Rating: 
Summary: If you have insomnia, this is the book for you.
Review: I did manage to finish this book, but it took awhile. Was Ms. Perry under pressure from her publisher to finish this book? Not up to her usual standards. Very disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Great but spoilers for at least 1 of the other 2
Review: I enjoyed this book greatly, as I do all the Pitt series. I have found, though, that it is vital to read them in order! I have not received all of them yet, but I can't keep myself from starting one the moment I get it, and therefore I read this one out of sequence - with consequences! There are references to the occurrences of the first book in which the Ballantyne family appear, Callander Square, but I don't think anything that would "give it away." However, clearly this family is deeply involved in Death in the Devil's Acre, and I have to admit that there are some serious "spoilers" in it! I don't know how serious since I haven't read it but it surely must give away "whodunit."Otherwise, the plot and characterizations are very interesting... but I felt with this one more than any other in the series that the detectives could have gotten there quite a bit sooner. It wasn't just a case of the reader having more information than Pitt, either. And it doesn't seem very characteristic of Pitt to bend facts to fit his perceptions. It is only by pursuing something that he feels is totally worthless, but necessary as a tying up of a loose end, that he stumbles on the truth. It says something for his conscientiousness, but I felt it was out of character for him to ignore two glaring inconsistencies regarding a piece of evidence toward the end!
Rating:
Summary: Love the Pitts--but the mystery's a bust
Review: I LOVE Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mysteries and eagerly await my yearly "update" on their lives, like a summer visit to favorite friends. It's sad to see Great Aunt Vespasia growing older and more frail but she's as elegant and original as ever. Charlotte's determined curiosity and compassionate nature have brought her perilously close to danger again--but this time it's General Balantyne's heart that is the victim. Gracie is more confidently her own woman and, amazingly, the stuffy Sgt. Tellman is forced to re-examine some of his dearly held prejudices. We don't glimpse into Thomas Pitt's heart and mind so much this time, but he's compassionate and loyal to his superior and friend, Mr. Cornwallis, and in his following the threads of blackmail and murder. It is the actual mystery that disappoints--it flows swiftly from scene to scene and carries you along to a conclusion that leaves you scratching your head..."wait a minute...didn't so-and-so know that Mr. X and Mr. Y were involved? How could they not know what they all had in common?" And the reason for the blackmail in the first place is swiftly resolved and never adequately explained. Catch up with "old friends" but don't expect much from the mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Bedford Square
Review: I really enjoyed this novel, my first novel by Ann Barry. If you are interested in period novels, this book is fascinating. BUT, the ending left much to be desired. I put the novel down with a distinct feeling that several chapters hadn't been written yet.
Rating:
Summary: First Ann Barry Novel
Review: I really enjoyed this novel, my first novel by Ann Barry. If you are interested in period novels, this book is fascinating. BUT, the ending left much to be desired. I put the novel down with a distinct feeling that several chapters hadn't been written yet.
Rating: 
Summary: Perry needs to take a break
Review: I'm a long-time fan of Anne Perry, but her last several books have left me disappointed. I had trouble getting started with this one, not because I found her plot lacking, but her writing has become flat and uninteresting. All her aristocrats are arrogant and haughty, all Pitt's underlings speak with a Cockney slang (which is very irritating to read) and she uses the word "tragedy" about 700 times in each book. Pitt is becoming one-note and all her secondary characters seem to blend together. Perry in earlier works drew interesting and unique characters. Now, she seems to be on automatic pilot filling in the blanks with no thought to originality and raking in the profits. While I enjoy her plots tremendously, this book in particular showed that Ms. Perry has fallen into the formula trap and she needs some time away from her word processor.
Rating:
Summary: Blackmail?
Review: The book failed for me because I found it implausible that blackmail could succeed without the the blackmailer actually having anything dishonorable, illegal, or even embarrassing, to expose about the persons being blackmailed. Should it even be called blackmail if there is no substance or truth to what is threatened to be revealed, and both parties to the so-called blackmail know that?
Having said that, I still think any Anne Perry is worth the read. You always get clear prose, a time-travel feel of things, and likable main characters, as well as in most cases, a creative and interesting story.
Rating:
Summary: Bedford Square
Review: This book has the good qualities of the rest of the series -- strong setting, interesting characters and an original plot. In this one, however, the plot doesn't quite hang together in several respects. Why would anybody believe in a suicide note written not in handwriting but pasted from newspaper, like the blackmail letters prominent citizens have been getting? And why was it necessary for the dead man found on a doorstep with a snuffbox in his pocket to look like another man? The conclusion comes rather suddenly and considerably out of left field -- the author hasn't done a good job of foreshadowing the end. As already suggested, this volume is about blackmail, with both old and new characters receiving notes threatening to spread irrefutable falsehoods about their pasts. This was an interesting theme, which could have been more deeply explored. Yet again, unrequited love plays a part here. For some reason, people in these books are perpetually falling for people they can't have. I'm not sure it's realistic for it to happen so often, but in the context of one book it's perfectly fine. Sergeant Tellman, with the chip on his shoulder, gets more development here and becomes a really appealing character. Despite my quibbles with the plot, I found the book essentially enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely not one of Anne Perry's best
Review: This book is a disappointment - either Perry is suffering from writer's fatigue or she just went through the motions with this story. The plot is thin and the conclusion surprisingly trite and inept. A lot of attention is given to interpersonal relationships - Charlotte Pitt and General Balantyne; Gracie and Sergeant Tellman; Charlotte and Aunt Vespasia to the detriment of the storyline. I hope that Perry does better with her next book in this series. Me - I am looking forward to the next Monk/Hester Latterley book. Now that's a couple worth developing.
Rating:
Summary: Good murder mystery
Review: This book was slow in parts but interesting in others. It was a typical murder mystery and I enjoyed reading it. There was a cast of various characters and different ideas on who the actual murderer was entered my mind but in the end I did not guess correctly.
| 
