A riveting new Thomas and Charlotte Pitt novel, in which Anne Perry again proves her mastery of the people, the mores, and the politics of the Victorian era she has made her own. A general election is approaching and Thomas is called to monitor the bitter struggle for one crucial London seat. The Tory candidate is Charles Voisey, ruthless Number One of the Inner Circle and old enemy of Pitt. His Liberal opponent is Aubrey Serracold, whose wife, Rose, is passionately committed to a socialist agenda and a liability to Serracold as she is immersed in spiritualism. Rose is one of the three participants in a late-night seance held by clairvoyant Maude Lamont, which becomes notorious when Madame Lamont's brutally murdered body is found the next morning. To Pitt's heavy burdens is now added the investigation of this baffling crime.
Southampton Row
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Thomas Pitt prefers the grim routine of murder investigations to the riskier probing of Victorian governmental intrigues. Yet Anne Perry's Southampton Row again finds him displaced from his police command, this time to foil the political ambitions of a ruthless republican.
Charles Voisey, leader of a powerful secret society known as the Inner Circle, was defeated by Pitt when he tried (in The Whitechapel Conspiracy) to abolish the British monarchy. Only months later, though, he's back on top, running for a seat in Parliament. Under the auspices of the newly created Special Branch, Pitt is charged with learning whether Voisey has any "unguarded vulnerabilities." The odds against Pitt succeeding are high; Voisey may be "shallow, self-important [and] condescending," but he impresses voters as more charismatic and less controversial than his opponent, Aubrey Serracold, who's also hobbled by his connection to the recent slaying of a popular spiritualist. While Pitt's wife, Charlotte, and their family are safely out of London on vacation, Pitt, aided by the gruff but dogged Inspector Samuel Tellman, his politically astute sister-in law, and Charlotte's resourceful great-aunt Vespasia, seeks to solve the medium's murder before it can derail Aubrey Serracold's campaign.
Perry expertly portrays the volatile British political climate of the 1890s, and by making Pitt and Tellman rivals in their investigation, she further illuminates both men's characters. However, Southampton Row reduces the usually intrepid Charlotte to a hand-wringing irrelevance, and the novel feels too much like an intermediate and inconclusive chapter in a longer story arc. Like Holmes and Moriarty, Thomas Pitt and Charles Voisey appear destined to grapple once more. --J. Kingston Pierce --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
HNewcomers to Perry's series about Victorian police officer Thomas Pitt might be baffled by all the backstory from 2001's The Whitechapel Conspiracy in this 22nd entry, but loyal fans should hit the ground reading. Bounced from his beloved job as superintendent at the Bow Street cop shop in the political backlash of the plot against Queen Victoria that he and his aristocratic wife, Charlotte, uncovered in that last book, Pitt not only has to work for the sneaky Victor Narraway of Special Branch but must also give up a much-deserved vacation with his family to look into the murder of a society spiritualist in London's Southampton Row. It seems that Charles Voisey, head of a secret society called the Inner Circle and the man whom the Pitts stopped from coming this close to turning England into a republic (with himself as president), is now running for Parliament as a Tory against a promising Liberal candidate, Aubrey Serracold. Voisey shouldn't stand a chance unless Serracold's wife, one of the murdered medium's clients, really did knock her off. Since Charlotte spends virtually all of the book on Dartmoor, her place in the investigation is ably filled by her sister, Emily, married to another up-and-coming Liberal. As ever, excellent craftsmanship sets this series in the front rank of historical mysteries. (Mar. 1)Forecast: A 15-city author tour, national print and radio advertising as well as a sample chapter in the mass market edition of The Whitechapel Conspiracy (Jan.) should help ensure another run up bestseller lists.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By John Savoy
Format:Hardcover
"Southhampton Row" by Anne Perry was a novel that I enjoyed. The characters were sort of laid back, but sometimes, I like that in this type genre. The dialogue flows smoothly, and the plot, though somewhat predictable, still interesting enough. Nice Job!
John Savoy
Savoy International
Motion Pictures Inc.
By Stephen Fenn
Format:Hardcover
Anne Perry's latest novel is excellent. The plot is very well written and put together. The suspense builds up slowly and the story ties up very satifactorily.
I'm in agreement with Amazon's review that the section with Charlotte was unneccesary. It only distracts from the main story. Also, who cares what the characters are wearing? A general description is good, but I don't need to know every last detail.
Despite it's flaws, this is Anne Perry's best Pitt novel to date.
I'm in agreement with Amazon's review that the section with Charlotte was unneccesary. It only distracts from the main story. Also, who cares what the characters are wearing? A general description is good, but I don't need to know every last detail.
Despite it's flaws, this is Anne Perry's best Pitt novel to date.
By S. Schwartz
Format:Hardcover
This is definitely a strong novel. Again we're faced with the political consipiracy theory and the Inner Circle. In this book Pitt is on his own. His estimable wife and the irrepressible Gracie have been removed out of London for their own safety. I for one miss them, but we still have Emily and Aunt Vespasia, and that's enough. The characterization and the mystery are both wonderful in this book. Ms. Perry seems to have found her stride again in the last two books in this series. It is really awesome how she recreates the time and all the hidden counterplots in late Victorian England. Even the characters appear to have been plucked right out of their setting and placed in this book for us to get to know them. We do get to know them. We get to feel their joy and their pain. We learn what conventions must be followed at all costs, and what not to say when in society. Ms. Perry can recreate this era like no other.
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4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Political Intrigue and Murder
This is a sequel to the previous novel, "The Whitechapel Conspiracy," which should be read first to fully understand the characters and background. Read more
Published on Jan 21 2003 by Fred Camfield
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cool
Anne Perry has written another great mystery here. Full of interesting insights into the Victorian way of life and various wonderful nuggests on the human condition. Read more
Published on Jan 14 2003
5.0 out of 5 stars
Totally enjoyable
Heroes come and go. Those who make a lasting impression are the ones who are forced by circumstances to become truly extraordinary. Read more
Published on Jan 2 2003 by Judith W. Colombo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Of mediums and politics
I am a real Anne Perry fan and have never read a book of hers that I didn't like. She has a wonderful grasp of the customs and political environment during Victorian times and she... Read more
Published on Dec 22 2002 by Karen Potts
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely Not the Last
Southampton Row is an enjoyable read. Ms. Perry's knowledge of the Victorian era is undeniable extensive and the rich tapestry she is able to weave intrigued me. Read more
Published on Oct 9 2002 by Nathalie Ryan
4.0 out of 5 stars
First Time Reader
"Southampton Row" was my first Anne Perry book and I am now a fan. I like the way we can learn so much from a bygone era when an author takes the time to do such great... Read more
Published on Aug 13 2002 by J. Cunningham
3.0 out of 5 stars
Strong Female Presence Missed
There is a lack of a strong female presence in this novel and it is the weaker for it. Charlotte and Gracie (a delightful character I wish we saw more of) are sent on holiday only... Read more
Published on July 1 2002 by plum9195
5.0 out of 5 stars
great addition
Having read all of the books of this series, I typically watch for the latest publication and race to get it. I was not disappointed by this book. Read more
Published on Jun 1 2002
2.0 out of 5 stars
Where's Charlotte?
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... Read more
Published on May 27 2002
4.0 out of 5 stars
Southampton Row
One of the better books in the series so far, Southampton Row focuses on the "big plot" centered on the sinister Inner Circle. Read more
Published on April 3 2002
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