating his murder. He was a brilliant attorney and it will be interesting to see how the firm fills in the space he left behind.

I received a complimentary copy by the publisher Ballantine via NetGalley. All thoughts expressed in my review are my own.

A policeman comes to Daniel Pitt’s law chambers and asks him to accompany him to the morgue, as a deceased man was found wearing a coat with Daniel’s card in the pocket. Daniel spots the coat.

It was like a blow that knocked out all the air out of his body. There was a boldly checked coat hanging up on a railing. There could not be two coats so ugly in exactly that loud, clanging check. Kitteridge had just bought it, and Daniel had been very rude, calling it an eyesore. And so it was. But he would give anything now to be able to take that back. It had been meant carelessly, teasing.

Even though he wasn’t ready—he would never be ready—Daniel steels himself to look at the face of his friend and colleague, Toby Kitteridge. He wonders how anyone can work at the morgue, with the unrelenting pain of constantly having to tell the living about the death of a loved one.

He knew the face, in spite of the knife slashes across the cheek and nose, and another over the neck, dark with congealed blood. It was not Kitteridge—although he was about the same height, as well as Daniel could judge of a man lying down—but Jonah Drake, one of the senior lawyers in his own chambers, one of the cleverest in court. Not a particularly likable man, but one with skills Daniel could not deny. In fact, reluctantly, he had admired him.

Barrister Jonah Drake had an enviable track record of convincing juries to exonerate his clients. In modern-day parlance, he was a rain-maker for the esteemed law firm of fford Croft and Gibson. The head of the firm, Marcus fford Croft, is worried that Drake’s methods were not entirely above-board, and he also wonders why Drake was killed in Mile End, a most insalubrious part of London. He asks Daniel to undertake a quiet investigation. Alluded to are fford Croft’s worries that his frequent memory lapses might be detrimental to uncovering the truth. Has he forgotten something that would explain Drake’s inexplicable murder?

About a year ago, Drake represented a young man, Evan Faber, who was accused of killing his older mistress. Evan was pronounced not guilty. When Daniel fills his parents in on Jonah Drake’s murder, Thomas Pitt advises his son to proceed cautiously.

“Do you know anything about Evan’s father, Erasmus Faber?”



“No. Who is he?”



“Faber? Owner of the biggest shipbuilding company in Britain.”



Charlotte moved uncomfortably beside Daniel, but she refrained from interrupting.



“What has that to do with it?” Daniel asked. “Drake got Evan off, and it looks as if he was innocent, so it was a just decision, reached after due process. Drake was brilliant. He left everyone feeling as if it were the right outcome, reached in the right way, after a hell of a struggle.”



Pitt’s face was unreadable. “Avoid Erasmus Faber if you can,” he warned.



“Why? Is he above the law?”



Pitt’s face was bleak. “No one is. At least, theoretically … “



“But?”



“But … at the moment, he’s a man very important to the government. And since you seem to be satisfied that Drake came to the right conclusion, in the right way, you don’t need to question the verdict. Why did you even mention it, side by side with a case that wasn’t satisfactorily concluded?”



“Because it was a hard-fought battle, and the police never found whoever did it,” Daniel answered, stiffening in his seat. “But the jury were all satisfied that it wasn’t Evan.”



“If there was no evidence pointing to Evan, why did the police arrest him?” Charlotte asked.

Daniel is unwilling to ignore these questions. His father, Sir Thomas Pitt, the head of Special Branch, is warned to stand down. His Majesty George V’s government would strongly prefer that nothing disrupt their relationship with Faber senior. Erasmus Faber’s shipping operation is a vital cog in Great Britain’s blueprint to dominate at sea. But neither Daniel nor Thomas are particularly good at following the orders of powerful men that ask them to ignore the misdeeds of other rich and powerful individuals. The Pitts know the consequence of inaction. Plato said, ”The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” Their parallel inquiries are exacerbated when Evan Faber is murdered.

In Death with a Double Edge, young barrister Daniel Pitt comes into his own as a calculating, clever investigator. For the first time, Daniel Pitt investigates without the formidable talents of Marcus’s daughter, Miriam fford Croft. She is in Amsterdam, studying to become certified as a forensic pathologist, an educational path that is closed to her in England. He goes toe to toe with his formidable father, Sir Thomas Pitt, head of Special Branch. Not that Pitt père and fils are at odds; they persevere because they believe evil actions cannot be excused or swept away, even for a perceived greater good. This belief is challenged to the core when Charlotte Pitt is kidnapped, clearly to put a spoke in their investigations.

Death with a Double Edge is the fourth Daniel Pitt mystery, but for all intents and purposes, it’s also a continuation of the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series, of which Murder on the Serpentine, published in 2017, was #32. Brava Anne Perry—long may we continue to follow the exploits of the Pitt family.

