Search results for ""Author Anne Perry""

When a man is found murdered on the doorstep of a respectable house in Bedford Square, Victorian England's finest and most controversial policeman, Thomas Pitt, is called immediately to the scene. The only clue to the victim's identity is a silver snuff box found on the body, curiously at odds with the man's dishevelled appearance. Pitt soon discovers that the box, and the house where the body was found, belong to General Balantyne, a man Pitt knows to be a pillar of the community. He is dismayed to learn that Balantyne can barely recall the evening, let alone account for his movements.

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Another fantastic Pitt novel from the master storyteller of the Victorian mystery.1895 and an increasingly violent tide of political unrest is rising fast all over Europe. Special Branch's Inspector Thomas Pitt knows that they must find those responsible before England is overrun by reformists intent on overthrowing the government. When he finds himself in pursuit of a suspected terrorist, Pitt has no hesitation in following the chase all the way to France. But events take a sinister turn when Narraway, Pitt's superior, is accused of involvement in the death of an Irish informant and abruptly removed from office. Aware that her husband's own career is also in jeopardy if he is not reinstated, Pitt's wife Charlotte determines to help Narraway clear his name. As Charlotte and Narraway depart for Ireland and Pitt is drawn deeper into the investigation in France, it becomes clear that outside forces have conspired to separate them at a crucial time in the country's history. With no one else to trust can they make it back to England and stop the revolt before it's too late?

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In the last idyllic summer of 1914, the battle lines are already drawn. In Cambridge, the golden June days seem timeless. But for Joseph Reavley the summer is shattered by his parents' deaths in a car accident. Bringing the terrible news, his brother reveals that their father, a retired MP, had been travelling to see him about a sinister plot he had discovered. Matthew's job in the secret service means that he would understand the mysterious document their father possessed, but now it is nowhere to be found. Returning after the funeral with their two sisters, Joseph and Matthew become convinced that their parents' house has been searched. As their suspicions grow, they visit the scene of the crash and find subtle evidence that their deaths may not have been accidental after all.

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It's 1859 and throughout Europe tremendous upheavals have taken place. Hester Latterly is nurse to the sick son of a German Baron and his family, who have moved to London from one of the many small principalities between Prussia and Bavaria - and the Baroness tells Hester about her kingdom's famous royal family...Handsome Prince Friedrich was one of just two heirs to the crown, considered the perfect match by every woman of the land. But during an affair with Countess Zorah Rostova, he meets the alluring and sophisticated Gisela - with whom he falls deeply in love. He can have Gisela or the crown, but not both. He chooses Gisela, marries her in Venice and, after many years, tragically dies in England. Now, Countess Zorah, having accused the widowed Princess of murdering Friedrich, is being sued in the biggest slander trial of the century - and the only way that she can defend herself is to prove that Gisela is indeed guilty. But in doing so she must sully the greatest love story that the country has ever known, and that is enough to put her lawyer's career in jeopardy, too. That lawyer is Oliver Rathbone, who calls on Investigator William Monk to help...

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When her brother arrives on her doorstep, Hester Monk is shocked - as much by the unexpectedness of the visit as by the reason for it. For since her marriage to Monk, Charles and his elegant wife, Imogen, have kept their distance. But now Charles needs Hester's help. He believes Imogen is having an affair - there can be no other explanation for her recent strange behaviour. However, before Hester is able to investigate, a tragedy occurs. In a nearby artist's studio two women have been brutally killed. Having left the police force with extreme ill feeling between himself and his superior, the last thing Monk wants to do is face the demons of his past. But, in the course of his work, Monk is left with no choice but to visit his old adversary, Runcorn, and involve himself with the sensational murder case.

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The third novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring young British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish, set in the 1930s when the world was a place of increasing fear and uncertainty... Spring, 1934. With the threat of war looming, political tensions begin to rise... Elena Standish, a young English photographer who works for British Intelligence, is visiting her grandparents' home in Washington DC when tragedy strikes. A lavish party is held to mark her grandparent's sixtieth wedding anniversary and Elena takes pride in capturing the event on camera, but when the beautiful wife of a renowned scientist is found murdered in the driveway, allegedly run over by Elena's grandfather's car, Elena's world is turned upside down.Arrested on suspicion of murder, Wyatt Baylor protests his innocence, claiming he has enemies who are trying to frame him. But who are these enemies and how can Elena defend a man she barely knows? Turning to secret agent James Allenby for help, Elena must uncover the truth behind the events of that fateful night. But can she trust Allenby or her family and is she willing to risk everything in her pursuit of the truth?

