Member Reviews
This one started out a little slow for me as the story was being set up. Daniel and Miriam are still adjusting to marriage when Miriam's father, Marcus fford Croft, announces he's retiring and Gideon Hunter will now be King's Counsel. The first case the firm takes on after this change is to prosecute high profile philanthropist Malcolm Vayne for fraud (as in a Ponzi scheme). How will they be able to get the jury to convict someone who's looked on as a hero? When Vayne's assistant Nadine Parnell is injured by a car and then a crucial witness turns up dead the heat is on Daniel to find evidence proving Vayne is guilty. When Miriam and Eva's autopsy results show the witness didn't kill himself but was murdered they find themselves in danger.
I really enjoyed this latest addition to the Daniel Pitt series. I felt once the scene was set and the trial started the pace of the story really picked up. My favorite character in the trial was Nadine Parnell, as she answered all the prosecution's questions in simple terms for the jury and yet somehow made the prosecutor look foolish. I don't want to give any spoilers but I was certainly surprised by the twist involving Miriam. I didn't suspect that person at all.
I received a complimentary digital copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
Daniel is moving his way up at fford Croft and Gibson and is settling into married life with Miriam. Ian Frobisher is back, and there’s a new head of the firm, Gideon Hunter. They’re prosecuting a dangerous and popular philanthropist guilty of a Ponzi scheme.
These are characters with depth and integrity, and it’s nice to see Daniel’s series build its “ensemble cast” around him like we see in other Anne Perry series, this one even including a young Lucas Standish. This was a slow start to me, especially with more POV characters, and maybe because there wasn’t a murder to get things going. The last half picked up once the court case began, and it was fun to see Sir Thomas have a shining moment. Regardless of the slow start, I’m invested in these characters. If I can’t have more William Monk books (😭) I’ll take more Daniel.
Daniel Pitt is back and is investigating one heck of a case: a Ponzi scheme! Is the popular newspaper owner guilty of robbing people blind? In this latest story, Anne Perry shakes things up a bit at the law office where Daniel works. Suddenly he has a new boss and a case that could result in big changes for the agency. Daniel can't predict whether they would be positive or disastrous changes.
Miriam, the pathologist and daughter of the newly retired law firm head, figures prominently in The Fourth Enemy, as does Sir Thomas Pitt, Daniel's father. We even have a visit from a character in the Elena Standish series. A pleasant surprise and it fills in some of the mysterious details I'd been wondering about.
The book moves quickly and the characters are appealing and/or intriguing. Anne Perry can always be depended upon to supply a mystery that keeps me turning the pages. I recommend The Fourth Enemy as well as the first three in the series. If you enjoy those, try the Elena Standish, Thomas Pitt, and William Monk series as well.
This was my first book by this author. I understand this is a series, but was able to keep up reading this as a stand alone. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, early 1900's in England and the characters were written with lots of detail, so that I felt I had known them from the beginning of the book series.
This murder mystery revolves around the courtroom drama of a well known member of the community being accused of fraud. This story begins with fraud and ends in murder, with lots of action in between. But why did it seem to move so slowly for me? Could the book have been shortened, and therefore grab my attention a little more? I’m planning on reading the first book in the series to see if starting at the beginning grabs my attention.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my honest review.
Why, oh why, cannot Anne Perry write MORE books, and FASTER? Her latest in the newer Daniel Pitt series was a fast paced, intriguing entry, and I HAD to read it in one sitting, staying up till 0430 in the morning to do so. Yes, it was that good!
This series brings to light the suffragette movement trying to bring women's rights to the country, and Pitt's new wife is one of those women working in a man's job, as a forensic pathologist. In England in 1913, women couldn't even get a degree for it in that country, only Holland. Political tensions were rising all over Europe and Asia, and foreign affairs were confusing, to say the least. It was the last gasp in Europe's Edwardian era of opulence, and the contrast between the have's and have not's was more pronounced than ever.
One can see young Pitt's growth as a lawyer and as a man, now newly married. His legal office is going through a shake-up, with his father-in-law retiring from the firm, and a new, somewhat brash QC taking the top spot. He accepts a case that proves to be very hard to win, and the hoops everyone goes through on the way to winning are life-threatening. Justice prevails in the end, and on to the next case!
I particularly liked that Pitt Sr. was more in this book, than some of the earlier ones. I do miss not having Sir Thomas and Lady Pitt in another of their own challenging books--hint, hint! I also like the way the author ties in another newer series's character, so I imagine we will be seeing more of him in future books!
All in all, a wonderful addition to the Daniel Pitt series, perhaps the best one yet! My thanks to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book to read and honestly review.