The action is non-stop in Anne Perry’s latest Pitt novel! The focus of the series has shifted to the young Daniel Pitt, but Thomas and Charlotte find themselves caught up in the action as a member of Daniel’s chambers is murdered, followed by a cascade of related killings. Daniel and his friend Toby Kittredge take on the task of trying to unwind their colleague’s affairs, and hopefully protect their employer, but the job is bigger than they expect and they bring in all of the “guns” at their disposal.

Action packed and exciting, the new Pitt generation is set to be thrilling.

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

Title: Death with a Double Edge
Author: Anne Perry
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

When junior barrister Daniel Pitt is summoned to the scene of a murder in the London district known as Mile End, he knows only that the victim is a senior barrister from the same firm. To Daniel's relief, it is not his close friend Toby Kitteridge, but the question remains: What was this respected colleague doing in such a rough part of the city? The firm's head, Marcus fford Croft, may know more than he admits, but fford Croft's memory is not what it used to be, and his daughter, Miriam--Daniel's friend and sometime sidekick--isn't in the country to offer her usual help. And so Daniel and Kitteridge must investigate on their own, lest the police uncover something that may cast a suspicious light on the firm.

Their inquiries in Mile End lead them to a local brothel and to an opium den, but also--unexpectedly--to a wealthy shipbuilder crucial to Britain's effort to build up its fleet, which may soon face the fearsome naval might of Germany. Daniel finds his path blocked by officials at every turn, his investigation so unwelcome that even his father, Special Branch head Thomas Pitt, receives a chilling warning from a powerful source. Suddenly, not just Daniel but his whole family--including his beloved mother, Charlotte--is in danger. Will Daniel's devotion to justice be the undoing of his entire life, and endanger Britain's defense at sea?

I haven’t read a single book of this series, or the long-running series about Daniel’s father, but I had no trouble stepping into it and feeling at home. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, although I felt just as confused as Daniel 99% of the time. Murder mysteries set in the past are difficult to do well, but this one was well-done, without an obvious villain. I did find the ending a tiny bit too easy, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the novel.

Anne Perry is a bestselling author. Death with a Double Edge is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Ballantine Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Unlike other mysteries by Anne Perry, this book was slow-moving and repetitive. The plot seemed slight, with little action to move it along until the final chapters. Readers of other novels about the Pitt family will not find much new here.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

When one of the associates in his law firm is murdered, Daniel must investigate the case to find the murderer and save the practice from possible disgrace. At the same time, there are several other murders - are they connected? Politics and national defense come into play and Daniel must be careful about how he pursues justice. Unfortunately, Daniel's investigative partner, Miriam fford Croft, is on the continent studying for her forensic certification.

I always enjoy Perry's novels about Daniel Pitt and his father Thomas, the head of Special Branch, and their family.

Death with a Double Edge is book number four about Daniel. This time, someone in Daniel’s chambers has been viciously murdered. At first Daniel thinks that the victim is his good friend and associate Toby. However, it was not Toby but another lawyer who had borrowed Toby’s coat. Who was the intended victim? Why was he in such a dangerous part of London in the early hours of the morning? Was his death related to his work or his personal life? Daniel is tasked with finding out. At the same time, Daniel is concerned for how this situation will impact the head of his chambers, Marcus fford Croft, and the head’s daughter Miriam. Miriam is someone ahead of her time and a person who is important to Daniel.

All will be resolved of course but there will be issues along the way. Some of the seamier aspects of life in early 20th century London will come to light.

I enjoyed this latest novel by one of my favorite authors. Anne Perry can tell a good tale. She is also insightful and understands something about human nature.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Ed note: This review will appear in Mountain Times on April 20, 2021, at https://www.wataugademocrat.com/mountaintimes/columns/book_reviews/

'Death with a Double Edge' by Anne Perry, Ballantine Books, $28

Anne Perry’s fourth mystery featuring London solicitor Daniel Pitt isn’t the author’s most intricate, but as a period piece — the action is set in 1911 — “Death with a Double Edge” offers a solid story that will keep fans of Pitt, including those of his parents, Sir Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, engaged in a journey from the high courts to the opium dens of the city’s infamous Mile End.

The story opens when Daniel is summoned to identify the remains of who he fears is his best friend and colleague. When it turns out that he was misinformed, the mystery takes on a more savage turn as he learns the deceased is indeed not only another colleague, but one who was brutally mutilated by a double-edge sword. The twist develops when Pitt, tasked with investigating the murder in order to protect the chambers’ reputation, learns that the dead man is one of the firm’s most financially productive — and most willing to work in the gray areas of the legal cases that make up his voluminous winning record.