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A festive house party takes a sinister turn...Victor Narraway and his wife, Lady Vespasia, are invited to spend Christmas at Cavendish Hall with a gathering of old acquaintances, but it is not the quiet, rather stiff house party they had expected. While there, Victor must undertake his final mission for Special Branch, reminiscent of another one in the past, at which he had tragically failed.When disaster strikes and one of the guests is left for dead, Victor fears that history is repeating itself. But which of them is intent on murder? And can Victor accept that he is not to blame...?A Christmas Gathering is the gripping new festive mystery from the pen of Anne Perry, the master of Victorian crime.

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The fifth novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring young British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish, set in the 1930s when the world was a place of increasing fear and uncertainty...As Hitler's influence spreads across Europe, the future of Britain is at stake...It is late summer 1934 when retired MI6 agent John Repton's body is found near Wyndham Hall in the Cotswolds. Repton was killed while investigating the Wyndham family's ties to fascist sympathisers, and Elena Standish is assigned to discover if one of them resorted to murder . . . Meanwhile, Elena's sister Margot is courting Lady Wyndham's brother and, unaware that Elena is a spy, Margot invites her to attend a house party at Wyndham Hall along with her colleague James Allenby, who masquerades as her suitor. As the atmosphere becomes increasingly tense, Elena and Allenby begin to expose the allegiances of the people in the house. But Elena is torn, for she knows that revealing the truth will protect the nation's security but could potentially destroy her sister's happiness . . .

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When nurse Hestor Latterly accompanies the elderly Mrs Mary Farraline on a short trip to London, her only medical duty is to ensure her charming patient takes her heart medicine. But Mrs Farraline dies during the night. When her missing brooch 'turns up' in Hester's possession she is arrested for theft, until a post-mortem reveals a lethal dose of medicine in Mrs Farraline's body, and the charge becomes murder. Inspector William Monk must find a killer amongst the aloof Farraline clan, and in a Scottish courtroom the family's secrets will be exposed - or buried for ever.

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New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry's twenty-first heart-warming Christmas novella.When Mariah Ellison arrives in the picturesque village of St Helen's to spend the festive season with her old friend Sadie Alsop, she is shocked to discover that Sadie has vanished. Her husband has no idea where she has gone or when she will return but, thankfully, Mariah has other friends in the village who are willing to offer their hospitality.Once settled, she begins a rigorous search for Sadie that is fuelled by malicious gossip as harsh as the winter snow. Has Sadie run away? Has she been kidnapped? Has someone harmed her? And how long can she survive if she has no shelter from the bitterly cold weather? As Christmas Day approaches, Mariah is increasingly determined to solve the mystery of Sadie's disappearance and bring her home in time to celebrate Yuletide together . . .

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A CHRISTMAS RETURN is the 15th novella in the festive series by Anne Perry, the queen of Victorian crime.As the festive season approaches, Charlotte Pitt's grandmamma, Mariah Ellison, is facing Christmas alone. When she receives an unexpected gift, memories are sparked of a Christmas in Haslemere long ago, when her beloved friend Cullen Wesley died and a local villager was brutally murdered, with no killer brought to justice.The unsolved case has resurfaced and Cullen's grandson, Peter, begs for Mariah's help to solve the crime that led to his grandfather's death. Mariah can't resist a friend in need and she returns to Haslemere to investigate the murder and heal old wounds. But evil still lurks in the picturesque village and she'll need all her wits about her to see that justice is done.A Christmas Return is the enthralling new festive tale from the pen of Anne Perry, the master of Victorian crime.

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Thomas Pitt's daughter Jemima, now a young woman, leads the cast of Anne Perry's enthralling festive mystery. In New York, at the turn of the century, where new American money and old English aristocracy collide, a young bride's secret past could destroy her future. Jemima, in America as a chaperone until her friend's wedding, is instead drawn into the crisis, and must decide whom to trust, and how to thread her way through the dangerous streets of this cold, brash new city.

