The Fourth Enemy by Anne Perry is the next in her relatively new Daniel Pitt series. As you may know, Daniel is the son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, and is recently married, to his longtime friend, Miriam fford Croft, the daughter of the head of his chambers. Miriam had spent a year in Holland earning her forensic pathologist credentials, not available to her in England. She is now working at the public morgue under her good friend, Dr. Evelyn Hall. It is a complicated story: Marcus fford Croft has retired and hired a new man to replace him called Gideon Hunter. Gideon is known to be an excellent attorney and audacious in the way he handles cases. In this instance, Daniel is shocked to find that he has applied to prosecute Malcolm Vane. Vane’s crimes are financial, primarily what we would now call a Ponzi Scheme. He has given away lots of money and endeared himself to the populous so prosecuting him will be unpopular no matter his guilt. The case turns into far more that anyone could have expected.

I love Daniel Pitt. I especially applaud his courage in following his heart and marrying a woman fifteen years his senior. He is a clever man and a good investigator, having grown up with his parents and the way they both think. He is a character full of depth and empathy. Miriam is every bit as clever as Daniel albeit in slightly different ways. Together they are a powerful team. Vane has stacked the deck for himself as a character reminiscent of a modern day politician. Perry has assisted him by writing characters who change their testimony when they get on the stand or refuse to testify at all. It is a complex story, full of subplots and twists and turns. The addition of Gideon Hunter and his wife Rose to the mix is a brilliant move on Perry’s part and I expect to see much more of them. This is a wonderful novel. Please, don’t miss it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Fourth Enemy by Random House Publishing-Ballantine, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #RandomHouseBallantine #AnnePerry #TheFourthEnemy

This is the 5th Daniel Pitt. Started very slowly, but Daniel and Miriam are married. I love that she is 15 years older than he is and a forensic scientist in the days when women were not expected to hold such positions. I also love that his father Thomas is now knighted and head of Special branch and plays a part in this book. Also Lùcas Standish shows up as the head of MI5, in 1912. He is the grandfather of Elena,who has her own series.
This is a very technical financial story, but the last 25% gets very exciting.
I am already looking forward to the next.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Daniel who is a lawyer, has been given a new case. A man with deep pockets and friends is charged with fraud. When a couple individuals tied to the case are dead, it is up to Daniel to try and figure out whats happening and have a man be found guilty of his misdeeds. A good read.

I enjoy Anne Perry’s mysteries, but this one demonstrates one of her bad habits and could have benefited from some editing. She keeps repeating some of the same dialogues or internal monologues. And it’s not just once or twice, but over and over. For example, there are multiple discussions where the main characters discuss how they might lose their case against the bad guy, but that it’s crucial that they win it. Or one of the characters will look at their spouse and think about how much they love that person and how protective they’re feeling. Mostly, it’s the wives thinking tender thoughts about protecting their husbands’ feelings and sense of confidence as they prepare for a tough trial.

I still enjoy the trial scenes though I wish I knew more about British law to know whether a court would really allow some of the questioning that seemed quite problematic for a modern American trial. And then there’s a scene where one of the wives, covered in blood, breaks into the courtroom to tell one of the lawyers something and they have quite an extended conversation and it seems that this is allowed to go on while the jury is in the room. I can’t believe that would be allowed for more than a minute no matter what a crisis it was at the moment.

If those sorts of quibbles don’t bother you, it was still a fun mystery and I do enjoy traveling back to that time period of pre-WWI Britain.

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.

This is another Daniel Pitt novel from Anne Perry. It focuses on a legal case involving a charismatic and popular public figure who may be running a Ponzi scheme with shades of political intrigue. He is very popular with the public and has influential friends. This is a risky case for the prosecuting attorneys. It can make or break their reputations and those of their chambers. Daniel Pitt is sitting second chair on the prosecution team. Much is at stake and his wife, a forensic scientist is on board. I enjoyed it. I think that if I understood a bit more about the English court system I would have found the courtroom drama even more riveting.
This is a review of an ARC provided by NetGalley.

Daniel Pitt series book 6 (Fourth Enemy) opens on a cozy domestic scene of father-daughter and husband-wife. Barrister Daniel Pitt is married to a pathologist, Miriam, who is also the daughter of his employer, Marcus fford Croft, now retiring head of a prestigious chambers at the old Bailey. This is a highly entertaining courtroom drama, with elements of crime, adventure, love and the suffragette movement in the backdrop. It shows the expert writing along the levels of psychology of characters by an expert mystery writer.