Although the bulk of those cases involve business dealings, two murder cases rise to the level of Pitt’s attention — could the outcome of one of these have incited the murder of the lawyer? — and suddenly, it’s not only Pitt who is in danger, but perhaps the fate of the British empire’s national sea defense.

Tying family connections with such intrigue is one of Perry’s strengths, and although Daniel will continue to lag in fans’ estimation against the ever-popular Thomas and Charlotte, the result is a fast and fresh story that will satisfy readers of the series.

Anne Perry never disappoints, whether it's Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, William Monk, Oliver Rathbone, and currently the books of the now-grown children of the Pitts. This one centers on Daniel Pitt, the son of Thomas and Charlotte, who has become a solicitor in training. With the death of one of the heads of the office, Daniel is determined to solve the mystery and save the reputation of the firm. As usual, there are many twists and turns, and we meet well-developed characters seen through the eyes and thoughts of Daniel. If you are already an Anne Perry fan, you will be pleased with this new offering. If you haven't read Anne Perry, you could easily start with this one and not be lost by not knowing all the previous characters. But these books could be deemed as "slow" because these are certainly not action/adventure stories and more mysteries of manners. In any event, I was happy to read a new Anne Perry book and recommend this book. #NetGalley #DeathwithaDoubleEdge

A very good mystery. I really like Daniel, he seems naive at times but so worldly at others. When he is asked to identify a colleague, he is afraid it is his friend. It is actually one of the other barristers from the firm. He was murdered in a bad part of town and no one has any idea why he was there. As they look at his open and closed cases, everything points to the murder of a woman on the other side of town. When more murders happen, they know that they have to solve this one quickly. When Daniel's mother is kidnapped, Daniel and his father have to do something quick or they know they will lose her. They have to deal with a corrupt policeman, some people from society that would like to keep some things quiet and things that could endanger their country. Can they figure it out?

Death With a Double Edge by Anne Perry is a pithy mystery in the Daniel Pitt series. Daniel's mysteries always have to do with a past case, in this case not his. He is summoned to the coroner's office to identify a body in whose clothing his care had been found. As he arrived, he spotted Toby Kitteridge's horrendous new coat. Coupled with the fact that Toby had been late in arriving at the office, Daniel's mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Thankfully he was incorrect, but the body was someone he knew: another from his office. A senior solicitor named Drake, on of the best trial lawyers out there, despite his forte was financial malfeasance. Recognizing that the police would likely do little to solve this crime, everyone in chambers agreed they must do it themselves. Daniel was to look into Drake's earlier cases and Toby will look at the embezzlement matter Drake had currently been working on. As always, Daniel sought out the wise counsel and comfort of his parents. Daniel quickly determined that the issue emanated from a murder case Drake had won. Despite warnings to stay away from it, he ventured forth.
Daniel is a clever young man, who one day will be as accomplished as his father. He has a way of seeing into the depth of a matter and discovering how to bring it all together. He missed the companionship of his employer's daughter, Miriam, with whom he had developed a deep professional relationship as she of saw things her did not, but not matter. He had to proceed. His employer, fford Croft, was aging. He also seemed to be hiding something.

Daniel did not know what but he dived right in, hoping for the best. Drake's reputation and that of the entire chamber was at stake, as was the truth of the matter. Daniel could not let go of the truth, no matter what. He is a wonderful character who will no double lose his naïveté as he grows older, but for now he is full of it. Kitteredge is a little more practical but follows where Daniel leads. The mystery, as always in multi-dimensional and it takes digging and imagination to solve it. Daniel has both in spades. Wonderful book. Thanks, Anne Perry!

I was invited to read a free ARC of Death With a Double Edge by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #deathwithadoubleedge

Murder of a Barrister in Daniel Pitt’s Firm

When Toby Kitteridge is late for a meeting with Daniel, he is annoyed, but when he’s summoned to the morgue to identify a body, he’s terrified to find it’s his friend. This is reinforced when he sees Kitteridge’s coat hanging in the morgue room. However, when the sheet is pulled back he finds himself looking at another member of the firm, Jonah Drake.

Drake was a brilliant lawyer, but a taciturn individual who Daniel didn’t know well. What then was he doing with Daniel’s card in his pocket? Drake was found in the dangerous area of Mile End. What was a respectable lawyer doing there?

Toby and Daniel are tasked by Marcus fford-Croft, head of the firm, to find out what was going on to protect the reputation of the firm. This is a particularly critical task since Marcus can be of little help since his memory is going. Even so, Daniel and Toby worry that he knows more than he’s letting on.

The investigation touches people in high places including the owner of the shipyard Britain is counting on to build vessels to counter the German threat. Daniel’s father Thomas Pitt become involved because he is warned that his son should not pursue some areas of investigation. This puts Daniel and his father in a struggle with Daniel’s sense of justice.

