I love Anne Perry’s books until I finish them. Then I remember what bothers me about them. Perry sets up interesting mysteries and I get drawn into what happened and can’t wait to figure it out. Most of the book is very leisurely written. In this one, as we follow the protagonist, Daniel Pitt, as he tries to unravel the story behind the murder of a senior member of his law firm, we are told over and over again about what he is feeling and why. Perry keeps reminding us of how stressful this mystery is for the law firm and its head of chambers. Daniel visits his parents, Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, who were the lead characters in Perry’s earlier series. We are told again and again how much they love and worry about each other.

As I read through the novel, I can’t wait to find out what was really going on. The percent left to read in my Kindle gets smaller and smaller and the mystery and tension remain. Then, all of a sudden, it’s all wrapped up with not much of an explanation for each murder that had taken place in the book and who did what and why. The book suddenly ends and there is no denouement, no epilogue, no resolution. I’m left feeling fed up that Perry did it to me again. There are all sorts of strings of plot left dangling that are totally unresolved.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Another exciting read from Anne Perry in the Daniel Pitt series. Daniel is coming into his own, but this book involves both his mother and father. The secondary characters are well-described as is the seedy side of London. Good ending too.

I have been a big fan of Anne Perry for a long time. I have read her Monk, Charlotte & Thomas Pitt, and now Daniel Pitt series. "Death with a Double Edge is the latest in the Daniel Pitt Series. Daniel was originally introduced in the Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series and he grew up in succeeding books.
I really wanted to like this book, but I feel it just didn't click with me. Daniel is an young lawyer, working in the chambers of a friend of his father. Daniel becomes in involved in trying to find the murderer of a colleague of his who worked in the same law firm.
One of the main problems I had with the book is that gradually, as the book progressed, it became more and more Thomas's story, as he jumps in to help his son solve the murder. (Thomas is the had of Special Branches in Great Britain.) The story moves slowly until the last part, which then seems to rush through to the completion of the mystery.
I would give this mystery 3 and 1/2 stars and will probably be read by people, who, like me, like to keep up with Perry's several series.

This is slow building story of law offices and murder. Daniel is asked to come identify a body found in a slum area with his business card in the pocket of the victim. Unfortunately he does know him and he is a partner at the law practice Daniel works at, and so the mystery starts, who and really why would anyone kill this man. We get spun in circles for quite awhile while they try to figure it out, and another murder happens, then another. Daniel finally goes to talk to his father and mother for their assessment of the facts, and then they are involved. This book does have much more of Daniels parents in it from the others in this series, we learn more about the secondary characters, and the ending is pretty interesting how it's all tied up. Everyone shows their individual strengths and work well together as well as individually. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC for an honest opinion.

The title of this book is perfect. Daniel and his father are involved in a situation that, while you're reading, you'll wonder how it will all work out, because the more they investigate, the more problems occur, and then the unthinkable happens. . . which I cannot tell here, but OMG, just wait. . . you need to read this book. I think it is one of the best Anne Perry books I've read. Even though I do love all of Ms. Perry's books. This one gets very personal.

In Death with a Double Edge, Anne Perry gives us a closer look at Daniel Pitt and his relationship with his father. Daniel's called to identify a dead body with his business card in the coat pocket. Daniel learns that a senior member of their chambers was brutally killed. This particular lawyer specializes in complex white collar/financial crimes, but Daniel and his colleagues review all past cases in their search for a motive for the killing.

Though warned away from approaching the son of the largest and most important shipbuilder, Daniel reaches out to the young man. Their joint effort at sleuthing brings another violent death and personal danger to Daniel. When Thomas Pitt gets involved, we get a better sense of the world that they live in and the dangers that they navigate. I very much enjoyed the start and build up of Death with a Double Edge. I did find the ending a bit short and sudden, but overall an engrossing and satisfying read.

I feel almost guilty when I think of how quickly I read Anne Perry's books. It took her so much longer to write them! This one is the fourth in her Daniel Pitt series and is quite exciting. A lawyer in Daniel's office is murdered. Why? And who did it? Daniel feels compelled to find the culprit and to learn why such a terrible thing was done. He consults his father, Sir Thomas Pitt, and receives excellent advice. But does he follow it? Someone Daniel loves is put in serious jeopardy as a result of the investigation.

As always, this book is well-plotted and the characters well-drawn. Unlike earlier books in the series, Daniel has to solve the crime without the help of his friend Miriam, who is off studying in Holland. Another consideration is that someone who might know more details also holds the security of Great Britain in his hands.

I highly recommend this book as well as all in the William Monk, Thomas Pitt, and Elena Standish series.

I've been reading Anne Perry's mysteries for more than 20 years now, and my annual reunion with the Pitt family is always a joy. In her latest book, Daniel's parents, Thomas and Charlotte, play major roles in the plot. While it's common for Thomas to be involved, Charlotte has been relegated to the back burner for a long time now. It was great to see her play such a pivotal role again.

