Rating: 
Summary: One of the best thrillers I have read
Review: I found that Anne Perry's Novel was a brilliant difference to many other historic stories. The author gives the reader an amazing sonse of participation throughout the whole book. The accuracy of small things that are commonly associated with the Victorian era is amazing. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering who on earth could have done it. I have also read the next book in the series and highly recommend it for those who enjoyed this story.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Read
Review: I liked this book a lot. The characters were interesting and multilayered. I guess that some of the suspense was ruined for me because of the praise for other books of this series printed on the back cover, but I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction, mysteries, and clever characters.
Rating:
Summary: The perfect start for a wonderful series
Review: I love good period pieces, but they are few and far between. To find one combined with a delectable mystery is exceedingly rare. Anne Perry adds perfectly realized characters, each with a complete personality that she never betrays for the sake of a tale, which turns this book into an absolute classic. Mystery fans who have not yet discovered Charlotte & Inspector Pitt are missing a rare and special treat, especially if you enjoy Dorothy Gilman (Mrs. Pollifax) or Agatha Christie (Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot). I enthusiastically recommend this book to start you on this exceptional series.
Rating: 
Summary: A good mystery MURDERED by high society!!
Review: I understand that many things in life just don't live up to the hype that precedes them and unfortunately this book falls within that category. I certainly didn't think this would be the case when I picked it up. After all, Anne Perry is a MAJOR author in the world of mystery. Over 20 books with two distinct series within those 20. That is a solid resume and one that I took for granted upon reading this, the first of the Inspector Pitt/Charlotte Ellison series. I knew one thing for sure as I turned to page 1 -- that this was a novel set in Victorian England and that society and the class system that went with it at that time was a factor in the novel. However, what I didn't know was that this was the ONLY factor in the novel. Hence, my major problem with the book. Chapter after chapter of character introspection on how their lives (and by this I mean their place in society) are being affected and what their neighbors are thinking about them. The murders are treated as an afterthought even when the mystery clearly enters their own home. At that point, all the characters start thinking about how they think of each other -- a sort of microcosm of the societal problem. The reader never gets a chance to experience the mystery. There are no clues to be found, no murderer to watch closely, no clever detective to root for. The ending slightly raises my hopes but only to the extent that there was finally some sense of danger and excitement which, by the way, lasts for a whopping total of four pages. I'll conclude by saying that while I didn't particularly enjoy this book it didn't destroy my hopes for the remaining books written by Anne Perry. Clearly, she can write and write well. I just hope that in the future, the actual mystery will guide the path of the story and not Anne Perry's extensive knowledge of class structure in 19th century Britain.
Rating:
Summary: A good mystery MURDERED by high society!!
Review: I understand that many things in life just don't live up to the hype that precedes them and unfortunately this book falls within that category. I certainly didn't think this would be the case when I picked it up. After all, Anne Perry is a MAJOR author in the world of mystery. Over 20 books with two distinct series within those 20. That is a solid resume and one that I took for granted upon reading this, the first of the Inspector Pitt/Charlotte Ellison series. I knew one thing for sure as I turned to page 1 -- that this was a novel set in Victorian England and that society and the class system that went with it at that time was a factor in the novel. However, what I didn't know was that this was the ONLY factor in the novel. Hence, my major problem with the book. Chapter after chapter of character introspection on how their lives (and by this I mean their place in society) are being affected and what their neighbors are thinking about them. The murders are treated as an afterthought even when the mystery clearly enters their own home. At that point, all the characters start thinking about how they think of each other -- a sort of microcosm of the societal problem. The reader never gets a chance to experience the mystery. There are no clues to be found, no murderer to watch closely, no clever detective to root for. The ending slightly raises my hopes but only to the extent that there was finally some sense of danger and excitement which, by the way, lasts for a whopping total of four pages. I'll conclude by saying that while I didn't particularly enjoy this book it didn't destroy my hopes for the remaining books written by Anne Perry. Clearly, she can write and write well. I just hope that in the future, the actual mystery will guide the path of the story and not Anne Perry's extensive knowledge of class structure in 19th century Britain.
