Treachery at Lancaster Gate: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel

Just finished Treachery at Lancaster Gate & enjoyed it very much, as usual. This concludes my reading them all - I jumped ahead & read Murder on the Serpentine because I was curious about Aunt Vespia & Victor 💕. I read one Daniel Pitt book & may read more. Thank you Ms Perry for keeping me entertained for months & months.

I have read every Pitt series and each has been excellent. To be able to create a story in Victorian England before you were born concerning both politics and police misconduct to me is extraordinary. The book had me at the edge of my sit at the end eager to find out how the trial would end. The descriptive language makes you imagine how people lived in those times and the fears and uncertainty they faced each day. In law enforcement how do you go against the men who have your back everyday when you know what they are doing is morally wrong. How do you face your family every day know that protecting the men you work for is wrong but to do otherwise you would lose their respect and possibly your job and how would you face your family. Addiction is a very big problem today just as it was in the late 1880's trying to justify the actions of someone in acute pain that drugs are the only way they can maintain a somewhat normal life is difficult. This story goes to the heart of so many difficulties we face as a nation today just as it did in that time period. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading this time period in England as it is highly historical in addition to being a very real story taking place in this time period. It makes you reflect both on how things have changed because of our intelligence and of technology in finding the truth. It also makes you realize how much better of a life we have now with healthcare and social programs to help us through difficult times. Sometimes it is hard to look back and wonder if we could have survived in this time period. I thank Anne Perry for a great entertaining story and a look into the past when life was much more difficult the it is today. I hope everyone ejoys it as much as I did.

Let's start by saying I'm an Anne Perry fan -- and have been for a long time. I've read all her Monk and Pitt series, so this review is tempered by my high regard for the whole body of her work. Having said that, some of the novels have been uneven; that's not to be wondered at. This last one has a mixture of pros and cons that even out to about 3 1/2 -4 stars in my opinion. The good points:1) I am delighted to see my old friends back in play: Lady Vespasia, a bigger role for Charlotte, her sister Emily, and of course, Gracie and Tellman. Hooray! 2) It is a timely novel -- historically correct in terms of the anarchist threats in London at the time but timely for our own current events. 3) Perry muses on the role of law and the police in a complex society, which gives the reader food for thought. 4) There are some episodes of excitement, action, and suspense (a couple of previous novels were less suspenseful in my view -- almost languid in their pace. The cons: 1) It seems to me that over time Perry has increased her reliance on the stylistic device of questions. Lots of questions. So many of the characters have paragraphs full of self-questions, musings, internal debates -- all ending in question marks. Once I start to notice the repetition, I really start to notice the trend and I find it disruptive to the narrative and just plain annoying. 2) Lots of repetition. If I had a dollar for each time a character said essentially the same speech (in one glaring example, about the need for society to believe in its police as a bulwark against chaos, etc., etc,), I'd have had the price of the book. 3) Though there were a few pages that were riveting, more of the book was a rather tedious back-and-forth over much the same ground. In conclusion, if you are already a Perry fan, you'll enjoy this book anyway. If you are new to the series, this isn't the most exciting introduction to it.

Once again, Anne Perry has combined a perceptive knowledge of human motivations with a talent for making history come alive. This latest in her series, exploring the history of late 18th century England with an ongoing chronicle of characters who might well have lived there and then, is full of the rich visual images and insightful looks at why persons do extraordinarily interesting things. Her ability to transport her reader to the fog-bound back alleys of Victorian England..."the fog closed over them, muffling sounds...drifted, constantly changing the shapes of things...a shout, then silence..." is amazing. Her story telling is top notch, weaving a complicated pattern of events and people into a cohesive whole that satisfies each and every apparent contradiction into an exdlosive final ending. If you have read one of more of either of the author's splendid series, those of William Monk,a private investigator, or Thomas Pitt, policeman and member of Special Branch, you will surely want to read this latest spell binding effort of Anne Perry.

Anne Perry great series, makes you feel like your there

Although the story lines are a bit confusing at times, Anne Perry has done a masterful job of carrying the reader along. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Ms. Perry seems to have a special talent for writing court scenes and for mounting drama as a trial progresses, and the this ending is no exception. As a long time reader of both the Pitt and Monk series, I have seen the characters' lives progress over time, and for the most part, Ms. Perry has developed them well.

Ich bin ein großer Fan von Anne Perry und fand dieses Buch spannend, sehr atmosphärisch und exzellent geschrieben. Ich kann es sehr empfehlen.

I so enjoyed this book, back to Ann Perry at her best. All the characters we love are back too. The story kept me involved right up to the end, I look forward to number 32.

A good read - Anne Perry maintains her usual high standard and turns in a gripping tale.

Excellent depiction of the period. Characters so true to life. I look forward to the next Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novel.

So many aspects brought together to keep you reading and find your way through the web of politics, drugs, police corruption, and demands on personal lives.