"Exciting Victorian mystery"
In late nineteenth England, it is not the monarchy or
parliament who rules the country but a clandestine
organization known to only a few as the Inner Circle.
Thomas Pitt, a Metropolitan Street policeman, once tangled
with a member of that group and for his effort was fired
from his position as the superintendent of the Bow Street
Station. When he was able to neutralize his enemy Queen
Victoria reinstated him. Unfortunately, his enemy was able to hold on to his power
and thus pulled strings to force the transfer of Pitt from
Bow Street to Special Branch, an organization involved in
guarding England from her enemies. Pitt is assigned the
task of neutralizing his old enemy who is running for a
seat in the House of Commons. The former superintendent
knows that if he wants to keep his wife and children safe,
he must succeed in his assignment and do it before his
enemy has a more powerful base than he already has. Anne Perry, the leading writer of Victorian mysteries, has
published her best work to date in SOUTHAMPTON ROW. It is
as much a political thriller as it is a Victorian
historical mystery. The details of the era are so detailed
and colorful, that it feels as if the author actually lived
in that period. The mystery is complex and creative but
the most fascinating part of the book is the political
picture Perry paints for her audience that turn a potent
tale into a masterpiece. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by PNR Group Member
Posted February 2, 2002
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