Rating:
Summary: Thundering good read!
Review: I was aware of Anne Perry's historical mysteries and assumed I would not be interested in them since in general I prefer more contemporary mysteries. Then I saw A&E's production of The Cater Street Hangman and was captivated by it. I immediately bought the book and found it to be even better than the TV version - the characters have more depth and the plot is tighter and more credible. Anne Perry has a wonderful knack for creating characters. I feel as though I know (and like) Charlotte Ellison and Thomas Pitt. Charlotte is a wonderful creation: she speaks her mind, almost unheard of in the Victorian well-to-do world she inhabits. Thomas Pitt is an equally interesting creation and seeing the two of them pass beyond instant dislike to attraction and admiration for each other is very entertaining. We SO want them to get together. This is edge-of-the seat stuff which, together with all the wonderful details of life in Victorian London and an intelligent love affair, makes for a thundering good read!
Rating:
Summary: Thundering good read!
Review: I was aware of Anne Perry's historical mysteries and assumed I would not be interested in them since in general I prefer more contemporary mysteries. Then I saw A&E's production of The Cater Street Hangman and was captivated by it. I immediately bought the book and found it to be even better than the TV version - the characters have more depth and the plot is tighter and more credible. Anne Perry has a wonderful knack for creating characters. I feel as though I know (and like) Charlotte Ellison and Thomas Pitt. Charlotte is a wonderful creation: she speaks her mind, almost unheard of in the Victorian well-to-do world she inhabits. Thomas Pitt is an equally interesting creation and seeing the two of them pass beyond instant dislike to attraction and admiration for each other is very entertaining. We SO want them to get together. This is edge-of-the seat stuff which, together with all the wonderful details of life in Victorian London and an intelligent love affair, makes for a thundering good read!
Rating:
Summary: It's not all romance in Victorian London . . .
Review: My wife is a great fan of the Charlotte Pitt / Inspector Thomas Pitt mystery series. She often asks for clarifying information about the details of Victorian society, and retails bits of business and dialogue from the stories, and she finally got me interested, too. And I have to say, this first one, which introduces all the principal characters, is quite good. Charlotte's two sisters, Sarah and Emily, her parents, Edward and Caroline, her brother-in-law, Dominic, and Emily's intended, Sir George Ashworth -- all are drawn in fine, fully rounded narrative and descriptive lines. And Charlotte herself, of course, is a fascinating person, as is Thomas Pitt, with whom she becomes acquainted during the search for a serial killer apparently living in their own neighborhood. Perry does an excellent job delineating the caste system of late 19th century London society, with women living almost in purdah and under a rigid double moral standard. Not to forget the mystery plot, either, which is well thought out and developed.
Rating:
Summary: Anne Perry is surely one of the best!
Review: Oh, the joy of discovering a new series of mysteries! OK, so they're not new, but they are to me. And what a series! This is the first of the Charlotte Pitt series, and I can't tell you how wonderful it is. The writing is absolutely first-rate. The setting is dark, gothic, moody, and the characters well drawn. The reader can be totally immersed in the time and place. This is a real page-turner. I was able to guess who did it before the end and yet felt compelled to finish reading. The ending was NOT just tacked on to make the book stop. Everything worked together for a complete narrative. I can't wait to dig in and read all the rest of these! .
Rating:
Summary: Good example of 19th century life
Review: Over the years, I heard such good things about Anne Perry that I decided to sit down one afternoon and browse through her first book. Needless to say, I wasn't disappointed. She plays well with the atmosphere of the 19th century, also describing well the cast system that was existing at the time. Oh yeah, there's also a good mystery in there. Pitt is an interesting character that I'm sure will be well developped in the next books. A good read!
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