Daniel Pitt's investigation into his colleague's murder leads him
through London's teeming underbelly to the suspicious dealings of one of
England's most influential shipbuilding magnates in a thrilling novel
from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.
"Timely . . . and engaging . . . another terrific
mystery."--Bookreporter
When junior barrister Daniel Pitt is summoned to the scene of a murder
in the London district known as Mile End, he knows only that the victim
is a senior barrister from the same firm. To Daniel's relief, it is not
his close friend Toby Kitteridge, but the question remains: What was
this respected colleague doing in such a rough part of the city? The
firm's head, Marcus fford Croft, may know more than he admits, but fford
Croft's memory is not what it used to be, and his daughter,
Miriam--Daniel's sometime sidekick--isn't in the country to offer her
usual help. And so Daniel and Toby must investigate on their own, lest
the police uncover something that may cast a suspicious light on the
firm.
Their inquiries in Mile End lead them to a local brothel and to an opium
den, but also--unexpectedly--to a wealthy shipbuilder crucial to
Britain's effort to build up its fleet, which may soon face the fearsome
naval might of Germany. Daniel finds his path blocked by officials at
every turn, his investigation so unwelcome that even his father, Special
Branch head Thomas Pitt, receives a chilling warning from a powerful
source. Suddenly, not just Daniel but his whole family--including his
beloved mother, Charlotte--is in danger. Will Daniel's devotion to
justice be the undoing of his entire life, and endanger Britain's
defense at sea? As ever, the fates of family and history are
inextricably intertwined in this spellbinder from Anne Perry.