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When Commander Thomas Pitt is ordered to protect a young woman visiting London from Spain, he cannot see why this is a job for Special Branch. When she disappears in the dead of night from Angel Court, however, he is faced with a dangerous mystery. Sofia preached new, and some say blasphemous, religious ideals, and her life had been threatened. But Pitt senses there is some deeper and more dangerous reason for her kidnap - if that is what it is.Three men are caught up in the hunt for Sofia - her cousin, a banker for the Church of England, a popular and charismatic politician, and a journalist who seems determined to goad Pitt to the truth. Each seems to be hiding something, and as the search for answers stretches from London to Spain, Pitt knows that time is running out, and the nation's security could be at stake...Angel Court is the thirtieth superb mystery featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt from the master of Victorian crime.

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The queen of the Victorian mystery, New York Times bestseller Anne Perry returns with the 22nd novel in the William Monk series REVENGE IN A COLD RIVER. An adversary Monk cannot remember threatens everything he holds dear - will he survive what is to come?London, 1869: The body of a middle-aged man is found tangled in a mass of rope and wooden wreckage near the dockside of the River Thames.Commander William Monk of the River Police is called when initial investigations reveal the man was shot in the back. When he learns that the man was a master forger who had just escaped prison, Monk's interest is immediately piqued. But as his investigations lead him ever deeper into the murky world of smuggling and forgery, Monk is forced to confront his own forgotten past.The unsolicited interference of an old foe takes precedence as it becomes clear to Monk that a bitter enemy is back for revenge and has him in his sights. With his life and career in imminent danger, can Monk navigate his way to the truth before it is too late?Commander William Monk - A man with no past has only his conscience and instinct to guide him.

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Thomas Pitt arrives at a devastating bombing in Lancaster Gate to find two policemen dead and three more gravely wounded. London's anarchists are blamed, but as Pitt and Inspector Tellman investigate they find it looks increasingly like a personal vendetta against those particular men. Did they lie about a drugs raid that went fatally wrong, and let an innocent man hang? The idea of police dishonesty cuts Tellman to the quick - he joined the force to protect society, not exploit it. But he must uncover the truth, however much he wants to resist the signs of blackmail and corruption. With the threat of further bombings, and their superiors pushing for a quick resolution, Pitt and Tellman find their every move scrutinised, and their own lives suddenly at risk...Treachery at Lancaster Gate is the exceptional new historical thriller from the master of Victorian crime.

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The fifth, and final, book in Anne Perry's powerful series of novels set during World War One.The war is coming to a close. Joseph Reavley's regiment has suffered huge losses but all live in hope that peace will soon be upon them, when a further, brutal tragedy strikes the Front. Sarah Price, a young nurse, is savagely murdered and Joseph vows to find the person responsible. Matthew, Joseph's brother, is already at the Front to meet a prisoner who claims to be able to identify the shadowy Peacemaker, when he becomes implicated in the nurse's death. If Matthew is to bring the prisoner to the office of the Prime Minister, he must work with Joseph to ensure that Sarah Price's killer is found. If Matthew is able to put a stop to the Peacemaker's schemes, there will be a chance for lasting peace; if he fails, then freedom and liberty could be all but a distant memory for future generations...

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For Miriam Gardiner, at her engagement party at the London home of her fiancé, Lucius Stourbridge, it should have been one of the happiest days of her life. But, leaving suddenly, Miriam disappears without a trace. Reluctant to cause a scandal, Lucius seeks out William Monk and tells him that the only lead concerns their coachman, Treadwell, who is also missing. Monk, not usually a sentimental man, is moved by Lucius's distress, and assumes that his recent marriage to Hester Latterly is to blame. When Treadwell's murdered body is found, Monk becomes convinced that his death is linked to a terrible secret in Miriam's past that someone, desperate keep it hidden, has killed for, and may well do so again, unless he can stop them.

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The body lies reclined in a punt, clothed in a torn dress, head thrown back in a mimic of ecstasy. It is a feminine pose but the body is distinctly male. The case already reeks of scandal and the body is not even cold. Pitt is the natural choice to investigate what he soon realises is the most unnatural of killings.

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Genvieve Stonefield's husband Angus is missing when she seeks William Monk's help to find him. She is convinced that he has been murdered by his twin brother Caleb, a shadowy figure who lives in the slums bordering the Thames and has always hated his respectable businessman brother. Although worried about Hester Latterly's health as she nurses victims of a typhoid outbreak in Limehouse, and threatened by a personal scandal, Monk is determined to bring one of the most bizarre cases he has ever encountered to its conclusion.

