Death on Blackheath: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel

Anne Perry

Mar 2014 · Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Book 29 · Sold by Ballantine Books

About this ebook

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Anne Perry’s superb New York Times bestselling novels set in the glorious reign of Victoria are loved by readers far and wide. Now, with this new Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery, Perry returns us to that charmed era, when wealth and power rule—but where, alas, poisonous corruption lies coiled in the heart of the empire.
 
As commander of the powerful Special Branch, Thomas Pitt has the job of keeping Britain safe from spies and traitors. So there’s no obvious reason why he is suddenly ordered to investigate two minor incidents: the blood, hair, and shards of glass discovered outside the home of naval weapons expert Dudley Kynaston, and the simultaneous disappearance of Mrs. Kynaston’s beautiful lady’s maid.
 
But weeks later, when the mutilated body of an unidentified young woman is found near Kynaston’s home, Pitt realizes that this is no ordinary police investigation. Far from it. Is Kynaston—one of Britain’s most valuable scientists—leading a double life? Is Pitt saddled with a conspiracy so devilishly clever that it will ruin him?
 
A baffled Pitt has never needed his friends more desperately, including his indomitable wife, Charlotte; his canny old colleague Victor Narraway; and his personal drawing-room spy, Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould. But even these allies may not be able to save Pitt—or Britain.   
 
Only Anne Perry could have created the tense unfolding of plot and counterplot, love and betrayal, scandal and murder that follows. Death on Blackheath is rich with fascinating characters, authentic period flavor, knife’s-edge suspense, and a haunting, unforgettable denouement.

Praise for Death on Blackheath
 
“There’s just no stopping Anne Perry. . . . [Her] Victorian mysteries never disappoint.”—Bookreporter
 
“Thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining . . . The period detail is beautifully done, and realistic characters and tense action are woven seamlessly together.”—Historical Novels Review
 
“What distinguishes [Anne] Perry’s work is her clean, penetrating style and her contemporary take on antique, prewar society.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
Praise for Anne Perry’s most recent Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels
 
Midnight at Marble Arch
 
“Sweeping and scandalous . . . Perry has perfected a delicate touch.”—The New York Times Book Review
 
“Perry is a master at illuminating the wrongs of the Victorian age.”—Booklist (starred review)
 
Dorchester Terrace
 
“The always clever Anne Perry infuses Dorchester Terrace with the right amount of intrigue and complex relationships that have made this prolific series one of the finest in modern mystery fiction.”—Bookreporter
 
Treason at Lisson Grove
 
“Perry has always done her historical homework on the darker elements of the British ruling class, and she has outdone herself this time.”—The Washington Times
 
Buckingham Palace Gardens
 
“An intricate plot about a murder at the palace [with] an irresistibly appealing Upstairs, Downstairs perspective . . . a fine introduction to Perry’s alluring world of Victorian crime and intrigue.”—The New York Times Book Review

Ratings and reviews

Another breathtaking adventure by Anne Perry. My favorite characters are back, esp Great-Aunt Vespasia, who join together to save Britain from a scandal involving treason. Ms Perry's skill in creating evil characters is on par with her favorites. They seem to ooze off the page before you know exactly why. Then there is one who returns from the past, whose morals and methods may seem questionable and possibly obscene, but his hearts & honor are in the right place. Very enjoyable.

A wonderful description of the high morales executed on a daily basis.

About the author

Anne Perry was the bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels. She was also the author of a series featuring Charlotte and Thomas Pitt's son, Daniel, as well as the Elena Standish series; a series of five World War I novels; twenty-one holiday novels; and a historical novel, The Sheen on the Silk, set in the Byzantine Empire. Anne Perry died in 2023.