Daniel Pitt is second to lead barrister Gideon Hunter on a fraud case involving
philanthropist Marcus Vayne. Due to the powerful connections, his newspaper ownership and the worthy causes Vayne supports, it will be difficult to find witnesses to speak against him. Vayne's ties to foreign governments is a concern to Sir Thomas Pitt of he Special Branch. Losing the case would give Vayne more power and may very well endanger the government. Looking into the way Vayne has established his connections will uncover possible witnesses to be questioned. Among Vayne's employees, Daniel will find some who are willing to talk. It becomes evident that Vayne is willing to kill to win.
Excellent addition to the series.
#TheFourthEnemy #NetGalley

As the story opens, Daniel has married his long time friend and love, Dr. Miriam fford-Croft and settled into happy domesticity. A new barrister in his chambers, Gideon Hunter, has taken on a new case that Daniel fears may be impossible to win. A powerful newspaper owner and philanthropist with political connections, Malcolm Vayne, is suspected of creating a pyramid scheme that involves high echelons of influence in Britain, As time goes on, it becomes clear that Vayne is ruthless enough to commit murder to protect his reputation and sphere of influence and Daniel fears he will end up getting away with much more than just fraud. The first half of the book was rather slow going as it set up the facts and events concerning the courtroom drama that takes up the second half.. My impression is that Daniel tends to overthink everything, be somewhat preachy and difficult to relate to. His best scenes are in the courtroom where he shines. His, wife, Dr. Fford-Croft, is the more interesting character. She is a woman who got her pathology degree in Holland, came back to Britain to practice and married an up and coming barrister who's father is the head of Special Branch. I think she should have her own series. The courtroom drama that the story finally builds to, kept my attention and interest. I don't think it's as riveting as most of Perry's previous books but it still makes a good read.

Being a fan of thrillers and mysteries I love when an Anne Perry title comes along. She brings intrigue, murder, suspense with strong characters to her books. First off we find Daniel Pitt thrown into the trial of his life. Only this time he will be working Gideon Hunter who will be taking the place of retiring Marcus fford Croft. Hunter takes on the case of Malcolm Vayne a wealthy philanthropist who is a supporter of many causes. He is alos the owner of several newspapers that print every generous thing he does for people. Is Malcolm Vayne the great man he makes himself to be, and what are his evil plans for the future.

Now that Gideon Hunter has taken to prosecute Vayne he has Daniel as his second chair. What does this mean for Daniel Pitt?His childhood friend Ian Frobisher who runs the police force was the one who arrested Vayne and wants to see his convicted of bilking people out of there life savings. Will he be able to help Daniel and Gideon take down Vayne. Also added to this cast of characterss in helping bring down the evil or not so evil Vayne is Miriam fford Croft who is a forensic pathologist and also Daniel's wife. She is at the center of this investigation not only for her knowledge of forensic science, but she will play a major part in this story. Then there is Thomas Pitt, Daniel's father who heads the Special Branch. He will play a role in this drama. With so many characters there will be so many questions that must be answered before this trial comes to a grand end. One thing we know is that everyone of these characters were written with a purpose. A purpose that will prove relevant throughout the story.

This is not a fast moving story by any means. I think that is one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. The characters were strong, the story line was bold. I needed to know who it ended, who would survive and who wouldn't. I have read Anne Perry before and haven't ever been disappointed. She keeps you at the end of your seat and you want more. Since this is one in a series I only hope there are more adventures for Daniel Pitt. It seems like trouble follows Daniel and his loved ones in some way or another.

Thank you Anne Perry for another fantastic book. Thanks to NetGalley and Randomhouse Ballantine Books for the ARC. Looking forward to many more Anne Perry adventures.

