Rating: 
Summary: great reading!!
Review: This latest Thomas Pitt mystery is definitely a page turner. From the glittering drawing rooms where politics is discussed and policies decided, to the country side of Dartmoor, Anne Perry weaves a tale that is compelling and absorbing. And while I was disappointed that Charlotte Pitt and Gracie (the Pitts enterprising maid) did not figure prominently in this installment, I liked that Emily Radley (Charlotte's younger sister) had a bigger role in this novel -- she has been somewhat sidelined in the last few books, and I missed her character dreadfully.In the previous Pitt mystery novel, "The Whitechapel Conspiracy" Pitt defeated the Inner Circle's plan to replace the English monarchy with a republic. This feat earned him the enmity of Charles Voisey, who was to be England's first president. Now, Voisey is running for the south Lambeth seat in Parliament on the Tory ticket. Meanwhile Pitt, who instead of being able to return to his previous position at Bow Street, has been seconded to Special Branch -- a department within the police force that deals primarily with the terrorist threats of the Irish Separatists. Now, Pitt's brief is to keep an eye on Voisey, and to see if Voisey is doing anything underhanded to ensure that he wins the election. But from what little Pitt can see, Voisey seems to be doing nothing nefarious in order to sway the voters -- save being a rather charismatic speaker. And then Pitt's superior commands him to investigate the murder of the clairvoyant, Maude Lamont. Pitt discovers that Voisey's Liberal opponent for the Lambeth seat is Aubrey Serracold and that Serracold's flamboyant and outspoken wife, Rose, was one of Lamont's clients. There is the fear that either Rose had something to do with Lamont's murder, or that Voisey will use this bit of information to discredit Serracold. Pitt is determined to bring the murderer of Maude Lamont to justice, no matter who he or she is. But the question he fears is if his superiors at Special Branch will allow justice to be done, or if they too, like the Inner Circle, have their own agenda, and if they will do whatever necessary to break the Inner Circle, no matter the cost. Against the backdrop of the political questions of the day -- Home Rule for the Irish, the fear that a disintegrating Empire could mean the fall of the British economy and the massive loss of jobs, and the demand for eight hour days -- the clash between the Tories and the Liberals; as well as the swirling human emotions of fear, ambition, grief and pain, Anne Perry has worked her magic again to produce a novel that is compelling as it is intriguing. (I really love the manner in which she makes all her characters real -- flawed yet tragically human. It's a no mean feat, and I've practically never really come acorss anyone else who can do this.) I didn't expect that the next Pitt mystery novel could top or equal "The Whitchapel Conspiracy." I was wrong: "Southampton Row" is a moer than brilliant follow up to "The Whitechapel Conspiracy."
Rating: 
Summary: Where's Charlotte?
Review: This was a real disappointment. First of all, Charlotte, having spent a large part of a previous book in France, then separated from Thomas while he worked in Whitechapel, is unceremoniously dispatched on holiday, where she does nothing except be rescued by a colleague of Thomas's. Without her, a dimension of the story is missing, and the fascinating insight into the Victorian class system earlier books provided. Another problem is by the extreme emphasis on the "Inner Circle" the book becomes fantasy rather than historical fiction. It also seems unfortunate to take Thomas from the world of crime into being an agent for the "Special Branch," which is supposed to track Fenians and anarchists, but seems devoted to seeking out the Inner Circle. I wish the author would go back to those things that made the earlier books in the series so fine.
Rating: 
Summary: Back to Form
Review: While I thought the last few(especially the last one) novels in this series had started to flag a bit, the author has reverted to her top form in this mystery. The mystery itself was taut(although the solution does sort of come from left field), and, as always, she sets an unmatched Victorian mood. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is that I still don't think this whole Inner Circle plot is very realistic. Nonetheless, this is a must read for Perry fans.
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