"Death with a Double Edge" A Daniel Pitt Mystery by Anne Perry: Review/Giveaway

Review by Joan Leotta 

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and links to purchase it.

This latest Anne Perry book is one of her best. She draws on the strength of family ties, threat of international malfeasance directed against Britain, and, of course, murder most foul. Her three series are set in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Her knowledge of this time period makes the reader feel as if each book is a mini time machine. She misses nothing, from the food they eat to the clothes they wear to the way the classes interact, the fetid air of London in that period, and the character of each neighborhood—all of it make the era and the city of London equally important in the book to the people she supplies as protagonist and secondary folk.

---

➡ switch to KingsRiverLife.com for more articles ⬅

---

Image Source Ballantine Books

The focal character of this novel is Daniel, son of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. This is the fourth one that she has written that features Daniel as protagonist. Now a young lawyer, Daniel Pitt is drawn into the net of the title murder because the victim was wearing a coat that has Daniel’s card in the pocket. Daniel, because of that coat, at first thinks the victim is a fellow lawyer in his own firm. Thankfully, the victim is someone who borrowed the coat, but the mystery of entangled relationships with people in the firm remains. That and Daniel’s feeling of connection because he viewed the body, propel his detecting desires forward.

Like any loving son with parents who are experienced crime fighters, Daniel then discusses the incident with his mother, and father over a supper at his childhood home. That discussion leads to involvement by his father, now the Head of Special Branch. 

Thomas Pitt discovers of a crime web far more tangled than anyone had first thought possible. The evil forces working in this first crime lead to more crimes, danger to the Empire, including theft, blackmailing, more murders, and kidnapping. 

Without giving away any of this superb plot that has as many twists and turns as a London alley, let me just say that what makes this one of Perry’s best is the way she layers the story—horror upon horror, building suspense, rage against the criminal. Her pacing is spot on, something that is not true in all of her novels. Yes, I did feel a bit of impatient that Daniel and his father seemed to be constantly being thwarted, that people we had come to know and admire (as has Daniel!) in earlier novels might well be mixed up in the ongoing evil that permeates this addition to the canon. Yes, she carefully lays small clues to help us keep the faith. We may breathe a sigh of relief at the end, but the end does not come cheaply to us or to our erstwhile detective family. Perry lays just enough information and reminds us subtly of each character’s basic strengths and flaws so that in the end we cannot say she led us astray. At the end, we are left to share her horror at the times, the murders, the issues, but without the heavy-handedness that sometimes fills the last chapters of her books.

All in all, if you are looking for an excellent read, whether or not you are a fan of Perry or fan of historical fiction, this book makes an excellent addition to your reading list.  

To enter to win a copy of Death with a Double Edge, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "edge,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen April 10, 2021. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. BE AWARE THAT DUE TO THE CURRENT CRISIS THERE MAY BE A DELAY IN SHIPPING THE WINNING BOOK. You can read our privacy statement here if you like. 

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors! A new episode went up this week.

You can use these links to purchase the book. If you have adblocker on you may not be able to see the Amazon link:

Death with a Double Edge: A Daniel Pitt Novel

Joan Leotta plays with words on page and stage. Her poems, short stories, and articles are widely published, including here at KRL. Her work recently appeared or is forthcoming at verse virtual, verse visual, whenwomenwrite.com, moreorless50, and spillwords, among others. When not writing or performing you can find er at te beach collecting shells or at table with family.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.