The Fourth Enemy A Daniel Pitt Novel by Anne Perry
First time reading this series and really enjoy it, enough to get the others. Can be read as a stand alone as you are brought up to date on the characters.
This story starts with the family waiting for Mariam's father to show up for dinner.
He's retired and will be announcing who will take his place at the firm. Daniel also works there but he knows he's not been there very long to get the position.
We find out more about the husband and wife and she's a forensic pathologist. Love learning how she and her female boss both got their degrees in Holland as England don’t allow women to do that type of job.
Like hearing of the suffrage movement in England.
As the story goes along everybody is on the scene at the courthouse when they figure out there's a man who's using others money fraudulently.
Clues are revealed and so many hope for such a good outcome. There are events that others want the court procedures to stop.
When you find out what all these incidents have in common you have one heck of a really good read.
Like understanding how this all works out, the travel, how peoples jobs are done, and mysteries.
Received this review copy from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#TheFourthEnemy #NetGalley

Daniel Pitt is under pressure to prosecute a beloved philanthropist whose good deeds may hide dark—and dangerous—secrets, Working his way up at the London law firm fford Croft and Gibson, Daniel Pitt is named junior counsel on a fraud case with the potential to make or break his—and the firm’s—reputation. The trouble is, Malcolm Vayne, the man on trial, has deep pockets, and even deeper connections.

Ms. Perry has done a wonderful job of making Mr. Vayne into someone that you can hate in this book. I am very fond of reading the Daniel Pitt series. It is my favorite of all that she has written. Even though he could be boring because he is simply a lawyer, he life is not really dull. In this one, she brings his father into the series and I kept thinking that he would be woven in more at the end but alas the ending she chose was just as exciting and satisfying.

I would like to that the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for my copy of the book. The comments are my own.

A wealthy and influential businessman is suspected of a fraudulent investment scheme…but he might be guilty of far worse.

When lifelong friend and policeman Ian Frobisher stops by the home of lawyer Daniel Pitt and his new wife, Miriam, it is not a social call. Ian has recently discovered that Malcolm Vayne, a highly popular and influential businessman (who owns a string of newspapers amongst other things), has in fact been operating what would today be called a Ponzi scheme. Vayne’s sphere of influence is extensive, and Ian wants Daniel’s legal advice as to what would be needed to convict Vayne in a court of law. Not many people are brave enough to provide testimony against someone of Vayne’s stature and financial resources…he would make a formidable enemy. Daniel has concerns of his own upon which to focus. The head of the law firm where he is employed is his father-in-law, Marcus fford Croft, who has decided due to some recent health problems that it is time for him to step down, and turn over the reins to someone new. He has chosen Gideon Hunter, a well-known and successful lawyer who has proven himself to relish challenging and controversial cases. When Malcolm Vayne is suddenly arrested, it is not terribly surprising that Hunter asks to prosecute the case. Daniel is extremely concerned; he knows that the arrest was made prematurely, Ian’s hand being forced by an attack on his most important informant. When Daniel’s father Thomas Pitt, now head of the Home Office’s Special Branch, expresses an interest in the case, Daniel’s fear only intensifies. Miriam, his wife and forensic scientist, is brought into the case when a witness is found dead. She, along with Hunter’s wife Rose, have encountered Vayne as they pursue a mutual interest in the women’s suffrage movement, of which Vayne is a vocal supporter. While they like the focus Vayne as brought to the movement, they don’t trust him at any level. The trial begins badly, with a prosecution witness changing his story on the stand. As it becomes more and more unlikely that Hunter and Daniel will be successful in winning Payne’s conviction, it becomes increasingly clear that they must succeed for the good of the country and, possibly, the world.
It has been a while since I had read an Anne Perry book, though I’m not sure why as i always enjoyed her stories. Her William Monk series was my favorite, but I enjoyed the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt books as well. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this is the sixth in the series of books featuring the son of Charlotte and Thomas! Despite not having read the first five in this series, I was able to quickly figure out the relationships between characters, so readers can read this easily as a standalone. Just as in earlier books Charlotte, from a well-to-do and societally well-placed family, was a strong enough woman to pursue marriage with a policeman of much lower standing, more strong female characters are to be found here as well with Miriam and many others. The book did take a while to build in excitement, as the author laid the groundwork of what was going on in England in the years prior to the First World War when this novel takes place. Once the intrigue began, however, I found the book hard to put down. Financial skulduggery, a charismatic but dangerous businessman with ties to influential people in the government, and courtroom battles combine for an exciting read which I heartily recommend Fans of Ms Perry will certainly enjoy this, and so might readers of Charles Todd and Jacqueline Winspear. Many thanks to NetGalley and to Emma Thomasch of Ballantine Books/Random House Publishing for allowing me access to an advanced reader’s copy.

I am always delighted to spend time with the characters in Anne Perry’s series of historical novels,. This time, the book features Daniel Pitt who is newly married to Miriam fford Croft. Regular readers of the series will enjoy watching the two in this new phase in their relationship, while those who are just meeting Daniel and Miriam for the first time will quickly catch on.