The mystery surrounds the brutal murder of one of Daniel's colleagues, a lawyer named Drake, who had recently handled a couple of different court cases. Daniel suspects that Drake's murder could be related to one of these cases, and during his research, he befriends one of the exonerated defendants. After a pub crawl, the defendant is murdered in the same manner as Drake.

The plot gets more complicated after the second murder, with police and government corruption and the kidnapping of a beloved character. All the secondary characters we have come to love in the Daniel Pitt series play a part in the story. My only complaints are that the villain was too obvious and the ending was a bit rushed. But those are minor quibbles. I can't wait to visit the Pitt family again next year.

Daniel Pitt’s investigation into his colleague’s murder leads him through London’s teeming underbelly to the suspicious dealings of one of England’s most influential shipbuilding magnates.
This is the 4th in this series and as the story moves closer to war, Daniel finds himself in the most challenging case of his life. I loved Anne Perrys description of life in turn of the century London and of the political unrest leading up to WWI. I like this character a lot and he seems to get better in every book. The mystery is well plotted as all her books are and the ending was surprising but satisfying. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This third book in talented author, Anne Perry's, Daniel Pitt novels is a delicious mystery and quagmire from the underbelly of 1911 London's streets. Multiple murders are revealed but are they somehow related? You'll want to read the book to find out. It's great to see Sir Thomas and Lady Pitt of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series written into this story alongside their junior barrister son, Daniel. The interpersonal relationship is strong yet tender.

Ms. Perry's historical research is spot on. She writes of the seediness of London's slums, the obvious differences among classes, their homes and attire. Her writing is rich in description and one is easily drawn into the scenes as though watching from the corner of the room. The dialogue is well crafted such that the reader senses the personality of the speaker, their depth of their character and their idiosyncrasies. If you enjoy historical fiction mysteries, then I suspect you will enjoy this series as much as I.

Publication Date: April 13, 2021
Pages: 304
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780593159330


I am grateful to author Anne Perry and Ballantine books for having provided a complimentary uncorrected proof of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

This is Perry's fourth book in her series about Daniel Pitt, son of Special Branch head Sir Thomas Pitt and his wife Charlotte, who were the protagonists of Perry's first mystery series, and so far the best, possibly because both elder Pitts are involved. It begins slowly, when Daniel is called to identify a body he believes, due to the coat the person was wearing, is his fellow solicitor, Toby Kitteridge. To his relief, but also to his consternation, the body is instead that of Jonah Drake, one of the elder partners at fforde-Croft and Gibson, and he has been savaged by someone wielding a large knife or sword. Daniel and Kitteridge, as well as their superior Marcus fforde-Croft, begin investigating as they know it will reflect badly on their law office, and soon they are fairly sure the murder has something to do with one of Drake's prior cases, one that was still unsolved although Drake was able to get the court to acquit the accused, Evan Faber, the son of famed shipbuilder Erasmus Faber, the latter who's using his special skill to demand favors from the government.

As I said, starts off slowly and then the plot speeds up as more deaths occur and Daniel, Kitteridge, and even Pitt and Charlotte attempt to put clues together. The last eight or nine chapters pull into high gear as we get a glimpse into the crime and what the criminals are willing to do to keep their secrets hidden. While I had a feeling an introduced character was significant to the story, I had no idea of the plot twist that would make this character be more significant than it appeared at first!

Miriam fforde-Croft, who has been Daniel's sleuthing companion in the previous three books, is in Europe studying for a medical degree which she cannot get in England (the Dutch being more enlightened in women's education in 1911), and only appears near the end, but Daniel's work with Kitteridge, and in a small part with Roman Blackwell and his mother, and especially with his own parents more than makes up for her absence. If you read the series, and have read the Charlotte/Pitt books (mention is made to several of the books, chiefly to the first, The Cater Street Hangman), you will surely love this one.

Anne Perry came up again with a great story. This book is the third book in the series that involve Daniel Pitt the son of Thomas and Charlotte as the main character. I think it can be read as a standalone but if possible it will be better to read them in order. Daniel is trying to deal with the murder of his coworker. Having regrets he hadn’t made an effort to get to know him better as a person as he searches for clues about the murderer and finds that he was a very different person then what Daniel had taught him to be. This book ends up much more complicated than a simple murder.

I really love Anne Perry's books and each series brings new people to love. The Daniel Pitt series is a spin off as his parents are Sir Thomas and Lady Charlotte Pitt. Daniel has become a lawyer and finds himself needing to investigate cases. However, this time it hits much closer to home as Daniel is called in to identify a body that had been brutally murdered and left in Miles End. Daniel was called as his business card was the only item of identification on the body. He knows it is someone from his law firm before arriving at the police station. But why was one of his lawyer friends in Miles End at 2 a.m.?
This book didn't move as quickly for me as most of Ms. Perry's books do. There was less action and much more in depth questioning as Daniel works through the case. Often repeating the same questions, over and over. For that reason, I can't rate it as high as I have the other books. However, it is an engrossing storyline and I did enjoy the book. Thank you #NetGalley for allowing me to give my honest opinion on #DeathWithADoubleEdge.