This is the 6th book in the Daniel Pitt series. He is now married to Miriam. Mirian's father Marcus is now retired, and has brought in a new barister, Gideon Hunter. Daniels old school friend, Policeman Ian comes to visit Daniel and Marian. Ian suspects fraud by a very wealthy man, Malcolm Vayne (who supports many charities as well as Women's Suffrage). He thinks the man has set up an investment instrument where the early investors have been paid interest from the funds put in by later investors.
Very shortly later, they hear that Vayne has been arrested. A well known lawyer, Delmeny, calls Hunter to tell him that he, Delmeny, will be defending Vayne. Hunter decides that he will prosecute, and asks Daniel to be the junior counsel. Vayne is a very powerful man, and they will have their work cut out to do the prosecution. Most of Vayne's employees are very supportive of him and unlikely to tell tales of misdeeds. Miriam and Hunter's wife, Rose, quickly become friends. Before they even begin interviewing folks, Vayne's assistant, Nadine Parnell, has been run down by a car. It didn't look like an accident, and other employees may now be even less interested in testifying against Vayne.
The trial begins, and Vayne is very smooth. When the prosecution begins, those testifying don't dare to say bad things about Vayne. When a prime witness doesn't appear and is found dead, Gideon and Daniel are in trouble. Marian and Eva do the autopsy, and suddenly they are at risk, and the story becomes VERY exciting.
This is a great addition to a very good series.
Stands alone, but the previous books give you background on the characters and how they got to where they are. This book deals with mostly the courtroom drama of a beloved man accused of fraud and intrigue placing himself conveniently in the public interest to becoming prime minister. Daniel and his new senior attorney are in charge of prosecuting the man. We have many characters from previous books in this as well as a few new ones. Miriam becomes a vital witness when a murder happens, then she becomes a victim herself of kidnapping. Many different angles of this prosecution present themselves as the story flows. Entertaining, history thought provoking, and ultimately can the good guys win? Appreciated having an early read of the latest Daniel Pittnovel from NetGalley and Ballantine Books.
Anne Perry does it again! I love seeing Daniel Pitt in these books as I am such a fan of his parents :) I'm not always a fan of courtroom dramas but this one delivered nicely. Great job and I look forward to hopefully reading the whole series from the beginning.
I think the Daniel Pitt books are my favorite series from Anne Perry. This one suffers a bit from the boredom of court procedures, but the overall storyline kept my attention. There are obvious parallels to current politicians that felt overdone, but it was still a good story. Not really a mystery at any point as Malcolm Vayne is easy to recognize as the villain from the start - the only question is which of his crimes were committed by him and which by his followers.
I have been a fan of Anne Perry's series (Monk, and Thomas Pitt) for many years (thanks to a friend who introduced me to Perry's work.) When Ms. Perry introduced Daniel Pitt, the son of Thomas, of course I had to start reading them too. As I read the first in this series, " Twenty-One Days," i found I was not getting as involved as I was with her other series. But with her new Daniel Pitt book, "The Fourth Enemy," my fears were put to rest. I was finally able to enjoy Daniel's world as much as the others.
Daniel Pitt is a barrister, married to a forensic pathologist in the earlier decades of the 20th century. When Marcus, his father-in-law decides to step down from the practice he owns, David becomes the junior counsel for a difficult and possibly dangerous case.
the meat of the book is that case and it is quite a page-turner. It is full of twists and turns and will keep you riveted to the story.
I highly recommend "The Fourth Enemy" (as well as any other of Ms. Perry's books) and I thank Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to enjoy it.
I am a longtime fan of Anne Perry's mysteries, and The Fourth Enemy does not disappoint. In this sixth Daniel Pitt novel, much of the action occurs during a fraud trial. There is much to enjoy in this novel. There are some memorable characters, include the bookkeeper Parnell, who provides details about the fraud committed. She is a character to enjoy and is at home making the defense look silly. As always Daniel and Miriam are characters who lend their own personalities toward solving this crime. Tin addition to fraud, there is murder and intrigue.
There are a few places where some editorial work would help with the flow of The Fourth Enemy. In the first couple of chapters where is some unnecessary repetition. In addition there is some clack of clarity. Initially readers are told that Ian rushes the charges because Vayne has discovered the investigation and there is a fear that evidence will be destroyed. But then readers are told that it was the attack on Parnell, Vayne's assistant, that was the cause of the rushed efforts to charge Vayne. This switch was confusing.
I do not wish to give away details about the plot, especially since Perry's tightly developed plot works nicely. I enjoyed this novel and certainly recommend it. I want to thank the author and the publisher for providing me with this ARC to read and review. These comments are my honest review. Thank you also to NetGalley for providing me with access to this Perry novel.