A bit of background…Thomas and Charlotte Pitt are Daniel’s parents; they have a series of their own. Sir Thomas is involved at the highest levels of government as head of Special Branch. In this entry, his work and Daniel’s will intersect.

Malcolm Vayne has an apt surname. As is often the case in my opinion, Perry creates characters in her historical fiction that resonate in our presents. Here, I would say that Vayne has some of the qualities of a Madoff or Trump. Vayne is unscrupulous yet somewhat charismatic and he supports causes such as women’s suffrage. At the same time, he is involved in complex financial schemes.

There is not a dead body until 3/5ths into the novel. This is undoubtedly deliberate on Perry’s part as she unwinds her plot slowly. Will justice be done? What does the title, The Fourth Enemy, mean? Find out in this book.

I like that Perry believes in strong women who perhaps were unusual for their time. For instance, Miriam is a forensic pathologist in the story which takes place in the early 1900s. Earlier, Charlotte was less “ladylike” than her peers. I also enjoy how characters from other series make appearances. Here there are Thomas and also a character from the Elena Standish series. Others from the Daniel Pitt stories are also here including Miriam’s father who recently gave up his law practice and Ian Frobisher, a school friend of Daniel’s who is in the police force. There is also a new law practitioner in the chambers. He has a most difficult case to prosecute.

I have read Anne Perry’s books from the very beginning and always look forward to her newest titles. No surprise that i am recommending this one.

Publishers Weekly states: Four decades after her debut, Perry shows no sign of losing steam.

I concur.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this book. All opinions are my own.

Stunning intrigue!

Daniel has at last married Miriam fford Croft!. I’m ecstatic about that!
Her father Marcus has decided to retire and has invited Gideon Hunter to be the new Barrister for their rooms. For the firm to maintain its position a King’s Council, a Silk, is needed.
Gideon’s first case with Croft’s is one of fraud against a powerful financier.
No-one will testify against Malcolm Vayne. Two people agree, an elderly woman who has done the organizations bookkeeping, and a man whose family is no longer in the country.
Both have accidents or something more sinister before they are to testify.
Sir Thomas Pitt is also interested in Vayne. He sees connections between Vayne, the home government, other nations, and powerful interests abroad.
Things begin to deteriorate with Hunter and Daniel’s case, and as they attempt to shore it up Daniel receives shocking news that has all other thoughts flee!
Dr. Evelyn Hall and Miriam have been attacked at the pathology center and Miriam has been kidnapped.
An extraordinary happening that has Daniel haring off with his friend Detective Ian Frobisher, chasing Miriam into unknown dangers.
Once more Perry had me up all night reading, hanging on every word, unsure of the trial outcome and frightened for Miriam and Daniel.
Another stand in the aisles and cheer, “bravo” performance from Perry.

A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

A typically excellent telling of an offensive and the subsequent search for evidence followed by the trial. Sounds simple enough but it never is when it comes to an Anne Perry novel. A Ponsi scheme with lots of money being moved and loaned puts a man on trial. Daniel Pitt is second chair and he is worried they may lose the case along with their good reputation. Lots of twists to keep the reader interested.

Prolific writer Anne Perry has published three series, two set in Victorian England, one of which features police inspector/supervisor Thomas Pitt and his wife, Charlotte. The third centers on their barrister son, Daniel, and his forensic pathologist wife, Miriam. This is the sixth in the Daniel Pitt series; it works well as a standalone.

There is a new silk leading Daniel’s law office who chooses to prosecute a well known newspaper publisher and philanthropist for fraud. It is a difficult case to prove and who knows what depths to which the accused will sink in order to remain free? How many people are in danger from his far reaching grab for money and power?

Do not expect a fast paced, edge of your seat legal thriller in this piece of historical fiction. At least, not for the first part of the book. There is cerebral discourse that paints a good picture of the lives and times in pre World War I England and sets up the crime. Once the trial begins, the pace picks up and it got quite exciting. The characters, except, of course, for the villains, are charming. I especially liked the female characters, strong individuals on their own and proponents of women’s suffrage. I loved that the theme of political power grabbing and even some of the antics resonated so much with today’s world.

Anne Perry fans (of which I am one) will enjoy this latest addition to her body of work. Those new to her should try The Fourth Enemy to see if her writing style is for them.