Daniel Pitt is back, determined to solve the mystery of his murdered co-worker, the enigmatic Jonah Drake. With the help of Toby Kitteridge and his parents and the encouragement of Marcus fford Croft, Daniel sets out to unravel which of Drake’s older court cases was a catalyst for his death. The search takes them to the seedy London area of Mile End, near where the powerful Erasmus Faber holds court with his shipbuilding empire, a valuable trade in pre-WWI England. Investigating him and the details of his son’s previous murder trial, skillfully won by Jonah Drake, lands Sir Thomas Pitt in hot water with Special Branch because of Faber’s importance to the country. Meanwhile, Charlotte becomes involved in solving the mystery as well — though not always by choice — as things begin to fall into place even as other murders occur. Daniel finds himself grappling with the potentially devastating consequences Drake’s death could spell for the law firm he’s employed by, as well as fears that all was not above board and what the repercussions of this might mean for the future.

After a somewhat slow beginning, ‘Death with a Double Edge’ picked up speed in the middle but lost a little momentum in the end. It wasn’t as twisty as Anne Perry’s books can be, and things worked out a bit too unrealistically at times, but overall it’s a solid addition to the Daniel Pitt series. I’m hoping for more Miriam next time, though. She barely featured in this story and I love her character.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Daniel is called to the morgue to identify a body that had his business card in his pocket. Daniel was shocked to find out that it was one of his co-workers. The body was found in a part of town that can be dangerous during day. This book captured my attention from the first page

Set in the early 1900s, lawyer Daniel Pitt is a young and upcoming lawyer at chambers when a senior lawyer is found murdered (Jonah Drake). The murder was committed in a less than upstanding neighborhood which makes the police work more difficult. With Drake being a senior lawyer at the firm, Daniel and another junior lawyer team up to try and solve his murder themselves and work to ensure there weren't any illegal activity that would reflect negatively upon their chambers. Upon investigating, Daniel discovers a couple of cases that stood out and he investigates them with the help of his father, Thomas Pitts. The author weaves through Daniel's investigation and more murders turn up all the while she kept me guessing and second guessing my suspicions. When I thought I had figured out the mystery there would be a twist in the case. This is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. I look forward to other books by this author in the future and will be looking into her previous work.

My review is posted on Goodreads and the link can be found below.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3800350528?book_show_action=false

Anne Perry’s books always draw me in.Really enjoyed this new one in the series.Well written with twists and turns that kept me guessing to the end, A book I will be recommending along with all her books.#netgalley #randomhouse

This is a pretty good mystery - Perry doesn't write bad ones - but it does go rather slow in the beginning. It starts out with the gruesome muder of one of Daniel's fellow lawyers in his chambers. Daniel feels the need to solve it, as the police don't seem to be trying too hard. It takes quite a while for Daniel to get anywhere beyond the basic inquiry stage. We also don't get as much depth of involvement of interesting secondary characters. I admit to doing some skimming until things started to get interesting, which took several chapters. At that point, the slow start was made up with the increasing speed of the action, culminating in the satisfactory finish..

Death with a Double Edge is the fourth installment in the Daniel Pitt series by bestselling historical novelist, Anne Perry. Because his card is in the pocket of a coat found on a body that has been slashed to death in a seedy part of London, Daniel is taken to the morgue to make an identification. Fortunately, it isn’t his friend, the owner of the coat, but unfortunately it is the body of Jonah Drake, a powerful lawyer at Daniel’s firm; Drake is well known for winning cases, and while looking into Drake’s recent cases, Daniel and his boss, Marcus, believe it may be related to a case where a high-end call girl was murdered and the son of a wealthy shipbuilder was tried and found not guilty of her murder. Daniel brings his father, Thomas Pitt, head of Special Branch, into the investigation and they are both warned to stay away from looking into the wealthy shipbuilder because it would be a huge political problem; apparently politics hasn’t changed in the hundred or so years since this story took place. As Daniel discovers clues, and works on this case with his law partner, he puts the entire firm in danger, and skirts on the edge of involving the shipbuilder.

As usual Perry’s research is spot on and her stories ring true. Her historical novels are well-written and readers will feel that they are actually living during the time period. Perry is a master of excellent characterization when it comes to the main individuals in her novels, and she brings them out as believable real people. This new series, a take-off from the bestselling Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series (Daniel’s parents), is fascinating and highly recommended. Readers who haven’t read the previous series should pick them up. Not only are they great books, but very educational. Death with a Double Edge is a great read.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I am sending a review of this book to the mystery magazine, Kings River Life. Will let you know when it posts
My review is very favorable. Nuanced intricate plotting, pacing keeps us on edge at all times--well done.
I think this is one of the best Perry has written. Definitely five stars.