Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath (USA 2015)

From the Publisher:
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 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.

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath. A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel. Ballantine, ISBN: 9780345548429 (March, 2015), 314 p., $16.00.

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath (UK 2014)

From the Publisher:
Greenwich, 1897. A macabre scene is discovered outside a house on Shooters Hill. There has been a vicious fight, and amid the bloodstains are locks of long auburn hair. Thomas Pitt, head of Special Branch, is called: this is the home of Dudley Kynaston, a minister with access to some of the government's most dangerous secrets, and any inquiry must be handled with utmost discretion.

An auburn-haired maid has disappeared from Kynaston's household, but no major crime appears to have taken place. Then a disfigured body is found in the gravel pits nearby. Could this be Kynaston's missing servant? As Pitt begins to investigate, he finds small inconsistencies in Kynaston's story. Are these harmless omissions, or could they lead to something more serious, something that could threaten not just Kynaston's own family but also his Queen and country?

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath. Pitt must learn that, sometimes, murder is not the worst betrayal. A CommanderThomas Pitt Novel. Headline, ISBN: 9780755397181 (April, 2014), 314 p., £7.99.

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath (USA 2014)

From the Publisher:
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 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.

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath. A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel. Ballantine, ISBN: 9780345548382 (March, 2014), 302 p., $27.00, eBook $13.99.

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath (UK 2013)

From the Publisher:
Greenwich, 1897. In the small area outside a house on Shouters Hill, a macabre scene is discovered. There has been a vicious fight, and amid the bloodstains and broken glass are torn locks of long auburn hair. Thomas Pitt, head of Special Branch, is called: this is the home of Dudley Kynaston, an important minister with access to some of the government's most dangerous secrets, and any inquiry must be handled with utmost discretion.

Although an auburn-haired maid is missing from Kynaston's household, with no body and no evidence there is little Pitt can do. Until a corpse, mutilated beyond recognition, is discovered a few weeks later. As Pitt begins to investigate, he finds small inconsistencies in Kynaston's story, yet nothing that points to murder. Are these harmless omissions, or could they lead to something more serious, something that could threaten not just Kynaston's own family but also his Queen and country?

A masterful new tale of secrecy, betrayal and murder from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry

Anne Perry: Death on Blackheath. Pitt must learn that, sometimes, murder is not the worst betrayal. A Commander Thomas Pitt Novel. Headline, ISBN: 9780755397174 (September, 2013), 314 p., £19.99, eBook £9.99.