Belgrave Square: A Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novel (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Series Book 12)

I really like Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries. It is always interesting to follow the solution of a crime when there's no lie detector, finger printing, DNA or other forensics to help find and convict the killer. How do they do it? Also, the look into life in Victorian London is always interesting. In "Belgrave Square", the murder of a money lender becomes Thomas' case and he questions potential suspects at the top and bottom of the social register. Meanwhile, Charlotte helps out by meeting and subtly questioning upper crust friends and associates of the victim and suspects. The pace of the mystery is excellent and there are lots of twists and turns. I gave the book 4 stars (instead of 5) because the ending is a shocker and the clues to the solution are not provided until after the final event.

The story was hard to put down. Thomas took the lead this time. Charlotte and her sister did contribute but not as much as in other stories. The ending was shocking and I missed the clues to the final ending. Usually I have an inkling but this was a surprise to me. Looking back the clues were there but more subtle this time. All in all a great read.

I've read all 23 of the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt books, and this entry has more than any other of what we love Anne Perry for -- the beautifully drawn descriptions of high and low Victorian life; the interweaving of Charlotte's family's goings-on with the main plot; wonderfully realized secondary characters; etc. In Belgrave Square, we learn for the first time of the deadly secret society known as the Inner Circle, which will return to haunt Charlotte, Thomas, and their families in future books. The main police business at issue -- who blew the head off nasty userer William Weems -- is slightly over-the-top, if undeniably dramatic; but it has several rivals for the reader's attention, including the compelling romance of Micah Drummond and Eleanor Byam (very touching and believable) and the love triangle of Fanny Hilliard, Fitz Fitzpatrick, and Odelia Morden. Thomas and Charlotte themselves continue to grow in interesting ways; here, Charlotte is forced out of her happy-married-woman complacency, learning a new sympathy for the travails of others even when they are not particularly likeable people. There's even a fascinating lesson in colonial economics tucked away in all the plotting and subplotting! But the capper of the book for me is the delicious encounter between Lady Vespasia and Lily Langry at an upper-crust garden party. Every time I reread it, I'm impressed anew by Perry's ability to set a vivid scene and draw her readers into the absurd but deadly serious etiquette games of another time and place.

Anne Perry is one of my all time favorite mystery writers. Reading her stories bring you right to Victorian England, the sights, smells, clothing and cooking all brought right to your senses. I love her stories, I’m sure you will also if you like intrigue and mystery.

Thomas Pitt is a police inspector in London, circa 1890. He has been removed from more routine cases to handle a special investigation. An unsavory usurer (loan shark) has been killed, and some high placed people have an interest. It seems the usurer was also a blackmailer. Someone else may now have information damaging to various people.The novel provides a good picture of the social climbing and snobishness of Victorian England, where the old school tie meant a lot, mistresses were OK as long as you were discreet, and an exposed skeleton could ruin you socially, destroy your children's marriage prospects, and get you blackballed from club membership. People were expected to be seen in the right places, but you could not accept invitations unless you returned them, and a woman could not possibly wear the same dress or hat to two functions.Events are compounded by a shadowy secret society that goes beyond the old school tie. People are not telling the whole truth about their relationships, and investigations by Pitt (with some additional nosing around by his wife) reveal well hidden secrets. The novel comes to a surprising conclusion as truths are revealed.The novel has some sexual content and violence.

Anne Perry successfully combines lively characters with incredible descriptions of life and mores in 19th century London with artful plots. I love all her books, but this one in particular captures Perry at her best.

As an avid Anne Perry reader, this is a wonderful continuation of Charlotte and Thomas Pitt. I would recommend starting with the first book in the series and continue to read how this couples and their family grows. An excellent read.

This is another installment in the Thomas and Charlotte Pitt series. I've read most of them and always find them entertaining and enjoyable. As with most series, the characters become familiar and the development of their lives from story to story is a large part of of what makes these books fun to read. Beyond that, the books are also good period pieces. Perry's exploration of social mores and class barriers is well done. Her weakness is that her plots are often somewhat transparent. BELGRAVE SQUARE is no exception. For me, the "hidden relationship" that lies at the core of this mystery was pretty clear long before the end. The final scene was dramatic, but the relationship thus exposed was long anticipated.Perry's tales are, in general, fun to read and BELGRAVE SQUARE is a solid entry in the Pitt series. Her characters are engaging and her handling of the social and historical background are very competent. Her plot, too, is sufficiently involved to hold the readers interest. All in all, another good effort and I recommend it. My only caution is that, if you're looking for a really baffling whodunit, this might not be it.

Very good as are all the Thomas Pitt mysteries. The whodunit never who you expect it to be!

A great read

Brilliant set of books will carry on reading them as fast as ann perry writes them as they are simpy the best

I am enjoying all the Thomas Pitt novels

Un petit usurier est assassiné. Rien d'exceptionnel en soi. Mais l'homme s'adonnait également au chantage auprès de membres de la haute société... Pitt est chargé de cette enquête délicate.On retrouve avec plaisir Charlotte et Thomas Pitt (et autres personnages récurrents) dans cette 12ème aventure. L'évocation de la société victorienne est toujours aussi réussie, riche et détaillée. L'intrigue est élaborée avec son lot de surprises et un coup de théâtre final.Ceci étant dit, j'ai trouvé que l'histoire trainait un peu en longueur et manquait de rythme pendant une bonne partie du livre. Peut-être aurait-il fallu l'écourter d'une petite centaine de pages pour dynamiser l'enquête? Cela n'enlève rien au plaisir de l'ensemble.