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Young Killian Melville is arguably the most brilliant architect of the age; passionate about his art, he is liked by everyone. So when he visits Sir Oliver Rathbone, in need of a lawyer to represent him over his alleged 'breach of promise' to marry the daughter of his patron, Rathbone agrees despite his misgvings. The case is not an easy one. Zillah is beautiful and even-tempered, heiress to a fortune and a good friend. What more could any man want? And why would Melville risk losing the professional reputation he has worked all his life to build? Frustrated by his client's refusal to divulge any further information, and convined he is keeping something from him, Rathbone, his own professional integrity at stake, decides to ask his close friend Hester Latterly for an objective opinion about the case. She, meanwhile, has contacted William Monk to investigate a mysterious family matter from twenty years ago. Little do they realise that the three of them are about to tackle the most baffling and complex case with which they have ever been faced...

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No breath of scandal has ever touched the aristocratic Moidore family. London's wealthiest and most influential can often be found taking tea or dining in the opulent family mansion of Sir Basil Moidore in Queen Anne Street. Now Sir Basil's beautiful widowed daughter has been stabbed to death in her own bed, a shocking and incomprehensible tragedy. Inspector William Monk is ordered to find her killer without delay - and in a manner that will give least pain to her family. Handicapped by his inept supervisor and the lingering traces of amnesia, Monk gropes warily through the silence and shadows that obscure the case. But with the intelligent help of Hester Latterly, he begins to approach the astonishing solution, step by dangerous step.

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Segunda novela del detective William Monk en la que tendrá que investigar el asesinato de una de las hijas del aristocrático clan de los Moidore. El aristocrático clan de los Moidore, una de las mejores familias de Londres, a cuya mansión de Queen Anne Street acuden los más encumbrados personajes, nunca se había visto en vuelto en el escándalo. Ahora, sin embargo, la bella hija de sir Basil ha aparecido apuñalada en su propia cama y la noticia corre de boca en boca por la ciudad. El inspector William Monk recibe la orden de encontrar al asesino sin demora, aunque evitando causarle mayores trastornos a una familia ya abrumada por la tragedia. Monk se halla todavía bajo los efectos de la amnesia, secuela de un grave accidente, pero sus facultades continúan intactas y, con la ayuda de Ester Latterly, se aproxima paso a paso a un asombroso descubrimiento.

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Primera novela sobre el detective Monk en la que el detective tratará de iluminar su propio pasado e investiga un brutal asesinato. Su nombre es William Monk; su profesión, detective de la policía. Eso, al menos, es lo que le dicen cuando despierta en un hospital londinense, ya que él no recuerda nada. Al parecer, el carruaje en que viajaba volcó y como consecuencia de este accidente el cochero murió y él quedó malherido. Tras pasar tres semanas inconsciente y otras tantas de convalecencia. Monk recupera la salud, pero no la memoria. Su primer caso cuando se reincorpora en el cuerpo de policía es el brutal asesinato de Joscelin Grey, un héroe de la guerra de Crimea que fue golpeado hasta morir en sus aposentos. Se trata de un asunto delicado, pues la familia de la víctima no está dispuesta a que un simple plebeyo hurgue en sus intimidades. Sin embargo, Monk no se deja amilanar y, mientras busca una clave que ilumine su propio pasado, empieza a investigar entre las amistades de G

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It’s March 1916, and Joseph Reavley is on sick leave and finding recovery slow and hard. His sister Hannah is caring for him at home, and it’s a delight to them both when Shanley Corcoran, an old friend, comes to visit. Corcoran confides in Joseph that he’s come very close to completing an invention that will paralyse the deadly German U-boats. Soon afterwards, however, the leading scientist on that project is found murdered, and it’s clear that someone has been betraying secrets to the enemy. Joseph’s brother Matthew, of the S.I.S., comes down to investigate, and together the two men embark on a search that will solve the crime and lead them to the spy.

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The fourth novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring British secret agent Elena Standish, who will need every ounce of her strength and ingenuity to survive what lies ahead...It is the summer of 1934 when MI6 receives intelligence that two German scientists have made a breakthrough in germ warfare. British agent Elena Standish must return to Berlin to prevent unimaginable horror and, with the help of her trusted friend, Jacob Ritter, embark upon a mission fraught with fear and uncertainty. Meanwhile, her grandfather's old adversary Johann Paulus has risen to power as an adviser to Hitler. By his side is his loyal supporter Hans Beckendorff, who is married to Elena's childhood friend. But when Hans witnesses the bloodshed and atrocities of the Night of the Long Knives, he is torn between ambition and the realisation that he must protect his family from harm.

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The third novel in Anne Perry's breathtakingly tense and exciting spy thriller series, featuring young British photographer and secret agent Elena Standish, set in the 1930s when the world was a place of increasing fear and uncertainty... Spring, 1934. With the threat of war looming, political tensions begin to rise... Elena Standish, a young English photographer who works for British Intelligence, is visiting her grandparents' home in Washington DC when tragedy strikes. A lavish party is held to mark her grandparents' sixtieth wedding anniversary and Elena takes pride in capturing the event on camera, but when the beautiful wife of a renowned scientist is found murdered in the driveway, allegedly run over by Elena's grandfather's car, Elena's world is turned upside down.Arrested on suspicion of murder, Wyatt Baylor protests his innocence, claiming he has enemies who are trying to frame him. But who are these enemies and how can Elena defend a man she barely knows? Turning to secret agent James Allenby for help, Elena must uncover the truth behind the events of that fateful night. But can she trust Allenby or her family and is she willing to risk everything in her pursuit of the truth?

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The second thrilling mystery in an exciting new generation of Pitt novels, from the New York Times bestselling author and queen of Victorian crime, Anne Perry. 'Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries are marvels of plot construction' New York Times Daniel Pitt is delighted that his sister is visiting London with her American husband Patrick, a policeman, and their young daughters. But Patrick's trip has another purpose, for which he enlists Daniel's help.Philip Sidney, a young British diplomat, is accused of robbery and assault in Washington, but he has taken diplomatic immunity and fled to England. The perfect opportunity to obtain justice presents itself when Sidney is accused of a small embezzlement at the British Embassy in the USA, but as Daniel digs deeper into the case it becomes clear that vengeance is involved.When a witness is murdered in America suspicion of guilt falls on Sidney. But is somebody trying to frame him? And, if so, who and why? Daniel follows a trail that uncovers another murder, and leads from Washington to the idyllic Channel Islands, then to a dramatic scene in court that almost defies belief...

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TWENTY-ONE DAYS is the first in an exciting new generation of Pitt novels, featuring Daniel Pitt, by New York Times bestseller and queen of Victorian crime, Anne Perry.1910. Sir Thomas Pitt's son, Daniel, is in the middle of his first case as a barrister when he is summoned to the Old Bailey for an important trial. Renowned biographer Russell Graves is charged with the brutal murder of his wife and Daniel must assist in his defence.When the jury finds the accused guilty, Graves insists he has been framed. He is writing a shocking exposé of a powerful figure, revealing state secrets so damning that someone might well have wanted to silence him. With the reputations of those closest to him at stake, Daniel has twenty-one days to uncover the truth and ensure that an innocent man isn't sent to the gallows . . .'Anne Perry's Victorian mysteries are marvels of plot construction' New York Times

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The queen of the Victorian mystery, New York Times bestseller Anne Perry returns with the 32nd novel in the Inspector Pitt series MURDER ON THE SERPENTINE. Pitt is on a secret mission for the Queen, maybe his last...London, 1899: Head of Special Branch Commander Thomas Pitt is summoned to Buckingham Palace. In the twilight of her years, Queen Victoria is all too aware that the Prince of Wales will soon inherit her empire and must be beyond reproach. She tells Pitt she tasked her close friend and confidante, John Halberd, with investigating the Prince's friends, specifically Alan Kendrick, a wealthy playboy and betting man, but before he could report back, Halberd was found dead in a rowing boat on the Serpentine. The death has been ruled an unfortunate accident and the investigation closed, but the Queen is not convinced that all is as it seems and tasks Pitt with finding the truth. Forced to act alone in this most sensitive of investigations, Pitt finds himself embroiled in a plot that threatens not only the reputations of men, but also the safety and reputation of the Empire. . .

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One night, in a corridor of the Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich, nurse Hester Monk is approached by a terrified girl. She's from a hidden ward of children, all subject to frequent blood-letting, and her brother is dying. While William Monk's River Police fight to keep London safe from gun-runners, Hester takes on a new role at the hospital, helping to administer a secretive new treatment. But she slowly realises that this experimental cure is putting the lives of the children at risk. Attempting to protect the young victims, she comes under threat from one rich, powerful, and very ill man who is desperate to survive...

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Commander William Monk: in search of justice, he will not stop until he has found the truth.It is a time of progress, with the Empire's interests expanding and the contentious new Suez Canal nearing completion. Many people stand to gain - and to lose - as the world rapidly changes.When a Thames pleasure boat is blown up with the loss of many lives, an Egyptian man is quickly sentenced to hang for the crime. But William Monk, head of the River Police, discovers the evidence was flawed. As he and his wife Hester investigate further, Monk begins to wonder if the wrong man was convicted. If justice itself has been tainted, exposing the true culprit will be far more dangerous...

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The seventeenth novel in Anne Perry's acclaimed William Monk series1864 - Monk and his wife Hester are doing their best to care for Scuff - a homeless boy slowly recovering from a terrifying ordeal at the hands of Jericho Phillips, the runner of a child prostitution ring. Although Scuff's evil abductor is dead, there is no suggestion that the ring has been broken and Scuff is certain that more children are suffering an even worse fate.Monk is determined to find the remaining children and uncover, once and for all, the men funding the operation. And when the body of small-time crook Mickey Parfitt washes up on Mortlake's shore, it fortuitously points him in the right direction. But as Monk's investigation continues, the reputations of respected gentlemen, including Arthur Ballinger, father-in-law of Monk's friend Oliver Rathbone, start being called into question and his task becomes fraught with unforeseen dangers.In an illicit world of blackmail, vice and corruption, Monk must follow the trail - and his conscience - wherever it leads, no matter how disturbing the truth may be.

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In the latest compelling book in Anne Perry's bestselling Pitt series, Inspector Thomas Pitt must navigate the upper echelons of society if he is to find a murderer bold enough to kill in Buckingham Palace.Early one morning, Inspector Thomas Pitt is awoken by a message from his boss, Narraway. A maid has been murdered. The maid worked at Buckingham Palace and Narraway needs his must trusted man to deal with the investigation.The suspects are narrowed down to a group of guests, meeting with the Prince of Wales to discuss the funding for a huge project: the Cape to Cairo railway. If the murderer isn't found, the Queen will veto royal support for the scheme.It rests with Pitt to solve the murder - in doing so he must reconcile his own concept of justice with those who feel it is within their right to make their own laws, whatever the consequences.

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In the sixth of Anne Perry's charming Christmas novellas, a community learns to come to terms with a terrible event from its past. Emily Radley's Christmas plans are shattered when she learns that her aunt is dying. Although estranged from her, Emily decides that she must journey to Susannah's home in Ireland to assist her in her final days. When she reaches Connemara though, it is evident that Susannah has more on her mind than her health. Then Daniel, the lone survivor of a ship wrecked in a violent storm, seeks refuge in Susannah's house. Determined to understand why the village is not welcoming its new arrival, Emily discovers strange parallels with the unsolved death of another young man, Connor, many years before. Susannah, desperate to find out what happened to Connor before she dies, urges Emily to investigate. And as she does, Emily learns that some people will do anything to keep their secrets safe.

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Attending the party and taking a leading role in the ensuing investigation is one of the most beloved characters from Anne Perry's Thomas Pitt series: Lady Vespasia Cumming-Gould. Lady Vespasia's friend Isobel has made a cruel remark about Gwendolen Kilmuir on the night Gwendolen was meant to have become engaged to the eligible Bertie Rosythe. Gwendolen flees the room, and the next morning her body is found in the lake in the gardens of the estate. It appears she has jumped from the bridge. The host, Omegus Jones and Vespasia decide to find who or what might have led Gwendolen to resort to such an extreme measure. They vow to make the guilty party seek forgiveness and expiation through the task of taking a sealed letter written by Gwendolen before her death to her mother up in the north of Scotland.The journey will be both physically and emotionally arduous but will bring answers to some unexpected and profound questions.

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When the Maude Idris docks at the Pool of London, laden with ebony, spices and first-grade tusks of ivory collected from her voyage to Zanzibar, Clement Louvain leaves four armed seamen on board to guard the precious cargo. But as soon as the relief for the night watch arrives ready for duty in the morning, he finds the ivory gone and one of the seamen dead. Hindered by his ignorance of the river and its customs, and ashamed of the fact that he so badly requires the huge fees that Louvain is prepared to pay, William Monk nevertheless begins his investigation into the theft and murder. Meanwhile Hester's work at the refuge at Portpool Lane is encountering acute financial difficulties. Sick prostitutes are arriving daily and the medicines needed to help them are running out. When a man arrives promising to pay a huge amount of money for the care of one particular woman, Hester is astonished to meet him. He is none other than Clement Louvain. So who is the woman he is so generously helping? And why is he offering such a substantial sum? Will Monk discover what Louvain is hiding before it is too late?

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