I've been on a historical mystery binge lately and have read a great many engaging titles, but Anne Perry's The Fourth Enemy is definitely the best among them. This novel features several recurring characters: Daniel Pitt, a barrister; his wife, Miriam fford Croft, who earned a doctorate in forensic science in the Netherlands, the one college in Europe accepting female candidates for this degree; Thomas Pitt, Daniel's father, who is now head of Special Branch, which investigates possible terrorist threats from within England; Marcus fford Croft, the now retired founder of fford Croft and Gibson, where Daniel works; and Inspector Ian Frobisher, an old school chum of Daniel's who now heads the police force. One of the delights of this cast of characters is that they all have particular areas of expertise. No one is just window dressing or an amusing side character.

The Fourth Enemy also introduces two very promising new characters: barrister Gideon Hunter, who has come in as lead barrister at fford Croft and Gibson with Marcus' retirement; and Rose Hunter, Gideon's wife, who is an activist for women's suffrage. Since Gideon come into the practice as Daniel's superior, the two are carefully working around each other, trying to see what kind of relationship the can build together and trying to read the significance of the other's every move. (New readers needn't worry about sorting out this cast of characters. They are so distinct that they quickly become familiar individuals.)

The legal case at hand in The Fourth Enemy is the fraud trial of a well-known philanthropist. Malcolm Vayne is a wealthy man who supports a number of progressive causes and whose ownership of several newspapers allows him to provide quite good coverage for himself. Gideon has decided that the first case he will take on at fford Croft and Gibson is the prosecution of Vayne, a case that will be next to impossible to win and will probably win the firm no public support, whether or not they win.

In a way, this novel echoes (pre-echoes?) much of what we face in current politics: the ability of the wealthy to control their own public image; the connections between finance and politics; the use of quid pro quo agreements; and the complicated, often sub rosa relations between the powerful around the globe, whose actions don't always reflect the stances of the nations they come from.

This novel is interesting from the start, but it grows increasingly compelling as the plot becomes more complex and as each central character must use their special skills to see that justice is served.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

The Fourth Enemy definitely lives up to my expectations of an Anne Perry novel. The suspense kept building until the very end. The storyline could also be placed very easily into current day events. I remember first meeting the characters in this book when Daniel was a little boy and his father, Thomas Pitt, was still in the police department. One of the things I love about Perry's work is the consistency of her characters. I watched Daniel develop into a young man and then an attorney, a successful attorney. Thomas still has some of the same charcteristics, like his full pockets, that he had in the very first book in this series. Thank you Anne for another great book.

Anne Perry's latest historical fiction mystery is her sixth installment for the Daniel Pitt series, but my first. I had no difficulty following the story without having read the previous installments, so don't hesitate to jump in here.

Although set in pre-WWII, the parallels with more modern history are strong, centering on prosecuting a popular, charismatic figure for perpetrating a Ponzi scheme. There's witness tampering, ties to national political leaders and high government officials, control of the press and women as professional witnesses (not generally accepted during this time of history). Lots of twists and turns build excitement outside the courtroom.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy. I enjoyed it and will look for the earlier books in the series.

Once again, Anne Perry outdoes herself in the sixth installment of her excellent Daniel Pitt historical series, The Fourth Enemy Marcus is retiring from the firm, fford Croft and Gibson, and has hired Gideon Hunter from another firm to take over as the lead; Gideon has decided to take a chance and prosecute Malcolm Vayne, a wealthy businessman who has been active in charitable organizations making himself look good to the community. Vayne is accused of fraud, and this case may make or break the firm’s reputation. As the story unfolds, it is obvious that Vayne is guilty of many more things than fraud, but proving it is going to be difficult.

Anne Perry is the queen of historical fiction, having written several bestselling series with the scenarios being true to history. Even though the characters are fictional, the setting and happenings in the books are historically correct. Her characters are well-developed, and the main characters are very likeable. Perry is also an excellent storyteller. She has a way of weaving a tale with surprising results and building suspense so that readers are drawn in and have a hard time putting her books down. The Fourth Enemy is no exception; it is fascinating and the characters are believable. Vayne is typical of our modern-day corrupt politicians, and it is hard not to compare what was happening in the book to what is happening in real life.

All told, this is a wonderful thriller and will keep the interest of everyone who loves historical fiction. Perry is a master storyteller; this excellent novel is highly recommended.

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