I love court room dramas and that's where this book mainly takes place. Not only is it an interesting case, it also gets Daniel's wife involved as a key witness. This one is a must read and will make you keep turning the pages to find out how it all works out - not as you would expect - but better!
This being my first time reading a novel by Anne Perry, I thoroughly enjoyed the historical aspects. I intended to go back and read other titles of the continuing series to get a better grasp on characters in previous books. I can see now why patrons request Anne Perry novels.
I loved this! I really love this series, and this book added to that love. I love the characters, and where she has taken them. I also love the London setting, as well as the time period. The buildup to WWI is included, and it is interesting to see that from a British perspective. I cannot wait to see where this series goes.
So far I have not been disappointed in any of Anne Perry’s books
We see a bit of change in the dynamics of the characters in the Daniel Pitt series.
One change is that Daniel and Miriam are now husband and wife having overcome the age difference obstacle of Miriam been older (rather unusual for the time period). Their deep friendship and respect of each other has now blossomed into a loving marriage partnership. Marcus has finally accepted for health reasons to retire from the Law Office. This brings in a new silk for Daniel to get used to with a different attitude towards what type of cases to accept instead of taken only cases that everybody is comfortable with. This results in some dangerous situations and lots of unexpected twist and turns within the story.
Toby Kitteridge is taken Marcus place as head of chambers. He is extremely able but has a long way to go to develop the assurance to lead chambers. With Daniel’s support he slowly overcomes some of his low self-esteem.
Again we see some courtroom drama and a bit of background political situations of that time period. Well worth the time to read.
This book had a bit of a different set up than others in the series as the initial crime was not as clear cut and this changed the format of the book away from a more traditional murder mystery. In some ways, this was a nice change, but it also made the book feel a little more all over the place. There were multiple events that I didn't predict or anticipate at all, which is always fun in a mystery, but they also felt totally implausible and dramatic.
The courtroom drama felt reminiscent of earlier Anne Perry books and I enjoyed the tie in with Thomas Pitt, Daniel's father, who stars in another related Anne Perry series (along with his wife who I miss as a character!).
"Loving people was so very complicated."
Very well done, an excellent read. I'd been wanting to dip my toe into the @AnnePerryWriter catalog and although there are 5 books in this series before #TheFourthEnemy, it didn't make any difference from my perspective. A bit slow in the beginning, layers of internal exposition and mental hand-wringing, but I REALLY liked the characters. I loved their integrity, their ability to have open minds and their compulsions to do the right thing. I must say, though, the villain reminded me a bit of Jeffrey Epstein's reach without his tawdry saga - someone who is pretty much untouchable, or so it appears. Looking forward to reading the Thomas Pitt series and other books by Ms. Perry.
P.S. Many thanks to #netgalley for the ARC.
The sixth installment in the Daniel Pitt series finds Daniel and Miriam newly wed, adjusting to finally being married as well as to the retirement from law by Miriam’s father, Marcus fford Croft. Before leaving the practice, Marcus recruits barrister Gideon Hunter, King’s Counsel, to take the lead. Energetic and ambitious, Gideon immediately flirts with disaster by deciding to prosecute Malcolm Vayne, a philanthropist arrested for fraud, a decision that could make or break their law firm. Vayne’s arrest — by Ian Frobisher — is highly controversial and unpopular amongst the working classes who have benefited from his good deeds.
Working alongside Gideon, Daniel tries desperately to build a case against a man known for his power, both in England and Europe, and for his ability to seem untouchable by the law. Much of his power comes from higher-up investors and supporters, a fact that doesn’t escape the notice of Sir Thomas Pitt in his role with Home Office. When a key witness in the trial is found dead, Miriam’s expertise as pathologist comes into play as she assists her superior, Dr. Evelyn Hall, in determining the circumstances surrounding the death. Things take a shocking turn, and Daniel and Ian find themselves racing to rescue Miriam from a desperate abduction, while Gideon and Sir Thomas continue trying to procure solid evidence and other witnesses to bring Vayne to justice. The denouement of the book then happens quickly and in some ways abruptly.
I love this series. While not my favorite, this was a solid entry. I will say, though, that it took me a good 200 pages before I had much interest in the case and I actually almost gave up because it verged on the boring. When it picked up, it really picked up, though. I was glad to see more of Ian Frobisher, and look forward to the development of both Gideon and his wife Rose’s characters in future novels.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
A very good story which builds on the strength of previous novels in the series. Some of the past characters are either missing or have smaller roles as this novel has the feeling of being transitional.
Another good read in this series. I like the characters carried in from the other series. Complicated plot. I enjoy the historical perspective of women falling to vote.