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katmarhan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
8/10
Vivid characters, and while I guessed part of the twist, I didn’t get all of it!
Vivid characters, and while I guessed part of the twist, I didn’t get all of it!
d_audy's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bibliocatts's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
brown136's review against another edition
3.0
When I started reading this book, I did not realize that it was part of a series. However, it was not necessary to read the other books before this one. The overall story was interesting, but the author had a tendency to be very long-winded. It got to the point where I was not even in suspense over "who done it". However, I felt that the interesting stories of the many characters in the book somewhat made up for this. While I had correctly identified the killer before this was revealed, there was a twist at the very end of the book that I had not foreseen. I am willing to give another book in this series a chance. If that book should turn out to be just as long-winded, then I will not be reading any more of these.
pachypedia's review against another edition
5.0
Hacía tiempo que un libro de esta saga no me gustaba tanto como éste. No es que la trama sea mucho mejor que los anteriores, pero por una vez Pitt no se ve ensombrecido por su mujer. En los últimos libros parecía que era ella la detective, no él.Aunque en esta ocasión ella participa a su modo, es Pitt quien descubre al asesino sin ayuda. Además, siempre me gustan las apariciones de la tía Vespasia.
vireogirl's review
4.0
The descriptions were more charming than usual, and I also appreciated several poignant quotes, for example on marriage and friendship. The topic was artfully presented and relevant today.
molly_roanoke's review against another edition
5.0
so, whenever i read a mystery novel, i really want there to be a secret gay love affair or several secret gay love affairs or maybe a trans-person at the center of the mystery and honestly - when it comes to providing this sort of thing, anne perry delivers. i realize it would take some of the fun out of the mysteries in general if they were all gay interest, but at least some of them are. this one is good - because of course i wanted anstiss and byam to be gay, and towards the end it was pretty obvious that was the case -but there is still a nice surprise because perry delivers a crazy murder suicide! yay! best victorian murder mysteries around.
we_are_all_mad_here26's review
3.0
Was this one more enjoyable than others in the series I've read recently? I think so. But it is all becoming kind of a blur.
Thomas Pitt as usual takes certain things at face value, even though your average 8-year-old with a spy/detective kit would know to question those things. Basically a given character we will call So-and-so tells Pitt some version of a story. If Pitt were to question that version then the book would end somewhere around page 21. Therefore Pitt must spend the next 350 or so pages operating as if So-and-so's word must absolutely be fact.
He also walks away from conversations wondering things that he could easily have asked right there in the conversation from which he is walking away.
It is all very frustrating at times. Nevertheless, I persist.
Thomas Pitt as usual takes certain things at face value, even though your average 8-year-old with a spy/detective kit would know to question those things. Basically a given character we will call So-and-so tells Pitt some version of a story. If Pitt were to question that version then the book would end somewhere around page 21. Therefore Pitt must spend the next 350 or so pages operating as if So-and-so's word must absolutely be fact.
He also walks away from conversations wondering things that he could easily have asked right there in the conversation from which he is walking away.
It is all very frustrating at times. Nevertheless, I persist.
kstewart424's review
4.0
So I want to start out by saying I read this as an unabridged audiobook. The narrator was Devina Porter – so far she has narrated every Thomas Pitt novel I have listened to and she does a fantastic job. My husband got me into the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series this past year. He loves good mysteries and Anne Perry does an amazing job of adding twists and turns that you would never expect. Belgrave Square is not exception. The series are all stand alone books, but usually reference incidents or events in previous books. The author explains anything referenced from other books very well, so you do not get lost at all, but you learn about endings of some of the other cases Pitt has worked on. Not all the time, like in this story, but some times it happens.
The book is full of political intrigue, scandals, blackmail, the concerns and cares of Society, and the trials of the working class. I thought it was a great book. Throughout the book, there are developments and dead ends, sudden changes in people and the mystery of how to survive in Society. Like her other books, the case does not become clear until the very end, keeping you engaged throughout the investigation. I somewhat guessed (not completely correct, but not totally wrong either) who was doing what and being blackmailed for what, but the ending was a surprise, which is always nice. Also, some of the scandals mentioned were quite interesting to follow.
I think I have a tendency to like Charlotte more than Thomas, but I think it is because she can be so clever and daring where Thomas is restricted by his job. We also meet Sergeant Innes in this book. I hope to see more of him in future books, though I don’t think we will. He was a fun character. Also, when the story resolved, I felt there were a few things unsettled. I hope to hear more about the young couple that was trying to get together (I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not mentioning names) and also what happened to Pitt’s superior and his love interest.
For anyone getting into Anne Perry, I would recommend Silence in Hanover Close (it’s my favorite of her books so far). It was more amusing and surprising than this particular book, but they are both very good and worth the read.
https://bookmouseblog.wordpress.com/
The book is full of political intrigue, scandals, blackmail, the concerns and cares of Society, and the trials of the working class. I thought it was a great book. Throughout the book, there are developments and dead ends, sudden changes in people and the mystery of how to survive in Society. Like her other books, the case does not become clear until the very end, keeping you engaged throughout the investigation. I somewhat guessed (not completely correct, but not totally wrong either) who was doing what and being blackmailed for what, but the ending was a surprise, which is always nice. Also, some of the scandals mentioned were quite interesting to follow.
I think I have a tendency to like Charlotte more than Thomas, but I think it is because she can be so clever and daring where Thomas is restricted by his job. We also meet Sergeant Innes in this book. I hope to see more of him in future books, though I don’t think we will. He was a fun character. Also, when the story resolved, I felt there were a few things unsettled. I hope to hear more about the young couple that was trying to get together (I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’m not mentioning names) and also what happened to Pitt’s superior and his love interest.
For anyone getting into Anne Perry, I would recommend Silence in Hanover Close (it’s my favorite of her books so far). It was more amusing and surprising than this particular book, but they are both very good and worth the read.
https://bookmouseblog.wordpress.com/
shoelessmama's review against another edition
4.0
This was fantastic! I was drawn into the story and kept on my toes at every turn. I'm not sure if the last book in the series and how bored I was with it colored my reading of this by lowering my expectations but I don't care.