Newly-minted lawyer Daniel Pitt is frantically trying to get a man off for murder when he receives a message from his superiors at the law firm to wrap things up quickly–he’s needed at another more important trial, another murder case that seems even more impossible to win. So begins the first novel in famed novelist Anne Perry’s Daniel Pitt series, a spin-off of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt murder mysteries.
Daniel is idealistic. Defending a client whose guilt seems certain is not his cup of tea. There’s not a whole lot to recommend Mr. Graves either. His wife is dead from a head wound, his servants and children seem happy to have him hang for it, and his personality is none too pleasant to boot. But when Daniel and his partner Kitteridge lose their first defense of Mr. Graves, they are ordered by the head of the firm to find new evidence and make an appeal. They have twenty-one days before the man will hang.
Employing some of the detective skills learned from his father Thomas Pitt, Daniel digs into the secrets surrounding Graves’ work and his past. What he finds is far from comfortable, however, and he is forced to make the difficult decision whether truth should be blazoned to the world no matter the cost.
Miriam Fford Croft, the daughter of his superior, acts as Daniel’s assistant in the detective work. A scientist who was denied her university degrees on account of her sex, she is conversant in the new arts of fingerprinting and X-ray technology. But will this evidence be admissible even if Daniel calls on her in court?
This was a splendid start to a new mystery series. I loved the way Perry kept a strong connection between Daniel and his illustrious parents while at the same time introducing a whole new cast of intriguing characters. I also enjoyed the blend of courtroom drama with detective scenes. The Daniel Pitt series is off to a strong start with this book, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
“There’s more art than truth to some of his work.”
“Creative?” Daniel asked. He chose his word with care.
“Not really,” Arthur said. “You can stick very strictly to the truth, and, as long as you omit the right points, tell a completely different story. The best lines are those that are implied. Everything you say is true and proven, and yet it doesn’t add up the way the real truth does.”
Rosanne E. Lortz 