I always enjoy Daniel Pitt novels. He’s a rather naive young man, but his sense of justice and perseverance make the pursuit of the mystery take a higher road than simply solving a crime. This was not the most well plotted book in the series. There was too much going over and over evidence and there were major leaps in the action. However, it was a good read. If you enjoy Victorian mysteries this is a good one.

I received this book from NetGalley for this review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine Books for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Death with a Double Edge.” All opinions are my own.

Daniel Pitt, our protagonist in his fourth book, this one set in May, 1911 is fighting to save his law firm and solve a murder at the same time in “Death with a Double Edge.” When he's called to the scene of a terrible crime, he finds the body of one of the senior partners of fford Croft and Gibson. It’s a bad part of town – what was the man doing there? And how will this affect the firm? Was it a case, or something in the man’s past, even blackmail perhaps. How many murders – and mystery books – deal with that!

Obviously, the firm may not survive this scandal, and with Marcus fford Croft unwell, it’s up to Daniel and Kitteridge, his friend and fellow lawyer to ferret out the truth and save everyone’s reputation. And find the man’s murderer, of course.

Daniel begins to wonder how Marcus is involved – something underhanded? This has him more and more worried. Much of the book is taken up with these fears. And maybe some questions could have been put to the man, and that aspect of the case cleared up much sooner. But hey, who am I to judge.

Another murder takes place, part of a case from the dead man’s legal past. It’s becoming quite evident that that one case is proving to be the key to everything. There’s some twists and turns that readers will not see coming! The brilliance of this book is its plotting, the degree to which everything ties together. There is also a true sense of time and place, and the undertone of how England is moving towards war.

Towards the end Daniel’s family is personally involved, and some tension-filled scenes occur that will keep readers definitely invested in the outcome. Luckily, he has all the proof he needs to find the true killer and additionally, save the firm’s reputation.

My final criticism of the book was that the ending came around rather abruptly, it seemed to me. All’s well that ends well, even if it ends brusquely. But our young Mr. Pitt can breathe a sign of relief and continue the practice of law, in “Death with a Double Edge.”

With the addition of Death with a Double Edge this historical series may be the best one written by Anne Perry. It is certainly the best so far. Daniel Pitt is a junior barrister asked to secretly investigate the death of a senior member of the firm. Obviously, foul play is involved along taking place in a rough part of London. Exactly what was the murder victim doing there in the first place.

His parents lend their support which takes Daniel from the lower levels of society all the way up to national security. There are so many twists and turns in this gripping read with Daniel being led on a more than one rabbit trail. No one is above the danger present. The historical aspect of the story is brilliantly written so that you come away feeling as if you have traveled the London roads along with Daniel.

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

In Death with a Double Edge, author Anne Perry has created a really nice pre-WWI historical mystery featuring Daniel Pitt, the son of the protagonists (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt) in her earlier “main” series. Daniel has become a lawyer, and after the gruesomely murdered body of one of the senior partners in the firm where he works is found in a decidedly not-nice part of town, he feels compelled to investigate. Why was Jonah Drake there? Was it tied into one of his previous cases? Or was it something personal? And what does the head of Daniel’s chambers, Marcus fford Croft, know about it? Oh, and by the way, is Marcus starting to suffer from memory loss – either intentional or otherwise? Readers will enjoy following along as Daniel and one of his fellow junior lawyers try to find answers to their questions and figure out who killed Jonah, with some help from Charlotte and Thomas.

But what makes this book a bit different, and a bit more than just another historical mystery, is that Perry also riffs a little on a timeless human issue: what it means to be the son of a very successful man. One of the sons of a famous father, is, of course, Daniel Pitt himself. By the time of this spin-off series, Thomas Pitt is the head of Special Branch, and quite well known in many circles. So when, early in the book, Inspector Letterman asks Daniel if he’s related to Thomas, readers can almost feel the weariness in Daniel’s voice when he says, “my father”. But there’s also another son of a famous father in this tale – Evan Faber, who had been successfully defended by Drake in a rather notorious murder trial only a few years earlier. His father, Erasmus Faber, is a titan of the ship-building industry, which is growing in importance as pre-WWI tensions are building between Britain and Germany, and Evan struggles a bit in comparison. Evan and Daniel are both likeable as they negotiate trying to live up to their fathers.

All-in-all, Death with a Double Edge is a smooth and enjoyable read. Please keep in mind that I rarely give 5-star ratings, reserving them for a very very few books – maybe one in thirty or forty books that I read. So the 4-star rating that I’m giving Death with a Double Edge is a solid recommendation to read this book! And my thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy.